Amazon gives associates one-click option

Amazon.com has modified its associates program to allow members to offer "1-Click" Amazon shopping directly from their own Web sites.

The associates program lets people place links to the Internet retail giant's site on their own site and get a cut of any sales that result from the referral. Amazon has more than 900,000 associates signed up so far.

The new Quick-Click feature lets associates tap into Amazon's popular 1-Click feature, which lets customers make a purchase with, as the name says, one click. Associates can place a button on their pages that allows customers who have accounts with Amazon to buy their products with one step. Customers who don't already have accounts will be allowed to add the item to their shopping carts.

When Web users click the Amazon button on an associate's site, the one-click and shopping cart options will pop up in a separate window, instead of the button taking users directly to Amazon's site, said Colin Bryar, director of the associates and Web services programs at Amazon.

Amazon has been experimenting with new ways to open up its store to more customers. In July, the company launched a Web services program, allowing developers access to its product catalog. The idea is to let programmers come up with new ways to link to Amazon.