One of the biggest challenges you’ll face when building an affiliate marketing business is finding the best affiliate programs for beginners. Show
After all, there are thousands of high paying affiliate programs to choose from. Choosing the wrong affiliate program could potentially set you back months, whereas the right one could see you generating your first affiliate buckaroos before your site is even “finished”. So – because this is a question we get asked a lot – we’re going to dedicate our time together in this blog post looking at the best affiliate programs for beginners. And we’ll try to give you a far more balanced view of why signing up for affiliate networks sometimes makes more sense than an in-house affiliate program, and vice versa. Let’s get to it. Best Affiliate Marketing Programs For Beginners7 Secrets To Make Affiliate Sites 83% More Successful! Join our FREE Training and learn how to: Find profitable, hidden niches Steal your competitor’s best keywords Get links without paying a dime Build fast sites that rank quickly Affiliate Networks vs. Affiliate ProgramsThe first mental hurdle you have to cross is the difference between in-house affiliate marketing programs (merchants) and affiliate networks. Some beginners treat these terms as if they’re interchangeable – they’re not. Far from it. Let’s say you build an affiliate website around outdoor sporting equipment, promoting products like trampolines, water slides, lawn sports, etc. You’d then have the choice of either signing up to several (or dozens!) of affiliate marketing programs for different manufacturers and suppliers. Or you could simply sign up to a network that can connect you with the majority of the product suppliers you want to work with. The sensible route for somebody new to affiliate marketing is to simply sign up with affiliate networks and go from there. But affiliate networks aren’t some kind of panacea. In fact, some affiliate programs only exist outside of affiliate networks, so you’d have to sign up to them individually. My favorite example of this was back when I started out as an affiliate marketer…focusing on replica lightsabres. True story – I made a lot of money selling toy lightsabers. The company behind them was called Master Replicas, and they ran a great affiliate program. So I had to sign up directly with them because they “owned” the prop and replica lightsabre market back then. Years later they migrated to an affiliate network, but the payouts were lower, the terms were pretty bad and eventually, I just let the affiliate site die of a broken heart…and broken affiliate links. So, we’re going to look at both sides of the game. Firstly, the best and most popular affiliate networks, and secondly a range of diverse and reasonably generic enough affiliate programs that they apply to most audiences. What To Look For In A Good Affiliate Marketing ProgramEase of UseWhen you’re first starting out in affiliate marketing, you should make things as easy as possible on yourself. That includes signing up for affiliate programs that not only make sense but are equal parts, great management and great design. After all, the very last thing you want to have to deal with is an affiliate program with a clusterf**k of an interface. This can make creating affiliate links, or uploading a banner, an absolute nightmare. I’ve been that soldier – crying over my keyboard because the geniuses behind a given affiliate program created an interface so complex that the only person capable of “solving it” would have to be a hybrid of Stephen Hawking and Doctor Strange. Affiliate networks tend not to have that problem – their goal is to make your life in affiliate marketing as easy as possible. Because if you’re not making money (i.e. passive income), then they’re not making money either – nor are their clients. With that being said, there are just as many in-house affiliate programs that are the affiliate marketing version of the Sistine Chapel. But the point we want to reinforce here is that ease-of-use should be a deciding factor for whatever affiliate program you choose. It won’t be as much of an issue when you have a little more skin in the game. Point of contactThings will go wrong from time to time. Links will stop working, or you’ll have a question on why last month’s sales report looks like it’s upside down. That’s exactly when you’ll need help from a dedicated affiliate manager. Affiliate networks tend to have a slight advantage here because you can rely on their support staff in addition to the affiliate manager for whatever program you have a question on. Just bear in mind that affiliate managers are no different from face-to-face managers in that some of them are really good and some are awful. Always check what kind of support you’ll get before you sign up for any affiliate program i.e. do you have a dedicated affiliate manager. “Jack the guy from IT takes care of that” isn’t the type of answer you want…or should accept. Commission & PaymentsFind out not only how much you’ll get paid by a given affiliate program, but also when you’ll actually get paid. Most affiliate programs are Net 30, but some are Net 60 and even Net 90. What the above means in plain English, is that most affiliates are paid 30 days after making a sale, but others don’t get paid for 90 days. That’s a long time to wait for your affiliate income, especially if you have bills to pay. 16 Best Affiliate Marketing Programs For BeginnersNow let’s take a look at the best affiliate marketing programs for first-timers— those that give you the best chance of making money online with your new business. 