If you’re considering getting into the lucrative world of affiliate marketing, then learning how to become an Amazon affiliate is a great place to start. Students, stay-at-home parents and entrepreneurs can all make money online and earn passive income by joining the Amazon Affiliate Program.
The best part of helping sell Amazon products through affiliate marketing is that you can do it from anywhere as long as you have some form of online presence like a website or WordPress blog. Considering how many different items are sold on Amazon every day, there’s really no shortage of product links you can use to promote the brands you love while earning some extra money on the side.
What is Affiliate Marketing?
Basically, affiliate marketing is a form of digital marketing where a company pays people to advertise its products and services to help generate sales. These people are known as “affiliates,” and in today’s online world, they’re often bloggers or webmasters.
Affiliates place ads marketing certain products or services on their websites. These ads might be prominent banner ads on a web page or an embedded link in a blog article related to the product or service.
When a visitor to these websites, blogs, or mobile apps clicks on an ad or link, it generates a lead for the company. The company then pays the affiliate a commission for generating those leads. Sometimes commissions are paid solely on a click (Pay-Per-Click). In other cases, the lead must convert into an actual sale (Pay-Per-Sale) for the affiliate to receive a commission.
How Does the Amazon Affiliate Program Work?
The Amazon Associates Program is a free affiliate marketing program for bloggers, website owners and other social media content creators like YouTubers. Affiliates who join this program receive a unique “Associates ID.” This ID can then be used to generate unique product links (called “affiliate links”) that take visitors to different product pages on Amazon’s website.
The affiliates then place these Amazon links on their web pages and blog articles. When a visitor to their blog or website clicks on the links and buys products from Amazon, the affiliate earns a referral fee or affiliate commission.
What Are the Rules and Prerequisites for the Amazon Affiliate Marketing Program?
So, what do you need to become an Amazon affiliate? Basically, anyone with an online presence can potentially monetize it with the Amazon Affiliate Marketing Program. Anyone with an eligible blog, website, mobile app, or YouTube channel will be able to create affiliate links and earn affiliate income.
However, you do need to be aware of the affiliate rules and requirements stated in Amazon’s terms of service before you start including links in your blog posts and web pages. Violating these rules could result in a loss of your unpaid commissions and even get you shut out of your Amazon affiliate account.
To keep this from happening, make sure that you:
- Inform your blog readers or website visitors that you are an Amazon affiliate and may earn a commission from your links in a disclaimer notice (usually above your web page or article).
- Do not hide the fact that you are linking to an Amazon site by disguising your Amazon product links with link shorteners.
- Place product links only on your affiliate site, YouTube channel, or public Facebook page and not in PDFs, eBooks, emails, or private Facebook page.
- Do not ask people to click on your Amazon affiliate links.
- Do not use your own affiliate links to make Amazon purchases. These are not qualified purchases.
- Display a comprehensive privacy policy detailing the type of information your website collects and how your users’ data is protected.
- Only use the logos and marks provided by Amazon on your website and do not use Amazon’s colors or logos as part of your brand.
- Do not download an Amazon image and then upload it onto your website. You can use images from free image databases, stock photos, or your personal photo library to promote items.
- Do not promote obscene, sexually explicit, discriminatory, violent, or fake materials on your website.
- Do not use special links or program content connected with spyware, viruses, worms, malware, Trojan horses or any other malicious or harmful codes.
- Do not use cookie manipulation software.
How to Create an Amazon Affiliate Account
Becoming an Amazon affiliate is a very simple process. The first thing you’ll need to do is create an Amazon Associates Account. Here’s a step-by-step guide for doing just that.
Create a Website or a Blog
Naturally, you’ll first need an online presence to showcase your Amazon affiliate product links. This can easily be accomplished by creating your own website or blog. WordPress is a free blogging platform and website builder that enables you to quickly set up your own website or blog. You can even use WordPress to create multiple blogs and affiliate sites if you want to create content and offer affiliate links for many different products.
While you can create a website or blog for free, it’s recommended that you buy hosting and a domain name for your WordPress blog. Doing this lets you personalize your domain name and stand out from other bloggers. You’ll also be able to keep your established Google rankings and traffic even if you decide to move your blog to another web host. And since you own your blog, it can’t be taken down without warning like blogs on free platforms.
