Affiliate links or Datafeed Separate Site?

[Hylo]

(Sorry if this is a newbie question but I've been lurking on here for a while reading through the articles and forums picking up tips and I haven't came across the answer yet.)

I'm planning a couple of content sites and was looking eventually to monetize them through an affiliate program. After doing some reading on these forums I'm not too sure now whether I would be better putting affiliate links to the main merchant site in my content or building a datafeed site from them of my own and directing readers to my datafeed site which would then direct them to the merchant site I would imagine for checkout etc.

Is there an identifiable benefit to having the extra layer of a datafeed site between the content site and the merchant or would readers/buyers be more likely to convert if they clicked straight through an affiliate link to the main merchant's site?

[James]

It's just my personal opinion that going to Google, then a site, then another site, then after that time and effort spent to FINALLY get to the destination doesn't sound very pleasing. Many would believe the trail to have become cold, so to speak. I'd keep the amount of clicks as low as possible.

[Hylo]

Thanks James, I know I have a lot of trial and error in front of me but I figured the great advice on here could help reduce the amount of "error" I get myself into.

[Chris]

Ya, datafeed sites are fine by themselves, but there isn't much benefit to linking to them from a content site (unless you're trying to help the rankings of the datafeed site that is).