If you’re interested in building a passive income, you may have heard of affiliate marketing before. Affiliate marketing allows you to generate commission on products you recommend. Many of your favorite blogs and influencers probably have some form of affiliate marketing on their platform.
If you are dedicated and have patience, it can be a great way for you to earn steady income. Perhaps the greatest example of an affiliate site is ThisIsWhyImBroke.com—a website that curates weird Amazon products and has reported monthly earnings of $20,000. It does take some time and effort, but with the right mindset, you can create a well-oiled machine. With that in mind, here are five tips for building your first Amazon affiliate store.
Create a Well-Designed Website
First impressions will make or break your ability to convert customers. Your website’s appearance needs to be in tip-top shape. Studies have even shown that a consumer will make a decision about whether to trust your business based on its website design. Fortunately, even for novice web designers, it can be done. There are hundreds of templates to choose from. For example, with WordPress, you can even choose themes that offer drag and drop customization, making it easier than ever to get your website up and running.
SEO Is a Must-Have
Search engine optimization helps your website appear higher in search engine results pages. With the majority of consumers beginning their shopping experience with an online search, it’s imperative that you leverage SEO to increase discovery potential. Hire an SEO agency or work with an experienced SEO freelancer to help optimize your pages and product descriptions. You’ll find that SEO is the gift that keeps on giving; although it can take several months to see noticeable results, it will help your business stay relevant for years to come.
Pick a Niche
One of the first things you’ll have to do is decide on your niche. Amazon products run the gamut, and you can find practically everything you need on its platform. But you can’t create an affiliate version of Amazon; the idea is to offer a curated product list. The more niche your product is, the better you’ll be able to target a specific audience.
For instance, instead of selling apparel, why not sell funny and wacky socks? Instead of selling beauty products, why not focus on organic face care products? There are many ways you can hone in on a niche. Keep in mind that product commissions are low, so the lower-priced items you have, the less commission you’ll make. On a pair of $10 socks, you might make around 25 cents.
Don’t Try to Invent
As an affiliate marketer, you aren’t creating products yourself. Your marketing efforts will likely be re-inventions of ideas that have already been out there—and there’s nothing wrong with that. For example, TIWIB wasn’t new, but founder Adam Freeman found unique ways to build it out.
“The site is definitely not an original idea – but it is a major improvement on the original idea,” said Freeman. “Things like infinite scrolling, extremely polished product photos, occasional humor and sarcasm in descriptions, and a general emphasis on user experience over generating income made the site the clear leader in this niche. The reason nobody is able to take away our ‘market share’ is because nobody has been able to improve upon our user experience yet.”
Create Shareworthy Content
It’s not just enough to list a bunch of products on your website. You’ll also need to work hard to create content that’s newsworthy and shareable. For affiliate websites, gift guides are a great way to pull this off. Gift guides that are relevant are even better. For example, you might create a quarantine gift guide or a Mother’s Day gift guide. Product reviews are another great way to show value on your site and create additional opportunities for SEO. Be sure to share your content across your social media channels.
Promote Your Website
When it comes to creating affiliate sites, don’t assume the “if you build it, they will come” adage. You’ll have to work hard to promote your site. Advertise on relevant social media platforms, AdWords, work with influencers, and much more. Be sure to have lead capture forms on your website to collect email addresses and build your list. This way, you’ll be able to market to them in the future.