If you're a web designer, blogger or other Internet marketer who wants to start making some extra cash from the Web, then having a website is not enough. You need more than just traffic -- you also have to get paid. One way of doing this is by selling advertising space for your blog. Another option is by using Google AdSense and displaying ads in your content. But what if there were another popular place online where people could buy products without leaving their computers? This would mean advertisers are paying you directly for providing them access to potential customers. That's right -- it turns out there's one such platform that can pay you real money simply for posting advertisements. It goes by many names including Amazon Associates, Commission Junction (CJ) and LinkShare. These companies represent thousands of merchants who sell everything from books to cars. They all offer a similar service: By placing a link on your site directing visitors to their partner store, they will pay you commission for every item purchased via that link. This article explains how these programs operate so that you can choose which one best suits your needs. More importantly, however, we'll explain exactly how easy it is to become part of the industry and how much money you might actually make. How does Amazon Affiliate work?
To start earning money as an affiliate, first sign up at Amazon Associate. Then create a special page called "My Account" for affiliates only. Here, you can customize pages like your profile and personalize your account settings. Once complete, any time someone clicks on one of those links located throughout your site, you receive credit either per click or sometimes even per product sold. For example, let's say I'm promoting a book about gardening, but my readership tends to skew male. So rather than linking to a gardening-oriented bookstore, I'd use Amazon. A visitor clicking on the button looking something like this:
Once clicked, he/she is redirected to the site associated with the product being promoted. In our case, that means Garden Books Online. From here, the customer has two options. He/She may continue shopping within the store itself, or he/she may decide to purchase outside of the store altogether. If the latter occurs, the customer must fill out a form confirming his intent to leave the store. Otherwise, the merchant pays you based upon items purchased. Keep in mind that most stores allow you to set minimum dollar amounts before payment. However, Amazon requires $10 minimums for orders over $5. Also, keep in mind that while you may take a percentage of sales from a particular store, you aren't guaranteed to generate income. Some retailers require you to post a certain amount of impressions of promotional material on your site before sending you any checks. If you feel uncomfortable setting up shop solely for clicks (as opposed to actual purchases), look elsewhere.
The requirements to qualify vary slightly depending on whether you plan to promote physical goods or digital downloads. To find out what yours entails, go to amazonclick.com and register for free. At registration, you'll answer questions regarding your current relationship with Amazon, your experience level at running websites and blogs, and other relevant information. Next, you'll submit a review of yourself and your business practices. Finally, you'll provide basic contact info, such as address, phone number and e-mail address. After submitting, you'll immediately begin receiving messages from Amazon asking you additional questions related to your application. While you won't hear back straight away, once accepted into the program, you should soon receive an email stating why you've been approved. As long as you meet the guidelines, you'll be able to join a network of millions of other affiliate marketers worldwide.
As mentioned earlier, Amazon doesn't limit its services strictly to retail sites. There are numerous opportunities available for affiliates seeking promotions pertaining to books, music, video games, electronics, software, hardware accessories and home decor. All types of businesses are represented, from small mom & pop shops to large corporations. With that said, don't expect to see huge checks coming your way overnight. Your earnings depend entirely on your efforts and ability to drive targeted traffic to the company's site. On average, though, some affiliates earn around 40 percent of each sale [Source: CPA].
So far, we've discussed the basics of becoming an Amazon associate. Now comes the fun stuff. Let's talk specifics. When you sign up as an Amazon affiliate, you gain access to tools designed specifically to help increase revenue. First off, you can browse different categories and subcategories. Then, when creating a new promotion, you can select specific products for inclusion. Lastly, you can monitor statistics for each campaign to ensure maximum efficiency. This last feature includes data tracking your clicks, conversions and sales activity. Based upon these stats, you'll receive commissions ranging anywhere between 1 to 10 percent. If you happen to sell high ticket items, you might even earn higher percentages. Overall, though, the range varies greatly among affiliates. Many sellers report earning less than a penny per click, while others claim to pull down hundreds of dollars per day. Unfortunately, because the process involves several steps, no single person can accurately predict his results until after he begins working with the system. Even still, many affiliates do very well, especially if they stick with affiliate marketing long term. Can you make good money with affiliate marketing?
