How To Become An Amazon Affiliate (2024 Update): Is It Worth Your Time?

In this Amazon Affiliate review, we’ll dive into the pros and cons of the program.

But before that, let’s ask ourselves: Is affiliate marketing even a worthwhile business model?

On the one hand, the promise is great…

You don’t have to create products or worry about fulfillment, customer service, or bad reviews.

Your only job is to get the right customers in front of the right offer and take a commission when they buy.

And - theoretically - you can do it all in an hour a day from the beach.

Sounds simple, right?

Well, not really. Driving traffic (that’s internet speak for getting customers) is single-handedly the hardest part of the entire marketing process.

Later in this review, we’ll talk about all the different skills you need to drive traffic successfully.

For now, let’s just say the promise doesn’t really match up with reality.

At best, affiliate marketing is a job. You’re working for someone else, selling their products, and at any time, they can change your commission structure or block you from selling their stuff entirely.

In this business, you don’t really own or control anything. Since - for the most part - you’re driving traffic (again, the hardest job of all) and sending it to someone else, you don’t even get to keep the customers, who are the most valuable piece of the puzzle.

At worst, affiliate marketing is a pyramid scheme. Certain - ahem - programs charge you a monthly “membership fee” under the guise that you will learn how to be a “wealthy affiliate marketer.”

Once you join; however, you find out the only way to really make money is by being an affiliate for that program.

That’s pretty much the textbook definition of a pyramid scheme.

Now, let’s say you really want that hour-a-day-work-from-the-beach lifestyle.

What if there was a way you could build a passive income stream that’s actually passive?

An income stream that doesn’t require:

• Thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours before seeing your first dollar
• Doing all the hard work of driving traffic to only get a tiny commission
• Running your business on someone else’s terms

An income stream that brings in consistent monthly revenues (from a couple of thousand dollars to well over $10,000)?

An income stream you could actually build in your spare time and grow as large or as small as you want to, without having to spend hours a day testing, tweaking, and risking your money in the hope you can finally start making sales?

If that sounds like something you’d be interested in, check out Digital Real Estate. 

This is like taking all the good parts from affiliate marketing (however few there are), and putting aside all the bad.

However, if you’d still like to know more about how to become an Amazon Affiliate, keep reading.

What Is The Amazon Affiliate Program?

Amazon's affiliate program is known simply as Amazon Associates, allowing you to earn a commission on sales of nearly any product listed on the Amazon marketplace.

Anyone can sign up for Amazon Associates without spending a dime, and it's a decent way to get started in affiliate marketing.

As an Amazon Associate, you may create short affiliate links to practically any product on the marketplace and see your reports, clicks, and earnings in a particular backend area.

How to Become an Amazon Affiliate

Create A Website Or Blog

To be an Amazon Associate, you need a website, blog, app, or YouTube channel. Pre-populating that site with the material makes it appear dynamic and legitimate to users and Amazon.

You must explain your website's objective during the application process. Therefore, know why you're developing your site, who you'll target, and how to attract traffic.

In other words, there are some standards for who Amazon is willing to accept for this program.

Navigate To The Amazon Associates Homepage And Click "Sign Up"

Create an Amazon Associates account to become an affiliate. Click sign up on the Amazon Associates page. After that, you'll be asked to create one or log in to your existing Amazon account.

Enter Your Account Information

Fill out your account information, including the payee's name, address, and phone number.

Enter Your Website Address

Add your apps, YouTube channels, and websites.

Enter Your Preferred Store ID

Enter your selected store ID (usually the same as your principal website name), explain your website's goals, and select Amazon themes you think your links will likely target.

Explain How You Attract Traffic To Your Site

Explain how you attract traffic to your websites, use your websites or apps to make money, establish links, and how many visitors your site gets each month.

You'll need to come a little prepared for this evaluation.

Choose Your Payment Method

After applying, you can enter payment and tax details. Associates Central now allows you to create affiliate links.

Create Amazon Affiliate Links

Your custom Associate webpage awaits you once you've signed up. Here you can check important performance metrics such as overall earnings, monthly earnings, and total clicks.

