making money from Amazon Affiliates

[Online1]

Hi guys

can anyone guide me to a succesfull but cost effective way (rather than Adwords) to promote Amazon.co.uk products and actually make money. I am looking to subsidize my income by around £200 a month using this method. I have tried using Adwords to promote these products and yes they sell but i end up spending more promoting than earning.
Any advice is welcome

cheers

[cherylwright]

Originally Posted by Online1

Hi guys

can anyone guide me to a succesfull but cost effective way (rather than Adwords) to promote Amazon.co.uk products and actually make money. I am looking to subsidize my income by around £200 a month using this method. I have tried using Adwords to promote these products and yes they sell but i end up spending more promoting than earning.
Any advice is welcome

cheers

I've found Amazon to be the hardest affiliate program to earn money with than any other program I've ever promoted.

I've pulled down most of the Amazon ads from my sites. (And I don't know many people who are making money with Amazon.)

Good luck with it!



Cheryl

[ItsDubC]

I've read that making money using the Amazon affiliate program is really only worthwhile if you're promoting expensive products.

[nturgeon]

nichemarketninja released a WSO about Amazon. He makes 5 figures per month with Amazon and shows how do to it in his WSO. I bought it but I think he just recently closed it. I haven't fully concentrated on his product yet but one of my sites did make some money over halloween. Now that I see it can work, I will be scaling his method up and hopefully make more money with it. Although Amazon's commission rate is low, it's a trusted company and people buy from them everyday.

[JohnMcCabe]

Making a consistent income from Amazon can be tricky sometimes. Here are a few quick tips...

> Don't try to re-create Amazon by building a huge, multi-product, multi-department online store site. Much easier to build multiple sites featuring a single small niche or product type. In other words, don't try to sell books. Sell books about Thai cooking or repairing vintage Mustangs or...

> Build small sites like the above, only focused on holidays. Almost every month has some type of holiday associated with it, and in the months without official holidays people still have birthdays and anniversaries. Sales from these sites do tend to be seasonal, so spread them out.

> Look to sell a mix of both high value and cheap products. Use the sales of books, CDs, DVDs, video games, etc. to fund your promotions of higher paying items and to boost your commission rates. Sell enough little items to boost your rate from 4% to 6% and you give yourself a 50% pay raise when that treadmill or digital TV sells.

Finally, Adwords can be a hard row to hoe. Your competing with some of the major shopping and price comparison sites, outfits with staffs and deep pockets. These folks are bidding on hundreds of thousands of keywords. If you still want to use Adwords, I highly recommend getting on Dr. Glenn Livingston's mailing list. He puts out a ton of solid information.

[MisterMunch]

What is the common convertion rate for Amazon affiliates. I know it is hard to say an exact number, but if you have some data please share.

[TheRazor55]

Amazon direct linking on adwords is banned so you'll have to do some work anyways, so you better build a mini site focused around a couple of products and get as much targeted traffic to it as possible, not just from ppc or seo, but also from social networks and other kinds of paid advertising.

The cheaper your traffic funnel gets the more profit is in for you, so that will depend a lot on your traffic generation capabilities, since people already want the physical product, there is no point in persuading the sale, it's just sending the right people to the right product.

TheRazor

[jendoe]

John, thanks for the tip about using smaller sales to boost your commission rate! I hadn't heard that one before...

I'm just starting with Amazon too - quick question -

Do you also receive commissions on 3rd party sales? I'm not sure if that's what they're called - but the things that come up in Amazon search (NOT marketplace) - but are sold/shipped from a non-Amazon vendor?

(And, while we're at it - how about Marketplace items too?)

Thanks!
-jen

[Online1]

Originally Posted by cherylwright

I've found Amazon to be the hardest affiliate program to earn money with than any other program I've ever promoted.

I've pulled down most of the Amazon ads from my sites. (And I don't know many people who are making money with Amazon.)

Good luck with it!



Cheryl

Which do you recommend then Cheryl to get me started with an AP

[nturgeon]

Yes. My sales for my Halloween site were commissions from third parties.

Originally Posted by jendoe

John, thanks for the tip about using smaller sales to boost your commission rate! I hadn't heard that one before...

I'm just starting with Amazon too - quick question -

Do you also receive commissions on 3rd party sales? I'm not sure if that's what they're called - but the things that come up in Amazon search (NOT marketplace) - but are sold/shipped from a non-Amazon vendor?

(And, while we're at it - how about Marketplace items too?)

