Contents of this Guide

Installation

Client Side Javascript

Server Generated Javascript

Styles

Changing Form Defaults

Form Options

I want to speed things up

Installation

You need to copy and paste the code found in “My Account” into your website or blog. The coud found there will include your affiliate tracking ID’s

Client Side Javascript

There are 3 javascript files that do cool stuff.

1. vroom.js

This is the engine room. This is where it all happens Validation, URL Generation, Server Side Calls, AutoComplete Feature, Form Initialisation

2. writeform.js

This generates and uses document.writes for the HTML that displays the form. If you don’t like javascript, you might like to write the HTML out manually, in RAW html form. See “Speeding things up” for information on this

3. jquery.js

This is a meger of several jQuery libraries. It is used for Calendar, Autocomplete and DOM manipulation

There are no “minified” versions of these files at this stage, although jquery.js is already a minified version.  We will inform you further if we release minified versions of the above files.

Server Generated Javascript

If you are lucky, you won’t need to get involved with this. The vroom search form makes calls to the vroom server for dynamic javascript. This allows AJAX-like functionality using old-school technology. This means the form can be hosted anywhere and there is no need for messing around with server side php or aspx files to get cross-domain AJAX to work.

The calls made using a function “includejs” and calls the following example files:

http://www.vroomvroomvroom.com/locationJS.aspx?country=US //to retrieve locations for different countries

http://www.vroomvroomvroom.com/depotJS.aspx //to retrieve depots for different locations

Styles

Set the theme variable to change the design of your search form.

eg.
var THEME = “greenfresh”;

Other options are:

bluefresh

greenfresh

orangefresh

greyfresh

whitefresh

blankfresh

If you are a CSS guru make any cool changes, share them with us!

Changing Form Default Options

You can help the user by changing the default values of details you probably know about them. Like Country, City and maybe even dates.

This is done using javascript variables in the source code at installation time or using query string. The query string variable names are the same as the javascript variable names. The javascript variables override the url variables. ALL ARE OPTIONAL but they may make things easier for your customer. They are:

var HTTPSERVER = “http://www.vroomvroomvroom.com.au/”; //path of vroom server. Change to http://www.vroomvroomvroom.com or http://vroomvroomvroom.com.au, depending on which is faster for your website. The .com is hosted in Dallas Texas. The .com.au is hosted in Brisbane, Australia.

var COUNTRYID = “AU”; //AU, UK, US, NZ, CA

var PICKUPFROM = “”; //a city name like Brisbane, New York, San Francisco, London

var RETURNTO = “”; //a city name like Brisbane, New York, San Francisco, London

var AFFILIATEID = “”; //the affiliate id you were given when you signed up.

var PICKUP_PROMPT = “Type in pickup city or airport code here”; //message to ask users to type a city.

var RETURN_PROMPT = “Type in return city or airport code here”;

var SUGGESTION_MODE = “AUTOCOMPLETE”; //OFF or LIST or AUTOCOMPLETE.(when PICKUPFROM is set)

var ADVANCED_MODE = “OFF”; //OFF or MAPLINK or MAP

var DEPOT_SELECTION = “COLLAPSED”; //OFF or COLLAPSED or EXPANDED

var THEME = “bluefresh”; //bluefresh or greenfresh or other themes

An example querystring is:

http://www.vroomvroomvroom.com/searchfresh/searchform.html?countryid=us&pickupfrom=boston&returnto=boston&pickupdate=11/07/2010&returndate=11/03/2010&a=vroom&oldschool=false&theme=bluefresh

Note: to keep the consistency of URL variables, we keep every variable and its value in the URL in lower case.

