Making money online with the Amazon affiliate program is a topic that comes up often. Some people are under the impression that it's impossible to make a profit, while others swear by its profitability.
So, what's the truth? Can you make money with Amazon's affiliate program?
The answer is yes - but there are some things you need to know before getting started.
In this article, we'll discuss how the Amazon affiliate program works, how much you can expect to earn, and some tips for making the most of your earnings.
Amazon Affiliate Program Review
Here is a simple overview of the program.
The Amazon Affiliate Program is a popular way for website owners to earn money. The program allows website owners to earn commissions on products that are purchased through links on their site.
In order to participate in the program, website owners must apply and be accepted by Amazon. Once accepted, they can then add links to Amazon products on their site. When a user clicks on one of these links and makes a purchase, the website owner will earn a commission.
The amount of the commission varies depending on the product and the amount of traffic that the website receives. However, the average commission is around 4%.
The Amazon Affiliate Program is a great way for website owners to earn extra income. It is simple to set up and there is no cost to participate. Additionally, there is a wide range of products available through the program, so website owners can find products that are relevant to their site.
What is Affiliate Marketing?
Affiliate marketing is a commission-based marketing method of making money online. You receive a custom and unique link from a vendor to put on your website or social media. You then promote that page or video and if someone clicks the link, you will earn a commission.
Affiliate marketing is also known as Performance-Based Marketing since the affiliate is only paid when it generates results. Typically, an affiliate will receive a commission for each sale that it helps to generate, but commissions can also be based on clicks, impressions, or even simply for getting people to sign up for a newsletter.
While it can be a great way to generate additional income, affiliate marketing can also be a risk for businesses if not carefully managed, as unscrupulous affiliates can engage in activities such as spamming or click fraud.
As a result, businesses need to carefully consider both the benefits and the risks before starting an affiliate marketing program.
What is Amazon Associates?
Simply stated, Amazon Associates is the name of Amazon's affiliate program. It's a way for website owners to earn commission on products that are purchased through links on their site.
In order to participate in the program, website owners must apply and be accepted by Amazon. Once accepted, they can then add links to Amazon products on their site.
How Does Amazon Associates Work?
Amazon Associates is a way for website owners, bloggers, YouTubers, and other affiliate marketers to earn money by referring shoppers to Amazon.com.
When a visitor clicks on your Amazon affiliate link and makes a purchase, the website owner earns a commission on the sale.
Amazon Associates is one of the most popular affiliate programs, but it can also be one of the most challenging to work with. Because Amazon is such a large and popular website, it can be difficult to stand out from the crowd and earn commissions. However, with careful planning and a strong marketing strategy, it is possible to be successful as an Amazon Associate.
How Much Does It Cost to Become an Amazon Affiliate?
Nothing. Joining the Amazon Associates program is free. There is no charge or monthly fees to join.
How Much Does the Amazon Associates Pay?
Amazon Associates pays website owners and bloggers a commission for referral traffic that leads to sales on Amazon.com. The commission rate varies depending on the product category, and it starts from 1% and goes up to 20% for Amazon games.
For example, if you refer a customer to Amazon who purchases a musical instrument worth $500, you would earn a 3% commission which is $15. Commissions are paid out every month, provided that you reach the minimum payout threshold of $10. If you don't reach the minimum, your balance will carry over to the next month.
In addition to earning commissions on sales, you can also earn rewards for referring new affiliates to the program. So if you're looking to make some extra money from your website or blog, the Amazon Affiliate program is worth considering.
How Can I Become an Amazon Affiliate?
To sign up, you'll need an Amazon Associates account. The first step is to go to the Amazon Associates home page. Next, click on the Join Now for Free button. You will be taken to a page where you can either sign in with your existing Amazon account or create a new one.
Affiliate Amazon
Assuming you don’t have an Amazon account, you will need to create one. To do this, simply enter your email address, choose a password, and select your country of residence. Once you’ve done this, click on the Create your Amazon account button.
The next thing you need to do is provide some basic information about yourself. This includes your name, address, and phone number. You will also need to enter a payment method. This can either be a bank account or a credit card. Once you’ve provided all of the required information, click on the Next button.
You will now be taken to a page where you can enter your website or blog information. Simply enter the URL of your site and click on the Next button.
