Online Shopping

Online Shopping affiliate programs are a wonderful opportunity to begin making money promoting big brands. This includes big-box retailers and major online shopping channels to small mom & pop shops. The competition in this online shopping affiliate space is tough – with it being one of the largest and most popular – but the market size and demand makes it viable for anyone looking to earn an online income. The online shopping market is also one of the easiest to enter because you’re a consumer. The items you’ll promote are the very same items you purchase and recommend to others. As a partner in online shopping affiliate programs, you’ll gain the backing of well-known brands, great pricing, and strong support. With trillions spent every year on retail good… you’ll love promoting these programs.

The Retail & Online Shopping Niche: What You Need to Know

The retail niche (and online shopping niche) is tremendous. There are many businesses still yet to launch their online stores (surprisingly) but all the major brands are represented. To put things into perspective: 96% of Americans shop online. Not only are they shopping online but they’re using phones in store to do comparison pricing. They’ll even buy products from competitors when wandering the isles! Why do people enjoy online retail?
  • Competitive pricing
  • Convenience
  • Selection
The selection is what makes this one of the most exciting niches to be in. We’re all consumers… … and that means everyone is looking to buy products. They could:
  1. Go to the store and deal with people
  2. Shop from the comfort of their home
A niche site or blog in the retail and online shopping space fulfills this want and need for the latter. The site also acts as a third-party voice versus the usual bombardment of marketing messages. The result? People trust online reviews and suggestions because they’re transparent. This puts you in an awesome position to earn affiliate income promoting online shopping offers.

The Online Shopping and Retail Industry: By the Numbers

Just how large is the retail industry? Check this out:
  • Retail sales hit $5.7 trillion in 2017 (a 42% increase since 2007)
  • 40% of U.S. shoppers do so online at least several times per month
  • 73% of online shoppers did so on Cyber Monday in 2016
  • The eCommerce side of total global retail will reach 17.5% by 2021
  • Americans spent $31.8 billion in just Q4 of 2017
Physical retail has seen a slump but it’s quickly rebounding. Online shopping has seen its growth go up by leaps and bounds. Simply put: We love online shopping. This, combined with how easy it is to launch an online store these days, and you’ve got an unlimited option with your promotions. You could build a massive affiliate ecommerce store or add individual promotions within your posts, roundups, and reviews. If you link it… they’ll likely buy!

Why Promote Online Shopping Affiliate Programs and Online Retail Offers

The U.S. is spending nearly a billion dollars every day online. This skyrockets when you dig into the global stats – with China being one of the fastest B2C marketplaces in the world. What are people buying the most – here are the top 10:
  1. Fashion
  2. Travel
  3. Books/Music
  4. IT & Mobile
  5. Event Tickets
  6. Consumer Electronics
  7. Furniture & Décor
  8. Video Games
  9. Beauty & Personal Care
  10. Restaurant & Meal Kits
But here’s the thing… The market is so massive that you could promote any retail category and have incredible potential to earn an affiliate income. You could go for tough competition in these top 10 or niche down and promote highly-specific items barely known and still do well. The other bonus… Most major retail stores offer affiliate programs! This means you get to earn by promoting products people already love and buy. You’re promoting well-known, established brands – making it far easier than trying to convince someone to subscribe to a service or buy something from someone unknown. Plus, a lot of the items you’ll likely promote – you already own!

How Retail and Online Shopping Affiliates Make Money

There are several ways online shopping affiliates make money with their blogs and campaigns – including:
  • Reviews
  • Sponsorships
  • Affiliate ecommerce sites
  • Solo campaigns
  • Email newsletters
  • Roundups and lists
  • Buyer’s guides
Here’s a small sample of how it’s done:
  • Reviews – Look at any popular blog covering retail items and you’ll find entire sections dedicated to reviews. These sites use reviews not only to inform their community but to link to product pages – earning them a commission.
  • Gift Guides – It’s hard figuring out the “best gift” for someone when there are so many products to choose. Gift guides are an awesome way to earn affiliate income because you’re presenting options. Online shopping affiliate programs pay for the entire sale, so these partners earn extra if the person decides to shop a little more when they’re on the site.
  • Buyer’s Guides – Think of all the items you’d need before getting into an activity. You can’t start painting without supplies! A buyer’s guide lays out everything someone needs to explore a bigger topic (ex. A hobby). Someone really committed to exploring it will likely buy one or all items listed in the guide.
  • Campaigns – New product launches? That gets the market hyped! Newsletters are a great channel for these promotions. Social media is great for this, too. If you can time the market and get people excited about a product then you’ll get clicks through your partner link.
  • Affiliate eCom Sites – These act like ecommerce stores without having to stock products. They’re set up the same way but point people to pages through an affiliate link instead.
  • Coupons – Everyone looks for coupons before buying stuff online. You’ll find many online shopping affiliate programs offering coupons & deals. You’d list these alongside a review or mention and get an easy commission!
These are but a few ways to monetize a blog promoting retail and online shopping items. There are hundreds of different ways to include retail links on a site if you’re crafty. Promotion in this space comes down to this:
  1. Create great content about a product, lifestyle, or trend
  2. Optimize it like crazy with keywords, media, and backlinks
  3. Get people sharing the content and discussing the product
There’s really no difference between what you’re doing now with your blog or social. Except, now you’re adding links to those products and brands you love. And, earning a commission when someone buys.

Start Earning Promoting the Brands You Love

Becoming an online shopping affiliate marketer is, by far, the easiest way to monetize your blog or campaigns. The market selection is massive. Spending is tremendous. Trends are going up and up! What do you do now?
  1. Browse our online shopping affiliate directory
  2. Find a brand you and your community love
  3. Join and add affiliate links to your site
  4. Create great content about the products
  5. Get it shared and ranking in search
Start with brands you know or find products you’ve talked about. Then, dig deeper into their competitors to give your community something fresh and unique. You’re going to love being a retail & online shopping affiliate marketer!
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