Setting up a coupon site - help!

Hey all, I am new to ABW but I was wondering if someone could give me a very basic how to for setting up a coupon site? I understand it is difficult to get noticed and all, and I understand trade secrets, that's why I only am asking for a vary basic set up. I am considering starting one but am finding it very difficult to get help getting started. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

With set up, are you talking about the layout? Or how to get coupons and stuff like that.

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I say this great compassion for my fellow ABW'er. Pick something different!

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What's an example of a coupon site you're trying to model after?

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Chris Wu
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Sorry for the lack of clarity. I'm wondering how to get the coupons, or where is best to get them. I have read a little about getting feeds/updates from GAN and CJ and such, but I haven't been able to figure out how to do that. Thanks for any help.

I have read some other similar posts you have made. You are clearly antagonistic concerning coupon sites, but why? I understand it is hard and competition is fierce but, is that all? I'm honestly curious what your thoughts are.

It's quite simple really. If it's a choice between creating and maintaining a coupon site or getting a cavity fixed without novacaine, I would go with fixing the cavity.

Results 1 - 10 of about 96,400,000 for coupons
Results 1 - 10 of about 20,400,000 for coupon codes

Yes the competition amongst coupon sites is beyond fierce. There are a dozen or so top coupon sites that google loves. And google will show those sites the love when it comes to search results pages for anything coupon related. And if your not on the first page for a *coupon* related search, you may as well be tumbling down the rabbit hole.

Not to mention the thousands of dollars a month those top coupon sites spend on Adwords advertising. Unless your going to create a coupon site that "revolutionizes" the coupon publishing world, I would seriously think about something else.

I speak from experience. Like I said, I say this out of kindness. Take it or leave it.

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"The Best Vitamin For a Christian is B1"

How about a site where users request and vote on coupons from a particular retailer of the week or something? Kinda like the deal of the day sites...give them a few pre-established discounts to vote on. And make sure the coupons are exclusive to your site only. Somehow. [then again, maybe there is already something out there like this...I haven't researched, as coupons aren't my thing either.]

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Unique Gift Cards

If you have a good layout, syndication, backlinks ..

and your site becomes high PR @ 6-7 you can break into some of the top pages for "brand" + coupons searchers

but this .. is .. a huge amount of work --

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Try to be alittle more detail in questions --

Are you lookin for content management software?
Web hosting?
Site Design?
Domain name ideas?

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Seymour - I see your point, and appreciate your insight. I am still curious to learn more about it. I may second guess putting all my effort into a coupon site right now, but I certainly want to know to go about getting the coupons.
What about going direct to merchants, is that a good idea? I'm talking about smaller sites that don't function on a drop ship basis, but actually manufacture the product themselves; does anyone here have experience with that?

Where to get them -

Most merchants send out newsletters to affiliates with the coupons in them.

Most coupons are available when you go to get links. Some networks have it easy to find them. For example in CJ if I want text links, I can choose those links and filter them by coupon.

Some merchants let you use whatever coupons you can find, I always sign up for the consumer newsletter as well on the merchant site.

Some merchants have blogs where you can get them.

Some networks have a place for them for all the merchants in the network like Shareasales Deal Database. GAN has a hot promotions section that's really light, not much there. But I get links everyday from them in the email and I get coupons there.

I have pages like this bookmarked - http://helpcenter.linkshare.com/pub...?questionid=731 That's where Linkshare updates consumer and affiliate promotions. I check that out at the beginning of every month and every now then in between.

Some networks have coupon feeds.

Some sites have user submitted coupons.

There's always your competition to check out.

That kind of thing.

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SeymourButts, I am so curious about your site. Can you tell us your site url?

I second what SeymourButts said. A coupon site nowadays would be considered an advanced project and it sounds as though you are still working on the basics. He's not just trying to discourage you, but giving his honest experience.

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"For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"

Where to get them!

Dear BlueStarMarketing,
I second what Trust said... With regard to Mondera what i do In addition to the Newsletter, Coupon RSS on Linkshare, You can find the coupon Updates here on ABW also we have a dedicate partner support page with coupon updates here
http://www.mondera.com/affiliate_support/offers.asp?

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Cheers,

Harry.
Mondera Affiliate Manager
http://www.mondera.com/affiliate_support/
Winner of the LinkShare 2004 Golden Link Awards "Affiliate's Choice Award"
Winner of the 2002 Abestweb.com "Best Affiliate Program Award"

Thanks everyone! Trust, that was exactly what I needed! I appreciate all the help. Thanks again!

With all my negativity towards coupon sites, I didn't actually answer the question.

For the most part, you can automate getting coupons from SAS, GAN, CJ, Avantlink, Pepperjam, and Linkshare (kind of) with mysql/php scripts.

SAS - has the coupon/deal database
Avantlink - has a coupon feed
CJ - has promo links
GAN - has link subscriptions
Pepperjam - has coupon feeds
Linkshare - has web services

None of these methods provided are consistent or simple, but some custom scripting using mysql/php, you can automate processing coupons quite well.

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"The Best Vitamin For a Christian is B1"