Date:         Fri, 31 Mar 2017 09:53:15 -0400
Reply-To:     "kenneth wilford (Van-Again)" <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "kenneth wilford (Van-Again)" <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET>
Subject:      Ideas about funding Vanagon.com
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

So for many, many, many years, Vanagon.com has gotten a free ride due to
the kindness and benevolence of Vanagon owners and fans.  It costs money to
host a website, and it also costs money (time) to update it on a regular
basis so that it stays up to date, isn't hacked, no porn (except naked
Vanagons), etc.

I want to set up a way to fund that site that doesn't rely on donations, as
they can be hit and miss (mostly miss).  I was looking into an Amazon
affiliate program that looks promising but I wanted to know what you folks
think.  Basically I would set up a woocommerce store on the site, and then
put in the store all of the things that you can buy through Amazon that
would be related to the Vanagon.  When you go to the store, and find
something you like (say a special tool you need), you click on the link and
it takes you to Amazon where you buy the tool and Vanagon.com would get a
10%-25% commission on that sale.  Not only that, but if you click on the
link and then decide to buy a bunch of other stuff for your home or office,
Vanagon.com would get a commission off of those other items as well!  The
prices you would pay would be the same that you would normally pay on
Amazon so you aren't spending any more money.  Instead you are just buying
your normal Amazon stuff through the Vanagon.com affiliate link, and it is
helping to fund Vanagon.com!

I don't really see a down side.  Please let me know what you think.  If
enough money is generated to support the site, and there is extra then it
is going to go into a fund that we can use for other things.  I am thinking
about maybe a Pay it Forward fund to help van owners emergency need, or
someone in the community that has a sudden death, etc.  We could expand the
advertising of the site by supplying prizes for VW shows, etc.

I just want to make Vanagon.com so much more awesome than it ever has
been.  But that takes time which is money.  Someone has to spend time
updating things.  The more money we have to go to making the site better,
the better it will be.

--
Thanks,
Ken Wilford
John 3:16
www.vanagain.com