Luckily, it’s very inexpensive to host your own site, with some plans ranging from $10 to $15 a month. You’ll also be able to enjoy special deals or introductory offers, making hosting more affordable.
If you’re creating a blog for the purpose of Amazon affiliate marketing, it’s important to choose a niche that provides opportunities to discuss Amazon products. For instance, a photography blog offers plenty of opportunities to write articles on different types of camera equipment (and include affiliate links for each product you recommend). Be sure to employ effective SEO strategies so people can find your affiliate blog posts easier in online searches.
Sign up for the Amazon Associates Program
Once you create your website or blog, you’ll need to sign up for the Amazon Associates Program. Here’s how:
- Go to the Amazon Associates homepage, click “Sign Up,” and log in to your Amazon account (or create a new one).
- Enter your name, address, phone number, and account information.
- Enter the address of your website, blog, YouTube channel, or app.
- Enter your preferred Associates Store ID, list your websites and apps, briefly describe what your website/blog is about, and choose the Amazon topics your website/blog will cover.
- Choose from a list of options describing how you’ll drive traffic to your website, how your website/blog/mobile app generates income, how you build links, how many visitors your site receives each month, and your reason for joining the Amazon Associates Program.
- Select your preferred payment method and enter your payment and tax ID information (or enter them later).
Create and Use Amazon Affiliate Links
After being approved for the Amazon Associates Program, you’ll be assigned a unique Associates ID and given access to a personal Amazon Associates account. From here, it’s easy to create Amazon affiliate links for your online content in one of the following three ways:
Get Amazon Affiliate Links via the SiteStripe Tool
You can generate Amazon affiliate product links using the Amazon Associates SiteStripe tool. This time-saving desktop link-creation tool lets you build affiliate links to any page on Amazon without having to go to Amazon Associates Central.
To enable Amazon SiteStripe:
- Go to the Amazon Associates page and click on “Tools.”
- Click on “SiteStripe.”
- Once you get to the SiteStripe page, click the “Learn More” text.
- Scroll down to the “Display Settings” section and click “Enable.” Now, SiteStripe will appear on top of all your Amazon pages.
- When you find a product page you’d like to create an affiliate link to, simply click on the “Get Link” option.
- Now. select from the text, image, or text + image. The link generated will automatically be linked to your ID.
- Copy and paste the link to your online content.
Get Amazon Affiliate Links through the Amazon Associates Homepage
You can also get Amazon affiliate links using the Amazon Associates Homepage. To do this:
- Log in to your Amazon Associate account
- Go to the “Product Linking” section on the top banner and select “Product Links”
- You’ll be taken to the Product Links page. In the product search bar, type the product you’re looking for or its Amazon Standard Identification Number (ASIN). This is a 10-character alphanumeric code that’s listed in the Product Information section of the item’s Amazon listing.
- Click Go.
- The product you’re searching for will appear below the search bar. Click the “Get Link” button next to it.
- You’ll be taken to the Customize And Get HTML page. From here, it’s simple to select an affiliate link that includes text and image, text only, or image only.
- Copy the link you want and use it in your online content to promote Amazon products.
Get Amazon Affiliate Links via a WordPress Plugin
Finally, you can download multiple Amazon affiliate plugins for your WordPress website or blog that will let you generate Amazon affiliate links for your online content. Some of the most popular plugins include:
- Amazon Affiliate WordPress Plugin (AAWP)
- AdSanity
- AAPro
- Amazon eStore Affiliates Plugin
When choosing an Amazon affiliate plugin, take into account the type of features each plugin offers, how easy the plugin is to use, and the license cost.
How Much Does the Amazon Affiliate Program Pay?
Okay, so how much money can you make from the Amazon Associates Program? As it turns out, the commission or referral fee you receive from product link clicks varies greatly depending on the type of content creator you are and the product category you focus on in your blog or website, according to the Associates Program Standard Commission Income Statement.
Let’s say you have a popular automotive blog that runs regular articles on the best car parts to buy online. Amazon Associates currently offers a fixed standard commission income rate of 4.5% on automotive products sold in the Amazon marketplace. So, if your articles and affiliate links get people to spend an average of $1,000 a day on car parts, then you’d make $45 a day, or about $1,350 a month.