1 Amazon AssociatesJeff Bezos is a pretty clever guy. He’s also indescribably wealthy – his bank balance looks like his name converted to binary. That wealth comes from foresight, like being one of the first online retailers to offer an affiliate program way back in 1996. Yes, there was an Internet in 1996, except you could hear it when you picked up the phone. Ask your parents what that means if you don’t understand. The Amazon Affiliate Program (aka Amazon Associates Program) is one of the oldest affiliate programs out there — and the most popular, with 58.5% of affiliate marketers using it, according to our affiliate marketing statistics page. It’s also vast, encompassing all of the products they sell online. So if you can find something on Amazon, you can sell it and get a cut of the profit. And that includes everything from books to bullhorns, and anything in between – there’s something for every audience. Amazon’s affiliate marketing program is pretty much the first place we send brand new affiliates simply because it’s so easy to use, especially when creating your first affiliate link(s). Pssssst. Get inspiration from our post with Amazon affiliate website examples. You can also check out our Amazon Affiliate Program Review and step by step guide on How to Become an Amazon Affiliate. URL: Amazon Associates Program Cost: Free Type: Affiliate network You get paid: Net 60 Payment threshold: $10 Best suited to: Affiliate marketing beginners building their first site Pros
Cons
2 CJ AffiliateCJ Affiliate — formerly known as Commission Junction — is one of the oldest affiliate networks out there, one I’ve been using since about 2002. What makes them different to Amazon is that CJ Affiliate specializes in big brand names, as well as smaller product and service suppliers. So, at the time of writing this they represent mahoosive companies such as Zappos, Walgreens, Verizon, Under Armour, Trip Advisor, Staples, Sonos, Disney Shops, Sears, and Samsung. And roughly 2,473 other affiliate marketing programs. In addition to the super diverse range of brands and products, you also get all the tools successful affiliate marketers need — from excellent support to simple affiliate link creation. But what I really love about the CJ Affiliate network is their metrics – I can clearly see if an affiliate program is profitable or not. That’s a huge time saver. There’s no guesswork involved, so you can map out exactly what affiliate programs you’re going to promote and roughly how much you can expect to make per sale. URL: Commission Junction Cost: Free Type: Affiliate network Payment threshold: $50 You get paid: Net 30 Best suited to: Affiliate marketers with 3 – 6 months experience under their belt. Pros
Cons
3 ShareASaleShareASale is probably one of the most overlooked affiliate networks out there. Part of this is because the interface looks very 2002 – it hasn’t changed since I first signed up for my account many, many moons ago. And the lack of a “Wow” factor puts some new affiliate marketers off. But my friends, my friends – ShareASale has some of the best affiliate programs out there. Some pay $300 – $350 per sale. And no, those affiliate programs have nothing to do with…umm “enlargement” products, or anything like that. In fact, they represent around 5,000 different affiliate programs, but these are focused more on smaller but profitable companies, rather than just huge brand names. The affiliate marketing dashboard is basic but functional, and sometimes the lack of complexity is actually a good thing. ShareASale is one network you should seriously consider signing up for. URL: ShareASale Cost: Free Type: Affiliate network Payment threshold: $50 You get paid: Net 30 Best suited to: An affiliate marketer looking for emerging brands or more tangential products and services. Pros
Cons
4 ClickBankClickBank is yet another affiliate network that falls into the “grandparent” category — they’ve been online since 1998. And it’s a real rags-to-riches business story – one started by friends sitting around a garage, but that eventually transformed into a business with US$3 billion per year in sales. While every other affiliate program was trying to figure out how to ship goods while still generating a profit, the guys at ClickBank turned that idea on its head by focusing instead on selling digital products. That meant instant delivery, almost no overheads, and the ability for them to work directly with creators. And although they could never have imagined social media being a thing, their range of products can also work extremely well with those audiences. You can find all of their products in the ClickBank Marketplace, but they do also feature some physical products these days. The Marketplace interface is functional but looks like it hasn’t changed since 1998. It’s a minor gripe, but it’s long overdue a facelift. If you need a little more of a helping hand to get started as a ClickBank affiliate, check out our (well Gael wrote it, so it’s a collective we) article on how to make money with ClickBank. URL: ClickBank Cost: Free Type: Affiliate network Best suited to: Marketers who prefer promoting digital products Payment threshold: $50 You get paid: Net 60 Pros