Here are some ways to promote Amazon affiliate links:

1. Resources page
2. Emails
3. Product review posts
4. Roundup posts
5. Tutorial posts
6. YouTube channel/videos
7. Social media
8. Podcast episodes and show notes

Requirements To Become An Amazon Affiliate

It's not too difficult to join the Amazon Associates affiliate program. However, not everyone is accepted.

If you break any rules, your Amazon affiliate account may be terminated permanently. There isn't always a great warning process for this either, and forgiveness is even rarer.

• Online Presence - You need some sort of digital presence, such as a website, app, blog, or YouTube channel, to become an Amazon affiliate.
• **Privacy Policy -**To join the Amazon affiliate marketing program, you need a website or blog with a privacy policy.
• Content Eligibility - To join the Amazon Associates program, your content must not be vulgar, violent, fraudulent, deceptive, or encourage discrimination, illegal activities, involving children, Amazon trademarks, or intellectual property rights.
• 3 Sales to Qualify - Amazon associates are in the "approval phase" for 180 days. Your links must generate three qualified sales within six months...and using your own Amazon Affiliate link to cheat the system violates your affiliate agreement, so don't bother trying that one.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

Before becoming an Amazon associate, it's important to read the rules, restrictions, and requirements.

Amazon Associates is a decent way to make money, but breaching a guideline can ban your account. Amazon affiliates should avoid these common mistakes:

• Not being honest about your affiliation with Amazon.
• Only apps and plugins that automatically refresh prices using the Amazon Associates API can show prices on a website or social media page.
• Hiding your Amazon affiliate links or shortening them is not recommended. If you need to shorten links, use Amazon's SiteStripe service.
• Sending in a promotion application before you're ready to draw in the viewers. After all, your account will be deleted if you do not generate any revenue within the first six months.
• It is prohibited to use email marketing when promoting affiliate links.
• Do not promote affiliate links in print or digital books, PDFs, or any other marketing material outside social media posts or website content.

The Associates crew (basically moderators) also inspects digital properties, including web and mobile apps and social media profiles. They want content that is regularly updated, has a unique perspective, and benefits Amazon customers.

How Much Does The Amazon Affiliate Program Pay?

Your earnings from the Amazon Affiliate program might be anywhere from $100 to $20,000, depending on how many customers you bring in. Earnings in the Amazon affiliate program are calculated as a percentage of sales.

In other words, it's up to you.

Is Amazon Affiliate A Scam?

So, is Amazon Affiliate a scam? Not technically. You can make money with this program, but making money with affiliate marketing definitely isn’t as easy as the company makes it sound.

Driving traffic is extremely difficult. In order to do it successfully, you need to at least understand all these things, if not be a ninja at them:

• Copywriting
• Google Ads
• Facebook Ads
• Content Writing
• Website Building
• Conversion Optimization
• Automation
• Email Marketing
• Click Tracking
• Retargeting/Remarketing
• SEO
• Backlinking

And a lot more.

There’s a ton of work to be done upfront, no real guarantee of success, and - most importantly - the actual commissions are pretty small.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with front-loading the work and making the money later.

But if you’re grinding it out for 3 months and your reward is a $50 commission, it’s not worth it.

What if, instead, you could do that same 3 months of work (in your spare time), and your reward was a $500 to $2,000 payment that came in every single month?

And what if you only needed 1 or 2 of the above skills to get started instead of mastering all 12 before seeing your first dollar?

And what if you actually didn’t need to wait 3 months? What if you could get started today and have your first payment in a week?

And what if you could double it next week?

Well, that’s the power of Digital Real Estate. 

Your laptop and an internet connection are all you need.

Some of the most successful students in this program run their entire 6-figure businesses from:

• A camper in the middle of the woods
• A beach chair on the water in Mexico
• A small villa in Greece

They’re able to travel around, living their lives first and focusing on their income second.

Because even if they stop working for an extended period of time, the money keeps coming in.

So adventure, memories, and experience are the top priority.

And they never have to worry about how to pay for the next trip, or consider asking for time off.