Thanks!
-jen

[cherylwright]

Originally Posted by Online1

Which do you recommend then Cheryl to get me started with an AP

I earn the majority of my income in the writing niche, so I am promoting products that most people don't promote.

There are few decent products in that niche (except the ones I write myself ) and I'm very selective about them. I vet everything I promote in that niche - hard sometimes, but very worthwhile.

It's really a matter of looking around the niche you're in and finding some decent products.

In the IM niche, I have selected a few good products. I do get fed up with people who promote anything that pays a buck - personally, I'm very, very selective. My subscribers know that when I promote something it's good.

As others have said on this thread, you can make money with Amazon. I've never been able to do so, and have made under $30 in over five years.

I have one friend who says she makes $100 to $200 per month with Amazon. We're in the same niche but have a slightly different target audience - mine are mostly non-fiction writers, hers are mostly fiction writers.

Not sure this helps...



Cheryl

[Tom Goodwin]

Find product related keyword where you can get the .com domain for it.

Setup wordpress for new site, with reviewazon, and info on the products. Add a couple of PLR articles if you want as well.

Add a couple of backlinks.

Profit.

Originally Posted by Online1

Hi guys

can anyone guide me to a succesfull but cost effective way (rather than Adwords) to promote Amazon.co.uk products and actually make money. I am looking to subsidize my income by around £200 a month using this method. I have tried using Adwords to promote these products and yes they sell but i end up spending more promoting than earning.
Any advice is welcome

cheers

[Lett]

What are amazon cons and pros? Which affiliates do you use?

Im worried now, because i worked whole month on my website which is based on amazon. The product i promote is available only in amazon affiliates and i cant find it at any other affiliate programs.

[Online1]

Originally Posted by thmgoodw

Find product related keyword where you can get the .com domain for it.

Setup wordpress for new site, with reviewazon, and info on the products. Add a couple of PLR articles if you want as well.

Add a couple of backlinks.

Profit.

Can you PM me please with a little more detail

[Oland]

Originally Posted by Online1

Hi guys

can anyone guide me to a succesfull but cost effective way (rather than Adwords) to promote Amazon.co.uk products and actually make money. I am looking to subsidize my income by around £200 a month using this method. I have tried using Adwords to promote these products and yes they sell but i end up spending more promoting than earning.
Any advice is welcome

cheers

I would suggest that you take a look at IPK: InfoProductKiller.com - Make Money Online at Christmas
(not an aff-link.)

I have just recently started building a few sites like he teaches in the course and I'm making money from them.

[dotslash]

Amazon was my first attempt at IM and I still make a reasonable monthly amount from my efforts - roughly about $500 - pretty much on autopilot. Although it has started to fall as some of my pages targeted products that are being phased out.

Made money mainly from highly targeted web pages, with direct links to the product on Amazon. Never really checked the conversion rate but suspect it's not good.

I've tried broader niches without as much luck, single products were my best successes.

Neil

[J Elizabeth Dize]

Making money with Amazon is easiest when you focus on very specific products/niches.

This is the best season to get involved with being an amazon affiliate, for sure As you start to get more volume, the percentage you earn increases significantly. People love to load their carts around Christmas time, and Amazon is very good at getting them to do so.

I can also highly recommend the product Olam is recommending above, for those wanting to do well with Amazon, and promoting physical products as an affiliate in general. Besides my Earn 1K a Day membership, it's the best thing I've ever bought online.

ETA: My conversion rates for those who click on Amazon links, and go on to make a purchase is generally around 5-10% when it's not Christmas, and 20%+ during the Christmas season. Really targeting those in "buying mode" helps a lot with this.

[cherylwright]

Originally Posted by thmgoodw

Find product related keyword where you can get the .com domain for it.

Setup wordpress for new site, with reviewazon, and info on the products. Add a couple of PLR articles if you want as well.

Add a couple of backlinks.

Profit.

Er.... it's not quite that simple.





Cheryl

[cherylwright]

Originally Posted by Lett

What are amazon cons and pros? Which affiliates do you use?

Im worried now, because i worked whole month on my website which is based on amazon. The product i promote is available only in amazon affiliates and i cant find it at any other affiliate programs.

What niche are you in?

Is this a product or a book? If it's a book it will most likely be available elsewhere.

I've started promoting The Book Depository in the UK (www.bookdepository.co.uk) as they offer free delivery worldwide. I've had more sales through them than I usually get through Amazon, but it's still not huge. Yet. I've only had their links up for about two months.

I believe they have a US site as well.




Cheryl

[cherylwright]

Originally Posted by NickCarroll

I have not had much success with Amazon.