In short, yes! Affiliates tend to enjoy relatively low overhead costs compared to traditional brick and mortar storefront owners. Additionally, since Amazon keeps track of sales records internally, there are fewer concerns about fraud. And finally, unlike many industries, Amazon affiliates never face competition from fellow competitors. Most often, the main challenge facing associates lies in driving qualified traffic to their campaigns. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to accomplish this task, both manually and automatically. For instance, search engine optimization (SEO) techniques such as keyword research and social media integration can easily boost traffic numbers. Likewise, SEO experts specializing in PPC management know how to maximize ad relevancy. Ultimately, though, the success of any Amazon affiliate depends largely upon his own abilities to produce quality content and attract interested buyers. Good luck!
The online shopping giant, Amazon has been in the business of selling products since 1995 and is now one of the largest retailers worldwide. It's not uncommon to see a product listed on its website within minutes after it was added to their inventory. With such huge numbers of people using Amazon regularly, it's no wonder why they have become so popular among consumers all over the world. With this popularity comes the opportunity for individuals who own websites or blogs to make money from promoting certain goods sold by Amazon. This process is known as "affiliate marketing" and anyone can sign up with Amazon affiliates to promote any item available. There are several ways for amateurs or even experts to start making money from Amazon affiliate programs but most successful Amazon entrepreneurs use email list services like Aweber to direct traffic toward Amazon pages where potential buyers will be able to click buy buttons and purchase items directly from Amazon sites. Not only will these customers receive great deals on top quality merchandise at low prices, but also gain access to information about new arrivals and promotions offered by Amazon which may include discounts and coupons. In order to register with Amazon affiliates, however, there are some things you must know before getting started.
One thing you should understand when becoming involved in Amazon affiliate programs is how many subscribers you would ideally want to reach out to. If you're just starting off, then 20-30 subscribers would suffice while those already established could potentially increase their number to hundreds depending on what type of content they post. While this may seem quite simple, there are actually factors that play into determining whether or not someone subscribes to your newsletter including the title itself, length, frequency, timing, subject matter etc. When signing up for Amazon affiliate programs, you'll find yourself needing to create an account with a service called AWeber which provides tools necessary for driving targeted traffic to websites. One important factor that determines the success of your campaign is the amount of subscribers you've accumulated. Therefore, if you plan on spending thousands of dollars on advertising campaigns, you should consider hiring professionals to help drive more traffic to your site.
While paying for traffic might sound tempting once you've reached the level where you require larger amounts of leads, this method doesn't always yield positive results. For instance, Google AdWords offers users a way to advertise their businesses at very affordable costs but it requires them to place ads on other peoples' websites. This means that if you wish to generate revenue via advertisements, you'd first have to build relationships with others who share similar interests and follow your blog posts regularly. As mentioned earlier, though, some bloggers choose to rely solely upon emails lists provided by companies like Aweber because they provide easy access to subscribers who visit their websites often. Once you accumulate enough readership, however, you can begin placing banners containing text links on your webpage which link back to Amazon. To successfully attract visitors, these banners should contain pertinent keywords related to the specific products being advertised by Amazon. Using relevant keywords ensures that your banner ad contains appropriate words which relate specifically to Amazon listings. Although there may be times when advertisers decide to pay for clicks rather than relying upon subscriptions alone, this practice isn't recommended unless the company offering the advertisement has a proven track record of providing high quality leads. On average, good quality leads cost anywhere between $5-$10 per lead whereas cheaper ones range from 50 cents -$1.50 per subscriber.