The next step is to choose how you would like to be paid. Amazon offers two options: direct deposit or check. If you choose direct deposit, you will need to provide your bank account information. If you choose check, you will need to provide your mailing address. Once you’ve made your selection, click on the Next button.
You will now be taken to a page where you can select the products that you would like to promote. Simply browse through the product categories and select the ones that you would like to promote. Once you’ve made your selections, click on the Next button.
The last step is to agree to the terms and conditions. Once you’ve read through the terms and conditions, simply check the box and click on the Finish button.
And that’s it! You’re now an Amazon affiliate. The next step is to start promoting the products that you’ve selected.
What are the Amazon Associates Guidelines?
In order to protect your account, you must follow the Amazon Associates guidelines. Some of the most important guidelines include:
Failure to follow these guidelines can result in your account being terminated. So play by the rules!
Who is Eligible to be an Amazon Affiliate?
To be eligible, you must have a website or blog that is active and receiving traffic.
You must also be a resident of the United States, Canada, the Uk, Germany, and 14 other countries. To see if you are eligible, you can try to sign up and when you list your country you will know if you can participate or not. Keep in mind this changes from time to time, so I didn't want to list all the countries here as they could change. It's best to just check.
Amazon will also consider your application if you are a registered non-profit organization.
If you meet all of the eligibility requirements, you can apply to be an Amazon affiliate.
What Happens After You Apply?
After you submit your application, Amazon will review it and decide whether or not to approve your request. If they approve your request, they will send you an email with further instructions on how to get started.
How to Create Amazon Affiliate Links?
Once you have created your account, it's time to get your Amazon affiliate links. You can create links by going to the product page on Amazon and selecting the Get Link button.
You will then be taken to a page where you can select the type of link you would like to create. There are three different types of links: text, image, and text+image.
Once you have selected the type of link you would like to create, simply copy and paste the code into your website or blog.
Pros of the Amazon Affiliate Program
There are quite a few pros of the Amazon affiliate program which I will list here.
Free to Join
One of the best things about the Amazon Affiliate Program is that it’s free to join. All you need is a website, blog or YouTube Channel and you can start earning money.
Joining is Easy
Another pro is that it’s easy to join. All you need to do is go to the Amazon Associates website and fill out a short application.
Great for Beginners
The Amazon Affiliate Program is great for beginners because it’s an easy way to start making money online.
Huge Selection of Products
Amazon has a huge selection of products that you can promote. This gives you a lot of flexibility in the types of products you can promote across many different categories.
Universal Cookie System
Amazon has a universal cookie system, which means that if someone clicks on your affiliate link and then purchases something from Amazon within 24 hours, you will get paid for all products purchased, not just the one.
Trusted Brand
Amazon is a trusted brand, so people are more likely to purchase products that they see on your website or blog.
Cons of the Program
Overall, the Amazon Affiliate Program is a great way to make money online. However, there are some downsides that you should be aware of before you join.
Low Commission Rates
One of the biggest downsides of the Amazon Affiliate Program is that the commission rates are low. Commission rates are as low as 1% for some categories. This means you'll need to sell a lot of products to make any decent income.
Amazon Can Cancel Your Account at Any Time
Another downside is that Amazon can cancel your account at any time. If you violate their terms of service or if they think you're not a good fit for their program, they can terminate your account without notice.
24-hour Cookie System
The 24-hour cookie system can be a con because it doesn't give you credit for sales made after someone clicks on your affiliate link. So, if someone clicks on your link and then waits a week to purchase something from Amazon, you won't get credit for that sale.
Difficult to Get Approved
It can be difficult to get approved for the program, especially if you're a new blogger or YouTuber. Amazon is very strict about who they approve and it's not always easy to meet their requirements.
Amazon Cuts Affiliate Commissions
Affiliate commissions used to be higher, but Amazon has been slowly cutting them over the years. They've gone from as high as 15% to as low as around 1%.
As you can see, there are both pros and cons to the Amazon Affiliate Program. It's a great way to make money online, but it's not for everyone.
Strategies to Maximize Profits
There are a few ways to maximize your profits with Amazon Associates.
Choose the Right Products
One way to maximize your profits is to choose the right products. You'll want to choose products that are popular, have high commission rates, and have low competition.
