Getting Started in Affiliate Marketing

When you first hear the words "affiliate marketing" the first thing that comes to mind is Amazon. But, Amazon is far from the only affiliate offer out there. There are thousands of companies that offer a commission to affiliates. Amazon is a great place to start your affiliate career because they have one of the simplest affiliate programs available.

Amazon Affiliate Program

Amazon has one of the largest affiliate programs in the world. Amazon is a household name and the largest online retailer in the United States. Amazon was the first to offer an affiliate program to the general public. According to affiliatemarketertraining.com Amazon started their program in 1996. With over 2 decades of affiliate marketing, they have grown their business into one of the largest retailers in the US. 

One of the issues I keep hearing from Amazon is their constant changes in affiliate policies and affiliate commisions. Many affiliates have sworn off Amazon, while others swear by them. The smart affiliate will sell with Amazon but diversify their marketing efforts with other programs. 

Walmart Affiliate Program

Walmart offers a great a great affiliate program that runs similar to Amazon. The program and the way to sell products is the same but the commision is a little lower on some items. The one advantage to Walmart is they are located within driving distance of almost every person in the US. Customers can order online and pick up in store for the sake of convenience.

Target Affiliate Program

Targets program offers a better commission than the Walmart program on average. While offering the convenience of in-store pick up on most orders. 

In Conclusion

All three programs are very similar and it would be in any affiliate marketers best interest to try to incorporate all 3 programs in their portfolio. Using all three programs will help you in the event of policy or commission changes. If you are using only one program and the close your account from a policy change you are out of business overnight. This has happened to many Amazon affiliates. Never put all your eggs in one basket.