Button for Publishers is an AI-powered tool that enhances revenue from commerce partnerships by identifying the optimal purchase paths for traffic directed to retailers. This raises the question: How much will commerce optimization power the future of the Internet.
Media publishers today face immense pressure, including the influence of AI, changes in Google’s search algorithms, the deprecation of cookies in display media, and the shift in traffic toward social media platforms.
Consequently, traditional ad revenue models are no longer sufficient. For media publishers striving to thrive in this environment, CEO of Button, Michael Jaconi, believes the key lies in commerce optimization. Unlike the ad-driven model of Internet 1.0, Jaconi argues that commerce will power the future Internet.
Commerce optimization offers a way for publishers to maximize revenue through user-friendly and privacy-conscious experiences. This approach involves integrating commerce elements seamlessly into the user experience, allowing publishers to earn commissions from sales without relying heavily on intrusive ads.
When users discover and purchase valuable products through these integrations, everyone benefits: users find what they need, retailers make sales, and publishers earn a commission. This model not only respects user privacy but also enhances engagement by providing relevant and valuable content.
Andrew Byrd: For those who don’t know, can you explain what your Publisher Link Optimization solution does? 
Michael Jaconi: We call it commerce optimization. It’s designed to help media publishers, who face various challenges like AI advancements, changes in Google’s search page, cookie deprecation, and shifting traffic to social media.
Our goal at Button is to help publishers maximize revenue through user-friendly and privacy-friendly experiences. Commerce is a transparent industry, where value is generated when users make purchases. This benefits users, retailers, and publishers. We’re investing in models to support this, as we see it as the foundation of the future internet.
Our mission is to support publishers in navigating these changes by providing tools and strategies that enhance their ability to monetize content through commerce. By investing in commerce optimization, we aim to create a sustainable and profitable future for media publishers. This ensures that publishers can continue to thrive and succeed. In a world where commerce plays a central role, we focus on helping publishers build resilient and adaptable revenue streams that secure their place in the future of the Internet.
AB: How does Button’s link optimization technology utilize AI to enhance affiliate traffic monetization for publishers?
MJ: Essentially, our system leverages AI and machine learning to optimize user experiences from initial interest to purchase, aiming to maximize revenue for publishers. This approach has doubled revenue for companies using our platform.
When a user clicks a link and moves from inspiration to purchase, our AI-driven system analyzes their behavior to determine the best experience to generate the highest revenue for the publisher. This process involves real-time decision-making, ensuring each shopping journey is unique and tailored to the user. AI, machine learning, and reinforcement models make this system sophisticated and efficient.
Our platform offers publishers this highly personalized monetization and discovery experience with minimal technical effort. Deployment is straightforward: through our partnership with Amazon’s API, which involves simply checking a box, or via a direct integration on the publisher’s site. Once integrated, our system automatically recognizes links and activates all necessary tools, streamlining the process.
AB: Can you explain the process and benefits of deep-linking techniques used by Button’s Publisher Link Optimization solution?
MJ: The deep linking capabilities we offer are indispensable for both retailers and publishers. Bringing a consumer with purchase intent directly into the app significantly boosts conversion rates, typically yielding three to five times higher revenue compared to keeping them within a web experience.
This investment has been integral to our company ethos from the outset. To ensure the success of commerce models, maximizing traffic to retailers’ apps where purchases are made is paramount. Apps store crucial user data such as account credentials and payment details, streamlining the checkout process without requiring users to log in repeatedly.
To illustrate the impact, we once calculated the additional taps required for a purchase without our deep linking technology, estimating around 220 additional taps to reach the checkout. Each tap represents an opportunity for lost conversion, emphasizing the efficiency and effectiveness of our deep linking solutions in simplifying the purchasing journey for users.
AB: What specific strategies does Button employ to achieve up to a 40% growth in affiliate revenue for publishers?
MJ: In every scenario where a click leads to our platform, we aim to identify the optimal path to purchase. We understand that our publishers’ business models rely on the revenue they generate. Our goal is to deliver more value and revenue per click, engagement, and shopping trip.
To achieve this, we’ve trained our AI to respond in real-time, directing each user based on available data like region, browser, and application, while respecting privacy. The destination, whether it’s mobile web, an app via deep linking, or a landing page, significantly impacts conversion rates. Creating personalized experiences for every shopper is beyond the capacity of most publishers, so we provide the tools to make it possible.
AB: In what ways does Button’s entry into the Amazon Publishers Services Connections Marketplace, a services marketplace where publishers can easily review and test with vendors, align with its mission to improve the digital marketplace?
MJ: This approach is assertive, particularly regarding the potential to shape consumer behavior around commerce and shopping. Establishing habitual shopping patterns among consumers holds significant power that creates a competitive environment for sellers vying for consumer attention. The rise of retail media exemplifies this phenomenon, which stands as the internet’s fastest-growing media form. However, many publishers have yet to fully embrace this trend within their businesses, missing out on its exciting potential.
What sets retail media apart is its ability to capitalize on consumer shopping habits, drawing sellers into competition to fulfill consumer intent. Despite this promising landscape, publishers have yet to harness retail media’s full potential, failing to seize opportunities that could invigorate their businesses.
Our mission is to enhance the internet experience and optimize its performance, supporting struggling publishers in the process.