10 Amazing Reasons Affiliate Marketing is the Best Business to Start Online
In the last post, I presented 3 different ways to make money online. Here’s a quick recap:
- E-commerce
- Blogging
- Digital Publishing
While all three models are viable online business opportunities. In this post, I’m going to show you, in my view, what is the best online business opportunity for someone just starting out.
The Best Business to Start Online – Affiliate Marketing
When asked the question, what is the best business to start online, especially for someone now starting off, I have to say hands down that is is Affiliate Marketing. This is by far the best online business opportunity to make money online, even if you have no experience.
What is Affiliate Marketing?
Affiliate marketing is an online business opportunity whereby you promote other people’s products online and earn a commission on any sales generated through your activities.
There are three components to affiliate marketing – the affiliate, the merchant and the product.
The affiliate (the person doing the promoting of third-party products) receives a unique identification and link. When someone clicks on that unique link and makes a purchase from the third party (the merchant), the transaction is recorded under the affiliate’s unique ID and a commission is added to the affiliate’s account.
From Apple to Amazon, many top brands are using affiliate marketing as a way to promote and sell their products.
For example, Share-A-Sale is an online platform that brings merchants and affiliates together under one roof. As an affiliate, you can write a review of a product you find on Share-A-Sale, promote your unique link for that product (the platform does this automatically for you in your Share-A-Sale account) and earn a commission.
When someone reads the review and clicks on the link and makes a purchase through your link, you can earn as much as 50% commission (and even more in some cases). At the end of the month or if you reach a particular threshold, e.g. $500, you will receive a cheque in the mail.
The great thing is that almost all affiliate programs are FREE to join.
Affiliate Marketing is Big Business
There are countless other affiliate programmes covering millions of products and merchants – both physical products and digital products. Check out Clickbank for digital products such as ebooks and online courses.
In addition, many large companies and well-established websites are using affiliate marketing as an additional income source. Some examples include Forbes, Huffington Post, Men’s Health and many others.
Affiliate marketing accounts for over $5 billion in annual sales. And it is expected to grow by 16% each year. A huge potential that has still remained untapped. Consider that e-commerce accounts for nearly $2 Trillion dollars in sales each year. Affiliate marketing represents only 0.25% (a quarter of 1%) of all e-commerce sales.
Affiliate Marketing – the Best Online Business Opportunity
What does this imply? This means that there are thousands of opportunities waiting to be tapped. Thousands of people could make thousands of dollars in virtually any niche.
The pie is huge and keeps getting bigger and bigger. Consider also, that as an affiliate you can promote over 488 Million products on Amazon alone, not mentioning the thousands of other possibilities, merchants and products out there. The sky is the limit.
Here are some additional amazing facts about affiliate marketing:
1. Affiliate marketing revenues are expected to double in the next 3 years to reach $10 billion
2. The main age group is 25 to 54 years old representing 82% of affiliate marketers
3. 15% of affiliate marketers earn more than $50,000 per year
4. There are over 600 million products to promote online, Amazon is the main player
5. There are over 1 million affiliate marketers at my favorite affiliate marketing community
Here are 10 Amazing Reasons Affiliate Marketing is the Best Business to Start Online.
- Anyone can do affiliate marketing. Ideal for beginners. It’s easy to learn and do.
- No start-up costs involved.
- It’s free to become an affiliate (for most merchants and programs)
- You don’t need to create any products
- You don’t need to stock any products
- You don’t need to get involved in shipping and handling
- You don’t need to offer after sales services (e.g. repairs or customer complaints)
- Little or no risks involved. The merchant carries most of the risk
- You can choose a wide range of products or services in virtually any niche
- You can have multiple streams of income using this model
Disadvantages:
- Unscrupulous merchants can close their affiliate program whenever they want without informing the affiliate
- You are relying on the systems and security of a third party platform to ensure you receive fair commissions on sales
- Hijackers can hijack your website and steal your commissions (if you don’t have the proper hosting and security set up)
However, all these disadvantages and risks can be easily minimized or avoided altogether by doing the proper homework and choosing the right merchants. For instance, you do not have to worry about the first two disadvantages as an Amazon affiliate marketer. And you can easily put steps in place to avoid hijackers from hijacking your affiliate link. You can use cloaking techniques.
