Hey there, and welcome to your first steps to make money online – My name is Paul and this is exactly what I can show you how to do.
You have obviously come to this page as you have been looking into making money online or working from home which is exactly what I have been doing for the past 5 years.
In this time I have managed to build three affiliate marketing websites that have earned passive income online – all by using the same tools and doing the same things that I will show you here.
So, if you are looking to earn some extra cash, change your income streams or simply set yourself up to work anywhere in the world (I have worked and earned passive income whilst travelling overseas myself), then keep reading.
Who is this for?
Look, the beauty of this process is that it can be achieved by absolutely anyone including:
- Students
- Stay at home parents
- Retirees
- Those working full time
And even those of you just looking for a little side income to pay off some debt or pay for that extra vacation each year.
And best of all, you can set up your online business on ANY subject you like. That’s right, you get to work on, test and write about the things YOU like to talk about and get paid for it!
What I Do Is Called Affiliate Marketing
Ok, so there are plenty of ways to make money online however the method I have been working with is affiliate marketing.
Affiliate marketing is an online marketing strategy where businesses (merchants) partner with individuals or other businesses (affiliates) to promote their products or services.
In short, affiliates earn a commission for generating sales, leads or traffic for the merchant by using their own marketing efforts such as websites, blogs, social media, email lists or other channels.
The process typically works as follows:
- Affiliates sign up for an affiliate program offered by a merchant or through an affiliate network, which connects merchants and affiliates.
- Affiliates receive unique tracking links or codes to share with their audience. These links or codes are used to track the traffic and sales generated by the affiliate.
- Affiliates promote the merchant’s products or services using their marketing channels such as creating content, sharing on social media, or sending out emails to their subscribers.
- When a user clicks on an affiliate link and completes a specific action (like making a purchase or signing up for a service), the affiliate earns a commission. The action and commission structure are predetermined by the merchant or affiliate program.
- Commissions are typically paid out on a regular basis, such as monthly or quarterly, after a specific threshold is met.
In simpler, say I have an affiliate site based on sewing. You will write a post all about your favorite sewing machine telling your readers about what it does, pros, cons and why you use it etc.
You then add a link to your post where readers can buy the machine based on your recommendation. The reader buys the machine from the merchant and you receive a commission on that sale.
How Much Do Affiliate Marketers Earn?
The amount of money you can make as an affiliate marketer can vary widely depending on several factors, such as the industry, products or services promoted, commission structure and the effectiveness of your marketing efforts. Some affiliate marketers make only a few hundred dollars per month, while others can earn thousands or even millions of dollars annually.
Let’s however have a look using our sewing machine example above:
- Let’s suppose you are promoting trail running shoes that cost $200.
- For each machine you promote and sell, you’ll earn a 10% commission ($20 a sale).
- You run a website that get 10,000 visitors a month that promotes these machines.
- Every month, your website gets 100 sales.
- 100 sales X $10 commissions per shoe = $2,000 earned (every month).
While there’s no guarantee of a specific income level in affiliate marketing, with the right strategy, dedication, and continuous learning, it’s possible to make a substantial income from this type of online business.
Oh, and if you want to change direction, I recently sold a site that I had been working on for 18 months for $45,000 as well.
How Hard Is It To Set Up?
Look, I am not going to lie. This is no get rich quick scheme and as with any business you will need to take some time to work hard and get everything set up properly before you start to see an income.
And as with anything to do with setting up an online business, there are a lot of people out there with different ideas about how to get this all up and running.
When I started, I worked with this simple 4 step formula:
Step 1: Choose an Interest
Have you ever looked at someone else and said “How lucky are they that they get to work in area that they love!”. Well guess what, this is your opportunity to do the same as again, the advantage you have here is that you can build an online business based on absolutely any subject that you like.
This can be either:
- Something you are passionate about – such as a hobby or skill
- An area you have expert knowledge in
- A subject where you can help people
And to tell the truth, can even be something that you want to learn about yourself – yep, you can learn as you go! I mean what is better than spending your days researching and writing about something you love?
I personally have made affiliate marketing revenue selling:
- Fishing gear
- Camping gear
- Luggage
- Software programs
- Activewear
In website geek speak, the subject you will be working on is usually referred to as your niche!
Step 2 – Build a Website
A website is the tool we use to talk about our niche in order to earn income. Now, creating a website can be a daunting task for many however it really is not as difficult as you may think.
To start with, let’s address the most common question I receive: What if I get it wrong?”.
The answer? You really can’t! Now you can do things you don’t like, or don’t work for your audience of course. However if this does occur – which it will – you can change anything you like within seconds! It really is that easy.