Cons
5 Rakuten AdvertisingYou might not have heard of Rakuten, but they’re an absolutely Japanese affiliate marketing service provider. They put their foot in the door of the affiliate marketing scene when they acquired LinkShare back in 2005. Since then they’ve taken the Rakuten Linkshare platform from being a presence in the market to winning awards most years. So….is it suitable for beginner affiliates? The short answer is “Yes”, but let me elaborate:
The only potential downside is that Rakuten is a serious player on the affiliate marketing scene, so the approval process can be slow, especially if your site has little or no traffic. With that being said, Rakuten is a sleeping giant most newbie affiliates don’t pay enough attention to. Some affiliates have implied this network is slow to pay out, but I’ve never had an issue with them. URL: Rakuten affiliate program Cost: Free Type: Affiliate network Best suited to: Affiliates who want to broaden their horizons beyond Amazon and eBay. Payment threshold: $50 You get paid: Net 30 Pros
Cons
6 ImpactImpact is essentially another big affiliate marketing network (despite claiming otherwise), although it’s not as old as the likes of ClickBank and ShareASale. But age, after all, is just a number, so Impact’s comparative youthfulness definitely shouldn’t stop you signing up. Its founders created Commission Junction, so they clearly know what they’re doing! Much like the other big-name networks, you’ll find tons of household names on Impact, including Adidas, Airbnb, and HSBC. At time of writing, a grand total of 2,517 brands were using the platform to reach new audiences, with new advertisers joining the network all the time. Unsurprisingly for a (relative) newcomer to the world of affiliate marketing, Impact’s user interface is a lot fancier than most affiliate networks. But this isn’t just about cosmetic appeal — it also incorporates some smart, user-friendly features. One of my favorites is the “brands to work with instantly” section, which lists all the advertisers offering instant approvals. It’s a fantastic feature that makes it easy for new affiliate marketers to get up and running fast. URL: impact.com Cost: Free Type: Affiliate network Best suited to: Affiliate marketers looking for programs offering instant approvals Payment threshold: Varies by payment method You get paid: Monthly Pros
Cons
7 AwinWhile it’s hard to quantify, Awin can definitely claim to be the largest affiliate network out there, with more than 16,500 advertisers and 225,000 publishers at time of writing. In 2020 alone, the platform generated an impressive 182 million sales and its affiliates earned $1 billion in commission, so it’s a pretty big deal. And it’s not only big; it’s also one of the oldest networks. Awin has technically only existed since 2017, but its roots can be traced back to the zanox and Affiliate Window networks, both of which started out back in 2000. Not content with running its own network, Awin also acquired another of the networks on this list — ShareASale — a couple years ago. However, they operate as totally separate entities with their own merchants, so there’s nothing stopping successful affiliates signing up for both. As you’d expect, there are plenty of big names on Awin, including Emirates, Etsy, and Under Armour. However, as an affiliate marketer, my favorite thing about Awin is its commitment to fast payments. Many of its affiliate programs offer accelerated payments, plus you’ll get paid for validated transactions regardless of when Awin gets paid by the advertiser. URL: Awin Cost: Free Type: Affiliate network Best suited to: Affiliates who want to get paid promptly! Payment threshold: From $20 You get paid: Once or twice a month (you choose) Pros
Cons
8 Etsy Affiliate ProgramThe Etsy program is something of an affiliate marketing hybrid. That’s because the products sold through the platform are made by independent crafters, vintage traders and artists, although there has been some “creep” with overseas manufacturers trying to stake a claim here. So it’s an affiliate network for sole traders, if that makes sense. What Etsy have managed to do is become the leading platform in their niche – nobody else comes close. They’ve gone from zero to publicly traded company in a very few short years. What I find interesting about Etsy is that a surprising number of people I know have either bought something on Etsy, or are selling their own handicrafts on the platform. Side note: I made my first ever Etsy purchase while writing this – the screenshot above is a hint. You can make money through Etsy’s affiliate program by linking to products you find on the platform and/or reviewing them. Then when one of your visitors makes a purchase you’ll receive 4% commission So is this one of the best affiliate marketing programs for newbies? Well, you probably won’t retire on Etsy commission payments, but it does offer you a great chance to make worthwhile cash. URL: Etsy affiliate program Cost: Free Type: Merchant (via Awin) Best suited to: Affiliates with an interest in handmade items, personalized products or vintage goods. Payment threshold: $50 You get paid: Net 30 Pros
