Amazon is one of the largest retailers in the world. In the U.S. alone, It’s responsible for nearly 40 percent of all online sales.
Because of that, amazon’s affiliate marketing program, called Amazon Associates, is one of the largest in the world for the affiliate marketer, comprising over 900,000 worldwide affiliates.
Amazon Affiliate program allows users to monetize their websites, blogs, or social media. Simply sign up, receive immediate approval, and place Amazon affiliate links on your site. When someone makes an Amazon purchase via one of your links, you get the commission it's that simple.
But how do you get started? Below, you'll find a step-by-step guide to becoming an Amazon Affiliate. Whether you’re hoping to become an entrepreneur, starting your own business, or just looking for a small business side hustle, I hope you'll find this guide a helpful place to start.
What is affiliate marketing?
Affiliate marketing is a marketing tactic where an online retailer (Amazon) gives niche website owners the ability to create unique product links (called affiliate links). Affiliate sites link to the retailer site and are paid according to the program’s agreements. Amazon’s affiliate program, for example, pays affiliate sites based on the number of people they send to Amazon who also make purchases on the site within 24 hours.
Affiliate marketing is right for you if you already own a website or blog and your content offers opportunities for product mentions. For instance, if you own a recipe blog, you can create links for product ingredients.
Affiliate marketing has various advantages for both the merchant and the affiliates that participate. For the merchant, it's an opportunity to broaden their audience and boost sales through low-cost marketing. Affiliate marketers are encouraged to generate conversions since affiliate marketing is performance-based — affiliates are paid only when the desired action is taken.
Participating in an associate marketing program allows affiliates to get into eCommerce without having to set up or operate their store. It also allows you to monetize your website, blog, or social media account and earn a commission.
There are three types of affiliate marketing:
pay-per-sale:
In this type of program, the retailer pays an affiliate when the affiliate sends a customer who makes a purchase. Some retailers pay a flat commission for each transaction, while others, such as Amazon, pay a percentage of the sale.
pay-per-click:
In this arrangement, the affiliate is compensated based on the number of visitors who arrive at the merchant's site via the affiliate link, regardless of whether those visitors complete a purchase.
pay-per-lead:
This sort of program compensates affiliates depending on the number of visitors to the merchant's website who sign up as leads or provide the needed information.
How does the Amazon Affiliate program work?
Under the program, you are only paid if redirected users purchase an item from Amazon, within 24 hours of being redirected to Amazon through your link. You won’t earn any commission if a customer re-enters Amazon through another affiliate link. The 24-hour purchasing period is refreshed every time the customer is redirected by your affiliate link.
2- Amazon gives each website owner a unique Associate ID.
3- Once the application has been approved, associates can begin creating affiliate links in their Amazon portal.
4- Associates then place the links in blog posts or other parts of their website.
5- Once someone clicks the link and makes a purchase, the associate earns the commission.
Amazon also uses these links to track the number of visitors directed from your website or channel. The number of visitors will be calculated to determine your affiliate commission.
How much does the Amazon Affiliate program pay?
You can earn, on average, from $100 to $20,000 from the Amazon Affiliate program, depending on how many referrals you generate for Amazon. The Amazon Associates program operates using a standard commission income, meaning you’ll make a percentage per sale. A list of eligible product categories and their fixed commission rates are found on the Operating Agreement.
The commission rate differs depending on the product category. For instance, if you run an automotive blog, you can earn 4.50% from each sale. If you sell three car parts at $1,000 each in one day, you’d make $135 from those three transactions. If you sell the same product 30 times per month, you’d make $1,350 every month.
Various products and income and categories exist. It’s recommended that Amazon affiliates make themselves aware of each category. But the fixed commission rate isn’t the only factor that’s considered when calculating an Amazon Affiliate earnings. Amazon also uses something called a conversion rate.
