Affinia launched an e-commerce service that
lets operators of small targeted content sites, personal homepages and online
communities set up a “storefront” filled with products their site visitors
are most interested in buying.
The service, called the Affinia Commerce Network, allows small site operators
to select relevant items from a database of products drawn from thousands of
merchants and provides a simple, Web-based storefront builder.
Site operators are freed from the hassles of transaction processing,
inventory storage, and shipping, the company said.
“The e-commerce revolution of the past two years has completely neglected the
needs of small Web sites,” said Kris Hagerman, founder and CEO of Affinia.
“What we’re delivering is an easy-to-set up, easy-to-use contextual product
storefront service that will allow thousands of small content sites to
participate in the riches of the online shopping phenomenon. The site
creators are free to do what they do best — provide entertaining and
informative content for their audiences.”
Traditionally, small Web sites have not been viewed as significant
revenue-generating candidates for retailers’ affiliate programs. However,
taken as a whole, these sites generate 85 percent of page views on the Web,
Affinia quoted Forrester Research as saying.
Affinia said that more than 1,000 merchants are participating in the Affinia
Commerce
Network, including Reel.com, PlanetRx, eToys, Garden.com and Fridegedoor.com.
The product database uses a patent-pending “Relevancy Engine,” which maps the
product data into a logical classification. Affinia accomplishes this by
combining human and computer intelligence. Working with a set of proprietary
tools, Affinia’s team of “cybrarians” methodically remaps products into a
universal, browsable and searchable framework, the company said.
Small Web sites participating in the Affinia Commerce Network pay nothing to
set up a storefront. Together with Affinia, each receive a referral fee of 10
percent of a product’s purchase price. Affinia pays out referral fees on a
quarterly basis.