As previously stated, joining Amazon affiliate programs is completely free and involves little upfront investment aside from purchasing some promotional materials (e.g., t-shirts). However, there are still a few requirements that you should meet in order to qualify for compensation payments. Your best chance of earning money lies in having lots of interested subscribers who enjoy reading your newsletters. In addition, your goal should remain focused towards acquiring more subscribers instead of trying to sell anything. Don't try to sell subscriptions right away because chances are you won't succeed. Instead, focus on building trust and credibility with your audience first. After gaining interest, you can eventually introduce topics relating to sales pitches such as special offers, discount codes, and coupon codes. You can also try posting articles based on subjects that people frequently search online and ask questions related to particular problems. These techniques will allow you to establish rapport with your audience members and ultimately develop long term friendships. Eventually, you may be asked to write reviews or give opinions on products which will further enhance the relationship. By following this general rule, you can easily attain the highest levels of income possible without risking capital.
In terms of monetary rewards, Amazon pays affiliates according to the commission rate assigned to each item sold. Generally speaking, the higher priced items are rewarded at higher percentages, e.g., 25% for books and clothing compared to 10% for electronics. Also noteworthy is that the commission rates vary greatly depending on the category of the product. Some categories like DVDs and CDs offer lower rates due to fewer transactions performed. Products classified under the Health & Beauty section tend to reward higher margins due to the fact that shoppers spend more time researching options prior to buying. Other variables affecting profitability include how quickly orders are processed, shipping fees, and taxes. Finally, keep in mind that different types of merchants determine payment methods differently. Most likely, Amazon uses PayPal for processing credit card purchases, but third party vendors may choose to send funds via check or wire transfer. Be sure to research merchant policies carefully before deciding on a payment option.
Although there are many benefits associated with working as an Amazon affiliate, it may take time to achieve optimal earnings. Before jumping into the fray, remember that creating a strong foundation is essential. Build relationships with other webmasters and subscribers who are willing to support you financially during your journey. Through hard work, perseverance, dedication, persistence, and patience, you too can become a member of the elite group of Amazon Associates earning handsome incomes!
Affiliates are people who help a business owner grow their online sales by placing ads for the product they promote and receive commission every time someone clicks in order to make a purchase. There are many types of products, services, or websites which can be promoted via affiliates programs such as eBay, Apple, Best Buy, etc., but today we'll focus on one specific kind - those related to technology. In this article, we will learn how to become an Amazon affiliate, what it means, and why it's so important for anyone interested in making money from home with minimal effort.
An affiliate program is simply a way for a company (such as Amazon) to reward its customers for using certain parts of its website. Amazon has created several different forms of affiliate marketing including text link advertising, banner advertisements, email promotions, etc. By signing up under any of these programs, you agree to sell items sold on Amazon's sites, thereby earning a percentage of the profits generated on each item. It sounds easy enough, doesn't it? And while there are other ways to market goods without being affiliated with them, most successful Internet marketers know that the best results come when they have some sort of personal connection to the products they're promoting. That's where affiliate programs come into play. They allow businesses to offer incentives to attract potential buyers and keep them coming back again and again. What incentive could Amazon possibly provide? One good example would be Amazon Associates, a referral service offered by Amazon itself. If you refer others to buy anything at all on Amazon, you get rewarded with 10% of everything they spend within 90 days. This bonus is called "referral fees" and if you bring more than two new associates into the system, then you also qualify for additional bonuses like free shipping, discounts off purchases, and even cash rebates! Pretty cool stuff, right? Now imagine if you had thousands of visitors looking around your blog or website and ended up clicking on one of your affiliate links. Would you want to risk losing out on this sweet deal just because someone else didn't take action first? Of course not, therefore you should consider yourself fortunate to find yourself working with companies like Amazon. You see, the beauty of affiliate marketing is that once you join an affiliate program, you can begin selling products directly through your own unique domain name rather than having to place ads on another person's web pages. So now that we've learned about what affiliate marketing really is, let's move onto learning exactly what Amazon's affiliate program entails.
