Topic: New tool

Hi all,

We're thinking of creating a new tool for self-published authors who have published work on Amazon. The tool would do the following:

- Allow you to see how your promotional efforts are working to send traffic to Amazon. You'd see which sites are sending traffic to your book's Amazon page: Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, Emails, etc.
- Allow you to see which of these promotional efforts are driving actual Amazon sales.

Is this something that you would find helpful in your promotion? I'd love any feedback.

Thanks,
Sol

Quote Post 1

Re: New tool

This tool will probably get only limited use, since there are probably more aspiring authors on the site than published ones. Personally, I'd prefer it if the effort went into improving the site based on outstanding enhancement/bug fix requests. My favorite pet peeve, as you know, is that new forum posts disappear from the home page before I know they even exist.

Quote Post 2

3 Reply by j p lundstrom (edited by j p lundstrom 2017-03-30 16:25:11)

Re: New tool

Norm d'Plume wrote:

My favorite pet peeve, as you know, is that new forum posts disappear from the home page before I know they even exist.

Hear, hear!
And mine is that by dividing the postings into categories, those in less active categories stay up forever, while others whizzzzz by before you get a chance to read them.

Quote Post 3

Re: New tool

Hi Sol,
I think a tool like you mention would be helpful. Of course,  the cost for the service would be a consideration. However, it'd sure be nice to know if those Facebook, twitter, posts I do are resulting in any clicks to my books!

Quote Post 4

Re: New tool

However, it'd sure be nice to know if those Facebook, twitter, posts I do are resulting in any clicks to my books

Not just clicks, but sales on Amazon. We've developed a way to track sales.

My favorite pet peeve, as you know, is that new forum posts disappear from the home page before I know they even exist.

Problem is everyone has a different pet peeve and one person's fix is another person's pet peeve. Bug we will fix regardless but we're very cautious now with new enhancements since we made a bunch of changes  based on user feedback and they weren't well received by everyone.

Quote Post 5

Re: New tool

That's even better!!!

Quote Post 6

Re: New tool

SolN wrote:

Problem is everyone has a different pet peeve and one person's fix is another person's pet peeve. Bug we will fix regardless but we're very cautious now with new enhancements since we made a bunch of changes  based on user feedback and they weren't well received by everyone.

Sounds reasonable. However, the algorithm by which new forum posts disappear from the home page is a mystery. It's been inconsistent since the new site went live. Some posts disappear within a few hours while others seem to hang around for about a day (my preference). It's either a weird algorithm or a bug. I'm not sure if time zones are involved.

Quote Post 7

Re: New tool

I've noted that too, Norm.

Quote Post 8

9 Reply by vern (edited by vern 2017-03-31 02:15:26)

Re: New tool

From my observation, the posts only disappear from the front page once I've opened them and otherwise stay until they are displaced by other newer ones up to the box limit. Of course, I could have special appeal which makes them want to hang around until I've read them -- kind of like that commercial about the most interesting man in the world. Take care. Vern

Edited to correct spelling of "of".

Quote Post 9

Re: New tool

From my observation, the posts only disappear from the front page once I've opened them and otherwise stay until they are displaced by other newer ones up to the box limit.

This is how they are supposed to work. Sometimes, depending on browser cache or local browser characteristics, they may not behave exactly like this, but that's the idea.

Quote Post 10

Re: New tool

I've experienced both of the following:
- posts I've read remain visible on the home page
- posts I haven't read disappear before I've read them, sometimes in a matter of hours

I'm running the latest version of Google Chrome on a Windows 7 desktop.

Quote Post 11

Re: New tool

I think your idea is great, Sol.  A good way to keep up with what's working and what's not.  Count me in.

Quote Post 12