I signed up to my first affiliate program in 1999 (Commission Junction). I still recall my awe at the sheer volume of companies that would pay you to send them traffic.
Although I don’t know the exact number, my guess is that I have signed up to thousands of affiliate programs and networks over the years. Some good, many not so good.
At the moment, the most profitable affiliate networks for me are ShareASale and Awin. I make money by referring many different companies through those networks, however I also make money from individual affiliate programs such as the Amazon Associates Program and WP Engine.
Signing up to an affiliate program is the first step to making money online. If you don’t actually work hard to generate conversions, it is also an insigificant step. You need to put many hours into increasing commissions.
In this article, I would like to share with you three simple ways of generating affiliate commissions using trust.
1. Detailed Reviews
In my experience, high-quality reviews are the best method for most people to generate affiliate commissions. Yes, it is incredibly time-consuming to write good reviews due to the research that is required, however a good review can generate regular commission payments for many years.
Reviews attract targeted visitors who are already interested in the product. By giving them more information about what the product offers, you may convince them to buy.
Reviews don’t just generate affiliate commissions though. High-quality reviews are the cornerstone of any content-based website. They will increase traffic, attract subscribers, improve SEO and push more people to your social media channels. So even if a user doesn’t actually buy something through your affiliate link, you may have gained a long-term follower.
A great example of a profitable review website is DC Rainmaker. His reviews are so good that regular readers go out of their way to buy through his affiliate links to support his work.
2. Comparison Tables
Another popular affiliate marketing technique is the comparison table. Whereas reviews are long and detailed, comparison tables are easier to digest as they display essential information for many different products in one easy-to-read table. From a time perspective, you will find comparison tables to be quick to produce.
Whilst comparison tables can be profitable on their own, they convert better when they compliment your existing reviews. For example, your main comparison table may list all products, display their review ratings and link to full reviews.
Comparison tables are common on hosting review websites. The hosting review website Easy Hosting Guide, for example, displays the most popular hosting services on their home page, which helps push visitors to key reviews.
I have used comparison tables sparingly over the years, however it is something I am keen on incoporating into my hosting resource area as it will help visitors read a summary of my reviews.
3. Vouching
Successful blogs regularly make money by “Vouching” for the products and services they use themselves.
In a review, you spend time looking at a product or service and share what you like and don’t like. When you vouch for a company, you’re going one step further and saying you trust the company enough to use them yourself. For example a blogger may say that they use Company A to register domains, Company B to host their website and Company C to manage their podcast.
If you have built up a loyal following, vouching for a product or service carries a lot of weight. As such, readers feel more confident using them too.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
FINAL THOUGHTS
The affiliate marketing world continues to have a dark side where marketers will do and say anything in order to generate a commission, however I truly believe that in the long-term, building a trusting relationship with your readers is more profitable and will open more doors for you.
Search engines are validating this approach too, giving respectable websites higher rankings than than those who publish poor-quality content.
I have only scratched the surface on how you can increase your affiliate conversions, however I hope you have found this article useful.
Good luck.
Kevin