The revenue from our paid merchant listings is used for advertising. We advertise regularly in eZines and newsletters that cater to online shoppers. We are selective about our links and merchants AND our shoppers know it. Customer service and contact information is available to site visitors in our FAQ section. This adds to the shopper's comfort level when considering an online purchase.
Many sites pay huge fees for listings on other sites, or banner exchanges, etc.
Our fee is much less because eInTown is not making its profit from its listing fees. The mall features its own products for sale, and products from other merchants local to our business location in North Carolina. This site makes its profit from these products and our affliate links to other larger sites. Currently there are 93 affiliate sites linked to eInTown. Each of these bring traffic to the mall site.