The Build A Niche Storm Program (BANS) took the Internet Marketing world by storm a few years ago. It was so easy to use. Just install the script on your host, plug in a few category numbers from eBay and the script spit out a ready made website populated by auctions from eBay. To say that the BANS program was an immediate hit is an understatement.

During that period time, beginning Internet Marketers as well as seasoned Pro’s built multiple BANS sites. Some even went as far as to build huge networks consisting of hundreds of BANS sites. Many of these Marketers were pulling down 5 figures a month with their networks. Even the average Internet Marketer was making more with this program than they had with any other.

What a difference a year can make. About a year or so after the program came out, Google took the action of delisting many BANS sites from their index. No real reason was given, though many feel it was because they viewed the sites as thin affiliate sites.

Shortly after eBay took its affiliate department in house, they started letting many of their affiliates go. Some of these affiliates were making full time incomes from their BANS sites. Again, no real reason was given as to why this happened.

So is the BANS program still a viable vehicle to make money on the Internet? I think it is. However, Internet Marketers need to keep in mind that a BANS site should be built like any other site. It must have good content to be useful for the Internet user. Without it, new sites run the risk of ending up like some of the old ones. With no rankings and no affiliate products to make money.

Are there alternatives to the BANS program? Yes there is. Now we have programs that will turn WordPress into Affiliate sites using eBay auctions as well as a host of other programs that uses eBay to monetize their sites.