In short, it helps a business owner increase his/her customer base. Why is this important? Because the bigger your customer base grows, the higher the chances are that you'll end up making lots of extra money. Think about it: How much revenue did McDonalds generate last year? How about Wal-Mart? Well guess what? Most top income earners started out somewhere similar to how you may start out as an entrepreneur... With little capital, no experience, and very few resources. Therefore, the goal here isn't necessarily to create a huge empire overnight, although this type of success is certainly possible. Instead, your primary objective should always be building relationships over time. Once you establish trust between you and your readership, you'll be able to build long lasting partnerships that can eventually lead to real wealth. Also, remember that the biggest difference between small business owners and big corporations is often down to the fact that former generally don't have large marketing budgets. For instance, think about the amount of money that goes towards television commercials versus print media. Big companies can afford to saturate TV channels with hundreds of commercials per day whereas smaller businessmen usually rely solely upon word of mouth recommendations. A simple way to describe affiliate marketing is to say that it's basically providing consumers access to information that they might otherwise miss out on. Whether you choose to write articles, press releases, reviews, or whatever else, the idea is to give useful information that relates to the topic of your niche. After all, wouldn't you prefer to hear something interesting instead of seeing yet another commercial trying to convince you to go out and replace your entire wardrobe with Nike shoes?
So let me ask you this: Have you ever seen a billboard along the highway? Or maybe you saw a magazine ad in a grocery store checkout line? Did either of these things interest you in buying a particular product? Chances are yes since both examples were specifically designed to get your attention. Just like billboards and magazines, internet marketers use affiliate links in hopes of enticing prospective clients to click on a given link and visit a web page or download an eBook. However, unlike the previous examples mentioned above, affiliate links aren't meant to draw customers away from your competitors. Rather, they're designed to show them relevant content that benefits them in some manner. Let's look at this hypothetical scenario: Say you run a tech review blog, and you'd like to publish an informative piece regarding the latest iPhone release. Before writing your post however, you decide to check out the official Apple website in order to verify a couple of statistics. Upon visiting the main webpage, you notice that the following statement appears near the bottom left corner of the screen: "If you need technical support please contact us at..." Naturally, you assume that Apple must have provided a toll-free number somewhere on their site, so you call it immediately after finishing reading the paragraph. To your surprise however, Apple answered your phone call themselves rather than sending an employee out to assist you. As luck would have it though, a representative finally arrived at your house fifteen minutes later, and he was unable to solve the problem that you originally brought him over there to address. From my point of view, this seems like a pretty common occurrence nowadays, whether you're talking about computers, cars, phones, televisions, or any other device. People tend to blame the manufacturer for problems that arise rather than taking responsibility for their own actions. Unfortunately, it happens too frequently to ignore. Many times, people only seek assistance when they feel guilty for wasting someone's valuable time. Fortunately, the solution comes in the form of third party warranty providers who specialize in helping individuals resolve issues pertaining to defective electronic devices. These companies exist mainly to act as middlemen between consumers and manufacturers. On average, they save users almost half of repair costs compared to going straight to the source. When dealing with electronics, this strategy works especially well due to the high cost involved. But regardless of whether you utilize a warranty provider or attempt repairs on your own, you still won't realize full value until you actually read our next section entitled, "How Do You Become An Amazon Associate?"
Now that we've taken a brief glance at what affiliate marketing entails, we can proceed further into learning exactly how to sign up for an Amazon affiliate account. First thing's first, before you apply for any position whatsoever, you must register your own domain name. Domain names are essentially URLs that direct people to your webpages. Since you probably already understand what URL stands for, hopefully you'll continue onward to the next step. Next, you'll need to select an attractive title that clearly identifies the subject matter of your content. Be sure to include keywords within your titles that relate to your niche. Finally, you'll have to pick a catchy tagline that instantly draws your audience's attention. Try to stick with single words or phrases that seem easier to memorize. Keep in mind that the better your titles and tags are, the quicker Google search engine spiders will identify your posts. Consequently, this leads to faster indexing of your webpages. Remember that quality content is king, so strive to deliver fresh ideas on a regular basis.
Just follow our battle-tested guidelines and rake in the profits.