Form Options

SUGGESTION_MODE

When a pickupFrom variable is set, then the search form will try to suggest some locations based on that variable. Set it to

AUTOCOMPLETE if you want it to act as if the use typed it in onclick. Use

LIST if you want it to suggest locations underneath the box on load. Use

OFF to…. you know. Disable this feature

var SUGGESTION_MODE = “AUTOCOMPLETE”; //OFF or LIST or AUTOCOMPLETE (when PICKUPFROM is set)

I want to speed things up

1. Add “-min” to javascipt files for the smaller versions. eg. searchfresh-min.js

2. Change the httpServer to a server close to your users. (http://vroomvroomvroom.com.au or http://vroomvroomvroom.com) See “Changing Form Defaults”

3. Change the path of the js includes and css include to either vroomvroomvroom.com.au or vroomvroomvroom.com. Or better yet, host these files on your own server.

1. Write a review of some of our products, letting people know how good it is. Include your affiliate link at the end of the review. Post your review to free sites such as GoArticles.com & EzineArticles.com.
2. Use your blog or create a new one for free at sites such as Blogger.com, and post your review of our products, including your affiliate link. Then “ping” your blog at a site such as Pingomatic.com, so it gets picked up quickly by search engines.
3. Join popular marketing forums such as WarriorForum.com, and make frequent contributions to popular threads there. Be sure to go into your forum profile and edit your “signature”. Make a signature that includes your affiliate link, or a link to your own “review” website of our product. That way, every time you make a post, anyone who sees it will see your signature and potentially click on your affiliate link.
4. Once every few weeks post a press release at PRweb.com, in which you include your favorable review of our product, along with your affiliate link. If you pay them a small fee, they will guarantee that your press release is picked up by all major search engines, potentially sending you thousands of visitors.
5. If you own an email list of newsletter subscribers or other people who have opted in to receive email offers from you, send them an email telling them about our website, and feel free to use some text from our homepage in your email. Include your affiliate link at the end of the email. You can even use our email samples.
   *NOTE – We do not tolerate spamming in any way.
6. Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising: Using a PPC account from Google Adwords, Overture, or many others, you can easily generate income with the our affiliate program. You can either send people directly to us using your affiliate link in your PPC ads, or you can create your own website in which you have a review of our product, followed by your affiliate tracking link.
7. Upgrade yourself
   Being affiliate is not exceptionally difficult, but there are many tricks and techniques that can improve your results. Learn from the best - SuperAffiliate Handbook is highly recommended reading for every affiliate.

Tips and tricks to earn more as an affiliate

• From our experience, you will get the best results from writing your own product reviews, even if it’s short. You don’t have to be a good writer. Just write what you really think about the product. When you publish your product review, use your general affiliate link (on the top) to send user to our website.
• You will have much better conversion if you’ll put your visitors into pre-sold mood before sending them to our site. Pre-sold mood means that you build interest in product and visitor has decided to potentially buy it after he reads your product review.
  Choose from various types of product descriptions, download and adjust them to fit in your site. Experiment with short or long, try to find perfect combination with banners.
• Try to think like a visitor, when he comes to your page with review or affiliate link, you should draw his attention, build curiosity or feeling that he might need this kind of solution.
• Experiment with different banners, text links, or reviews. Keep these that bring good results, and change the others. Sometimes only change of few words or color of link can mean difference.

Car Rental- the instant profit spinner for Travel websites
Recent statistics has shown that car rental is one of the final components that people book when making their travel arrangements. This means car rental is a logical up-sell when customers are already looking to book their accommodation, flights or other travel arrangements and research.

Why VroomVroomVroom?
Commissions to our affiliates are generous due to our long term relationship with car rental companies and our negotiating power with them. Additionally, we see our affiliate program as a non-for-profit promotional exercise.

Sign me up!

It’s always a pleasure working with our affiliates and we look forward to working with you too. Feel free to contact us if you have any business or affiliate related questions, or would like to talk about the online travel industry in general. Contact me for further information and to sign up.

More Information
Manager: Richard Eastes
Mobile Phone: +61 (0)419 659 921
Twitter: http://twitter.com/eastes/
Skype: RichardEastes