Alink Reciprocal Link Software Review

In the last Linking101 review, we reviewed and commented on a number of the software products available to help webmasters automate the process of find and managing the link exchanges. Automation can be good, but in general most webmasters do not like these programs-not because they are automated, more because of how they are used. See our article Pros/Cons Of Automated Link Building for more information.

In the process of working/updating the Link Building E-Guide, I came across Information Packaging. Among the number of software titles they offer, there is ALink - Reciprocal Link Management Software. Their website describes ALink as such:

"ALink takes the hard work out of setting up and maintaining your Reciprocal Links. Automatically sending requests for new links, checking for links that have been added, removing bad links and generating your Reciprocal Links Page automatically".

My interest was peaked and then I saw the price: $25! WOW-was my initial reaction. I contacted the webmaster, Malcolm Webster and he provided me with a fully functional copy of the software to try out. After installing, configuring, and playing with it over a number of days, I have to say that ALink lives up to its description and represents an affordable and quite handy tool for webmasters to organize and manage their links.

Briefly, here are some of the strong and weak points of ALink

STRONG:

inexpensive
small compact program, quick to download and install
program has four types of customized email messages
all link partner website and contact information in one organized place
can check status of your links online-if link absent, it removes links from generate links page (if you use that option)

WEAK:

help/manual/tutorials could be a bit more detailed
knowledge of html (to customize links page) and of a programming language (if one wants to process data into database) is needed
generated links page does not show descriptions or categories
program can only check 1 URL, so all partners must have same link URL to you

ALink is not a program that goes out and finds you links, it helps you put all of your link information (names, emails, URLs, etc.) in one place. When I started my first links page, I added my link partner's information into my Outlook Express address book but that got old fast, plus I did not keep any of the other information (such as link URL's). Since all of the information is in one database, ALink allows you to email one or all of your link partners by using a customizable template. (The template is a simple text file and you can easily modify for your needs.) ALink makes it easy for you to remain in contact with your link partners.

Another useful feature is link checking. When online, ALink can check your partner's websites for your link and provide a simple report on what it found. If it does not find your link, it marks it as such in the database and if you generate a links page-it removes the link. Link checking is something everyone who has a links page needs to do.

The links page generated is based on a template you provide. To see the page I generated, click here. As more partners are added, the generated links page will update itself. Note: To customize the template you need to have some working knowledge of html. The generated links page provides only the site name and URL, no description, and the links do not open in a new window. Also there is no category section to help organize links. Personally, I like to see link pages organized by topic with a small description.

[I did find that under "notes" in the program you can put a category and then sort the links by "notes". The generated links page will show all good links in the sorted order from top to bottom.]

All information has to be entered by you into ALink or can be cut/paste via the "import" function if you had a form on your website. You will need how to create a forms, since ALink does not provide any.

ALink is easy to use but every once in awhile someone needs a hand. The program has a help and manual section which can only be accessed online. Once online though, all buttons take you to same few pages. This is one of the few criticism I had. Why list it 3 different ways if they all go to the same place? I would like to see a bit more detail on some of the finer points in the help section.

In conclusion:

I RECOMMEND ALink for those you want/need help in organizing their links. The program's strength is in the database. Keeping your link information in one place and being able to use it easily is important. I wish I had ALink when I starting links years ago. The generated links page in general is good and provides an option for those who want to have a simple links page.

There is not a lot of fluff or bells and whistles, ALink simply does the job and does what is was made to do well. Give ALink a try, for only $25 it is an affordable option for those looking to manage their links, with a number of features you think only the big programs would have.

P.S. I have been told by the webmaster that the help sections are in the process of being updated. I will check on them in the near future.

-Larry Sullivan
Linking101.com

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