Partner with Amazon

There are many ways to monetize your website or blog but one of the forefathers of monetization through affiliate marketing is Amazon.

Do you have a website or a blog? Do you find yourself always telling people about a good book that you have read or recommending a product that you have tried? Why not receive a commission for actual purchases made from your referrals?

Amazon has a program called Amazon Associates where you can recommend products, videos, books, DVDs, software, clothing - any product that Amazon markets. If a purchase is made through your referral, you can make up to 15% commission!

How Does Amazon Associates Work?

If you have ever ordered anything from Amazon, you already have an account. If not, just visit the Amazon Associates website and sign up for a free account. Once you sign up, you will have many options for promoting products on your website.

Regardless of the type of business you have, you can always refer informative books that you have read that are related to your business - books that you think your clients would enjoy. If you are a caterer with a website or a blog, your clients would probably love to know what cookware you use. Maybe you are using Wolfgang Puck's latest or Paula Deen's new items. Or maybe you are a photographer and can recommend some excellent books on editing photos or the use of Photoshop for image work.

When you login to your Amazon Associates account, you are then able to select those products that you would like to promote, from Amazon's vast array and market them via links / banners, widgets or an aStore. With all of the options for displaying the products on your website, you search and then select the items by entering the product information - either the name, author, etc. Amazon will locate the item(s). The item name, price and a "Buy from Amazon" button will appear within the link or widget, that when clicked will take your customer to Amazon where they can learn more about the item and then hopefully purchase it.

Amazon Product Display Options

Selecting the links / banners option is pretty straightforward with a picture of the item and the information listed above (see image). With the widgets option, you can be a little more creative with the appearance. You can select various widgets like:

• Carousel - Hand-pick your favorite products and your clients can browse through your selections
• My Favorites - Recommend products that you have used, books your have read...
• Search box - Your visitors can search for products from Amazon on your website
• aStore - Display products and drive traffic to your aStore
• Recommended Product Links - Automatically features products based on product categories
• Omakase - Leave it up to Amazon! They will automatically feature products based on your website content.

With all of these options, Amazon generates code that you add to the website page where you want the widget or link to display. You can choose from different colors, dimensions so that it will blend in with your website design. You cut and past the code into the HTML on your website page and voila…it's there! Whether you make a few dollars a month or this generates a nice stream of income for you, what is important is that it is another way to engage with your website or blog visitors. You are sharing with them favorite items that you have used and that they can try also. This helps to establish trust and credibility with your audience.

If you are new to monetization, Amazon Associates is a great partner to begin your affiliate marketing journey. For additional ways to monetize your website, check out the following articles:

Google Adsense

Paid Reviews