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US Affiliate Programs - UK based Website

by HowToBeHappyGal
2 replies
Hi
Apologies if this question has been addressed before - it probably has, but I can't find it...

I'm almost finished creating my website (I used SiteBuildit) and have applied to a couple of US affiliate programs (shippable goods) and both applications have been immediately declined.

My website is very new so I have no real traffice yet so I checked the box with the lowest number of visitors to site (I'll be checking out the many "how to get traffic" threads) and wondered if this was why I was declined, but I have the feeling it's because I live in the UK even though my website is targeted at US readers.

I don't understand why I can't be an affiliate for US shippable products just because I don't live in the US even though anyone buying the products through my site will. Surely that's the whole point of affiliate marketing - you can live anywhere and sell anything to anyone on your website.

My website is about survival prepping and the 2 programs that declined were Emergency Essentials and Nitro Pak. I haven't tried Amazon yet - I've read it's best to apply as an affiliate on both US and UK sites.
If my location is the reason I've been refused it's really disappointing (understatement!) as I've spent months doing research then writing quality content. I do have links to a couple of Clickbank products, but the shippable products were going to be my main focus.

Has anyone else had this problem?
All and any advice on my next move gratefully received.
#affiliate #affiliate programs #based #programs #website
  • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
    Banned
    Hi Teresa,

    This isn't a UK-based website, I think? It's a US-based website owned by a UK-resident? (Two different things, from a traffic perspective, because UK-hosted sites rank a little better on Google.co.uk at the cost of not ranking quite so highly on Google.com searches. So if you want US traffic, and SEO is one of the ways you're planning to get traffic, a site hosted in the US is correct for you. And SBI sites are hosted in the US, I think? ).

    Regarding affiliate programs, there are some (in the US) who accept only US residents, but (a) if so, it "should" say so clearly on their website (but it doesn't always), and (b) they "should" say when they decline you, if that's the reason, really.

    In any case, I think you should ask them why you were declined.

    I take your point that "it shouldn't matter" but I suspect it's sometimes something to do with US tax/administrative requirements.

    Many US affiliate programs do accept overseas affiliates, but require us to complete a form (effectively declaring that we're not US taxpayers and that the company therefore doesn't need to do anything regarding our tax liabilities). Others just accept us and don't do that. (Who knows why?).

    Good luck, but you clearly need clarification from the companies concerned: there's no point in re-applying if they won't accept a UK-resident. On the other hand, there might some minor change you could make to your site which might result in acceptance, but you're perhaps not going to find out, if you don't ask them directly? They vary, in other words.

    For Amazon, as you say, you need to apply separately to each national Amazon company of which you want to be an affiliate (it's comparatively easy, though, with Amazon).
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  • Profile picture of the author HowToBeHappyGal
    Thanks Alexa
    Yes you're right, I'd expressed it wrongly.
    My site is US hosted but I live in the UK
    I will definitely ask them why I was declined
    Thanks for your help - much appreciated
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