10 replies to this topic

[RustyBulb]

Hi,

I want to outsource a job for someone here or on a freelance website, but I do not know how to word the ad or post, as I don't know what programming language it would require. I am not a coder myself.

I want the tool to do something like the one at this site:
wonderful project.com (Please delete the space).

There are lots of online resources that have listed links, like the ones underneath the tool, but I would like just the tool, just for the US and with percentages +, rather than 30% - 80%, for example.

How should I word the ad please?

And what should I expect to pay for a job like this?

ADDITION: (The tool only to be created - not the site)

thank you

Edited by RustyBulb, 09 October 2010 - 05:25 AM.

[WingedPanther]

It seems likely that you will start losing money on this project, quickly. I didn't spend much time on the site, but when you find something that looks "just like what I want to build, only better", and there's a ton of competition, the odds are you will drown.

Plan on hiring a full-time web-programmer. Do you have a year's salary handy to build/maintain the site?

[RustyBulb]

Thanks for your reply WingedPanther,

I'm sorry, I should have said that I am building and maintaining the site. I don't need someone to build a site for me - just the tool.

I know about the competition, and I am not concerned, as the one page tool site is only going to be an additional resource to my Amazon sites that are making money, but I plan to let my subscribers (to several sites) know about the online tool, so that they can bookmark it and use it regularly.

I could add a bunch of links myself, as a lot of the competition sites do, but this is the only tool I have found, that I thought looked much better and more professional.

I only need someone to build the tool itself for a one-off payment. Or to put it on my site for an extra fee.

Do you know what language this tool would need to be created in?

Thanks a lot

[WingedPanther]

Start by defining "the tool". I only glanced at the referenced site, and nothing jumped out at me. What does "the tool" do? From what I can see, all this does is format a form submission URL string for you.

[RustyBulb]

Yes that's all it does! - that's why I put Simple online tool as the title.

It just presents the URLs produced from the links below in a more presentable way.

Do you know what language it is please?

thanks

[WingedPanther]

HTML. If you do view source, you'll see that it's just an HTML form that submits its results to amazon's website.

[RustyBulb]

Thanks a lot.

I would like two versions of the tool (I'm guessing it won't take twice as much work?):

• One producing my affiliate links
  
• And one with plain links to put on my non-profit site.

I can usually find certain stuff within HTML, and I could not find the owner's affiliate ID in this, but it certainly shows in the resulting URLs.

I did notice it mentions Javascript twice within the HTML, so would the IDs be hidden in that?

And if so, should I say I want a simple HTML / Javascript tool?

Or will "HTML tool" be enough?

thanks

[WingedPanther]

You really need to stop and get a more precise statement of what you want.

Do you want something that lets users pick the discount level on Amazon?
Do you want something that displays Amazon search results in a frame with your banner outside it?
Something else?

Currently, you're talking about the technologies involved to make things happened, rather than saying "I want this screen, and when they click on that button they get this screen." Start with WHAT you want to happen, then you can worry about HOW to make it happen. Be aware of the CSS and JavaScript when you look at other sites. There can be a LOT of effects in those that you don't see in the simple HTML. I like using FireFox's Firebug extension for things like that.

[RustyBulb]

Thank you WingedPanther

Sorry, I was under the impression I had given enough info because I said in earlier posts that I want the tool to do what the other tool does, with two small differences: to only have the US (not UK and Canada) and I don't want the tool to have two percentage boxes; only a percentage+ box.

so for example:
30% and above
40% and above, etc.

I was thinking "what would be the point of having 30% - 50% when there could be stuff with 80% discounts? People will still want those, won't they?"

I don't want a frame. I would like the user to go to Amazon via my affiliate link. And for it to open in a new window (Ok 3 differences! ;))

Apart from that, I want the tool to be exactly the same in functionality (but a more modern design with a cool web 2.0 button). I thought showing people this tool would explain far more than I could in words.

Sorry if I did not make this clear.

thanks

[WingedPanther]

Do ranges: 30-100%, that will get the 30+% effect.

new window is just setting the form target to _new

Overall, if you know HTML, it shouldn't be hard. BTW, no, I'm not interested in doing it. I just like talking over these things :)

[RustyBulb]

Thanks a lot for your help :)