Affiliate marketing has become quite popular in recent years, which is unsurprising given the rapid rise of social media and influencers.
Not only does the digital age make it possible for anyone to affiliate market from anywhere in the world, but it can also make you a hefty chunk of change if done right.
Of course, the questions on every aspiring marketer’s mind are: “how hard is it?” and “how do I get started?”
To answer the first question – affiliate marketing doesn’t require a specific set of skills acquired from years of college and training, but it still necessitates a lot of time and effort.
It’s well worth it in the end, but it’s not something everyone has the motivation and patience for.
If you want to get started, you’re in the right place.
In this post, you’ll learn the basics of affiliate marketing websites and gather a few essential resources so that you can start making money online as soon as possible.
Contents
- What Are Affiliate Marketing Websites?
- How Do Affiliate Marketing Websites Work?
- Does Affiliate Marketing Require a Website?
- Why Should You Consider an Affiliate Marketing Website?
- What Kind of Website is Best for Affiliate Marketing?
- How to Build an Affiliate Marketing Website
- Examples of Affiliate Marketing Websites
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Wrapping Up
What Are Affiliate Marketing Websites?
If you were to go to Google and type in “affiliate marketing websites,” you’d find a whole bunch of posts giving you a list of programs offered by affiliate marketing companies.
That’s great and all, but it really doesn’t help you get started.
What you’re really looking for is how to create YOUR OWN affiliate marketing website.
An affiliate marketing website is a website used for generating traffic within a specific niche.
This can be anything from a Facebook page to a whole website designed in WordPress and can cover any subject imaginable.
Business, books, TV, food, fashion – you name it, there’s a market for it.
You can learn more about the types of content on these sites down below.
How Do Affiliate Marketing Websites Work?
The gist of affiliate marketing websites is that they bring in visitors from their target audience through SEO (search engine optimization) and social media-driven traffic.
These sites will then divert their traffic to affiliated products and services, which are typically closely related to the content at hand.
For example, a blog about makeup might link a sponsored brand of lipstick in one or more of its articles.
The website will then make a small commission for each click/purchase generated from those links.
Affiliate marketing is essentially companies outsourcing to “influencers” and borrowing their audiences to sell a product they might be interested in.
Does Affiliate Marketing Require a Website?
Technically, no. Practically, yes.
You could take on an old-fashioned form of affiliate marketing and try your hand at telemarketing or door-to-door salesmanship, but why do that when you can automate the process through digital marketing?
You’ll also find it’s easier to reach your target audience.
An affiliate marketing website might refer to an entire website, like a blog, but it can also be something as small as a popular Twitter account.
That said, Twitter isn’t the best social media platform for affiliate marketing (that luxury would go to Facebook and Instagram), but it’s an excellent supplementary tool.
A concrete website is among the best ways to build a loyal following and get your message out there.
If you don’t have one, then you’re missing out on some substantial growth opportunities.
Plus, most sites prefer you affiliate market via the internet these days.
Why Should You Consider an Affiliate Marketing Website?
Still on the edge of whether or not you should try your hand at creating an affiliate marketing website?
Here are a few reasons why you should:
1. Not Difficult to Start
If you’ve got a computer and wi-fi, you have all the necessary components to start affiliate marketing.
The most popular social media platforms are free, so you don’t need to spend a dime to begin building an audience.
Creating websites is also inexpensive, though if you really need to budget, Facebook pages are a great place to get started.
2. Gives You More Freedom
Where there’s a niche, there’s a market.
Finding a topic you love is great since you’ll have complete creative freedom over what you base your website around.
This allows you to have a bit of fun while you work and connects you with others who share a dedication to your cause.
3. Ups Your Earning Potential
Affiliate marketing works well with business websites because it ups their earning potential.
While a brand shouldn’t market direct competitors on their site, they can refer their customers to related products that they may not sell.
Even if you don’t sell a product, affiliate marketing on your website will increase your earning potential.
Blogs, content creators, and influencers especially benefit from this.
4. Can Be Automated
Everyone loves passive income.
You’ll be rejoiced to know that your website can be automated and streamlined.
While you’ll have to put in a bit of elbow grease in the beginning, once you get things rolling, everything will be a cinch.
What Kind of Website is Best for Affiliate Marketing?
Now it’s time to discuss what kinds of websites are best for affiliate marketing.
1. Blogs
Blogs are the most effective means of affiliate marketing.
They tackle a niche or popular category and attract readers with captivating headlines.
If affiliate marketing isn’t your “main gig,” writing a blog can be a fun endeavor to do on the side.
Building an audience takes time, but eventually, you’ll be able to turn a profit from it.
As for businesses, it’s wise to include a blog section on your main site.
Not only will this bring in traffic to your brand, but it’ll open the possibility of affiliate marketing.
2. Social Media Sites
The next best place to create an affiliate marketing page is on social media sites.
