How to Use Amazon Affiliates
Amazon Associates is a popular affiliate marketing program that was launched in 1996, making it one of the first programs of its kind on the Internet. The free program allows website owners make money by placing ads, in the form of text links, widgets or banners, for Amazon's products on their website. When website visitors click on the affiliate links and buy products from Amazon, website owners earn up to 15% in referral fees.
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Instructions
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Visit the Amazon Associates website. (See Resource 1)
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Click on "Join Now for Free." Fill in your name, email address, address and phone number on the application form. Provide information about your website including its name, URL, description, category and number of monthly visitors. Include your primary reason for joining Amazon Associates and how you heard about the program. Read the Associates Operating Agreement, tick the box and click "Finish." The Amazon Associates team will then review your website and approve or deny your application within three to four days.
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Select "Build Links" from the Associates Central interface. Choose "Product Links." Use the "Build Links Wizard" to search for products. Customize how you want your affiliate link to look.
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Select "Banner Links" to choose a banner to include on your website. Pick from different sizes and shapes to link to different product categories and promotions such as Mother's Day or Back to School. There's no need to download the images, just copy the code.
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Insert the text or banner links into your website. If you code with HTML, paste the link you generated from the previous steps into your HTML editor. If you use a content management system or blog editor such as Wordpress, click on the link button (in Wordpress it looks like a chain link with the world behind it) and paste the afflilate link into the URL box.
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Access your Amazon Associates account to track your website traffic and revenue. Follow these reports regularly to learn about your website activity including what links are performing best, what pages generate the most sales and how often product links are clicked.
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Tips & Warnings
Sell more by creating a professional online store using Amazon Associates' aStore tool. Link to the store or embed it directly within your website.
Use the Amazon Widgets tool to let your visitors view Amazon products directly on your website. Use widgets to feature the latest deals on Amazon or play MP3 samples.
Referral fees are paid out monthly. Choose to receive payments by check, direct deposit or Amazon.com gift certificate. If you choose to be paid by check, payment will not be sent out until earnings reach $100. The direct deposit and gift certificate options have a minimum payout threshold of $10. If those amounts are not reached by the end of the payment period, earnings are carried forward to the next payout date.
As with most online marketing programs, a steady stream of traffic needs to be established before it yields substantial revenue.
Colorado, Illinois, North Carolina and Rhode Island residents are ineligible for the Amazon Associates program.
References
Resources
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