[HippoCart]

HippoCart.com is bringing it's most popular store to the ShareASale Network. YouBuyNow.com focuses on action figures, statues, busts and collectibles across the comic book, sci-fi and fantasy genres. The majority of the product that we sell is only available in the specialty market, you will not be competing with the large big box retail chains with these items.

Here are some highlights of our program:


90 Day Tracking
Variety of Creatives with Specialized Ads Provided Upon Request
Commissions Starting at 10% but Higher Rates Available Based on Volume
Datafeed File including all In-Stock, Back-Ordered and Pre-Ordered Merchandise
Regular Coupons and Deals exclusive to ShareASale Affiliates
Responsive Affiliate Support w/ Regular Product Updates
Fresh Product Added to Site Almost Daily


You can check out our program at http://www.shareasale.com/shareasale.cfm?merchantID=14304 and please let us know what we can do to help. If there is something you don't like or custom creatives you would like to see us add, shoot me an email at brian@hippocart.com and I would be glad to help.

Brian Welch
HippoCart.com Inc.

[writerguy]

Just signed up. I was hoping to use your datafeed for some toys and collectibles sites I'm getting prepared for the holiday buying season.

BUT -- why not a really usable category/subcategory structure to the datafeed? The category/subcategory structure you seem to have now is:

Category -- Toys/Games
Subcategory -- Action

What's useful about that if I wish to display the datafeed in meaningful categories and subcategories?

Your "merchantCategory" field is a start, at least. But instead of the current setup where information ONLY appears in the merchantCategory separated by the ">" symbol, why not split this so the first half of the information is in "merchantCategory," and the information following the ">" sign is in the "merchantSubcategory" field?

I suppose such changes could be made by putting the feed into Excel and doing some cut-and-paste work. But if I want to request FTP access to the datafeed, I need it structured so that my script can import it to my server and install it into a MySQL table.

I, personally, don't have enough PHP smarts to figure out a script that'll do that right now, though I DO have a couple of PHP scripts which would import the feed and turn it inot a MySQL table -- using the structure of the feed as it downloads via FTP.

Which brings us right back to the lack of a usable "SubCategory" or "merchantSubcategory" structure again.

*sigh*

BTW -- You're not alone as a SAS merchant with useless Category/Subcategory structures that are the same for every item in the feed. But many of the merchants at least use the Custom1-5 fields or the "merchantCategory/merchantSubcategory" fields to set up a usable structure.

[HippoCart]

Hi Gary,

Thanks for the inquiry. This is an issue that we are aware of and are actually working on. The Toys/Games and Action category listed in the feed is more of an SaS issue I believe. Those are the categories available to me to assign to the feed unless I am misunderstanding SaS's system.

As you mentioned, this can be solved on our end by providing a better breakdown in the merchantcategory and custom fields but unfortunately, our cart, that we do the export from, crams it all into one place. What we are working on is breaking that out so that the subcategory will be in it's own field instead of like it we currently have it. We hope this enhancement will be ready by early next week. As soon as it is, we will upload a new feed.

[HippoCart]

I neglected to mention in our initial post for affiliates who use coupons that we will be adding a coupon campaign next week as well. So don't let the fact that it's not setup yet deter you :) We will update affiliates via the affiliate newsletter as soon as these changes and enhancements are in-place.

[writerguy]

As you mentioned, this can be solved on our end by providing a better breakdown in the merchantcategory and custom fields but unfortunately, our cart, that we do the export from, crams it all into one place. What we are working on is breaking that out so that the subcategory will be in it's own field instead of like it we currently have it. We hope this enhancement will be ready by early next week. As soon as it is, we will upload a new feed.

Thanks so much, Brian. I confess sometimes I come off as a bit "grumpy" when I start my mumble, mumble, grumble stuff about datafeeds sometimes. Don't mean to be grumpy. I guess I'm turning into an old curmudgeon. :)

Truth is, I've got no real clue about all the work you and other merchants/affiliate managers put in so we have the luxury of getting great products, promos, and datafeeds to play around with.

Sorry about that, and I'll be looking forward to what you come up with.

Keep up the good work!

[mobilebadboy]

Brian, are there no volume based incentives through your Avantlink campaign? Is that the reason for the lower percentage on Shareasale, due to the volume based incentives? Just an inquiry, for future knowledge.

[HippoCart]

No worries, I didn't take it that way at all.

We want this program to work for everyone and we want you to use the datafeed so any feedback we can get will help us make it a better affiliate program all around. So keep the feedback, requests, problems, and questions coming :)

[HippoCart]

We are actually waiting for a new agreement from Avantlink and will be making changes over there once we do. It will reflect the same commission structure we are offering at ShareASale. However, the change will be announced through Avantlink and affiliates will be given plenty of notice.

[Rhia7]

You mean you're not staying at SAS? :(

I haven't signed up for Avantlink.

[HippoCart]

Oh no, we are definitely staying at SaS :)

We have it up on Avantlink as well though and what mobilebadboy was saying is that our SaS program starts at 10% and goes up based on volume, our Avantlink program is 12% with no performance bonuses. We will be changing the Avantlink program to match what we are offering at SaS. We want to keep the Avantlink progrm going for those affiliates who prefer there datafeed tools.

[HippoCart]

Thanks and welcome aboard!

Brian

[MichaelColey]

Do you have updated coupons for your various programs in AvantLink? I started to add several of your stores to my site a couple months ago, but when I tested the listed coupons (which I think have since been removed from the coupon feed), none of them worked.

[HippoCart]

We will have updated coupons on Avantlink shortly, we just got our new contract with them and will be posting new deals and updated feeds as soon as it is signed.

[HippoCart]

Michael,

The contract at AvantLink has been renewed, new coupons have been added for youbuynow.com and new feeds have been submitted but they may take up to 24 hours before they are processed and accessible.

Let me know if there is anything else you need, you can email me directly if you would like a different type of coupon code for your site.

Brian

[Gary-AvantLink]

Brian,

Thanks for updating the coupons and creative in AvantLink. We're glad to have a finalized new contract and look forward to a great year! :)

Gary M

[HippoCart]

Thanks Gary, we are glad to be continuing our relationship with you.

[HippoCart]

As requested, the youbuynow.com ShareASale program is now setup at PopShops.

[flamingoworld]

What about the links at the bottom:
Please visit HippoCart's other stores
Do we get paid when people click through there?

[Gary-AvantLink]

I'll chime in..

Connie, Brian/Hippocart has TastyIrishTreats and GeekArmor integrated through his AvantLink merchant account, so those two would be covered. We don't have the other stores, though.

Gary M

[HippoCart]

Connie,

Currently, it won't track until the rest of the programs are added to SaS. As Gary mentioned, we do have multiple stores live on Avantlink so those commissions would track. We do hope to bring the other stores online through SaS and Avantlink but it will depend on performance before I can justify the cost to my partner.

Brian