Social media sites allow for rapid growth through the clever use of their algorithms.
They work wonders at bringing in traffic to your main website and are perfect for building an audience from scratch.
That said, there’s a lot of competition on social media, so you’ve got to get creative if you want your brand to be found.
3. Amazon Associates Sites
Some websites exist only as Amazon Associates sites.
The sole purpose of these websites is to bring in traffic and send them to a product through the associate’s program.
They’re heavily sales-oriented and focus on promoting an item above all else.
Creating one of these sites requires some industry knowledge to be successful, so it’s not recommended for beginners.
How to Build an Affiliate Marketing Website
Once you’ve identified what your website will be about and who your target audience is, you’re ready to start building your affiliate marketing website.
What You Need to Start an Affiliate Website
First of all, you’re going to need a platform.
Starting with social media accounts is an excellent way to get your foot in the water, but eventually, you will need to build a website.
Of course, you should start building your audience even before you develop your website.
Going in with a following will make the next steps go a lot smoother, and the growth process will be exponentially faster.
If you want a more in-depth explanation of how to create a site, here’s a guide detailing all the necessary steps to start a blog.
Best Hosts for Affiliate Marketing Websites
Website hosting is pretty cheap, and there are numerous services that make it incredibly easy to do.
You’ll quickly find that managed WordPress hosting is the best in the field since it cuts out all the technical jargon and allows you to get started right away at creating a site.
Yes, you’ll have to cough up a small fee, but the time it saves pays itself off.
Two other services you might want to check out are Wix and Weebly.
While WordPress reigns supreme in streamlined website hosting, you might choose one of these other services for its website-building tools.
They’re simpler and easier to learn than WordPress, though WordPress has a lot more creative freedom.
If you’re a novice at creating websites, it might help to use one of the more undemanding services.
Price-wise, you’ll probably be paying around the same regardless of where you go.
What to Include in an Affiliate Marketing Website
Before you can start affiliate marketing with your website, you might want to comprise a checklist for your blog.
Some things you should include:
- A memorable domain name
- Accessible and appealing landing pages
- High-quality content
- Plenty of internal and external links
- SEO
- Contact information
- Comment sections
Also, using tools such as Google analytics will help you keep track of demographic reports, traffic, and other valuable insights.
Examples of Affiliate Marketing Websites
If you’re looking for inspiration, why not turn to some of the most successful blogs in the industry?
They’re doing so well because they know what they’re doing, and new associate marketers can learn a thing or two from them.
1. Sarah Titus
Sarah Titus runs one of the highest-grossing blogs in the world (a cool $25 million per year) and focuses on writing articles centric on moms and parenting.
A majority of her income comes from affiliate marketing, and her website brings in thousands of readers each day.
Here’s what she’s doing right:
She knows her audience well and tailors her content to them.
Her content isn’t stuff a teenage boy would be interested in, but that’s fine since that’s not her target demographic.
Pay special attention to the colors, post titles, and the type of stuff she’s selling.
It’s all optimized to be found and appeal to moms.
She also gives back to her community.
She offers tips for making passive income and other ways to save money.
While she doesn’t profit from this directly, it was likely one of the primary factors in her overall growth.
2. John Chow
John Chow made his fortune off of a blog about, well, blogging.
Specifically about creating a blog and monetizing it.
As an avid (and very successful) associate marketer himself, his website has tons of insightful articles that teach others how to make money in the industry.
Moreover, he cleverly entices traffic by advertising free content like his web course and a thorough guide on blogging.
In truth, his site is a bit “salesey,” but there’s still a lot that can be learned from him.
Chow is also a prime example of someone who capitalized on his fame as he has many social media outlets, published books, and videos.
3. Nerd Fitness
Steve Kamb started his website “Nerd Fitness” and became one of the most recognized fitness bloggers on the internet.
Most of his content is about health, wellness, and exercise, which allowed him to become an affiliate marketer for many fitness-related products.
This grosses him roughly 12 million a year – not as much as the other two entries, but more than enough to get by.
There are two critical takeaways from Kamb’s site: the blogging industry is very versatile, and you can always make lots of money off of a topic you love.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some frequently asked questions around the web:
Is affiliate marketing easy?
Yes, but it takes a LOT of time, effort, and focus. If you have trouble staying on track, then you might find affiliate marketing a bit harder.
Still, it’s something anyone can do, regardless of their background.
What is the highest-paying affiliate website?
Among all the most popular affiliate websites, Shopify is the biggest and one of the highest-paying.
Wrapping Up
Affiliate marketing is one of the best things you can do to make extra money.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a product-based business or just an everyday Joe with a dream; anyone can become an affiliate marketer with the right resources and know-how.
Hopefully, this guide has helped you gain a better understanding of how you can create a successful blogging website and make a handsome profit off affiliate monetization.
If you think there’s anything we missed or have a question, feel free to leave a comment down below.
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