Cons
9 eBay Partner NetworkWe’re not going to insult you with a brief history of eBay because everyone knows what it is. But what started out as a way for people to clear out their garages and make a few bucks has become a global marketing platform for individuals and big brands alike. Did you know that more than 80% of the 1.4 billion listings on eBay are for new items? It’s not just a marketplace for used goods and/or junk. So while most newbies jump straight into bed with Amazon (not a bad decision) very few pause to give the eBay affiliate program a second look. eBay also manage their own affiliate program, so there are no “middlemen” involved – you work directly with them. And that means being able to build a relationship with their team of affiliate managers, something which could be invaluable to you in years to come. In short, this affiliate program — officially called the eBay Partner Network (EPN) — isn’t perfect, but it can be a great place for brand new affiliates to start out, usually in conjunction with the Amazon Associates Program. URL: eBay Partner Network Cost: Free Type: Merchant Best suited to: Anyone – if you’ve ever been on eBay you’ll understand why Payment threshold: $10 You get paid: Net 30 Pros
Cons
10 Fiverr Affiliate ProgramSpeak to a bunch of other affiliate marketers and I bet they’ll tell you that selling services is usually a lot easier than selling physical products. Just present an audience with a list of service providers, and they’ll take care of the rest. Fiverr took that basic concept and ran with it, monetizing the gig industry for services covering the following umbrella categories: graphic design, marketing, writing, video and animation, music, programming, business, lifestyle and industries. Although you can sign up for their program on CJ.com, we’re going to focus on their in-house affiliate program instead for the sake of simplicity. It’s potentially one of the highest paying affiliate programs out there. The Fiverr affiliate program offers up to $150 per referral, depending on the category of the service provider you’re promoting. Unlike some other affiliate programs, you also have multiple ways of earning affiliate revenue with Fiverr, including their ‘Learn from Fiverr’ courses where you get paid 30% per sale. Although this gig platform built its reputation on selling digital services like WordPress installations and backlink building, you can now also find “lifestyle” services like arts and crafts, tarot readings, or even relationship advice. Oh, and their affiliate program takes about 30 seconds to sign up to – literally just enter your name, email address and choose a password. URL: Fiverr affiliate program Cost: Free Type: Merchant Best suited to: Any blog with a topic that is directly or tangentially related to a Fiverr gig category, although business-style services do tend to sell very well. Payment threshold: $100 You get paid: Net 30 Pros
Cons
11 Refersion MarketplaceRefersion is an affiliate network I stumbled across recently. And the reason I’d never heard of them before is that they’ve only been around since 2015. But in that time they’ve managed to onboard 17,000 advertisers. That’s no mean feat in an industry where other networks struggle to sign on a few hundred merchants. Basically, what the Refersion Marketplace lacks in style, it more than makes up for with its sheer volume of advertisers. Most suited to: New affiliate marketers who are having trouble getting accepted by other platforms. Signup URL: Refersion Marketplace Offer types: CPS Payment options: PayPal Payment terms: Dependant on advertiser Payment threshold: Dependant on advertiser Pros
Cons
12 PepperJamPepperJam might not be a name you’re instantly familiar with. But they’ve been part of the affiliate marketing industry for a long time now, making a big enough splash to be acquired by eBay in 2009. They were then relaunched under the PepperJam brand again in 2016. They represent a mixture of huge brands, including Puma, Nordstrom, Orion, and Lindt, but also lots of more niche brands too. Most suited to: PepperJam is a solid network for new and experienced affiliates alike. Signup URL: PepperJam Offer types: CPS Payment options: Net 60 Payment terms: PayPal – you have to contact support for other options. Payment threshold: $25 Pros
Cons
Check out our in-depth review of the PepperJam affiliate network here. 13 FlexOffersFlexOffers stand out from the crowd…by not standing out from it. The affiliate marketing industry is overflowing with hype, but FlexOffers avoids doing that. Instead, they humbly get on with the business of being an affiliate network. And they do this despite the fact they provide the affiliate marketing platform for companies like Macy’s, Walgreens, Kohl’s, Hulu, McAfee, and AT&T, among others. All told, they have 12,000 advertisers to choose from, although they only consider 500 of these to be “premium” merchants. Most suited to: Affiliates who need or want access to the broadest selection of advertisers possible. Signup URL: FlexOffers Offer types: CPS, CPL, Flat rate, Per Install Payment options: Check, Bank transfer, wire transfer, PayPal Payment terms: Net 60 Payment threshold: $25 Pros
