What is the Amazon Affiliate Program?
Let’s be honest, there are very few businesses (if any) on the planet bigger than Amazon, so using them as a platform is not going to be a bad step. By using Amazon and becoming part of the Affiliate Program, you can reach far more customers and become your very own global marketplace.
Amazon wants to give businesses a chance to succeed, hence why they have put these programs together. Of course, they’re getting something out of it too, because your website will further push their products. That’s no bad thing, however, as you’re getting plenty back in return.
The Affiliate Program gives you access to analytics and marketing tools, allowing you to boost your potential for earning more cash. This is a good way to learn about digital marketing too, as these tools can show you where improvements need to be made in real-time, without the need to run a whole hands-on marketing program, only to realize in the end that it didn’t work. Once you’ve signed up to the Affiliate Program, as a small business you can then become an Amazon Associate.
Are you going to get rich from it? Probably not at first, but as you build up your followers and your site traffic, you’ll find that you’re able to make more and more cash from the program and boost your own wares at the same time.
A Little Confused?
You might be wondering how it works. To simplify it down, this is basically an affiliate marketing method, the same as if you were using a reputable blogger to sell your items and giving them a referral fee for any purchase received as a result of their content. It’s a free service and you would advertise any of the thousands of products sold by Amazon by creating a link on your site. This shows that your site is not only credible but reputable too – everyone trusts Amazon, and nobody is going to doubt you if you have the Amazon seal of approval on your site.
When a customer clicks on that Amazon link and they actually make a purchase of that product, you earn a referral fee; sure, it’s not a huge amount, but if you choose to advertise high amount products, the more commission you earn. For that reason, choose your advertised products carefully.
The more people who buy from these links, the more cash you make. It’s a great way to earn more cash and build up a reputation with more customers. Some website owners make enough on their Amazon products to keep their business ticking over, therefore allowing them to focus on growing their own brand in the background. It basically takes the pressure off building up your new business, and that’s never a bad thing.
So, how do you actually become an Amazon Associate?
How to Become an Amazon Associate
First, you need to become an affiliate.
- Log into the main area for Amazon Affiliate, where it says “become an affiliate”, and click “join now”
- Enter your details about yourself and your website, be sure to make sure everything you enter is accurate as this will be checked and you may be refused if any anomalies show up. You also need to be honest about the website traffic amount; Amazon is only interested in high traffic sites, but they’re not going to just take your word for it either.
- Create your profile by following the on screen instructions
- Verify your personal identity via telephone. They will send a pin number to your phone which you then enter onto the screen when it arrives
- Enter your preference for payment, with a few different options available to you
Once the registration is confirmed, you will automatically become an Associate where you can find the links for their countless products. From there, you just get started and use your first link.
A word of warning, drenching your site in affiliate links is not allowed and Google will find out. Easy does it here.
You should also choose products which are going to give you the best chance of making a good amount of money, but you should never choose a product which simply doesn’t tie in with what your business is about. If you do that, it stands out a mile what you’re trying to achieve and you might lose customer confidence. We all know that businesses are meant to make money, but we don’t want to have it waved in our faces as customers.
For most small businesses, linking up with Amazon is a great way to make extra cash and improve the credibility of your brand. By joining forces with this super-brand you’re showing your customers that you’re a professional outfit and you’re earning cash for the privilege. Of course, you should also use the other digital marketing methods to help boost your own brand at the same time, therefore giving you a much greater chance of success in the very near future.
The Internet has certain boosted the business world in more ways than one.