The conversion rate is calculated by determining what percentage of total visitors to your website follow the affiliate link and purchase within the Amazon marketplace. For example, if your website receives a total of 1000 visitors, but only 10 visitors follow the affiliate link to make a purchase, the conversion rate is 1. The more users who make a purchase, the higher your conversion rate and the better your affiliate commission.
There are three payment methods available to affiliates:
Direct deposit:
You can get direct deposits if you provide Amazon with your banking information. You need to earn at least $10 before Amazon will deposit the money.
Cheque:
You can get a cheque from Amazon if you provide your mailing address. The minimum payment for cheques is larger. You need to earn at least $100 and it will cost you a $15 cheque-processing fee.
Amazon gift card:
Amazon will send gift cards to your primary email address. The minimum amount that Amazon will send you is $10.
Note: Money earned through the affiliate program is deposited or sent within 60 days after the end of the calendar month.
In some cases, Amazon Associates won’t receive earnings for certain purchases if:
1- The order was canceled before it shipped
2- The order is yet to be shipped
3- The affiliate system marked the product as ineligible for commission
How to become an Amazon affiliate: Step-by-step guide
1- Create a website or blog.
2- Navigate to the Amazon Associates homepage and click "Sign Up."
3- Enter your account information.
4- Enter your website address.
5- Enter your preferred store ID.
6- Explain how you drive traffic to your site.
7- Choose your payment method.
1- Create a website or blog.
You must have an active website, blog, app, or YouTube channel to become an Amazon Associate. It also helps if you've pre-populated that site with material so that it appears active and genuine to consumers and Amazon.
Remember, you must be able to describe the purpose of your website as part of the application process. So, have a firm idea of why you're creating your site, the audience you'll target, and how you'll bring in traffic.
2- Navigate to the Amazon Associates homepage and click "Sign Up."
To become an Amazon affiliate, you'll need to create your Amazon Associates account. To do that, simply visit the affiliate program amazon.com and click “Join Now for Free.” From there, you'll be prompted to log in to your existing Amazon account or create one.
3- Enter your account information.
This is straightforward, you’ll have to enter your information, including name, address, and phone number.
4- Enter your website address.
After you’ve submitted your account information, you will be directed to list the websites or mobile apps where you plan to advertise for Amazon. If your site is a low quality they won’t approve your site which is why it’s so important to get a few well-written articles initially. You can enter up to 50 websites and mobile app URLs in total.
5- Enter your preferred store ID.
Select a store ID(usually the same as your primary website name), and provide information about your websites or mobile apps and what kind of products you intend to promote.
6- Explain how you drive traffic to your site.
Now you need to convince Amazon that you can bring in the sales. describe how you drive traffic to your sites, how you generate income from your sites and apps, how you usually build links, and how many visitors your site brings in each month.
7- Choose your payment method.
Choose whether to enter your payment (credit card) and tax ID information now or later. Then proceed to your dashboard.
Once you’ve entered all the necessary details, wait for an automated call from Amazon. You'll be given a four-digit PIN to enter to confirm the information you've supplied thus far. After that, all you have to do is read the "Terms and Conditions" and click "Finish."
After you've completed the application, you'll be given an Associates ID. Make a note of the number because you'll need it to validate your account later. It normally takes 1 to 3 days for Amazon to let you know if you've been accepted as an affiliate.
You have 180 days after becoming an Amazon associate to make a transaction. Your account will be canceled if no one purchases a product through your affiliate link for 180 days. This is why, when seeking to become an Amazon associate, you must have a strategy in place. Don't worry; you can apply to become an Amazon affiliate again even if your account has been closed.
How to create Amazon affiliate links?
After signing up with the Amazon Associates program, you will need to generate an Amazon affiliate link. The Amazon link can be placed on your website or within a video description to prompt viewers to view your recommended product within Amazon’s marketplace.
You can create Amazon affiliate links in two ways: by using the Product Link Tool or using SiteStripe. The most common way to create affiliate links is using the ‘Product Linking’ tool.
Here’s how you do it:
1- Login to your associate central account.
