For authors who promote their books and for anyone who has an Amazon affiliates account, creating the right links is critically important. Most authors and amazon affiliates link their books and products to Amazon.com, which is only for US-based customers. To effectively link your books and other products to all of Amazon’s different sites in different countries, vou’ll need to use universal links.
In this article we’ll show you how to use one link that goes to the right amazon store for any user no matter what country they are in.
What are Universal Links?
Whether you are using Amazon’s affiliate program or trying to promote your latest Kindle book, it’s important to understand how to use universal links, and why traditional links may not be working to your advantage.
With a traditional link, you are sending your viewer directly to Amazon.com which is the US Amazon store. This is easy and convenient for anyone who lives in the US. However, a German customer can’t purchase a book from the US store. That customer will need a separate link to the German Amazon store. One tedious way to overcome this obstacle is to create different links for every possible country where you may have readers interested in your book. The smart alternative is to use a universal link, also called a global link.
There are many different options for authors and affiliates looking to create Amazon universal links. Whether you choose to use a third-party provider or the Amazon’s own OneLink option, you’ll be able to provide a single link for all of your customers. Once they click on that link, they will be taken the respective product on the correct Amazon store for their locale. Amazon has different domains for each of these countries:
- United States
- Canada
- United Kingdom
- Australia
- Mexico
- France
- Brazil
- Spain
- Germany
- Italy
- Japan
- India
- Netherlands
OneLink and 3rd party universal links allow you to provide a single link for each product, without concern for which country your users are coming from. Plus there are other advantages of using a universal link to Amazon for your book or product.
Advantages for Kindle Authors
If you’re a Kindle author, you don’t want to miss out on a sale because the link you provide takes users to an Amazon store that they are not registered on. People who live in the UK shop on Amazon.co.uk not on Amazon.com. And UK users cannot buy a Kindle book on the Amazon.com store. Kindle universal links allow you to streamline your website and make your links work for all users.
Advantages for Amazon Affiliates
Just like authors, Amazon affiliates need to drive traffic to the Amazon store. Whether you’re advertising for Kindle books or any other product, your affiliate link won’t earn you any revenue if it doesn’t link to the correct country Amazon store. Don’t waste all your international potential with a single link to amazon.com, and don’t clutter your blog posts and website with a massive amount of country specific links. A single, simple link can be used to generate revenue from a global audience.
Getting Started
Whether you choose OneLink or a third-party universal link provider, you’ll typically pay a monthly fee. This fee allows you to use universal links throughout your website. Some link providers also use plugins in order to instantly change your Amazon affiliate links to universal links.
Authors and affiliates have the ability to instantly connect with a global audience that is captivated by Kindle books. Global links are an incredible resource for anyone who wants to promote a particular book or e-product. Discover how you can use a versatile link to instantly bring connect people from around the world with your Kindle book.
Relinks.me
Relinks.me was created by people who publish books and therefore understood the frustration non-American readers and writers felt when they would be linked back to the main Amazon site rather than that of their respective country. This service allows you to create universal book links easily for both Amazon and Apple Books. Because Relinks.me is an Amazon and Apple Books affiliate, its service is completely free and requires no registration on your part. All you need is your AISN. You can, however, create a free account if you wish to be able to manage your links. There is, however, one caveat. Even though those behind Relinks.me work hard to ensure that all information is current, the database may not always be completely up-to-date. When the program is unable to detect a location, the user will automatically be directed back to the main Amazon.com page.
Smarturl
SmartURL certainly lives up to its name. Depending on users’ country of residence and device, this service will ensure that users get where they need to be when browsing the web. All one has to do is provide the system with the default URL, and smartURL will do the rest. This standard service is free. However, those who want to unlock additional features such as sophisticated organization and marketing tools will have to upgrade their accounts. There are two different paid plans to choose from: the Pro Plan and the Premium Plan. The Pro Plan costs $49 a month, or $588 for a whole year. The Premium Plan costs $249 for a month, or $2988 for the entire year. The Premium Plan sticks out in that it allows users to have up to 20 custom domains, whereas the Pro Plan offers just one. It goes without saying that this can get costly fast. However, if you seek top-notch resources for marketing as well as easy-to-manage universal links, then a smartURL subscription may be worth the investment.
Booklinker
If you crave international exposure, Booklinker.net is the perfect solution. What makes Booklinker in particular stand out is that it allows you to customize your URL as you see fit. This means that you can easily create short, eye-catching URLs (or vanity links, as they are called) to post anywhere from your Twitter bio to your own website. You also have access to some illuminating stats; Booklinker will show you where in the world people are clicking on your link, as well as how often your link has been clicked on. The only downside is that using Booklinker does require a bit more work on your end. You will have to create an account and log in with a username and password.
Genius Link (Geni.us)
Genius Link presents itself first and foremost as a superior marketing tool, as it allows users to create short and meaningful links that compel potential readers to click. Therefore, you will find that the website advertises not only its ability to connect authors with their audiences across the globe. It also emphasizes that the service is a great way for author to increase their revenue. With this in mind, Genius Link might be the ideal option for authors looking to market their work and reap a sizeable profit. However, even one blog published by Genius Link acknowledges that the service might not be the best option for authors new to the community or those who consider writing and promoting their books a pleasurable hobby. In such cases, Booklinker is probably a better choice. While Genius Link does offer a free 14-day trial, it is not free. However, it is reasonably priced. After the trial ends, you can expect to pay just $5 for 2000 clicks. Again, while this might not be the best option for those just getting started, it is a bargain of an investment for those serious about marketing their book to a wider audience.
VigLink
VigLink is one of the simplest ways to create universal affiliate links. With Viglink you do not need to have an amazon affiliate account or an account on any other platform. They take care of that. What’s more, you add a few lines of code to your website or blog and VigLink automatically converts your normal links into affiliate links. They also have a simple tool that lets you convert any link manually to an affiliate link. When users make a purchase, you earn a referral commission which VigLink pays you. The best part is that you don’t need to sign up for any individual affiliate accounts on other platforms. VigLink automatically tracks all purchases and pays you. There is no cost or up-front fee to use VigLink. Instead, VigLink takes a cut of the referral commissions that you earn.
And Lastly…
Whether you’re trying to sell books or just running a casual blog, linking effectively is critical to your success. From serious affiliates to authors just learning the ropes, universal links are a wonderful opportunity to send users to the right Amazon store for them, everytime. As an author, if you need any more exposure for your own books, consider running a book promotion on trusted promotion sites such as bookbub and JustKindleBooks. If you’re a reader, take advantage of this incredible selection of free Kindle books. Avid readers all over the globe can enjoy this extensive library of free Kindle books.