Step 3 – Attract Visitors
For this next part, think about a normal brick and mortar store. You can stock it with products but how do people know that you are there? Getting people to visit your website – called traffic – is what this part is all about.
You may have heard terms such as Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and keywords however again, this does not have to be complicated.
I have to be honest here – there are some technical integrations to set up but once that is out the way, all you need to do is write about your passion – that’s it!
Step 4 – Earn Revenue
Ok, elephant in the room, this is what it is all about – making money. And as above this can be via Affiliate marketing which is what I do. However, you can also use this process to:
- Dropshipping
- Selling your own products
- Network marketing
You can also run advertising on your site as well.
Is Affiliate Marketing Ethical?
As with anything to do with selling products online, affiliate marketing, in itself, can be ethical or unethical depending on how it is approached and implemented.
When done responsibly and transparently, affiliate marketing can be a legitimate and ethical way for content creators to monetize their platforms and for businesses to reach new audiences.
Here are some practices that can help ensure your affiliate marketing activities are ethical:
- Disclosure: Clearly disclose your affiliate relationships to your audience, informing them that you may receive a commission for purchases made through your affiliate links. This helps maintain trust and transparency with your audience.
- Promote products you genuinely believe in: Only promote products or services that you have tried, tested, or genuinely believe in. This way, you avoid misleading your audience or promoting low-quality products just for the sake of earning a commission.
- Provide valuable content: Focus on providing valuable and informative content that benefits your audience, rather than solely concentrating on promoting products. This helps maintain the integrity of your platform and fosters trust among your followers.
- Be honest in your reviews and recommendations: When reviewing or recommending a product, share both the positive aspects and potential drawbacks. Your audience will appreciate your honesty and will be more likely to trust your recommendations in the future.
- Don’t always go for the highest product: Unethical would be promoting $1,000 products to your readers when a $50 product could solve that problem just as well. By all means offer the high ticket items, but incorporate the budget options as well – as ling as they are worth it of course.
How To Get Started (For free)
When it comes to my affiliate marketing websites, I started out by utilizing the training at Wealthy Affiliate.
Wealthy Affiliate is an online platform designed to assist those looking to set up an online business in a transparent and ethical manner.
I joined the program myself back in 2018 after trying quite a few programs where I paid good money for not much in return. Within 2 weeks of joining Wealthy Affiliate, I had a website created and was well on the way to earning my first dollar – which I managed within the next month.
How Does Wealthy Affiliate Work?
So to make things a little simpler, I will outline the highlights below:
- Training – The training is where it all starts within Wealthy Affiliate and comprehensively runs you through all of the four steps above step by step.
- Classes – On top of the set training, Wealthy Affiliate also offers a massive range of live classes covering all aspects of building an online business including:
- Website Hosting – Website hosting is included within Wealthy Affiliate
- Keyword Research Platform – Keywords for a major part in increasing traffic to your website. Jaaxy is Wealthy Affiliate’s own keyword research tool that allows you to write posts with the confidence of knowing that you are giving yourself the best chance of matching the needs of your readers.
- Support – One of the most impressive and important features of the Wealthy Affiliate platform is it support functions. This is where you will go as you work through the training to get assistance with all of those little things that don’t come up until you start to start building your site.
- Affiliate Program search – a key part of affiliate marketing is finding affiliate programs to access and promote. With Wealthy Affiliate’s Affiliate Programs section, you can locate suitable programs to offer as part of your own site.
At the end of the day, Wealthy Affiliate is the very program that I used to get my affiliate marketing websites up and running and in all honestly, I wouldn’t even have the very site you are reading right now had I not used it.
What about others?
Now of course every person is different and absolutely there are those who have joined this program and not made a cent for any number of reasons. On the other hand there are many that have such as below:
And to answer another question, yes these are real people who you can absolutely talk to and pick their brains as well.
How Much Does It Cost?
Wealthy Affiliate offers three memberships:
- Starter (this is where you’ll want to begin if you’re just looking to get your feet wet). It’s risk free. Join here.
- Premium ($49/month) and it unlocks all the training, tools and help.
- Premium Plus ($99/month) includes access to expert classes (plus all benefits in Premium).
Most people who join Wealthy Affiliate do so risk free via the Free Starter Membership – which is where I would suggest you start!
As per most online platforms, the starter membership provides for enough access to get a website started. There is no time limit to the starter membership meaning you can really take your time to work it all out.
From there however, as with any business you will probably need to make an investment into your success with either membership option as above. And if you go yearly, you can not only save some cash, but also give yourself some time to really get things moving as well.
Can You Talk To Me?
Of course, I am a real person as will be there to help you all the way with answers to any questions you may have. I also have some great bonuses on offer as well!
Any other questions or comments? Let me know below.