Use Keywords in Your Links
Another way to maximize your profits is to use keywords in your links. When you use keywords in your links, it will help people find your website or blog more easily. This will lead to more clicks on your affiliate links and more sales.
Promote Your Links Everywhere
The last way to maximize your profits with Amazon Associates is to promote your links everywhere. You can promote them on social media, on your website or blog, on your Youtube Channel, or even in person. The more people who see your links, the more likely you are to make sales.
Do Better Than Your Competition
One final tip is to do better than your competition. If you can outrank them in the search engines or get more traffic than them, you'll be able to make more sales and earn more commission.
Use Email Marketing
If you have a blog or website, use email marketing to promote your Amazon products.
However, you can't use direct links to Amazon in your emails. This can get you banned as it is against their terms of service.
The way to get around this is to mention the product in your email and link that to your review page or video about the product. That page or video can then contain the Amazon link which is totally fine.
Is Amazon’s Affiliate Program Right for You?
The Amazon affiliate program is a great way to make money online. However, it's not right for everyone.
If you're new to blogging or YouTubing, it might be difficult to get approved for the program. Even if you do get approved, you'll need to make a lot of sales to earn a decent income.
So, is it right for you? Only you can decide. If you're willing to put in the work and you're okay with low commission rates, then it might be a good fit for you. Just be aware that you'll need a lot of traffic to make good money. So if you can do that, then go for it!
Is There an Alternative to Amazon Associates?
Yes, there are alternatives. For example, you can also join the Walmart affiliate program. This program is comparable, but it also has a low commission structure like Amazon. However, you could use the two together in product reviews for example, to give customers an alternative option.
There are other affiliate programs you can join, so you're not just limited to selling on Amazon. Check out these alternative affiliate programs.
How Many Followers Do You Need to Become an Amazon Affiliate?
This really is up to Amazon Associates to decide. They will evaluate your social media account or website to make a determination. However, a good rule of thumb is to have at least 1000 social media followers or website visitors per month. This will give you a better chance of being approved for the program.
How Much Do Amazon Affiliates Make a Year?
Amazon Associates is not a get-rich-quick scheme. It takes time, effort, and a lot of traffic to make good money with the program. However, some people do make a full-time income with it. And some people have even made over $100,000 per year.
Those people are pulling in some big numbers though and they likely have a lot of traffic. The average person is probably not going to make that much.
Does Amazon Affiliate Still Work?
Yes, Amazon Affiliate still works. I don't think the program will ever go away. It's a great way for Amazon to get more exposure for their products and it's a great way for bloggers and YouTubers to make money.
Will Amazon Increase Affiliate Commission?
That's up for Amazon to decide. They already slashed the commission rates once, so it's unlikely they will increase them anytime soon.
Are There Courses That Teach Amazon Affiliate Marketing?
Most good courses that teach affiliate marketing will usually have a module about making money on Amazon as an affiliate or at least mention it.
However, since commissions are very low, there is not much focus on Amazon.
You can check out this list of courses that do include Amazon training to an extent.
As an affiliate marketer, it would be foolish to only promote products on Amazon. You need to diversify your product offerings by including links directly from other product owners or other platforms.
Conclusion and Final Thoughts
I hope that you found the information here useful. To sum up, Amazon is a great way to make money online through commissions, but you need a lot of traffic due to the commission rates being very low. You also need to already be established somewhat, by having a blog, website, or YouTube Channel.
If you are promoting other affiliate products off the platform already, then you should still consider joining. It's a great way to expand your product offering and also promote products from such a powerful brand name as Amazon.
I'm not trying to dissuade you from joining Amazon Associates. I think it's a great program and I've had success with it myself.
But I want you to go into it with your eyes open, knowing that it's going to take time and effort to make good money. If you're willing to put in the work, then by all means sign up for the program.
Just know that there are other options out there too and don't put all your eggs in one basket. Diversify your affiliate products and platforms so you're not as reliant on any one of them.
Thanks for reading! Hopefully, this article was helpful. Leave a comment below if you have any questions or thoughts?
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Drew left his corporate job in 2013 and embraced the world of online entrepreneurship. He buys, tests and reviews courses and SAAS tools providing well-informed recommendations for budding entrepreneurs. He's been featured in Yahoo, Empire Flippers and other publications. Read more...
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