If you're going to build a website that sells products, you will need to join some affiliate marketing programs. Whether the goods you'll be selling are digital in nature (as provided by Clickbank and PayDotCom) or physical deliverables like TVs, flowers and dog food (as provided by LinkShare
and Share-a-Sale), then you will need to find a range of merchants whose goods you want to sell.
You can do this the hard way: contacting individual merchants yourself to find out if they provide their own affiliate program. Or the easy way: sign up with one or more Affiltate Marketing Programs who list thousands, if not tens of thousands, of merchants who want people to sell goods on their behalf for healthy commissions.
Here's a Lingerie website that I built in less than a day with the help of this software. The site links to merchants who are part of the LinkShare and Share-a-Sale networks as well as Amazon.com. It's a niche site, so people are already focused on what they're looking for when they visit the site which, in turn, helps sales.
Savvy Cyber Deals is another or my websites that's aimed directly at people who want to find deals on eBay. I bought this pre-built website for $97 (you can too here, if you want). This site is another way of earning with eBay.
Most merchants in these programs will accept new affiliates without question. Some will require you to meet certain criteria, like having a website whose subject is releated to the goods they sell. Other merchants will only accept affiliates from certain parts of the world (some U.S.-based companies will only accept affiliates resident in the U.S. for example).
This page lists a number of lucrative affiliate marketing programs. It is, by no means, exhaustive. All are free to join. Look the list over to see the range of programs on offer. This should give you some ideas for programs that meet your niche or prompt you to think
about products or areas for a home-based business that you've never even considered. While there are no guarantees that those listed will produce good revenue for you, historically they have been very good performers.
Affiliate Program |
Description |
Commission |
Clickbank |
Clickbank is an affiliate network that sells over 10, 000 digital products, each from different companies or individuals. Each company/individual pays a percentage of their income for any referrals sent to them. It is a
great way to get the word out for these people, and it is an excellent way for affiliate marketers like you to earn money by promoting other people's products! Commissions on products range from 2% to 75% with the average being %50, but each product is
different. Clickbank markets over 10, 000 products. The lineup is always changing as new products are added and old products are removed. Owning a CBMall lets you collect the commissions on anything you buy from Clickbank yourself (saving you up to 75% on an item's price) and you can also promote it as a
Clickbank storefront to your own visitors and subscribers. Commissions are paid promptly on the 16th of each month.
If you want to market your own digital product, Clickbank charge a $49.95 administration fee for setting up all the backend stuff for handling orders for your product. Once set up, you can then advertise for your own affiliates to sell your product. Adding subsequent products to Clickbank is cheaper - $29.95 per product - but you do need to ask for the discount and provide details of your first product.
|
2% - 75%
(a couple of dollars to several tens of dollars depending on the product) |
Share-a-Sale |
Share-a-Sale is one of the best affiliate programs out there. There are over 2, 000 merchants of real-world physical products with an average of 60 new merchants joining each month. Very prompt on payment of commissions. Minimum payout is $50. They offer some of the highest commissions for physical products you'll find anywhere.
|
5% - 20%
Some merchants pay a commission per lead (e.g. someone signs up for a service rather than buying a product outright) |
LinkShare |
LinkShare is a long-established and well-known affiliate network. It provides all the tools and services merchants need to create, manage and optimize a successful affiliate marketing program. Hundreds of merchants are listed. Commissions vary, depending on the merchant; some pay a percentage of sales, some a flat amount per sale. Almost all merchants sell "physical" real-world goods and commissions on such goods are always lower than those for strictly didgital goods. Commission checks are mailed out promptly each month.
|
5% - 50%
Some merchants pay flat-fee commissions |
PayDotCom |
PayDotCom is a new(ish) affiliate program that also markets information (digital) products. Payment for products is by either PayPal or StormPay (best avoided) so you do need a PayPal account to use this particular program. Signing up to both PayDotCom and PayPal is free. Commisssions are paid through PayPal.
|
40% - 60%
|
Digital River |
Digital River markets software products. Some of the biggest names in the industry are merchants such as Symantec, 3M and Pinnacle. Commisssions range from 10% to 70%. Software ranges from Anti-Virus/Anti-Spyware to Video/CD/DVD authoring software, digital photo management software to software for DIY'ers. There's no trashy software products here.
|
10% - 70%
|
Site Build It!
5 Pillar
Program |
Yes, we do pay some of the highest commissions on the Web. As a 5 Pillar Affiliate, earn commissions up to $100 for a single sale... annually! SiteSell even pays a 100% commission on a special introductory
product (you earn the entire sale amount)!
But the 5 Pillar Program goes way beyond the generous commissions. It includes...lifetime customer commissions from subsequent sales of our many best-of-breed products; residual income commissions through renewals of Site Build It! (highest Web
site renewal rate in the world!); 2 tiers of income (earn from sales by your team of affiliates, just like Sales Directors in large companies); unique, powerful and simple-to-use tools & strategies/advice to help you succeed, both online and off.
5 Pillar earnings really add up, fast.
|
Up to $100 per sale. Some items recur annually giving you a residual income |
Internet Marketing Center |
The Internet Marketing Center provide a wide range of tips, strategies and products for promoting your business online. Immediately after joining, you'll get personalized access to their private Affiliate Resource
Center, where you can learn the exact techniques their top affiliates use to earn more than $7, 500 in a single month.
|
60% commission on sales. Some items provide a monthly residual income |
VIP
Profits |
VIP Profits is the most innovative affiliate program on the Net serving the most reputable sportsbooks and casinos. They offer different commission structures, multi-tier programs, and different payment methods.
Professional advice and support is also available.
|
Various structures available |
Team2Gold |
Team2Gold has been designed to provide it's members with valuable banner advertising along with the opportunity to earn $59 commissions over and over again. There's a one-time £24.95 fee to join a matrix.
After that, it's just a a matter of filling a 2x2 matrix and the checks start rolling in. When you cycle and earn $59 you also get a FREE Re-Entry!
|
$59 each time you cycle |
