In addition to increasing sales and brand awareness for businesses, affiliate marketing now offers low-risk, high-return opportunities for its affiliates. With an estimated value of $8.2 billion, the affiliate marketing sector offers a plethora of opportunities for individuals seeking to generate income online. Affiliate marketers have access to a plethora of affiliate marketing programs.
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However, not all affiliate marketing programs are equal: some may have a questionable reputation or offer low commissions, while others may offer genuine, mutually beneficial partnerships that assist your target market. With so many affiliate marketing programs, how can you choose the best one for your business? Examine the best affiliate programs to start increasing your income.
Introducing Affiliate Marketing
An eCommerce brand pays an affiliate commission for each sale when they hire an online publisher, blogger, or influencer to promote their product. This is known as affiliate marketing. Many brands use affiliate tracking software for influencer marketing, so the two go hand in hand.
The Overview of an Affiliate Marketing Platform
Programs for affiliate marketing oversee advertising contracts between independent websites, sometimes called publishers or affiliates because they post content to host affiliate links, and online retailers like Amazon. Affiliates receive a commission when the traffic they direct to a merchant leads to a sale.
Although a single sale may result in a substantial commission, successful affiliates strive to generate multiple sales. Affiliate programs come in dozens of varieties. Clicks, sign-ups, sales, or other unique actions may determine commission payments. There are a ton of free affiliate programs available, some of which pay on a daily, biweekly, or monthly basis.
A single merchant owns and runs some of these platforms, while others are vast third-party networks that manage offers from hundreds of merchants and legions of publishers. There are thousands of these programs available online once you’ve established yourself as a marketing affiliate.
Different types of affiliate networks
An increasingly common marketing tool is affiliate marketing. Every program offers a variety of ways for companies to connect with their target markets. There are many affiliate programs with different benefits and services.
Influencer Programs
If you want to make more money from your influence and improve your online visibility, you should think about influencer programs. Influencers, including bloggers and social media stars, promote goods and services through these affiliate programs in exchange for a commission.
Influencers share affiliate links with their followers on social media platforms. Through this program, businesses can reach more potential clients and raise their brand awareness.
Search Affiliates
Search affiliates are an option to think about if you’re looking for ways to monetize your website or blog. Search affiliate networks, such as Google, Yahoo, and Bing, focus on search engines. These affiliate schemes fall into the following categories:
- Enhance a merchant’s website’s search engine results.
- Boost website traffic.
- Raise awareness of the merchant’s goods and services.
To accomplish the aforementioned objectives, search affiliates make use of pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns, SEO, content marketing, and link building.
Coupon Sites
On coupon sites, affiliates distribute and advertise digital coupons. In exchange, affiliates receive commissions from customers they refer to coupon sites or from them when they provide exclusive coupons.
Review Sites
Review sites are well-known affiliate networks that allow users to rate and review goods and services in exchange for money. Affiliates receive commissions when they direct customers to the merchant’s website or link to products or services they have evaluated. Building credibility and trust through high-quality reviews and ratings is an affiliate goal on a review site.
Email Marketing
E-mail marketing is one of the best types of affiliate programs. Through the program, affiliates can market goods and services to prospective clients by sending emails. Affiliates who use their email campaigns to make sales are eligible to receive commissions.
Why should an Ecommerce Marketer Use an Affiliate Program?
For smaller online retailers with tighter marketing budgets, affiliate marketing can be a successful, low-risk, and inexpensive marketing tactic. To put it briefly, affiliate marketing has the advantage of expanding your potential customer base more quickly without requiring you to increase your marketing budget.
The only things you really need to focus on are managing your affiliates, producing content, and advertising your program. It also makes ROI measurement easier because virtually everything is trackable. You can also focus on selling particular high-priced items, depending on the software you use.
In exchange for a higher commission, you can ask your affiliates to promote a limited number of products in this manner. As an alternative, you can request that your network of affiliates focus on particular products with low turnover rates in order to assist you in getting rid of extra inventory.
