Administrative and Maintenance Tools - VigLink

Info:
VigLink is the easiest way to monetize your outbound links. You get paid when visitors click from your forum to a retailer and buy something. The VigLink analytics dashboard tells you which outbound links are clicked most, which are making you the most money, and more.

You've created something special. Your community is a place where people congregate to discuss their passion. It turns out they also make decisions about what to buy and where to buy it?and that's valuable. VigLink helps you capture this value, effortlessly.

In fact, VigLink is second only to AdSense as the most widely used monetization technology for vBulletin. Don't take our word for it, here's the breakdown.

This add-on will install the VigLink javascript on your forum, without the need to edit templates.

VigLink Convert
Your members are constantly posting links to retailers. If any go to over 35,000 retailers, VigLink will automatically convert them to monetized links that pay you a commission.
Learn More >>

VigLink Insert
Forum threads often reference products, brands, and retailers. VigLink can automatically link these references, making sure they always go to the most valuable destination.
Learn More >>

Controls
Version 2.0 now gives more control over how VigLink runs on your site. You can enable or disable VigLink Convert and VigLink Insert for specific user groups and forums.

Tested On:
4.2.0
3.8.7

Installation Instructions

1. Import the XML file
2. Go to your AdminCP and edit the VigLink options
3. Enter the API key from your VigLink account page. (If you don't already have a VigLink account you can sign up here)

[Manoel J?nior]

Demo? Screens?

[vlrick]

There's no real UI to speak of, so screenshots wouldn't be very exciting. It's very much like this Google Analytics add-on in terms of how it affects your forum -- Admins get a very simple options page where they can enter their VigLink API key; Users see no change at all.

As far as a demo, there's a basic demo on VigLink.com, where you can see plain links being automatically affiliated.

[djbaxter]

I've never heard of VigLink. Who are the owners and what are their credentials?

Frankly, this add-on seems less like a vBulletin add-on and more like spam and self-promotion for VigLink.

[vlrick]

Originally Posted by djbaxter

I've never heard of VigLink. Who are the owners and what are their credentials?

VigLink is a venture-backed startup based in San Francisco. Our investors include Google Ventures and First Round Capital. Here's a TechCrunch article about us from January, when we came out of private beta. There's lots more information about us, individually, on our about page.

Originally Posted by djbaxter

Frankly, this add-on seems less like a vBulletin add-on and more like spam and self-promotion for VigLink.

Sorry the description read that way to you. If you'd download it and take a look, you'd see that it does make VigLink installation easier for vBulletin users, by saving you from having to edit templates. As I said above, it's very similar in purpose and implementation to this Google Analytics add-on, for example; it inserts a bit of javascript into every page, and lets the javascript do the real work.

Rick

[junaid]

I installed and entered API key
but I didn't see any Links form where I can see those links?

[LouisB]

Installed. Suppose it's worth the try. Thanks

[jmw]

I see you bought drivingrevenue.com. How does this viglink exactly work?

1. Does the forum have to have links pointing to supported merchants to work or will it overwrite any links to external products with a Viglink supported merchant affiliate id?

2. How does this play with adsense?

[Taurus1]

Will this work on 3.8.6?

[vlrick]

Originally Posted by jmw

I see you bought drivingrevenue.com. How does this viglink exactly work?

1. Does the forum have to have links pointing to supported merchants to work or will it overwrite any links to external products with a Viglink supported merchant affiliate id?

2. How does this play with adsense?

If you're familiar with how Driving Revenue's affiliation works, then you're familiar with how VigLink's works, too. They're very similar. That's part of why we've teamed up!

To answer your questions,

1. There are no special VigLink merchant links to use. You (and your users) link wherever you would normally link. When a visitor clicks an external link, our javascript checks to see if that link can be affiliated. If it can be, we affiliate it on the fly. Any time we see a link that's already affiliated, we leave it alone. (If you prefer, you can tell us to overwrite those existing affiliate links in your account settings).

2. We have lots of users using VigLink and AdSense together, and we aren't aware of any problems.