How do I create a website to sell affiliates?

Most of us know the feeling when we are going through our online shopping list and come across something that is on sale. We might wonder if it would be cheaper to buy from Amazon instead or whether there’s another store where this product could be found at a lower price. But what about those products which aren't available elsewhere? What if they were only sold by some third-party seller but not directly by the brand itself? Would buying them direct have been more expensive than just using an affiliate link? For example, let's say you wanted to find out the answer to these questions before making any purchases. You may want to start selling as an affiliate so you can earn money while sharing the brands you love. It seems like a good idea, right?

But starting an affiliate website isn't easy. There are several things you should consider first. How do you get started? And once you've got your domain name set up, what else needs to happen? Do you even need a website at all? While creating an affiliate site is easier said than done, here's everything you need to know.

What does an affiliate website do?

An affiliate website doesn't necessarily mean you'll be promoting a product. Instead, it refers to someone who sells other people's goods (or services) via advertising. An affiliate marketer works with companies who offer their products and services to others and then gets paid commissions based on sales made. The commission rate depends on many factors including the type of product being promoted. Some popular ones include eBooks, digital downloads, physical fitness equipment, clothing, beauty supplies, food items, household goods, tools, electronics, technology gadgets, software programs, toys, games, etc. Many top internet marketers use affiliate sites because they're able to promote their own businesses without having to spend time writing articles, setting up ads, or anything else. They simply sign up with an affiliate network and pay a small fee each month depending on the number of clicks or sales generated. Once they reach certain goals, they receive payment bonuses. All they have to do is write content related to the subject matter and share it with readers. Then they wait for customers to visit their website and click on the relevant links. If they do, they will end up on the merchant's page where they can purchase the item they clicked on.

The benefits of becoming an affiliate go beyond earning extra income. When you become an affiliate, you also build credibility among your peers. Your reputation increases due to your participation in the industry. This means you can potentially work alongside professionals and gain access to additional information sources such as training courses, webinars, forums, blogs, etc. As long as you follow best practices, it won't take long until you develop a following and attract new connections.

It's important to note that most affiliate networks charge monthly fees ranging between $10 - $100 per month. In addition to paying membership fees, members must complete various tasks such as uploading content and completing surveys. These requirements serve two purposes. First, they ensure quality content is provided. Second, they provide statistics regarding traffic volume and conversion rates. After signing up with a company, you can begin building your audience and generating revenue immediately.

Can I be an affiliate without a website?

Yes, you can. However, it's much harder to establish yourself as an authority in this field if no one knows who you are. A website allows visitors to learn more about your background and experience, see samples of your previous projects, check out testimonials, read reviews, meet deadlines, etc. So unless you already have a professional looking portfolio ready to show off, you'd better think twice about skipping this step.

If you don't have a personal blog yet, it's probably a smart move to host your affiliate website on a platform like WordPress.com rather than a self-hosted service since hosting costs are usually higher. Plus, if you decide down the line to switch platforms, migrating data becomes simpler. On the flip side, if you prefer to keep things simple, you can also opt for a basic blogging platform like Blogger.

Does affiliate marketing require multiple websites?

No, it doesn't. Even though you need to register different domains for each campaign, it's possible to manage one account under several subdomains. That way, you can easily track performance metrics while still maintaining control over branding and design elements.

You can always add a custom URL shortener to your campaigns to further boost conversions. Short URLs allow users to remember your brand more effectively and thus increase chances of repeat visits.

Do you need your own website for affiliate marketing?

Not necessarily. Creating an affiliate website is fairly straightforward. To kickstart your efforts, you can install WordPress onto your existing domain. Just choose "Blog" from the dashboard sidebar menu and select the option to Install Now. Next, log into your WP admin area and head to Appearance & Widgets section. Click Add New Widget and search for Post Formats. Select Visual Editor and drag the box below Create/Edit Posts into place. Finally, change the title to whatever you want, upload images, enter text, and save changes.

Now open the WordPress Dashboard again and navigate to Tools & Settings. Under Reading you'll find the option to Set Up Links. Enter your preferred email address, paste the code provided, and hit Save Changes. You now have a working blog post! Use the same process to create other pages for future promotions.

Once your website is live, you can continue adding posts featuring valuable resources whenever you run into problems. Also, be sure to regularly optimize your website to improve its SEO score. Don't forget to monitor analytics reports to determine what types of keywords drive the greatest amount of traffic. Take advantage of Google Analytics' built-in features to gain insight into visitor behavior. Make adjustments accordingly to achieve maximum ROI.

In the meantime, you can also try some of these helpful apps to streamline your workflow.