Why is an affiliate tracking platform significant?
With an affiliate tracking platform, you can efficiently manage your affiliate program and accomplish the following tasks:
- Utilize integrated analytics tools to monitor the effectiveness of your campaigns in one location.
- Oversee campaigns, affiliates, creatives, and offers.
- Tailor your digital marketing campaigns and execute them appropriately.
- Make quick and simple payments to all of your affiliate partners.
Factors to Consider When Choosing the Best Marketplace for an Affiliate Marketer
Look, you’ll get the same features from most affiliate platforms. Access to their affiliate sites, as well as quality, will be the only differences. Here are some additional distinctions to be aware of.
Customization
Customization might not seem like a significant advantage to some people. In the long term, though, there’s a significant difference.
Three levels of customization are usually involved: adding company design and branding, setting up the system for particular operational procedures, and adding new modules.
The ideal platform would be one that satisfies your long-term needs and permits all three levels of customization.
Analytics
Any affiliate program must include analytics. Advertisers use analytics data to identify successful and unsuccessful campaigns and then modify future campaigns accordingly.
Technical Support
Every business needs technical support, and not every affiliate tool offers the proper amount of support for your brand. Getting proper tech support can save you a lot of time figuring out how to handle specific setup issues.
Since advertising campaigns frequently take place in the evening and don’t follow a strict eight-hour workday, you need support to be on hand around the clock to deal with any problems or bugs that may arise.
Functional and flexible API
The API terms will determine how to integrate a tool or service that you wish to use but that isn’t currently connected to the platform. If the platform provides a feature-rich API, it won’t be difficult to integrate in the future.
Integration with third-party services
For your operational workflow, additional services are most likely required. Examine the current integrations that your chosen platform offers. Focus on the most well-liked ones, including eCommerce logistics, CRM, fraud prevention, billing services, and BI tools.
7 Best Affiliate Marketing Programs for Ecommerce Marketers
1. CJ Affiliate
One of the bigger affiliate marketing firms, CJ Affiliate (formerly Commission Junction), holds 7.17% of the market share in the sector. It has merged its affiliate marketing programs under one roof by partnering with well-known companies like Priceline, J. Crew, Overstock, and Barnes & Noble. Additionally, CJ pays out more than $1.8 billion in affiliate commissions annually.
Advertiser rates determine the commission rate. With just one click, join programs and make sales with CJ’s many sophisticated tools and features, including omnichannel tracking, ad and content monetization, and interactive onboarding. To facilitate communication with brands, a unique content certification program is also available.
Details
- Commission rate: This varies according to the commission rates paid to advertisers (sellers).
- Getting paid: Payouts can happen as frequently as the 20th and 28th of each month, depending on the currency
- Payment method: Bank transfer or Payoneer.
- Cookie duration: Depending on the vendor.
Pros
- Practical integrated instruments
- Quick initial clearance procedure
- There are many retailers to choose from.
Cons
- Navigating the dashboard can be challenging.
2. Amazon Associates
Amazon, one of the biggest online retailers, offers almost anything. There are millions of products available for you to choose from and recommend to your audience through the Amazon Associates program, also known as Amazon Affiliates. Amazon’s affiliate marketing program is one of the best ways for bloggers and influencers to monetize their content. Affiliates may receive a commission of up to 20% for each referral.
Details:
- Commission rate: Depending on the kind of product, the commission can range from 1% to 20%. For what it refers to as “special commission income,” Amazon additionally provides a range of flat commission rates.
- Getting paid: You will receive your monthly payment approximately sixty days after the conclusion of the current month. For example, you will receive your January commissions at the end of March.
- Payment method: Check, Amazon gift card, or direct deposit.
- Cookie duration: 24 hours.
Pros
- Simple and quick registration process
- There are almost an infinite variety of products.
- High conversion rates are indicative of strong brand awareness.