2- Navigate to the ‘Product Linking’ drop-down menu and click on ‘Product Links’.
3- Use the search bar provided to search for a product on Amazon. You can also directly input the ASIN if you have a product in mind.
4- Click on the ‘Get Link’ button to the right of every relevant result to get the link.
5- Use the generated link to promote the product on your website or social media feed.
Your ad can be customized to be text-based or image-based or a mix of both.
The second way to Creating affiliate links is with SiteStripe
The SiteStripe tool allows you to create an affiliate link directly from any item’s Amazon product page. Once you’ve set up your Amazon Associates account, the tool will automatically appear at the top of any Amazon.com page as long as you’re logged into your account.
To use SiteStripe, simply visit any Amazon product page for the item you’d like to create an affiliate link for.
You can create multiple types of links using SiteStripe including text, image, text + image, or custom native shopping ads. In all these cases, your store ID and tracking ID are already included in the link.
How to Make Money with the Amazon Affiliate Program
Generally speaking, applying for the Amazon Affiliate program and becoming an associate isn’t really the hard part. There is a lot of work that goes into creating a successful affiliate partnership with Amazon. Don’t forget that getting paid depends on conversions. You don’t get paid just for clicks. So, if you’re serious about being an Amazon associate, you need to be smart about promoting Amazon and relevant product listings.
Here are a few tips on how to make money from the Amazon Affiliate program.
1- Find your niche
Becoming an Amazon Associate isn’t a good idea if your website is about home improvement, beauty products, and novel writing all at the same time. It’s important to choose one niche that you are comfortable writing or creating content about.
Finding a profitable, low-competition niche can be challenging, but it’s a good idea to look for a niche that you have knowledge of or an avid interest in.
For example, if you’re into natural skincare, you may want to start a beauty blog, or, if you’re interested in gaming, you may want to review games or gaming consoles. Creating review-focused content is one of the best ways to establish a profitable affiliate site.
By choosing a niche, you also make your site look more authoritative to visitors because talking about one thing all the time makes you look like an expert. Once you find a niche, you need to find products and product categories that align with your interests.
2- Write product reviews and comparison posts.
One of the best ways to make money as an Amazon Associate is by writing product reviews and posts comparing two or more products. This allows you to link to the products you’re reviewing.
Writing roundups of a few similar products can be effective. This could include reviews of the “The 5 Best Handheld Mixers” or creating a roundup of several reviews that declares a winner and a runner-up, such as “The Best Fitness Tracker You Can Buy on Amazon.
The best part? These are usually high-intent posts, meaning that the person looking for a review is close to purchasing the product (if not ready to buy). Product comparison posts offer an even greater opportunity to sell because if the visitor decides one product isn’t for them, you’re offering them several alternatives to choose from. It’s a win-win all around and a sure way to drive more referrals toward Amazon. Another option is to create product tutorials or articles that demonstrate how a specific product provides solutions.
It’s also important to post regularly to keep your site up-to-date and to create unique content that doesn’t simply rehash a product’s Amazon description. If you’re not testing a product yourself, read other people’s reviews of it to create content that’s both original and useful for potential buyers.
3- Create a storefront on your website.
You don't have to rely solely on editorial mentions to generate Amazon referrals. You can construct a storefront that functions similarly to an online store, the only difference is that every link points to Amazon instead of a checkout page on your website.
Storefronts are a great choice because they require minimal upkeep and content writing. Once visitors get to your site, it'll be simple and easy for them to browse through the products. Another benefit is that the links aren’t buried within other information.
The only thing you'll need to do monthly is monitoring the links to make sure your storefront is generating referrals. Product pages may be moved or products may be withdrawn entirely from Amazon. You should double-check that each item is still available on the retailer's website.
4- Use a link localizer.
You can use link localizers to guide users from specified countries to a specific website. For example, if a UK-based user visits your website and clicks an Amazon affiliate link, a link localizer will direct the user to amazon.co.uk. You won't get paid a commission for the foreign visitors you direct to Amazon if you don't use a link localizer for your affiliate links.
