The Amazon Associates scheme is one of the most popular affiliate schemes on the web. It is also one of the top reasons why Amazon have become the leading online retailer in the world.
Here we take a look at why signing up to the Associates scheme is a good idea for any webmaster.
Should I join Amazon Associates?
Definitely! Amazon is the world’s largest online retailer, they sell almost everything which means you’ll have something to promote, they have a mature system which is easy to use, provides great tracking and is a brand that people know and trust.
How Well Does Amazon Convert?
If you are new to affiliate marketing, or even a seasoned expert, the real win with Amazon is the ease at which they convert. Amazon have developed many sophisticated techniques that draw potential customers in and persuade them to make a purchase.
They will dangle all kinds of products in front of your eyes:
- You will be tempted by a list of alternative products
- Amazon will display other products you might have looked at recently
- User created lists will offer up a range of similar items
Many years of e-commerce evolution have ensured that Amazon are one of the best converting stores on the Internet – their ability to cross sell is second to none. If you can get a customer to their site, you are well on the way to earning yourself a nice commission.
And remember, you make commission on everything that person buys, not just the items you are promoting! You’ll often notice that a sale will consist of several products – often totally unrelated to your own site!
Amazon only has a 24 hour Cookie?
Some people are put off promoting Amazon as they only have a 24 hour cookie. This means that you will only earn a commission if the person you have sent over buys something within 24 hours.
I wouldn’t worry about this. Research shows that most affiliate sales are made straight away and although 30 or even 60 day periods sounds attractive, the conversion power of Amazon makes up for this many times over.
Exclusive Use of Amazon
My own experience shows that even when I am promoting multiple stores on a site, the vast majority of my commissions come from Amazon sales.
With certain exceptions (where I am working in a specific niche which Amazon doesn’t cater for) I now exclusively use the Amazon associate scheme on my sites, using Skimlinks to sweep up any other opportunities.
Here’s a snippet of sales from yesterday:
Amazon has a number of great advantages:
- Amazon’s strong brand recognition and user’s already having accounts
- Competitive pricing
- Free delivery in most cases
- Fantastic associates scheme that provides a sophisticated programmable API and easy to use widgets
If you want to find out how you can easily add Amazon products to your WordPress posts, check out the Simple Amazon Units plugin!
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