- Earn commission on all qualified sales during the cookie’s duration with the universal cookie.
Cons
- Extremely low commission rates
- Each country requires you to register for the program separately.
- Stringent conditions and terms
3. eBay Partner Network
Founded in 1995, eBay was one of the first online marketplaces to connect buyers and sellers. It’s still very well-known around the world, and now it offers affiliate marketing collaboration.
The platform’s free affiliate program, called eBay Partner Network, pays a commission based on a portion of the total sale amount. The types of goods sold determine the commissions that apply.
As an affiliate, eBay appeals to a diverse range of demographics due to its ability to sell nearly anything.
Details:
- Commission rate: 1% to 4%.
- Payment method: Monthly, with a minimum account balance of $10 (or equivalent in the country’s currency).
- Paying for services: PayPal account verification or direct deposit (if your country permits).
- Cookie duration: 24 hours.
Pros
- Large selection of goods
- Minimal payout amount
Cons
- 24-hour cookie time
- Commissions are calculated as a percentage of eBay’s revenue, not the order value.
4. Walmart Affiliates
If the commission rates offered by Amazon don’t sit well with you, you may want to look into the affiliate program at Walmart.
Walmart is a massive retailer. Although it does not have as large of a market share for online retail as Amazon, it does have a comparable range of products, strong brand recognition, and a potentially more generous commission structure.
Toys is one area where Walmart offers higher commissions than Amazon. Walmart is likely going to be a better choice if you want to promote tangible goods in these categories. Walmart also provides three-day tracking cookies as an extra bonus (Amazon’s only lasts for a day).
Walmart offers a wide selection of tangible goods, but you’ll need to look elsewhere if you want to advertise digital or SaaS goods.
The dashboard is simple to use and requires no technical expertise to sign up. The weekly newsletter provides access to professionally designed banners and text links, and with just a few clicks, you can create affiliate links for any Walmart product.
Pros
- A vast assortment of products
- Compared to Amazon, the cookie duration is longer.
- Elevated conversion rates
Cons
- Although commission rates are still relatively low, they are superior to Amazon in some categories.
- There are no digital goods.
5. Refersion Marketplace
Refersion is one of the newest affiliate marketing businesses on the scene, having debuted in 2014. ARefersion’s primary product is affiliate marketing software, which helps brands manage affiliates, provide marketing materials, and track payouts.
Refersion’s Marketplace serves as a platform for connecting affiliates with brands. You can get affiliate links from niche e-commerce companies like Peppermate, Moon Juice, and Hydragun once you register for their network.
Details:
- Commission rate: Based on the brand.
- Getting paid: Refersion does not have a set payment threshold; instead, it is at the discretion of the merchant.
- Payment method: PayPal, gift card, or Trolley bank transfer.
- Cookie duration: Based on the brand.
Pros
- Some products have high commission rates.
- Extended cookie periods for specific goods
- Niche products and brands
Cons
- A smaller brand network
6. Rakuten Advertising
Rakuten Advertising, a well-known affiliate marketing network, caters to the upper echelons of the market. It links major publishers with some of the most recognizable brands in the market, such as Virgin Holidays, Walmart, Best Buy, and Wells Fargo.
Although it has over 1,000 brands, it doesn’t offer as many merchants as other networks on this list. However, the quality more than makes up for the quantity it lacks.
Additionally, Rakuten has added some cutting-edge features to their platform that simplify your life as an affiliate. Among them are:
- Discovery marketing tools: Rakuten’s Matchmaking AI helps you identify programs that are a suitable fit for your audience by providing data-driven partnership recommendations.
- Amazing assistance: The publisher team’s regular account reviews offer insightful analysis, continuous strategy support, and the ability to connect you with the appropriate advertisers.
- Commissioning Suite: Several commissioning models are available for you to utilize, such as coupon commissioning, multi-touch commissioning, and dynamic commissioning.
