How can I allow affiliate links to items in my iPhone app?

Question

I'm making an iPhone app that has information about different video games. How can I implement a shopping API that will allow me to redirect users who choose to buy a game?

In other words, I'm looking for some kind of affiliate program API that works with the iPhone and lets me place item buy buttons that redirect the user to a product page.

Thanks.

Answer 1

Your intent is unclear. Are you trying to sell content for your application? If so, there is an established, Apple-approved way to do this:

http://developer.apple.com/iphone/library/documentation/NetworkingInternet/Conceptual/StoreKitGuide/AddingaStoretoYourApplication/AddingaStoretoYourApplication.html

If you're trying to sell something non-iPhone-related, you should redirect to a web page that actually handles the transaction. You can do this as a link that opens a page in Safari, or as an embedded UIWebView.

The first approach is simplest:

[[UIApplication sharedApplication] openURL:[NSURL URLWithString: @"http://www.google.com"]];

The second a little more complicated:

http://developer.apple.com/iPhone/library/documentation/UIKit/Reference/UIWebView_Class/Reference/Reference.html

If your question is really asking how to build an entire product purchase API, then, not to sound sarcastic, I suggest this site as a useful starting point:

http://www.amazon.com/books/

Answer 2

what about pointing to the itunes page, e.g.

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=300136119&mt=8

if you replace "itunes" by "phobos", the app store will be opened when using the iphone to open the linkg, e.g.

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=300136119&mt=8

Answer 3

Sorry, I may be misunderstanding what you are asking but I'm interpreting your question as you want to create an "app discovery" app where you recommend other iOS games in the App Store. If this is correct then you will want to use the iTunes / App Store Affiliate Program.

More info here - http://www.apple.com/itunes/affiliates/resources/documentation/itunes-app-store-affiliate-program.html

The API you would then use is the "Search API." More info about that can be found here - http://www.apple.com/itunes/affiliates/resources/documentation/itunes-store-web-service-search-api.html