5- Invest in paid social ads, as well as pay-per-click ads on Google.
Invest in paid social media ads, as well as Google pay-per-click ads. While advertising may appear to be costly, it can be a very cost-effective investment, especially if you use the PPC model. You only pay when someone clicks on your advertisements, and you may set a budget to avoid being overcharged. It's a simple technique to increase traffic to your website; all you have to do is use a design program to design ad images.
Amazon affiliate program: Pros and Cons
Earning income simply for linking to an Amazon product may seem like a no-brainer, but there are a few things to consider before becoming an Amazon affiliate. Let’s look at some of the pros and cons of Amazon Associates.
Pros of the Amazon Associate Program
1- Easy to join
It's relatively simple to join the Amazon Associate program. Simply notify Amazon of your interest in the program and include personal information such as your website URL, financial information, and reasons for participating. Amazon might take a while to approve your registration. However, once you’re an Amazon Associate, you can jump right in and start sharing affiliate links.
2- Amazon is a trusted brand
Amazon is the world's largest online retail platform. It is a well-known and reputable brand. Users and visitors to your website will be aware of the destination of your affiliate link and will not hesitate to click it. On the internet, trustworthiness is really important.
3- Many products (more choices)
The Amazon marketplace is bountiful. So you’ll never have to worry about what you want to advertise. There’s plenty of local and global products, Where over 120 million products are being sold on Amazon, you can choose from and promote on your platform.
4- Additional commission
Amazon affiliates can earn commissions from each purchase made by the customer within 24 hours after following the affiliate link. What does this mean?
If a consumer clicks your affiliate link for a mobile phone and purchases that product, you get a percentage of the sale. Great so far? also you get a cut for every other product that customer purchases within 24 hours of clicking your link. Did they buy a TV? You get a percentage of that sale too.
although the Amazon Associate program has several pros, there are also a few disadvantages to consider when determining whether the Amazon affiliate program is the best affiliate marketing program for you.
Cons of the Amazon Associate Program
When it comes to the disadvantages of the Amazon affiliate program, pay special attention to the fine print:
1- Commission rates
When compared to other affiliate marketing programs, Amazon’s commission rates are relatively low. The highest commission rate stands at 10% for luxury beauty products, while the lowest stands at 1%. Not all products are created equal when it comes to Amazon’s affiliate program, so make sure you read the detailed breakdown of commissions before embarking on your affiliate journey. So, unless you’re diverting a large percentage of your audience to the marketplace, it may be difficult to accumulate cash quickly.
2 Their cookies only last 24-hours
That means if your referral doesn't buy within 24 hours, you won't get credit. (However, if the product is added to their cart, the cookie lasts 89 days.)
3- Amazon Associates Program Program Operating Agreement
Amazon's Operating Agreement is continually updated. As a result, if affiliates don't verify the agreement frequently, they may be uninformed of key program changes.
4- Payment Options
Payment options are only through direct deposit, check, or Amazon gift card. There's no PayPal option. So it may be inconvenient for overseas affiliates who use PayPal as their primary payment tool.
5- Website-dependent commission
If you have a U.S. site and promoting products in the Amazon U.S. store, you won't get credit for referring someone who ends up buying the product from outside the country (i.e. Amazon UK).
Summary
You should have a fairly good idea of how the Amazon Associate Program works and how you can benefit from it. While the idea of earning a steady income while working from the comfort of your home does sound appealing, it is important to understand that Amazon affiliate marketing is not easy. So if you already have a website with suitable content that you can add affiliate links to, it can be a simple way to start earning additional income in the long term. However, if you’re creating a website from scratch to make it profitable via Amazon affiliate links, the process of launching a site and populating it with reviews and product-related content can be time-consuming. However, like all things in life, smart work and perseverance can quickly catapult you towards affiliate success.
Do you think the Amazon affiliate program is right for you?
How much money can you earn per month?
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