Cons
Check out our in-depth guide on the FlexOffers affiliate network here. 14 Avangate NetworkAvangate was founded in 2006, and like ClickBank, they only promote digital products. But unlike ClickBank, the brands they represent are software and digital courses – but 99% software. Now before we go any further, Avangate is basically two companies – Avangate is their affiliate software platform. But their affiliate network is 2Checkout, which is massively confusing because they’re also a payment processor. Anyways, 2Checkout has 22,000 software advertisers signed up with them, but also a handful of online courses, like SuperReading. In terms of software, you’ll find everything from Hide My Ass, Bit Defender, Malware Bytes, SEO PowerSuite, and Filmora, to FTP software. Signup URL: Avangate Network Offer types: CPS Payment options: Check, direct deposit, PayPal and Avangate Mastercard Payment terms: Net 30 Payment threshold: $100 Pros
Cons
15 MaxBountyMaxBounty is a Canadian network that’s been around since the early days of affiliate marketing. Or 2004 to be precise. While most other networks focus on providing a whole slew of offers, MaxBounty focuses on what they do best – CPA offers. You get paid when affiliates take a specific action like installing a piece of software or completing a form. And typical CPA offers tend to be far more lucrative than say CPS or flat rate offers. They have around 2,000 campaigns on their books, including those for more popular niches like online dating, dieting, etc. Most suited to: Established affiliates with plenty of traffic and who need new CPA offers to push. Signup URL: MaxBounty Offer types: CPA, CPL and CPI Payment options: Direct deposit, check, PayPal, Payoneer Payment terms: TBC Payment threshold: $50 Pros
Cons
Check out our in-depth MaxBounty review. 16 LinkConnectorAlthough LinkConnector has been around for over a decade, they’re rarely featured in roundups like this. But that’s what happens when you basically plagiarize other affiliate marketing blogs for your own content. So, what makes them different from every other network? Well, they might not be widely known, but they’ve landed some pretty big names, including Reebok, Levi’s, Dockers, Omaha Steaks, Brain Sensei and Deposit Photos. That gives you a pretty decent mix of physical and digital products to promote. But you’ll also find a number of more niche offers in their advertiser directory – it’s pretty eclectic in there. Signup URL: LinkConnector Offer types: CPS, CPL, Per Click, and Pay per Call Payment options: Check or PayPal Payment terms: Net 30 Payment threshold: $100 Pros
Cons
Wrapping things upAnd there you have it – our in-depth blog post on the best affiliate marketing programs for beginners. We covered as much ground here as possible, hopefully giving you enough affiliate program choices to work with. The cool thing is that if you have some existing traffic there’s potential for you to start earning passive income from your visitors literally tomorrow… with some payments arriving in the next 30 days. Don’t miss out on our valuable affiliate marketing tips and tricks to boost your earnings How many businesses can you think of where you can turn a profit in your first month? Exactly. But if you’re sitting there thinking “Well that’s wonderful, but I’m still feeling a bit lost…” – never fear, Gael and Mark are here! Or they are via our free training where the guys show you how to get started in affiliate marketing. Take a second to type in your email address here, and we’ll shoot you over an invite to our free training discovering 7 secrets that make 83% of new sites more successful. What is the best affiliate program for 2023?Top 10 Best Affiliate Programs to Make $500 Per Day in 2023. ShareASale. ... . CJ Affiliate (formerly Commission Junction) ... . Rakuten Advertising. ... . Shopify Affiliate Program. ... . Bluehost Affiliate Program. ... . ClickFunnels Affiliate Program. ... . eBay Partner Network. ... . Blue Apron Affiliate Program.. Which website is best for affiliate marketing?Best Affiliate Marketing Networks. Amazon Associates.. eBay Partner Network.. Rakuten Advertising.. PartnerStack.. CJ Affiliate.. ShareASale.. FlexOffers.. What is the highest paying affiliate program?Top High-Ticket Affiliate Marketing Programs. Moosend. Commission: Up to 40% lifetime recurring. ... . Shopify. Commission: 200% bounty commission. ... . Semrush. Commission: $200 per referral, $10 per trial sign-up. ... . WP Engine. Commission: $200 standard payout or 35% commission. ... . Liquid Web. ... . Teachable. ... . ClickFunnels. ... . GetResponse.. What is the future of affiliate marketing 2023?As per statistics, the affiliate marketing industry is projected to reach $36.9 billion by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate of 7.7% from 2023 to 2030. The spending on affiliate marketing in 2023 is anticipated to reach around $13 billion, reflecting its increasing significance in the digital marketing realm. |