Shopify

Convertkit

Shareasale

CJ Affiliate

Ebay Partner Network Inc

eCommerce Platforms

Affiliate Networks

WordPress Plugins

These affiliate marketing tips will give you plenty of ideas on how to maximize profits. And after seeing all the effort required to build successful websites, you might finally understand why the majority of experts recommend avoiding the DIY approach. Unless you already possess the technical skills necessary to operate a server, you shouldn't attempt to host your own website. Doing so requires extensive knowledge of coding languages, database management systems, and web servers.

This article has given you a brief overview of everything you need to know about creating an affiliate website. Of course, you can do more research on the topic to discover other useful tips. But hopefully, this guide helps put things into perspective. As mentioned earlier, affiliate marketing offers great potential regardless of skill level. No matter what your niche is, there's likely a large pool of prospective clients eager to hear about your offerings. Even if you haven't decided on a particular product to promote yet, you can still test out a few options to see what kind of results you get. Start slowly and gradually grow your audience size.

Want to learn more? Check out these articles recommended by fellow authors:

For beginners: Learn how to create an Amazon shop and sell affiliate products.

For intermediate learners: Get started with Shopify and learn how to turn your passion into profit.

For advanced creators: Build a profitable WordPress theme with WooCommerce.

You've probably heard that online affiliate marketing is the best way to grow and monetize your business. But starting an affiliate website isn't as easy as it sounds. There are so many platforms out there, where should you start? Which ones will give me the most exposure? How much does setting up a website cost? Can I get started right away or do I have to wait until I'm ready? These questions may seem overwhelming at first but they don't have to be if you follow these simple guidelines.

First of all, let's talk about what kind of site you want to set up. You're going to use this site to show off products from other people (affiliates) who are selling them on their websites. It could also include information about your company and maybe some blog posts. The reason we recommend using a platform like WordPress over something else is because it makes creating content fast and easy. If you decide to go down a different path, remember that building an affiliate website doesn't necessarily mean you'll have to code anything yourself. Many companies offer templates and drag-and-drop tools to build a basic page quickly.

We'll cover both options here, but before we begin let's talk about why you might want to consider launching an affiliate website anyway. This step is important since having a presence on social media sites like Facebook or Twitter won't cut it anymore when it comes to getting traffic. That means you need to focus more heavily on SEO and making sure visitors find your site easily through search engines. Plus, the more eyes see your ads on display networks, the better chance you have of earning money -- which is exactly what you're trying to achieve.

Here's how to turn any type of website into a profitable one by promoting affiliate products.

Where can I promote affiliate products for free?

There are plenty of places where you can share your affiliate links for free. One option is Google AdSense. You can sign up for free and then use the tool below to add text, images, videos, polls, and forms to your website. After adding the HTML code above the article body, click "Go" to preview your ad. If everything looks good, click "Add campaign" to continue. Then you just sit back and watch the clicks roll in.

Another great place to share your affiliate links for free is YouTube. In fact, you can even embed videos directly onto your website. Just copy the following snippet of code anywhere on your site:

If you prefer to host videos yourself, you can upload them to Vimeo or Wistia and insert their URL after v=1&hl=en&gl=US.

To learn more about sharing video on various sites, check out our article titled 5 Ways To Earn Money From Your Videos On YouTube For Beginners.

Don't forget that you can always post your affiliate links on Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Tumblr, and Reddit. All major social networks now allow users to earn money by posting sponsored content. However, you shouldn't rely solely on social media to drive sales. According to Clickbank, only 2% of its customers purchase items via social media alone. So the next time someone asks whether they should buy from Amazon, tell them no.

However, if you already have a large audience on Facebook or another network, it's worth considering. And keep in mind that each social network has different ways of tracking conversions. Some networks track purchases made within apps while others record emails sent from your email list.

When it comes to promoting affiliate offers on non-social channels, you have two main options. First, you can pay for advertising. You can either hire an outside agency or try a service like PayPerPost. They charge per click and usually require a minimum spend depending on the size of your budget. Second, you can simply write articles about those products and submit them to directories such as EzineArticles, ArticleBase, and HubPages. Once again, however, you must be careful not to spam the directory with too many submissions.

The last thing to mention is that there are tons of free resources available to help you promote products on social media. We've previously discussed five awesome tips to boost your social media engagement.

Do I need a website to be an affiliate?

No. While having a website certainly helps, you can still run successful campaigns without one. Even big brands like Walmart and Target operate without a home base. Most businesses today depend on ecommerce platforms like Etsy or Shopify to handle customer orders. You could sell physical goods on Etsy instead of digital files on Shopify, for example, and send shoppers to your store once they complete checkout.