There are so many other easier affiliate programs to promote. I find the % paid out is too low.

If you still decide to do Amazon, go the niche way.

Nick

Absolutely agree.

Why promote a product that pays 10-40 cents, occassionally $1 or more on a more expensive product (3-6% I believe) when you can find a good affiliate program where you can get $12 and upwards per sale? (Generally 50% or more.)

Just to qualify that, would you find a $15 product on Clickbank and then promote it if you were going to get 40 cents out of it? I doubt it, but that's what happens when you promote an Amazon product.




cheryl

[J Elizabeth Dize]

Cheryl,

It's easy to think that...but I promise, it's not comparable to Clickbank You're in Australia, so I'm not sure how popular Amazon is there. But in the US, its profits are absolutely skyrocketing...don't quote me on this...but I believe its profits have increased 30% this year, while many other retailers are tanking.

Profiting with Amazon can be easy when the focus of the site is right. What thmgoodw posted can really be all it takes. It's better to have original content and more thought to the site, but it can happen. Just the other day, I put up a domain I've been sitting on, used autoblogging software to add posts, wrote one original article based on the main keyword, and tossed a couple of links its way, and it made money 2 days later. It's still ranking well, and as I find the time to devote to it, it will continue to make money,

Don't discount Amazon because of the seemingly low profits -- they can be massive when you get the volume. Consider this -- while a few people might search for product X a day on Clickbank, thousands or hundreds of thousands of people might search for product Y on Amazon. That doesn't mean that it's not possible to profit with CB (it clearly is), but it does mean that it's incredibly possible to make up for lower commissions with a ton more sales with Amazon.

It's definitely my favorite affiliate program.

[cherylwright]

Hi Jenn,

I obviously see it in a different light. The reason for this is that for Australians to buy a book from Amazon, it costs us as much in postage and customs as it does for the book itself - if not more.

I once purchased a US$12-95 book, and the final bill was AU$52! Most Aussies are like me and given up on Amazon.

But the majority of my site visitors and subscribers are from the US. My sites are very focussed, and I still don't make money with Amazon. No idea why.

Do you focus only on books, or are you promoting products more than books? I've never promoted products, so perhaps that's what I need to do to start seeing some decent affiliate income...




Cheryl

[J Elizabeth Dize]

Ahhh, that makes sense as to why Amazon isn't your go-to store I personally buy groceries, books, toys, home furnishings, electronics, etc. etc. on Amazon. I'm completely obsessed with it as a marketer and a buyer It makes me sad that it's not Australia-friendly

I have never actually promoted books, so I'm not sure how they convert!

My basic method is:

1. Look at their bestselling lists for a category I'm interested in
2. Do some quick research on Google keyword tool and/or Insights to see if anyone is searching
3. Check out the Movers and Shakers list to see if there are any fast risers that may not have made it into the keyword tools yet
4. Buy a domain name that does not contain a trademark, yet is clearly about the product/niche I'm focusing on. Keyword exact .coms are my preferred
5. Write 5 or so articles focused on a particular keyword for that product each
6. Throw some links at it (since I like product focused sites, it doesn't take much to rank for them)
7. Have a large graphic on each page that clearly points to the exact keyword/product people were searching for

This method is based on IPK...it's easy to rank because the keyword domain is exact or close to it, the content is so closely focused on one product, and the graphic/sales message points to Amazon and it's exactly what they want

[JohnMcCabe]

Jenn, see if you agree with me on this...

One thing I learned is that people trust Amazon, so that when you recommend a product, you don't have to cloak your links or try to hide the relationship.

I usually put a blurb right on the "About" page telling people why they should order from Amazon, kind of a pre-sell for the merchant. They don't have to worry about whether they trust me or not - they're buying from someone they do trust.

As for books, the only time I've had much luck is if there is a new movie coming out based on an old book. It's possible to make a few sales right before the movie comes out. I don't devote a lot of time to these - if it catches my attention I might do a Blogger blog or something. The only real value is in boosting the commission rate.

One thing Amazon is good at is upselling. It can be fascinating to see what people will add to their orders, particularly if they need a few dollars to reach the free shipping threshold. Oh, and you get paid on those items, too.

Cheryl, I feel your pain on the shipping and import fees. Several years ago, I worked for Cabelas, the outdoor catalog, in the inbound telemarketing center. Working late at night in the call center, I'd talk to a lot of folks from your country. Between the currency conversion and the fees, a US$99 pair of boots could end up costing nearly AUS$300.

[cherylwright]

To be honest, I had no idea Amazon sold most of those things!

