Local Shopping API for Affiliates is Here

A couple of days ago I’ve learned about LuckyLocal.com. They position themselves as a local shopping API solution for affiliates. Similar to datafeed-import tools/services like GoldenCAN and PopShops, but with a local twist.

Here’s my brief look at how it works for affiliates:

You open an account with them, and just as at GoldenCAN and PopShops, you will enter your affiliate network IDs (and sub-IDs, should you want to set any). Unlike at GoldenCAN, where you have to do it for every merchant, but very much like at PopShops, it’s a once and for all procedure:

Then you want to select which merchants to “add to site” (they must be the ones you’ve already joined through respective affiliate networks):

Interestingly, Shopzilla is also listed among “Affiliate Networks”, which allows for partnering with merchants that do not have affiliate programs as such (e.g.: Lowes), but do advertise on Shopzilla.

I find it interesting to find Shopzilla on the list of networks, because they are actually also an affiliate, and work with many merchants on performance basis themselves. Here’s, for example, their data from Commission Junction:

So, after you’ve selected which merchants you’re gonna work with, they recommend determining your programming skill level on a 3-level scale, and depending on your programming experience and expertise, you can either integrate merchant products using Widgets:

…or you can go and play with their API solutions:

An example of how the functionality works (or looks in action) may be found here.

When I asked the LuckyLocal.com folks what they believe to be their biggest difference and advantage over solutions like PopShops and GoldenCAN, they replied without a second thought: of course, our “local shopping API”! That’s really their main competitive advantage. Here’s how they desribe it themselves:

For the first time, you, as an affiliate can integrate a local shopping search engine on your website. Local shopping search engine allows your visitors to search for products/services within a local vicinity using zip code or automatically using Geo IP.

Local shopping search engine helps shoppers locate in-stock products from local stores with real-time pricing and availability check. Affiliates can integrate local shopping search engine easily just by inserting a few lines of html code.

This is definitely an interesting development to see, and I wish them luck in their further promotion and development.

If you want to try them out, they are offering a one year free trial if you sign up with them as an affiliate by January 31, 2011 [details here | and per this comment, no credit card now required]. May be worth a try.

Just to be clear: this post is not sponsored in any way, and reflects only my personal opinion on (and experience with) a new affiliate tool/service.