Do this to Take of Advantage of the Affiliate Marketing Opportunity
So my recommendation is that affiliate marketing is the best online business opportunity, especially if you have no experience. That’s not to say that the others are not viable. In fact, building your own digital publishing business is quite lucrative. However, as a beginner, affiliate marketing is the best online business opportunity to get started with.
Are your interested in taking advantage of the huge affiliate marketing as an online business opportunity? Get started with your free account at Wealthy Affiliate.
Before you get your free account set up, I’d like to know a little more about your journey. In that way, I’d be able to give you the best advice possible based on your specific situation.
So, click on the link below provide the information and then join me inside Wealthy Affiliate.
It’ll only take a few seconds.
Follow me on Social Media for more awesome content. Click on the links below.
This post is a great insight into the world of affiliate marketing. A lot of people who are looking online for a work at home opportunity do not know what affiliate marketing is or know very little about it. By joining a training platform and community, such as Wealthy Affiliate they will learn all the correct steps and techniques to be successful.
Thank you Helen for your validation of both affiliate marketing as a legitimate way to earn money online and Wealthy Affiliate as a legitimate learning and training platform.
Much success to you
Cheers
Kevon
Affiliate marketing is a great opportunity that anyone can start and that’s what I love about it. The other great part is that you can talk about and advertise products you enjoy and use! I highly recommend this to anyone looking to start a side hustle or even replace their full time income!
When it comes to figuring out how to earn money online, you cannot go wrong with affiliate marketing. It is easy to start and the possibilities are endless.
And I totally agree with you. Just pick a niche or interest you love and it’s no longer work but fun.
All the best Dave and thanks for your comments.
cheers
Kevon
Hi Kevon
Wow that was a great article and i’m not just saying that. I’m an affiliate myself and yet i was very educated by your article. Great research and information.
Thank you for this
Thank you Thenjiwe for your kind comments.
I am delighted that you found the information educational. Good luck in your affiliate marketing endeavors. I truly believe that affiliate marketing is the best way to earn money online.
All the best to you
Cheers
Kevon
You are undoubtedly right!
Affiliate marketing is the best opportunity in online business for beginners like myself who are just starting out.
Didn’t know that before, and unfortunately became a victim of some shiny offers which are no more than scams.
Thanks to people like you who are writing highly informative articles, I was able to discover my path and the platform I now utilize.
keep up the work!
Thanks Tohin. I am glad that I was of assistance and that you found the article useful in helping you discover how to earn money online.
All the best to you on your online business journey. I wish you every success
Cheers
Kevon
Affiliate Marketing is a great way to make money online but it is not a ‘get rich quick’ solution either as you have to get proper training.
This will help avoid pitfalls like choosing the wrong niche or getting your account deleted at product offer networks if you do not follow the rules correctly in terms of promotional practices.
Thanks for your comment Erick. I couldn’t agree with you more when you say that you have to get the proper training. You see when it comes to earning money online if you don;t know, you don’t grow. It’s as simple as that. So thanks for pointing that out.
All the best
Cheers
Kevon
Great article. It’s definitely worth looking into, and the beauty of it is that is can be done in a multitude of different ways – not just by writing product reviews – I think!
Thanks for your comment Kegan. Yes, you are correct. You don’t have to just write product reviews. You can write about basically anything and based on what you are writing about you can make a recommendation or you can simply include a subtle link within the text.
Hi Kevon,
Excellent article. I think that affiliate marketing is the best opportunity going right now for many who are trying to figure out how to earn money online. Especially those that work full-time jobs and need something that can be done at home. It is extremely flexible.
I absolutely agree with you on it being the best business to start online. There is so much opportunity to be found in affiliate marketing that I think it can definitely be for everyone!
Thanks Dan for stopping by. You are totally correct. Affiliate marketing is in my view the best way to earn money online. and anyone can do it. You don’t need experience. You just have to put in the time and effort and before long you’re an online entrepreneur but without the hassle of having to buy, store and ship products.
What a great post. This will really help a lot of newbies to understand and engage in affiliate marketing.
Affiliate marketing is just like consignment, wherein you have to sell other merchants’ products. I am excited to read more of your articles.
Thanks Florencio for your comment. Affiliate marketing is truly the best online business opportunity out there. So simple yet so powerful.
Cheers
Kevon
You have been very insightful and providing me the answers that I was looking for has definitely increased my circulation. Thank you for the encouragement, Live long and prosper may sound a little Trekky, but… Rod
Hey Rod. It’s not too Trekky at all. I’m a fan.
