As you should now be aware eBay is launching it's new global
affiliate platform - the eBay Partner Network - on April 1st.
This email is about this changeover.
Please note that Commission Junction (CJ.com) and the new eBay
Partner Network will run parallel for one month from April 1st
through to May 1st giving you plenty of time to join the new
platform and update your niche stores.
These are the four things eBay has stated you will need to do once
the transfer happens:
1. Register with eBay Partner Network on April 1, 2008
2. Confirm your registration, and obtain your new identifiers
3. Update your links with your new identifiers
4. Reminder: Please plan to complete migration by May 1, 2008
Number 3 of these relates to updating your niche stores and both an
update pack and clean download of the following versions of BANS
will be provided (along with modified manuals to take account of
the different eBay affiliate application process and step by step
instructions in the form of a "Read Me" file for updating your own
stores):
- BANS V1.2
- BANS V1.3 (which includes V1.3.1 - the fix for that version)
- BANS V2.0
- BANS V3.0
You will be able to use the "clean download" for any new stores
that you build and the "update pack(s)" for updating your existing
stores so that the eBay links inside them are compliant with the
new eBay affiliate platform.
Because these changes will result in updates to existing versions
and not the release of new versions we will be keeping the version
numbers as described above.
So that you know you are using the updated versions each of the
version numbers will be followed by EPN which stands for eBay
Partner Network. For example, "BANS V3.0" will now be "BANS V3.0
EPN" and so forth.
What we recommend you do now is open up an excel spreadsheet or get
a piece of paper and write a list of your stores and next to each
one the version of BANS it was built with.
When it comes to updating your existing stores you will then be
able to download the appropriate update files and follow the
instructions for each of your stores. Please note that this update
procedure is not going to be a complex task and will be very
similar to the "Fix 1" and "Fix 2" updates we have recently released.
You can identify the version that you are using by the number that
appears at the top of each of your BANS admin panels - v1.3 (which
includes 1.3.1), V2.0 or V3.0. The only exception to this is the
old V1.2 which doesn't have an admin panel and instead has one file
called setup.php.
The more prepared you are for the transfer the easier you will find
it to update your own portfolio. To assist in this changeover a new
forum section will be set up called "eBay Affiliate Migration" with
four sub-sections which will correspond to the different updated
versions of BANS.
So When Will The Updated Files Be Released?
As already stated we have already been through the changes required
with the eBay.com affiliate manager. The EPN beta platform has,
however, closed and we do not have access to the new platform until
it is opened to the public on April 1st.
Therefore, when April 1st comes we will be doing the same as every
other eBay affiliate - signing up to the new platform and
confirming our regristration.
We will then be doing our final testing for each of the four BANS
versions which will be updated to make sure that the links are
working and that clicks are tracking.
Once we're happy that everything is working as it should the
updated versions of BANS will be made available through the update
center as normal. You will be notified of their release by email.
Providing that eBay's new platform manages to hold up under what
will be a very busy day on the 1st April and that their tracking is
timely the updated versions will be released on April 1st.
If anything outside of our control (be it the application procedure
to the program or slow statistical updates) hinders our final
testing then the updated versions will be released as soon as the
changes we have made to BANS have been confirmed as correct.