Every affiliate program is different. Some offer higher commissions and enable sales with less effort, others require more persuasion to earn a commission.
Affiliate programs for free offers
As a rule, it is easier to promote free offers as an affiliate. For example, if you promote a product for 100 dollars and a free offer in comparison, such as a free book, then it should be easier to earn commissions from the free offer.
Free offers are always more interesting because people love free offers. At the same time, as an affiliate, you have to do more convincing to sell a paid product.
Let's take the affiliate program of All-Inkl.com as an example. This is a web host that offers its new customers 3 months of free web hosting. Only from the 4th month does the subscription start and the customer has to pay money every month for the chosen tariff.
Every time I recommend web hosting, I find that I can earn commissions more easily with All-Inkl.com than with other providers, where the customer has to pay money from the start.
It can be a good idea for an affiliate to work with free offers, especially for beginners. It's easier to earn commissions, you're more motivated at work, and you can grow better in the long term.
Affiliate programs for digital products
When you work as an affiliate, you can choose whether you work with physical or digital products. Both have advantages and disadvantages, but in the end you can usually earn more money with digital products, and that is very important for us affiliates.
There are a number of reasons why people prefer to sell digital goods over physical ones:
- First of all, digital goods don't need storage space, which is very convenient for people who don't have a lot of it.
- Digital goods can also be shipped immediately, so customers can use them straight away. This can be especially helpful for people who want to feel comfortable right away.
- Digital goods can also be easily copied and distributed without incurring additional costs, which is another advantage of selling them. This can be very helpful for people who want to grow their business quickly and effectively.
- Digital goods can also be updated and improved much more easily than physical goods, which can help customers keep them relevant and interesting over time.
- Since digital goods do not need to be manufactured, no raw materials are required for their production, and they do not need to be disposed of later, which has a positive impact on the environment.
Yes, there are a few bad things about selling digital goods. One reason is that they are easier to copy or steal than real things. Other reasons why some customers prefer physical goods are that they like to have something real in their hands.
The disadvantages are of no interest to us affiliates. With digital products, we receive higher commissions and buyers receive the product immediately after payment, which more and more people prefer when shopping online – it's not for nothing that software is so popular.
Lucrative markets and niches
There are markets that make more money than others.
The fashion industry, especially high-end and luxury fashion, is one of the best markets for stores to make money. People always want to know the latest fashion trends, so the fashion business is constantly growing.
The beauty business, which includes hair care, cosmetics and skincare, is another market where you can make more money. People are always looking for ways to look better, and this market fulfills their needs.
You can also make a lot of money in the tech industry. People are always looking for the latest tools and gadgets because technology is getting better and better.
Electronic products are being snatched out of people's hands. Whether it's the new smartphone or the new vacuum cleaner that drives itself around the home and cleans the floor.
If you're looking for the most popular product categories when shopping online, Thrasio has created a study that shows which categories are the most popular on the Amazon Marketplace. According to the study, sellers on Amazon earn an average of 108,000 dollars per month in the electronics and photos categories.
Other categories that could do well are lighting, toiletries and hygiene products, office supplies and writing instruments, computers and accessories, baby clothes and shoes.
Affiliate networks – large selection, good overview
Affiliate networks are online platforms that bring together advertisers who want to promote their products or services with publishers who are willing to promote these products or services in exchange for a commission.
The advertiser provides the publisher with a unique link or code. If a user clicks on the link and buys something, the publisher receives a commission for the sale.
Affiliate networks act as an intermediary between advertisers and publishers, providing tracking and reporting tools, processing payments and ensuring that both parties are satisfied with the agreement.
Advertisers benefit from the exposure and traffic that publishers can generate, while publishers can earn revenue without having to develop their own products or services.
There are many affiliate networks, each with their own guidelines, commission rates and terms of participation. Some popular examples are Amazon Associates, ShareASale and Commission Junction.
If you're interested in becoming an affiliate marketer, it's important that you research the different networks and choose one that suits your interests and goals. Then you can choose the best and most attractive affiliate programs out of hundreds and earn money with them.
Conclusion
There are various ways to earn money as an affiliate with the best affiliate programs. You now know how to choose the best affiliate programs and what to look out for when selecting them.
Keep a daily eye out for new offers among the affiliate programs so that you are one of the first affiliates to earn money with a new, innovative offer.