Thanks for stopping by and for your comments.
I am happy that you found the article insightful and that it helped provide you with answers on your online marketing journey. I truly believe that affiliate marketing is the best online business opportunity out there, especially for beginners.
All the best
Kevon
Hi Kevon,
This is a very informative article that sheds light on the business of affiliate marketing.
I especially like when you listed the advantages and disadvantages of the line of business, as it put into perspective the pros and cons of affiliate marketing.
I also like how you said that anyone can do affiliate marketing, and that the sky is the limit.
A Very well written article. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for your comments Tiara.
Yes, affiliate marketing can be done by anyone, regardless of their level of experience, age or background. Affiliate is and always will be in my opinion, the best online business opportunity out there, especially for beginners.
All the best and much success
Cheers
Kevon
Hi, this sounds really good. Selling products I don’t have to buy first.
I always wanted to start an online business and was thinking of selling things on eBay.
But not having to buy a stock and do all the packing and shipping is much easier.
What do you think, should I concentrate on affiliate marketing via YouTube or is a website the better solution?
Or is it possible just doing affiliate marketing on social media?
HI Stefan,
thanks for your comments and questions.
The beauty about affiliate marketing is that all you really need is your personal unique affiliate link. You can then choose to promote that link in a number of ways. Some have a blog, some create a review site, others promote it on YouTube while some use social media. I know of this one guy who simply did affiliate marketing by sending emails to his subscribers. He had no websites or social sites. Isn’t that beautiful. The . sky is the limit when it comes to earning money online.
Hope this answer helps.
Cheers
Kevon
Hi Kevon,
Excellent article.
I chose Affiliate Marketing because of the size of the opportunity at first but then I realised that I now do have a passion for it and can really become an authority in the industry. But only if I put the work in.
I have tried many times at this but failed because I wanted instant results, well it doesn’t just work like that.
Thanks for sharing this mate and all the best,
Tom
Thanks for your comments Tom.
I know all too well about the ‘instant results’ mindset. And alas, too many people in the industry have that issue. I see it as one of the most significant obstacles to people being able to really earn money online and achieving their dreams.
If you put in the hard work, use all of the right systems and strategies you will succeed. It’s almost a guarantee.
Thanks for stopping by
Cheers
Kevon
Thank you Kevon!
When I started my journey I wish someone like you had described my alternatives. I ended up spending a lot of money before I quit.
Now I’m back and I see the possibility at WA.
Great post and I think you covered all that one can ask for!
Hi Frederik,
Thank you for visiting and commenting on this post on how to earn money online with affiliate marketing.
I always like to lay out the different options and give people a choice. Of course, I recommended affiliate marketing as the best choice for earning money online, especially for beginners, but with the right tools and resources, anyone can use any of the other options as well. They might be more difficult relatively speaking but they are not impossible.
I am glad that you found your way back to the online business world. I think this is the best solution for people looking to live their dreams and reach financial freedom.
All the best and much success
Cheers
Kevon
I could not agree with you more that affiliate marketing is the best online business opportunity. If you can read and write in English, you can become a successful affiliate marketer.
Everything else you can learn, especially when you have Wealthy Affiliate supporting you every step of the way. I first became an affiliate marketer through them and it has only paid dividends since then. When you join now, your future self will be sure to pat you on the back.
Thank you so much and I hope you make it a great day!
Thanks Alex for your comment.
Yes, affiliate marketing is super. And Wealthy Affiliate is by far the best place to learn and earn.
All the best on your affiliate marketing journey.
Cheers
Kevon
Your article is information filled. Anyone wanting to learn about affiliate marketing would be reliably informed from your article. I do agree that unscrupulous merchants can close their affiliate program whenever they want without informing the affiliate. And so one has to be very careful. Thanks for the information.
Dahlia
Hi Dhalia,
Thanks for your comment. Every business you get into has its own risks. You just have to decide which risks you are willing to carry. One way to minimize the potential of a merchant cosing their affiliate program is to ensure that you choose a reputable merchant to start with. Amazon, eBay, Apple and so many more are all reputable. Just do your due diligence first. Earning money online is not as complicated as some people make it out to be. It can be done, and affiliate marketing is one of the best businesses to start online.
Cheers
Kevon