This method works well for smaller retailers looking to expand their reach beyond social media. However, it requires extra effort compared to selling products through a website. Also, you lose control over pricing and shipping. Another downside is that Etsy charges fees for every transaction.

On the flip side, selling products online gives you access to thousands of potential buyers. Plus, you know that anyone who visits your store will actually receive the product.

Still unsure? Check out our guide to becoming an affiliate marketer without owning a website.

Why do you need a website for affiliate marketing?

As mentioned earlier, there are several reasons why you'd want to build a website specifically for your affiliate efforts. Let's take a look at a few examples.

One obvious benefit is brand visibility. Having a storefront increases your chances of attracting new leads and generating repeat sales. Plus, being able to showcase your branding materials is an excellent way to gain trust among consumers.

A second advantage is increased conversion rates. Visitors to your site will often feel compelled to buy a particular item once they land on your landing page. Since you likely spent hours crafting the perfect pitch, you don't want to blow it by giving them bad advice. Creating a website allows you to test ideas and gather feedback before spending valuable time on promotional work.

Finally, a website lets you collect data about your followers. By logging visitor activity and collecting user demographics, you can determine what types of promotions attract the biggest crowd. With enough statistics, you can develop strategies to target specific audiences based on age, gender, location, interests, etc.

How can I promote affiliates without a website?

Although it seems impossible at times, there are countless methods you can employ to start spreading the word about your affiliate programs. Below are six tried-and-true tactics to choose from.

Write guest posts on related blogs and publish regular updates about your latest deals. When readers come across your name in the comments section, you'll stand out as an authority figure.

Create infographics featuring the hottest products from your niche. Use Infogr.am, Piktochart, and Canva to design your graphics. Be sure to embed your affiliate links in case viewers opt to download the file.

Share short clips highlighting the features of your favorite products on YouTube. Keep them between 30 seconds and 1 minute long.

Publish lists of top picks on popular forums like Quora. This tactic gets you noticed instantly since everyone loves seeing their names listed near the top of pages.

Set up surveys asking interested parties to rate the quality of certain products. Try SurveyMonkey or Qualaroo to ask participants to provide honest responses.

Use paid ads to advertise your affiliate links on relevant websites. Don't worry if you don't have the funds to invest upfront. Instead, schedule monthly payments for your ads and set up automatic reminders in Outlook.

These are just a handful of suggestions. Remember that you can always experiment with things until you discover what works best for you. Of course, you don't have to stop cold turkey if you don't think you'll stick with your current strategy. Start small and slowly increase your efforts as needed.

How can I promote affiliates without a website?

Since you can't run an entire affiliate operation without a storefront, you may wonder if you really need a website at all. Fortunately, there are lots of ways to promote your affiliate links without running a full-fledged shop.

For starters, you can join existing affiliate networks such as Commission Junction or LinkConnector. These services connect marketers with merchants and split commissions evenly whenever customers make a sale. You don't even need to register unless you plan to manage multiple accounts.

Then there are third party marketplaces like Upwork, Freelancer, Fiverr, People Per Hour, Odesk, TaskRabbit, and 99Designs. You can sign up and bid on tasks ranging from writing reports to designing logos to translating documents. Simply select the project you wish to perform and apply. If accepted, you'll receive payment upon completion.

Lastly, there are numerous freelance job boards devoted strictly to finding freelancers willing to work remotely. Examples include Elance, oDesk, Guru, and Freelancer.com. As you browse profiles, ask yourself if you would be comfortable working with this person. If yes, message him/her and introduce yourself. Offer to do a quick interview to discuss your needs. Once signed, you can communicate via Skype or Slack to establish expectations regarding deadlines, deliverables, etc.

If you have been selling products on your own website or using Facebook ads and other methods of advertising, then starting an affiliate site may not seem like much work. After all, there are already thousands of websites dedicated to promoting digital products that people buy online. But if you're just looking to promote someone else's product instead of creating your own, then why would you want to go through the trouble of setting up an entire website when there are so many options available right now?

The answer isn't as simple as "because I'm bored." Most companies will pay their top affiliates anywhere from $100-$300 per sale. That means even if you only generate 10 sales per month, which most programs guarantee, you could earn about $3,000 per year -- enough to cover any bills you might have while still having some extra left over. Plus, unlike running social media campaigns that require constant maintenance, building out an affiliate website lets you focus more time on growing your brand without worrying about getting lost in the crowd.

Here's what you need to know before launching your first affiliate website.

Does it cost money to be an affiliate?

