Starting a datafeed site with no site yet? Is it possible

[zmroberts]

I am a newbie with programming experience planning on starting a data feed site. I plan on using the data feed for most of my content (I know, I know, many people think this is a bad idea and makes for a cr*p site)... but I need the data feed to create my site... Problem is, I think most merchants require that you have a site before they will send you a data feed, right? Are there some merchants that will just give you the data and don't care if you have a site yet?

Feel free to sticky mail me if you don't want to give away sensitive info.

Thanks

[ronin]

Yes, most merchants do require that you have a site first, but it doesn't have to be anything spectacular.

Why not throw up a ten page site over one weekend, get your datafeed applications approved and then replace the pages you set up - or add to them - with the datafeeds?

[roldar]

In my experience most merchants couldn't care less about your site. If the DNS resolves they seem to count that as a bonus.

A lot of CJ merchants just put it on autopilot and let everybody in. Others claim to review all the sites they let in, but I've had no troubles getting a parking page to pass as a site worthy of their content.

As always, YMMV. May as well create some content anyways, as a pure datafeed site isn't likely to entice the spiders to do a whole lot.

[zmroberts]

OK... I guess I'll create some content... then go for the data feed. Thanks for the replies.

[shri]

Datafeed + Adwords == Money

Go figure.

[regulus]

Where can I find more info about building a datafeed site?

[roldar]

To get a datafeed site working you'll probably need to know some of the following first:

A scripting language like PHP or ASP
A database like mySQL, PostgreSQL, MSSQL, etc.

Then you'll need a datafeed... which merchants who have a lot of items will generally give to you in a comma-separated or tab-separated text file.

Then you'll have to manipulate the datafeed and insert it into your database. Use a regular expression capable text editor to clean things up before you do this.

Then use one of the scripting languages above to pull the data out of the database and insert it into page templates.

[iProgram]

datafeed does not work for me. I received some feeds from ls and performics merchants but

1. some search engines don't like datafeed sites
2. merchants formatted their long descriptions using html tags like <ul>,<li> on their own sites but they only put pure text (the text inside html tags) in their feed files. If you use these pure text on your site directly, nobody can read them at all.
3. How to get commission? You must place a cookie on customer's computer. How to place a cookie on customer's computer? You must send this customer to merchant's website. The customer opens merchant's website by clicking "more info" link on your site, but they found that they have to click the "add to cart" or "BUY NOW" button again.

[zmroberts]

Shri... so you basically run a data feed site and then buy Adwords ads to be placed on other peoples sites and this directs traffic to you and hopefully through you to the merchant? That is what i plan on doing i guess but i imagine the adwords game can be pretty tricky. any suggestions for that?

[shri]

Depends on a lot of factors. You can do direct PPC to the merchant or to your own site. Intelligent tracking is key to the bid management.

[zmroberts]

hmmm PPC direct to the merchant... so what is the point of even having a web site at all if you can just to PPC direct to the merchant?

[shri]

>> so what is the point of even having a web site at all if you can just to PPC direct to the merchant?

Google only displays one ad per destination..