Best Affiliate Programs Accepting Beginners

This action plan may not sound like it's all that complicated, and that's because it's not. It's really not that hard to start earning regular affiliate commissions. The hard part is to stick with the process and don't look for shortcuts.

Once you've been in the internet marketing world for a while, you'll see lots of offers for the latest & greatest "systems" for making money.

Some of those systems will be legitimate and some will be smoke and mirrors. But if you let yourself lose focus on what you're working on, you'll never see the results you want.

Stay focused on the goal and don't believe all the "push button" systems that you'll see. It might take a bit of time, and may even a few attempts, to get the results you want but you will get them if you stick with it and learn from your experiences.

There are a number of large affiliate programs, or networks of more specialized offers, that you can use to promote them.

Amazon Associates Program

Amazon carries products in many different categories, and you can promote nearly all of them as an affiliate. The above link takes you to their US website. If you're targeting other countries, most local Amazon sites (Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, etc.) have their own programs that you need to sign up for independently.

Amazon Associates Program

eBay Partner Network

The eBay Partner Network is similar to Amazon, in that you can promote products in all kinds of different markets. EPN is a good program, but be forewarned that it is difficult to get accepted and can take some time. If you want to sign up as an eBay affiliate, you should have an existing website that you can include in your application (and it should be high-quality, both content- and design-wise) and you should be prepared to wait for some time before being accepted.

eBay Partner Network

Commission Junction

Commission Junction is a network that manages the affiliate programs for many other companies. You can find offers in various markets here. As with eBay, it's best if you have a website already up and running before applying. Many vendors will only work with you if you have something to show them when applying.

Commission Junction

Linkshare

Linkshare is another network that handles the affiliate programs for many other companies. Once again, it's a good idea to have a website up and running before applying with Linkshare

Linkshare

ShareASale

Another network that works with vendors in various markets. ShareASale is not as difficult to work with as the previous couple of networks, so it's not as critical to have your website up and running prior to applying.

ShareASale

Clickbank

Clickbank focuses mainly on products such as ebooks and other digitally delivered items. They handle the affiliate program for products in all sorts of different markets and niches, so if your market is one that is suited for information products, this can be a good place to find offers to promote. Their sign-up process is fast and straightforward with no real need to have your website up and running prior to joining.

Clickbank

Private Affiliate Programs

Many companies run their own in-house affiliate programs that won't be listed in any of the above networks. If there is a specific product or service that you would like to promote, check their website to see if they offer an affiliate program. There will usually be a link to it from the home page or from the site map. If you don't have a specific product in mind but want to find offers related to your market, the easiest way is to search Google for keywords in your market plus "affiliate" or "affiliate program."