There are several different ways to become an affiliate marketer today, but none are completely free. You'll usually have to invest either money into buying hosting space (which costs around $10 per month) or investing time into learning the ins-and-outs of developing a successful affiliate marketing strategy. However, once you've got both those things covered, you can begin generating income by simply sharing another company's product or service. The key word here being share. If you don't offer something worthwhile, no one will care to click on your links.

That doesn't mean you can't build your own website to sell other people's products though, especially since there are plenty of tools that allow you to set up shop quickly and easily. We recommend trying these three popular platforms below.

Shopify - This platform allows anyone to design a storefront that works within its interface. It has a huge selection of themes to choose from, so you won't feel limited when choosing colors, fonts, images, videos, etc. Once you get started, you can also add items to your cart and checkout directly from your store. With this type of setup, you keep 100% of the profit from each item sold. Shopify charges 1.5 percent commission on every sale made through your store.

CJ Affiliate - Unlike Shopify, CJ Affiliate offers its users an even bigger variety of templates than Shopify does. They also give you access to a wide range of plug-ins and widgets that you can use to customize your store further. For example, they include features such as custom emails, auto responders, coupon codes, shopping carts, shipping labels, PayPal payments, Google analytics, and more. Like Shopify, however, CJ requires a monthly fee of $8 per user. In addition to the fees charged, you must provide customer support whenever needed.

Convertkit - One thing we love about Convertkit is that it provides you everything you'd expect from a quality ecommerce solution minus the hefty price tag. There are two types of plans offered through Convertkit: Standard ($19/month), and Pro ($99/month). While the Standard plan includes everything you see above, the Pro version adds advanced functionality including autoresponders, email lists, A/B testing, multiple landing pages, and more. What sets Convertkit apart from similar solutions is that it integrates well with a host of third party apps, making it easier to automate tasks and streamline processes throughout your workflow.

Once you decide on which option makes sense based on your needs, you'll receive a welcome kit full of helpful resources that walk you through the process step by step. And because it supports HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, jQuery, PHP, Ruby, Python,.NET, and ColdFusion, you should be able to create a functional storefront regardless of whether you have previous experience working with web development languages.

To learn more about the differences between the various affiliate networks, check out our article explaining them all.

How do I start my own affiliate website?

When deciding upon the perfect platform for your new website, consider the following factors:

Brand recognition - Your audience knows exactly who you are and what you represent. Choose a name that reflects your image and values. Avoid names that sound too generic and bland.

Search engine optimization - Make sure that your website appears high in search results organically. Search engines favor sites that contain keywords relevant to your niche. Use keyword research tools to find competitive terms related to your industry.

Design - Your site's layout and appearance play a big role in whether visitors stick around long enough to purchase your goods. Keep the navigation clear, concise, and easy to follow. Create eye-catching graphics and use attractive typography. Consider adding video content to increase engagement.

Functionality - Does your chosen platform offer customizable layouts and advanced features? Will it integrate seamlessly with other systems you currently use? Can you upload files via FTP without needing to rely on cloud storage services? How fast is it at responding to orders placed through your website? Is there a way to track traffic back to your site? All of these questions affect how effective your website will be overall.

In order to avoid wasting valuable time, try to narrow down your list of potential choices until you arrive at a few solid candidates. Then take a look at reviews written by current customers to determine which ones fit your specific goals. From there, you'll be ready to sign up for whichever services suit you best.

What is the highest paying affiliate website?

It depends on whom you ask, but according to Clickbank, the highest paid affiliate network is Commission Junction, followed closely by PayDotCom. Both of these networks charge 2-4%, meaning that you'll earn 4%-12% commissions on every single transaction generated from your site. Compare that to Amazon's 3% cut of retail revenue or Zazzle's 6% cut of wholesale prices, and you'll soon realize that it pays to diversify.

As far as individual affiliate networks go, Shopify is the undisputed king. Not only does it boast the largest collection of affiliate stores, but it also boasts the lowest percentage commission rate of 0.6%. Other notable affiliate networks include JVZoo, LinkShare, and MarketLive. Each of these payment processors takes roughly 5-7% off the top for transactions processed through their respective software.

One final point worth mentioning is that although Shopify and the others mentioned above are reputable networks, they aren't immune to scams. Before signing up with any new affiliate partner, always perform thorough background checks and read through forums where current members post warnings about shady practices taking place under certain domains. These days, it seems like everyone wants a piece of the pie. So make sure you weigh your options carefully before diving headfirst into anything.

This information is provided solely for educational purposes. It is not intended to be used for medical advice. If you have any concerns about your health, see a physician or other trained healthcare professional.