Chitika is a well known affiliate type program where advertisers can select to advertise their products via various services including “Mini-Malls.”
Site publishers, on the other hand, can earn revenue from these services by placing code on their pages which is supposed to serve targeted content to website visitors.
Now before you rush to sign up I must tell you that your site needs a minimum of 10,000 pageviews per month which means if you are a blogger that only gets a couple thousand per month you will be rejected. However if you do qualify then continue reading.
Mini-malls
Chitika’s most well known product is their mini-malls. They are small areas on a website where you can see products relating to the page content, as well as description and pricing information.
Mini-malls is not only for those living in the Continental US. They have recently launched a geo-targetting option which allows your visitors to see product details and pricing from local vendors. That means US visitors see US pricing while Canadians (for example) will see Canadian pricing and vendors.
RPU
Chitika also offers a product called RPU or “Related Products Unit” which brings related products right to the end user reading a product-oriented story. For example, if the reader is reading about the latest Canon digital camera then they would also be presented with pricing and product information relating to that make and model of camera.
RPU is different from Mini-malls in that the malls are more general in nature while RPU is more specific. Publisher availability is even more strict. You must already have a Chitika account and have earned at least $100. Further your site must recieve 50,000 pageviews per month.
Is Chitika worth it for publishers?
Some people may think that the pageview requirements for both the mini-malls and RPU are high, however if you consider that the average blogger or site owner receives a per-click payment it is actually to your benefit if you get more traffic.
In other words, while many affiliate programs don’t care what the traffic is to your site, and will pay you accordingly, payments to lower traffic sites is generally quite small and sometimes not worth the effort.
For example, a blogger with 2,000 pageviews may qualify for other affiliate programs but may only earn a few dollars per month. However if your site does quality because it achieves the minimum 10,000 pageview threshold, then payouts on a regular basis will be higher.
But if your site does qualify, is Chitika worth the effort?
The short answer is yes, but only if you feel your site would benefit from such advertising. For example, if you feel your readers would be turned off by advertising such as this, then don’t do it. If, however, you think readers would actually benefit from Chitika listings, then perhaps it will be worthwhile for you.
Is Chitika worth it for Advertisers?
Based on testimonials found on the site it is a worthwhile investment for many reasons.
For example, the Chitika system ensures that your products only show up on contextually relevant sites. That means if you sell digital cameras (for example) the ads will only show up on sites that are camera related.
Further, the system seems to be designed so that fraudulent clicking is discouraged. In other words, people who click are actually interested in the products displayed.
Overall Chitika appears to be a very good program for both publishers and advertisers. By having minimum standards for publishers it ensures that advertisers receive the most bang for their buck.
Not only that, but their Mini-mall and RPU products are very unique. This differentiates Chitika from its competition. While it is considered an affiliate program, the way the products are displayed is unique and offers more opportunity for potential customers to interact with the ads. It is this interaction which I feel is most important as it helps pre-qualify the advertiser. It helps encourage the purchase as the customer feels more comfortable with the advertiser.
Whether you are an advertiser looking for an alternative to straight PPC or other affiliate programs, or a webmaster who wished to monetize his site, Chitika may be a valuable alternative for you.