I'm going to sound like a newbie here, but what is IPK? It's possible I just don't know the abbreviation...

Thanks for the info; it sounds like I need to take a totally different approach with Amazon.





Cheryl

[cherylwright]

Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe

Cheryl, I feel your pain on the shipping and import fees. Several years ago, I worked for Cabelas, the outdoor catalog, in the inbound telemarketing center. Working late at night in the call center, I'd talk to a lot of folks from your country. Between the currency conversion and the fees, a US$99 pair of boots could end up costing nearly AUS$300.

Yes, it can be quite costly buying from the US. At the moment though, our currency rates are almost neck and neck.

On the other hand, until this happened (the currencies almost aligning) it worked to my advantage. When I transfered money from my PayPal account US$400 became way more than AUD$500.

The postage and customs duty (when applicable) are the real killers. I bought something recently and the delivery charge to Australia was nine times the cost of the product itself.



Cheryl

[J Elizabeth Dize]

Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe

Jenn, see if you agree with me on this...

One thing I learned is that people trust Amazon, so that when you recommend a product, you don't have to cloak your links or try to hide the relationship.

I usually put a blurb right on the "About" page telling people why they should order from Amazon, kind of a pre-sell for the merchant. They don't have to worry about whether they trust me or not - they're buying from someone they do trust.

Absolutely, John! Amazon is incredibly trusted in these parts. I am always confident to tout Amazon as having the lowest prices on my affiliate sites, because it's true! They have the lowest price (for the areas they cater to), free shipping, etc.

I'm a comparison shopper, and I always end up at Amazon. So I feel good about directing people to that site through my affiliate link, because it's where I shop myself. They are magnificent at the upsell.

I don't worry about cloaking my links for Amazon, either

Originally Posted by cherylwright

To be honest, I had no idea Amazon sold most of those things!

I'm going to sound like a newbie here, but what is IPK? It's possible I just don't know the abbreviation...

Thanks for the info; it sounds like I need to take a totally different approach with Amazon.





Cheryl

Hi Cheryl,
InfoProductKiller.com - Make Money Online at Christmas -- Info Product Killer -- it's a really great method. Sort of reminiscent of Niche Marketing on Crack (due to focusing tightly on one product or niche), but focused on physical products/Amazon.

They have a "Christmas" method, and a year-round method to building quickly little affiliate sites that pull in sales. And it really works

[kevinw1]

Seconded on IPK, and the very real ability to make money on Amazon.

The only thing I don't agree with is their advice to buy domains with brand names in them. While you can get away with it for a while, eventually it will come back to bite you, possibly big time. Choose keyword phrases to buy domains for which don't have a brand name in them.

[cherylwright]

Originally Posted by Jenn Dize

Hi Cheryl,
InfoProductKiller.com - Make Money Online at Christmas -- Info Product Killer -- it's a really great method. Sort of reminiscent of Niche Marketing on Crack (due to focusing tightly on one product or niche), but focused on physical products/Amazon.

They have a "Christmas" method, and a year-round method to building quickly little affiliate sites that pull in sales. And it really works

Gawd, I should have realized. Thanks.

Sounds like you really like the program....





Cheryl

[Tom Goodwin]

Originally Posted by cherylwright

Er.... it's not quite that simple.





Cheryl

If you pick your keywords correctly, it really is that simply to get to the top of google.

[Tom Goodwin]

Originally Posted by kevinw1

Seconded on IPK, and the very real ability to make money on Amazon.

The only thing I don't agree with is their advice to buy domains with brand names in them. While you can get away with it for a while, eventually it will come back to bite you, possibly big time. Choose keyword phrases to buy domains for which don't have a brand name in them.

To be honest, I think it depends on what sort of effort you think you need to put into a site. If I can get a micro niche site up and running and pretty much on autopilot on 1days work, i'll put the brand name in it no problem. If I get a request to dump the domain i would dump the domain.

[Tom Goodwin]

Originally Posted by cherylwright

Absolutely agree.

Why promote a product that pays 10-40 cents, occassionally $1 or more on a more expensive product (3-6% I believe) when you can find a good affiliate program where you can get $12 and upwards per sale? (Generally 50% or more.)

Just to qualify that, would you find a $15 product on Clickbank and then promote it if you were going to get 40 cents out of it? I doubt it, but that's what happens when you promote an Amazon product.




cheryl

I think that comes down to picking the better Amazon products. The average price of the amazon products that I pimp is over $100, so although not huge money, were are still talking about appreciable amounts for each commission. I'm not putting together an amazon page to sell $10 lunch boxes ;-)