=== EchoCurrent Affiliate Product Optimizer ===
Contributors: mruggieri
Donate link: http://www.echocurrent.com/
Tags: affiliate product optimizer, echocurrent, APO, affiliate, affiliate optimizer, affiliate marketing, widget, widgets, sidebar, plugin, plugins
Requires at least: 2.6
Tested up to: 2.7
Stable tag: 1.2

The Affiliate Product Optimizer automatically displays targeted product offers pulled from the Commission Junction affiliate product catalog.

== Description ==

With the introduction of the [Affiliate Product Optimizer](http://www.echocurrent.com/products.html) (APO), publishers gain the ability to understand their visitors' 
interests in real-time and display optimal, personalized product offers from affiliate networks. By truly listening 
to website visitors' words and actions, publishers can increase their revenues by showing their customers the most 
relevant products at just the right time.  

The Affiliate Product Optimizer goes much further than standard search or page ads by building a unique profile 
of each web site visitor as they interact with the web site, a  "Customer Echo". The Echo is continually refined 
over the life of the user session. Rather than using static page content to match offers, the Customer Echo is 
used to select the most appropriate offers from the affiliate network, specific to each visitor. This provides 
each visitor with a unique and optimized experience based on their personal browsing interests and exhibited site 
behaviors.

Initially released with support for the Commission Junction network, and using the Commission Junction Web 
Services, the Affiliate Product Optimizer easily plugs into a publisher's website by adding a pre-generated piece 
of JavaScript to the page. This plugin is made available, allowing this new capability to be easily added to the 
WordPress platforms without touching any code.

[Sign up now](http://www.echocurrent.com/Create-an-account.html) to get an EchoCurrent APO Zone on your website now!

New Features added to version 1.1:

* WordPress 2.6 support (and tested up to 2.7)
* Template Tag support
* Shortcode support

New Features added to version 1.2:

* New 120-width Skyscraper zone available

== Installation ==

After installing the plugin (copying plugin contents to wp-content/plugins) and Activating it, there are three ways to add an APO Zone to your blog:

  1) As a sidebar widget through the regular Widget Manager
  	Add the EchoCurrent APO widget to the sidebar and edit it to enter your EchoCurrent ID (obtained through our [registration](http://www.echocurrent.com/Affiliate-Product-Optimizer/getting-started.html)) and select the zone style and colors desired to fit the look of your blog.
  
  2) As a template tag by adding `<?php echocurrent_apo_zone($zone_id, $echocurrent_id, $zone_style, $options); ?>` to your template.  This can be generated with at our [Generate APO Zone](http://www.echocurrent.com/component/option,com_echocurrentapomanager/Itemid,75/view,dashboard/) in your EchoCurrent dashboard.

  3) As shortcode in a post with `[echocurrent_apo_zone zone_id="0123456789" echocurrent_id="your-id-here" zone_style="fullBanner"]`.  This can be generated with at our [Generate APO Zone](http://www.echocurrent.com/component/option,com_echocurrentapomanager/Itemid,75/view,dashboard/) in your EchoCurrent dashboard.
  
For more detail about adding a zone to your WordPress blog, [please see our documentation](http://www.echocurrent.com/Affiliate-Product-Optimizer/adding-a-zone-to-wordpress.html).

For any assistance with the installation or usage of this plugin, please [Contact Us](http://www.echocurrent.com/contactus.html)

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= How much does your service cost? =

Nothing!  Our APO service, as well as the underlying account with Commission Junction, is completely free of charge. 

= Where do I register?  Where do I get an EchoCurrent Key? =

You can visit our [Getting Started Guide](http://www.echocurrent.com/Affiliate-Product-Optimizer/getting-started.html) for details on the 3 simple steps needed to get your own APO Zone.

= Which zone style should I pick? =

That completely depends on the layout of your website/blog.  Please visit our [Product Zone Dimensions](http://www.echocurrent.com/Affiliate-Product-Optimizer/product-zone-dimensions.html) page for an 
explanation and examples of the different options.

== Screenshots ==

1. VerticleBanner - Displays an APO Zone with a single product.
2. MediumRectangleText - Displays an APO Zone with text-based product offers.