Details:
- Commission rate: This varies based on the commission rates of each individual advertiser.
- Getting paid: Advertisers have until the end of the month to close out any posted invoices; Rakuten must receive payment within 30 days, and payouts occur the following week. Additionally, for Rakuten to process your payment, you need to have at least $50 in commissions.
- Payment method: Via check, PayPal, or direct deposit.
- Cookie duration: This varies according to the advertiser.
Pros
- Dependable and trustworthy
- Many luxury brands
- Outstanding features and assistance
Cons
- There are fewer retailers than on certain other platforms.
7. ClickBank
Over the past 20 years, ClickBank, one of the original affiliate networks, has paid over $6 billion in commissions to over 100,000 affiliates worldwide. ClickBank’s account verification is quick, so you may develop affiliate links and start making money.
ClickBank’s affiliate program offers a wide range of physical and digital products that you can customize to fit your niche. Although there will be a lot of affiliates in your market, you can advertise as many products as you like to boost revenue.
Details:
- Commission rate: Varies.
- Getting paid: Periodic or fortnightly. There is a $100 payment threshold by default, but you can select between $10 and $1 million.
- Payment method: This comprises PayPal, wire transfers, direct deposits, and checks.
- Cookie duration: Sixty days.
Pros
- A beneficial assortment of digital goods
- Weekly disbursements are available, with a minimum payout of $10.
Cons
- A few low-quality products and vendors
Steps to Follow to Join an Affiliate Program
Most affiliate programs only require four simple steps to join.
- Create a website.
- Increase traffic
- Choose from a variety of affiliate programs.
- Finish registering.
Let’s take a closer look at each of these procedures.
1. Create a Website
Having a functional website is probably a prerequisite for your interest in signing up for an affiliate program. If you are new to affiliate marketing, create one immediately and start creating unique content.
You can use WordPress to create a blog and select a budget web host, such as BlueHost, for your first experiment.
2. Increase Traffic
One of the questions you will face when registering for any affiliate program is how much traffic you receive. The more you have. With the leverage that traffic provides, you can also demand higher commission rates.
Prior to signing up for any affiliate program, monitor your traffic on a regular basis. Add new material to attract more visitors and set your website apart from competitors.
Increased traffic? Measure its growth velocity. With this knowledge, you might join prominent affiliate programs.
3. Choose from several affiliate programs
Use these two lists to identify the most promising affiliate programs. Before adding any affiliate programs to your list, be sure to thoroughly review their requirements.
4. Finish Registering
After completing the other steps, registering typically consists of a simple data entry task. Each of the programs that we introduced to you in the first section is attached to signup links.
Programs may have special prerequisites. For instance, you may need to call an account manager or wait a few days for site information validation.
Verdict: Which One is the Right Affiliate Marketing Network for Your Business?
Purchasing any one of these tools will make managing your affiliate program and affiliates much simpler. As a result, you’ll have more time to devote to selecting the best affiliates and producing engaging content.
Having said that, spend some time learning about the various tools that are accessible. Even though we only highlighted seven software options, you have access to a much larger selection. In the end, the ideal tool should be able to, at minimum, handle admin duties and generate links and banner ads.
Every tool that we talked about has a free demo or trial available. Use this to your advantage before committing any money. Don’t forget to consider your online reputation. Before deciding on a choice, you can look through a variety of review websites.
Despite your reluctance, over 80% of brands currently utilize affiliate programs. Furthermore, nearly 40% of marketers concur that it’s among the best approaches to drawing in new clients. It’s risk-free to try since you only pay for results.
Supriti is a seasoned Content Writer at SwiftPropel, boasting over 8 years of experience in SEO content writing. Her expertise lies in crafting compelling, search-engine-optimized content that not only engages readers but also ranks highly in search results. At SwiftPropel, Supriti combines her passion for storytelling with a deep understanding of SEO strategies to deliver content that drives traffic and converts leads.