In digital entrepreneurship, affiliate marketing has emerged as a lucrative avenue for individuals seeking to generate passive income online. One of the most significant hurdles in establishing an affiliate marketing venture is identifying the ideal affiliate programs for beginners. Traditionally, affiliate marketing was associated with owning a website to host affiliate links and promote products. However, with the evolution of technology and platforms, beginners can now engage in affiliate marketing without needing a website. This opens many opportunities for aspiring affiliate marketers to kickstart their online ventures. This blog post will highlight the best Affiliate Programs for beginners without a website.
Affiliate Programs for Beginners Without a Website
You can participate in affiliate programs and market products through various channels beyond just having a website. It’s not only feasible but reasonably achievable. All you have to do is select the right affiliate programs to join. We’ve narrowed it down to the best affiliate program options that don’t need to have a website:
- Amazon Associates
- eBay Partner Network
- BoldDesk
- CJ Affiliate
- Etsy Affiliate
- ClickBank
- ShareASale
- Impact
- Skimlinks
- Rakuten Advertising
Read Also: The Best Affiliate Programs for New Bloggers
1- Amazon Associates
With its vast array of products, it’s no surprise that Amazon Associates stands out as the go-to platform for aspiring affiliates, even if they still need a website. Promoting Amazon products is straightforward and has quality assurance, especially for FBA providers. The support provided is notable, boosting confidence in your digital marketing skills. While Amazon’s commissions may not be the highest, abundant opportunities ensure steady earnings. Some are cautious about Amazon’s 24-hour cookie duration, but with 350 million items available, there’s always something to promote.
2- eBay Partner Network
eBay as an alternative to Amazon Associates, especially if you’re new to affiliate marketing. Despite its primary focus as a digital auction platform, eBay boasts 25 million sellers, making it a lucrative option for affiliates. Signing up for eBay is straightforward and requires only an eBay account. Approval typically takes less than 24 hours after a brief two-minute application process. Once approved, the user-friendly dashboard equips you with tools to monitor your marketing efforts, including referral activities. eBay provides resources like a bookmarklet, a link generator, smart links, smart share features, smart placements, and a creative gallery to amplify your affiliate endeavours.
3- BoldDesk
BoldDesk, an all-encompassing consumer service software solution designed to fit all needs, emerges as a top choice for novice affiliates without a devoted website. Firstly, joining the program comes at no cost. It offers unparalleled benefits to its affiliates, including a guaranteed 40% commission for each successful sale within a year and a 90-day cookie duration. You’ll receive personalized support from an assigned affiliate manager who will guide you through your affiliate marketing endeavours. Access a rich library of affiliate resources featuring logos, banners, and more to aid your promotional efforts.
4- CJ Affiliate
Commission Junction (CJ) is a pioneer in affiliate networks, tracing its roots back to 1998. Operating under the prestigious umbrella of Alliance Data Systems, a Fortune 500 entity, CJ Affiliate boasts immense stature. Particularly noteworthy is its appeal to newcomers venturing into affiliate marketing sans a website, positioning itself as a prime choice in 2024. CJ Affiliate commands respect within the industry and is renowned for providing real-time analytics, empowering affiliates to monitor their performance precisely. With access to over 3,000 merchants and many marketing tools, affiliates can effectively promote various services and products through CJ Affiliate.
5- Etsy Affiliate
If you’re drawn to handcrafted goods, unique finds, and items crafted by independent makers, then Etsy is the place for you. You might be surprised to learn that you can earn more income from affiliate marketing with Etsy. Although Etsy doesn’t directly manage its affiliate program, it partners with Awin for this purpose. There’s a nominal $5 fee to join, but Etsy reimburses you after your first successful sale. Despite not having an affiliate platform, Etsy provides a helpful tool like the MyAwin Chrome Extension. This extension streamlines affiliate marketing tasks, like creating affiliate links that make the process smoother for users.
6- ClickBank
ClickBank affiliate program ranks among the world’s finest. It operates in 190 countries and is an impressive platform where affiliates and merchants can engage in fruitful business partnerships. You may encounter companies promoting services like hotel bookings and earning income. Registration is simple and free, though there might be a brief waiting period due to the many applicants. While waiting, we suggest taking advantage of ClickBank’s affiliate course or Beginners Guide, valuable resources for navigating digital marketing. ClickBank recently revamped its commission structure to offer a CPA (cost-per-action) and a RevShare model system.
7- ShareASale
Brian Littleton founded ShareASale approximately three years after the establishment of CJ Affiliate, crafting one of the best resilient platforms for affiliates. In 2017, ShareASale was acquired by Awin, significantly elevating its status within the affiliate industry. As stated on ShareASale’s website, this partnership led to an impressive roster of over 26,000 advertisers. Multiple affiliates highly favour ShareASale due to its user-friendly interface, which focuses on creating engaging content rather than searching for brands to promote.
8- Impact
Impact enables brands to partner with strategic business allies, publishers, affiliates, mobile apps, and influencers. Particularly focusing on the latter two, having a devoted website is optional for earning additional income through these collaborations. With a wide array of advertisers, Impact is an ideal choice for individuals seeking beginner-friendly affiliate programs sans websites. Signing up with Impact is free, granting access to numerous resources to enhance commissions, even without a website.
9- Skimlinks
Skimlinks serves as a content monetization platform, enabling you to utilize your social media content to earn extra income. While you still need product links to direct leads to partner merchants, Skimlinks has streamlined this process. It’s important to note that Skimlinks operates on an earnings-per-click (EPC) commission model, emphasizing your relationship with the merchant. Determining a definitive commission can be challenging since only Skimlinks knows the formula. Nevertheless, becoming an affiliate with Skimlinks is a wise choice. It stands out as one of the few platforms that allows affiliates to promote products from over 48,000 merchants, even without a website.
10- Rakuten Advertising
With over 160,000 top-ranking partners offering various services and products, it’s no wonder Rakuten is the most famous affiliate program. Rakuten’s data-driven approach to product recommendations sets it apart from other platforms, empowering affiliates to promote products aligned with their niche. It simplifies becoming an affiliate with its extensive network of advertisers, acting as a gateway to lucrative brands. Through Rakuten, you can establish partnerships with renowned global brands like Sephora, Virgin Holidays, Sixt, Benefit, New Balance, and others and earn income by promoting their services or products. The approval process depends on how the merchant or advertiser evaluates your application.
Final Thoughts
Earning money through affiliate programs as a beginner, especially without a website, can feel overwhelming. Many platforms prioritize websites with high traffic. Even with search engines incorporating social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube in their results, ranking well without strong SEO is challenging. Consider applying effective SEO strategies to your social media efforts to improve your chances. Another option is to build an email list, which can enhance your ability to monetize affiliate programs. Additionally, explore alternative methods to make the most of these programs without creating websites.