On the other hand, if you have a website that deals with pet products, Amazon only offers a commission rate of 3% on such items. And since most pet products aren’t as expensive as car parts, unless your website is very popular and generates a lot of Amazon sales, your affiliate income will be lower.
Keep in mind also that your Amazon affiliate income will also rise or fall based on how many affiliate links you have on your website or blog, the popularity of your online articles, and the likelihood that visitors to your site will want to purchase the products you promote. It often takes a while to generate enough content and promote your site for your affiliate income to rise, so plan to invest the necessary time.
That being said, it’s been estimated that you can make anywhere from $100 to $25,000 from your Amazon affiliate links if you generate enough traffic to your website or blog.
How to Be a Successful Amazon Affiliate Marketer
When it comes to becoming a successful Amazon Affiliate marketer, providing useful online content that converts your readers into buyers is key. To increase your conversion rates, keep the following tips in mind:
Know Your Niche
While it’s tempting to promote high-ticket items in hopes of scoring a big commission, it’s better to focus on creating content in your area of specialization that your readers find valuable. Match product links to the types of articles you write. Are there niche novels that readers of your book blog will absolutely want to purchase? Can you promote specialty items people will buy from Amazon to create a craft project?
Be Creative with Your Article Topics
Every blogger is writing generic articles about the Top 10 Luggage Sets. To stand out from the crowd, offer articles that cater to a more specific audience: Top 10 Affordable Luggage for Backpacking College Students. You’ll attract a more targeted group who will be more receptive to buying the products you recommend.
Promote Both High End and Affordable Items
Your gift guides, review articles and product comparisons don’t have to be limited to only expensive or inexpensive items. Include product links that spotlight items at multiple price points. People are always looking for more affordable batteries and ink cartridges, and once you become a trusted source of information, they’ll also be willing to accept your recommendations for high-end laptops and web cameras.
Keep in mind that at this point the Amazon Associates Program will let you earn commission income on any qualifying items that customers place in their shopping carts within 24 hours of their arrival at Amazon.com using your affiliate link, provided that the customers actually complete their purchase. That means regardless of the item you’re promoting, you’ll receive a commission for all the items in the shopping cart. And in today’s era of free shipping, it’s actually more likely customers will continue filling their carts to save on shipping costs.
Is The Amazon Affiliate Program Worth It?
So, is it worth becoming an Amazon affiliate and monetizing your blog or website? In the end, it all depends on what you expect to get.
If you want to just build a quick website, fill it with Amazon affiliate product links and expect it to generate a lot of passive income, then — no. Becoming an Amazon affiliate will probably disappoint you.
However, if you’re interested in using the Amazon Associates Program as a way to get started in the affiliate marketing business and learn more about ecommerce, then becoming an Amazon affiliate is a good way to learn first-hand how affiliate marketing works. It’s fairly inexpensive to build your own WordPress website, create blog posts and include affiliate product links in them. You likely will be able to make some commissions and generate some passive income to get a taste of how this business model works.
That being said, Amazon has slashed commissions on its affiliate links in the past, meaning it’s not a good idea to rely solely on the Amazon Associates Program to generate all of your affiliate passive income. Because of this, you should diversify your affiliate websites and blogs by including ads from other affiliate networks and programs. You’ll be able to use the same basic affiliate marketing model that you learned with the Amazon Associates Program while finding affiliate programs that pay more.
The Amazon Associates Program is a great way to begin learning about the lucrative field of affiliate marketing. After building an eligible blog or website through an easy-to-use platform like WordPress, you’ll be able to join the Amazon Associates Program and receive a unique Associates ID that will let you create affiliate links for different products in Amazon’s online marketplace.
You can then place those affiliate links in the product review and gift guide articles on your blog. When visitors to your site click on those links and purchase different products from Amazon, you’ll receive a commission. This lets you generate a stream of passive income that can range anywhere from $100 to $25,000 depending on how popular your site is and how many Amazon referrals it generates.
Becoming an Amazon affiliate lets you learn how the affiliate marketing business model works. To become a more successful Amazon seller and affiliate, be sure to diversify the types of products you promote on your site and offer valuable relevant content that targets a niche audience. While Amazon has cut commission rates on many of its affiliate products, the size and reach of its platform still makes the Amazon Associates Program an excellent way to learn about affiliate marketing and eventually include other affiliate networks on your blog or website.
