Become an Amazon Associate

If you have a website or blog and want to monetize it, the Amazon Associates program is a good way to add affiliate money making opportunities. With this program, you can add links to any item on Amazon's site to your website and get commission when someone clicks the link or makes a purchase. While Amazon's commission structure is relatively low, the program offers many advantages and is very easy to use. You can create an aStore, which is an individual site showing the Amazon products that you choose to sell. You can let Amazon suggest products and include a link on your blog. You can also add individual products to your site for a customized look. While earning substantial income will take time, work and patience, it's worth checking out the program and learning how to become an Amazon Associate.

Steps

  1. Set up your website or blog. To apply for the Amazon Associates program, you will need a website address, and will also have to be able to describe what your website is about, other advertising or affiliate listings on your site and who your target audience is.
  2. Go to Amazon.com. If you already have an account with Amazon, log in. This will list the Associates Account under your existing Amazon account; if you want it to be separate, create a new Amazon account first. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click "Join Associates."
  3. Click "join for free." Then click "New Customer" on the login screen. You will have to enter your name and email address and choose a password to create an account.
  4. Fill in the application fields. Enter your name, address, city, state, zip code and other contact information.
  5. Get familiar with the features and setup of an Amazon Associates account; learn how to become an Amazon Associate and have success with the program. On the left side of the page are tools for Amazon Associates. You can find discussion forums, the Associates blog, and help features to learn more about the program.
  6. Enter the name of your website and its URL. Answer questions about your website, including its topics and what it's about.
  7. Read the Amazon Associates agreement and click "finish."
  8. Wait for a notification from Amazon that your account has been approved. Once approved, you can start adding affiliate products to your website.
  9. Click reports to get a preview of how your earnings and clicks are reported.
  10. Review information about various selling options to get an idea of how to use your Associates account. Learn about the Associates Site Stripe, which allows you to add items from any Amazon page to your aStore or website. Review the aStore program to see if this is a good option for your website.

Tips

  • Log onto Amazon with your affiliate log on. Look for products you know your friends and family will like. Once you find your product, share the link on social media, making sure your affiliate code is in the link. This way, you can earn a little extra on everything sold on Amazon's main page.
  • If you have a Twitter account, and want to earn money from Amazon with your affiliate link, simply grab the link to the product, and shorten it, using a service like bit.ly. This lets you share the link quickly on Twitter, while still giving your followers the same benefit as if you sent them the full, long link.
  • If you are using your own website make you sure do not use link cloaking and you make it clear you will be sending traffic to Amazon

Warnings

  • Affiliate links may not work on some products offered by Amazon merchants. Be sure to keep up with the TOS as Amazon does change policies a few times a year.

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