Affiliate marketing is an attractive way for website owners to monetize their content by promoting products and earning commissions when visitors purchase those products. Amazon‘s Associates program is one of the largest, most popular affiliate programs, offering website owners the ability to earn money by linking to millions of Amazon products.
In this complete guide, we‘ll walk through everything you need to know about joining Amazon Associates and integrating affiliate links into your website.
What is Affiliate Marketing and Why Amazon Associates?
Affiliate marketing simply refers to earning a commission from a merchant when you refer customers to them that end up purchasing.
As an affiliate, you sign up with affiliate programs, promote their products (with special tracking links), and earn a % of the sales you drive. It‘s performance-based marketing for the merchant that only costs them money when you bring them customers.
Amazon Associates is so appealing because:
- Amazon is the largest ecommerce store with millions of products to choose from
- Their name recognition and credibility put users at ease about clicking affiliate links
- Generous commission rates up to 10%, averaging 4-8% for most categories
- Easy reporting to track your links and how much you‘ve earned
Whether you have an existing website you want to monetize or you want to create one specifically for affiliate marketing, Amazon Associates is one of the best programs to join.
How to Sign Up for Amazon Associates
Signing up for Amazon Associates is free and easy to do. Just follow these steps:
Step 1) Go to Amazon Associates central and click "Join Now for Free"
Step 2) Sign in with your Amazon account or create one if you don‘t have one
Step 3) Choose the website, YouTube channel, mobile app, or other platform you want to use for affiliate links
Step 4) Fill out information about your site/channel and agree to the Associate Program Operating Agreement
Step 5) Enter your bank account and tax info to receive affiliate payments
Once approved, you‘ll have full access to your Associates account dashboard and can start creating links right away.
The approval process typically takes 24 hours but can rarely take up to 5 business days.
Setting Up Your Account
With your account created, take some time to properly set everything up before generating links:
Choose Display Settings – Determine if you want text links only, product images only, or a combination.
Select Categories – Browse Amazon‘s categories that have affiliate programs and select the ones most relevant to your website/audience.
Input Payment Method – Add a bank account or request checks to be mailed to you to receive your earnings.
Tax Information – Properly set up tax info depending on if it‘s a personal or business account.
Generating Affiliate Links
There are two easy ways to create Amazon affiliate links for your website:
1. Associates SiteStripe Browser Extension
SiteStripe is a handy browser extension that lets you create affiliate links for any Amazon product page you‘re viewing. Just install it, visit any Amazon product page, and use the SiteStripe toolbar to grab the affiliate link.
2. Associates Product Linking Tool
You can also search for products directly on your Associates dashboard and use the Product Linking Tool to create links for any items. Just lookup a product, select it, choose your display settings, and copy the affiliate link code it generates.
No matter which method you use, the process of creating Amazon affiliate links is quick and painless.
Best Practices for Promoting Amazon Products
As an Amazon Associate, there are a few guidelines you should follow:
Disclose it‘s an Affiliate Link – By law, you must disclose affiliate links using language like "Paid link", "Affiliate link", etc.
Diversify Links Across Categories – Don‘t stick to just one product category. Promote a variety to maximize earning potential.
Use Visual Signifiers – When possible, display affiliate links using product images rather than just text links.
Following these best practices ensures you stay compliant, convert more visitors, and keep Amazon happy so you can continue promoting their products.
Mistakes to Avoid as an Amazon Associate
While running an Amazon affiliate site is relatively straightforward, there are a few mistakes you‘ll want to avoid:
- Not disclosing affiliate links properly
- Promoting restricted product categories
- Neglecting site content/design beyond just affiliate links
- Spamming lots of affiliate links without context
- Failure to make a sale within 180 days of sign up
Put effort into building a valuable resource for your readers first, integrate affiliate links secondarily, and you‘ll find much more success with Amazon Associates.
Ready to Join Amazon Associates?
Whether looking to monetize an existing site or wanting to start a website focused on Amazon affiliate marketing, the Amazon Associates program is a great way to earn commissions from the world‘s largest online retailer.
Use this guide to quickly get up and running with your Associates account, generate effective affiliate links, and start seeing your first sales.
