Affiliate tool

A software tool called Skimlinks is set to change the way web publishers earn cash through affiliate marketing.

Launched by London-based company Skimbit, the software turns normal retailer links found in their editorial content into ‘affiliate links' automatically. Each time a user clicks through and makes a purchase, the website earns a commission from the retailer.

Skimlinks's patent-pending technology means that websites no longer have to sign up for multiple affiliate programs across many networks or create and maintain affiliate links as merchants change from one network to another.

Skimlinks provides instant access to affiliate programs of more than 7,000 international merchants (even the third of merchants that do not support deeplinking) across 16 affiliate networks and all publishers' links are optimised for the best commissions at any point in time.

The tool has already attracted first-round investment led by Sussex Place Ventures, with participation from NESTA, The Accelerator Group, Duncan Jennings (eConversions) and chairman Alex Hoye (Latitude Group), and already has a clientele of brands including T3.com, TechRadar.com, the Daily Mail and Shiny Media.