Getting Started with Affiliate Marketing in 5 Easy Steps

So you’ve decided to try your hand at selling other people’s products for a commission?  This is, without a doubt, one of the fastest ways to start making money online - with some people earning tens of thousands of dollars each month. 

Can you become one of them? Not in the beginning.  But you can take steps now to prepare for your first sale.  Here’s what to do.

1. Find a Product to Promote - There are a few good affiliate networks out there which host products from big retailers as well as small mom-and-pop stores.  Ideally, it’s best to choose a product that you have either tried yourself, or a product that you’re personally interested in.  This will help ensure that you promote it adequately and with enthusiasm. 

   Some of the top affiliate network sites include www.cj.com, www.clickbank.com and www.shareasale.com - Register for one, or all of them, and you’ll have thousands of products at your fingertips.

2. Check the Commission Rate - All affiliate networks will give you the commission rate, as well as what you would earn on a successful sale.  Be sure to look at the actual dollar amount and not the percentage.  75% commission sounds like an amazing deal - until you realize it’s 75% of $9.95!
3. How Targeted Is It? - You want to be sure that the product you promote is targeted enough to your visitors to earn you a sale.  So instead of grabbing every product you can find to do with “gardening”, consider narrowing it down - even beyond “organic gardening” to a very select audience like people looking to “grow organic tomatoes”. 

   This might seem like you’re cutting out a huge portion of your audience - but in fact, what you’re doing is targeting those people who are more likely to buy.  You can then expand your efforts to include related products as your “affiliate empire” grows.

4. Where Do They Send Your Customers?  Ultimately, with affiliate programs, what you are doing is funneling your website visitors over to the “host’s” web page. In other words, the page of the person, or company running the affiliate program.

   Look at their sales page.  Would you buy the product if it was advertised that way? Sometimes you can make the best possible effort to drive visitors to buy - but when they get to the host’s page, they’re lost. 

   Don’t make this common mistake!  If you wouldn’t buy it - chances are they won’t either.  A good page is one that’s targeted to your particular audience - and product. 

   Going back to our organic gardening example - if they have a page (called a landing page) specifically devoted to growing organic tomatoes - that’s perfect!  When you direct your visitors there, you can be confident that they’re easily finding the information they’ve been looking for.

5. How Often Are You Paid?  This is often one of those questions that is asked too late.  Check the program’s terms and conditions to see how often you’re paid.  Sometimes it can be when you earn as little as $20. Other times you won’t get a check until you’ve hit $100 - which might take awhile in the very beginning.  Be sure you know what you’re signing up for - otherwise you could be waiting a painfully long time for that check!

In the end, if you follow these steps, you’ll be better prepared for signing up for an affiliate program that makes sense to you, your visitors, and your wallet!

If you’d like a custom website built for your affiliate products, why not request a free quote from iElectrify right now?