If this sounds more like the type of life you want to lead, just click here to find out more about Digital Real Estate.

Are There Alternatives To How To Become An Amazon Affiliate?

Yes, there are plenty of Affiliate Marketing programs and resources to choose from if you want to pursue this business model.  Here are just a few:

• Affiliate Marketing Mastery
• Amazon Affiliate Marketing
• Commission Junction
• Wealthy Affiliate
• Clickbank

What Is My Top Recommendation For Making Money In 2024?

Our review team has spent months researching, reviewing, and vetting dozens of business models and thousands of programs.

While there may be no “perfect business,” the research IS conclusive:

Digital Real Estate is the #1 online business model for those just starting out. 

Whether you’ve never made a dollar online or been in this space for a while but never really “made it,” Digital Real Estate is for you.

Why?

1) It’s Flexible: got an hour a day? You can do this. Ready to drop everything else and dive in full-time? You can do this. Yes, the more time you put in, the faster you see results. But even with a little time each day, you can move the needle in a Digital Real Estate business.

And because this system is so flexible, you don’t have to constantly be working to make more money. It’s called PASSIVE INCOME because if you stop working, the money doesn’t.

Imagine taking 3 months off to just tour around Europe, rent a cabin in the woods to write a book, hike the Appalachian Trail, or live on the beach and surf all day.

This is only possible if you have an income stream that’s not tied to your time.

2) You Own & Control EVERYTHING: With Affiliate Marketing, you don’t really own anything. You have no control over the quality of products. You don’t even own customers.

Look at the fine print for most affiliate agreements. At any point, the company can change your commission structure, reduce your profit margins, or kick you out entirely.

With Digital Real Estate, you own the assets, which means you have all the power and all the control.

3) Little To No Startup Costs: It’s possible to get into Digital Real Estate with zero dollars upfront. Because, using the strategies outlined in this program, you can get a client to pay you BEFORE spending a penny out of your own pocket...even before you do any work.

Even without getting paid in advance, you can have your first Digital Rental Property up, running, and generating profits for less than $100.

4) Easy To Duplicate: Ok, here’s the best part: once you have your first Digital Rental Property up and running, you can literally DOUBLE your income with a few clicks, a couple of keystrokes, and a single phone call (and you don’t actually need the phone call).

Remember: each Digital Rental Property is worth $500 to $2,000 monthly in semi-passive income (over 95% profit). Every time you decide to create another one and increase your income, it gets easier.

Because you have more knowledge, more experience, more results, and more momentum.

If you wanted to double your income with affiliate marketing, you’d have to double your traffic, double the average order size of each customer, OR double your commission rate. And, guaranteed, that’s a lot harder than a few clicks and a few minutes of your life.

5) Make Money Helping Real People: This part is what makes it all worth it. With affiliate marketing, you’re selling the product with the best commission rate, NOT the one that will improve most people’s lives.

And that makes it pretty hard to sleep at night.

But with Digital Real Estate, you’re actually helping people by solving your clients’ biggest problem:

Small, local businesses need more customers, and with Digital Real Estate, you are unleashing a flood of happy, paying customers for these businesses.

You make money by helping them make money.

Not a big, faceless corporation either...a small business owner who’s using that money to put food on the table for their family, start a college fund for their kids, or take care of a sick parent.

Once you see how Digital Real Estate makes a real impact in the lives of real people, you’ll sleep like a baby with a big smile on your face.

Now, the choice is yours. You could continue browsing, looking at opportunities like becoming an Amazon Affiliate which could one day make you money.

You could continue researching, never making a decision.

OR, you could take a look inside, consider what you really want, and join a program that makes your dreams a reality. At the same time, joining a community of over 2,000 successful students that are living life on their own terms, thanks to Digital Real Estate.

A consistent, reliable, semi-passive stream of income that doesn’t depend on you or your time to keep producing profits.

All while genuinely helping real people who are grateful and happy to pay for it.

If this sounds more like what you want out of life (or if you just want some nice side income), click here to learn more about Digital Real Estate.