There are a plethora of tools available to Amazon Associates looking to optimize their WordPress powered sites for maximum conversions. Two of the top tools affiliate marketers often investigate to accomplish this goal are our service, Geniuslink, and the WordPress plugin, EasyAzon 4.
The question typically comes up as “EasyAzon 4 vs. Geniuslink, which is better?” We believe this question is slightly misguided. EasyAzon 4 and Geniuslink are actually very different tools that excel at different things, and asking this question is a bit like comparing apples to oranges. The short answer to the question “EasyAzon 4 or Geniuslink” may actually be both.
EasyAzon 4 and Geniuslink: What’s the Difference?
EasyAzon 4 is an awesome, multi-faceted WordPress plugin with tons of features aimed at making your Amazon affiliate links easier to find, publish, and convert to sales. The EasyAzon 4 plugin really excels at making Amazon affiliate links super easy to publish directly to your site without having to leave WordPress. They also have some really useful features allowing you to generate rich previews and content around your Amazon links. EasyAzon 4 charges a one time fee to purchase their plugin.
Geniuslink is a complete intelligent link management platform. We specialize in providing the most sophisticated global links in existence, while providing rich reporting to show insight on how your links are performing. One of our many tools is the Amazon Link Engine WordPress plugin, a tool that simplifies the process of using our global links for Amazon on a WordPress site. Geniuslink is a monthly subscription based service.
Because both services offer WordPress plugins and allow you to link to the different global Amazon storefronts, they are often compared. However, this is really where the similarities end. Geniuslink really excels at link translation and reporting, where EasyAzon 4 excels in streamlining the link publishing process.
Lost in Translation
Geniuslink powers Amazon links through a patented 5-step process that has been developed (and is constantly evolving) to always send the end user to a destination in their local storefront where the item being promoted can be purchased (while also ensuring that it’s in stock, not an “import” item, etc.). Our geo-targeted links work for Amazon, iTunes, and The Microsoft Store. Check out this article to learn more about our link translation process works.
While EasyAzon 4 allows you to send Amazon affiliate links to the different international Amazon storefronts, this isn’t really their specialty. EasyAzon 4 doesn’t actually “translate” a link as Geniuslink does. When an EasyAzon 4 link goes to a foreign Amazon storefront, they always send the end user through to a search for the product title in that foreign storefront.
To demonstrate, and EasyAzon 4 link promoting this book would send a user based in the UK to this page in the amazon.co.uk storefront:
A link powered by Geniuslink would send that same UK based user to this page in the amazon.co.uk storefront:
As you can see, an EasyAzon 4 link brings the UK based user to a search results page for the book in the UK storefront, while the Geniuslink powered link brings the user directly to the item.
Consider another example when linking to this television. This item doesn’t actually exist in the UK storefront, so sending the end user through to a search for the item in the UK storefront would land them here:
This isn’t really an ideal user experience, and can actually lead the user to believe that the link is broken. In this case, a Geniuslink powered link would actually send the user back to the original link the amazon.com storefront. Our process recognizes that the item isn’t available in the UK, and makes sure the user ends up in a storefront where the item actually exists. This preserves the user experience and allows the user to still purchase the television if they want to ship internationally.
Which is Right for my Site?
Ultimately, it depends on what exactly you’re looking to get out of a tool to help optimize your site. If you’re looking for a streamlined way to find and publish Amazon affiliate links and access some pretty clever features for your WordPress site, check out EasyAzon 4. If you’re looking for highly sophisticated, conversion driving global links with robust reporting, Geniuslink is your best bet. If you want the best of both of these worlds, use both! EasyAzon 4 and Geniuslink are not mutually exclusive.
Keep in mind that there is a lot more to each of these tools than can be covered in a short blog post. Do your homework and figure out what makes sense for your needs. As always, feel free to contact us with any questions, comments, or concerns.
Happy Linking,
Team Geniuslink