Category: Marketing Automation

Every day, thousands of publishers benefit from a recurring cash inflow by partnering up with other companies via affiliate programs.
Affiliate marketing is one of the best ways to monetize your blog, especially when you don’t sell products or services. Joining an affiliate program can get you exclusive access to new content and special deals for your audience — all while earning you more money.
There are many types of affiliate programs, ranging from online courses to website builders to marketing and business affiliates. Here, we’re going to explore the best affiliate programs with the highest earning potential to ensure you can make money off the content you provide.
But first — what exactly is an affiliate program?

To further understand affiliate programs, let’s consider an example. Wirecutter.com, a New York Times company, is a website that lists product recommendations for shoppers. Wirecutter largely earns commission based on affiliate relationships with retailers.
The publication’s affiliate monetization model might make you doubt the legitimacy of its recommendations — but, in fact, it’s quite the opposite.
Wirecutter only makes commission when a reader purchases a product from an affiliate retailer and doesn’t return the product. Wirecutter, then, has no incentive to promote inferior products. If they did, they’d make less money and turn away readers.
How do affiliates make money?
The affiliate gets a unique link (an “affiliate link”) from which clicks can be tracked — typically using cookies. The cookie then tracks the user to see if they make a purchase. If they do within an allotted amount of time, then the affiliate will earn commission.
Each cookie has a “length” or “cookie life”, which simply define how long the cookie will be tracking the user’s online activity.
For example, if a cookie has a 30-day life, your referral needs to make a purchase within 30-days of clicking your affiliate link in order for you to get paid — otherwise the lead will no longer be trackable.
If you’re interested in starting an affiliate program, there are different types of affiliate programs, and you’ll want to pick the one best-suited for your business. Let’s dive into the types of affiliate programs, next.

Types of Affiliate Programs
If you’re looking to promote your products or services, there are a few affiliate programs you can consider. When choosing an affiliate program, you’ll want to keep in mind the avenues or platforms where your audience spends the majority of their time. For instance, does your buyer persona typically read blog posts, scroll Facebook, or use search engines when researching new products?
Alternatively, is your buyer persona someone who’s always looking for a good deal, and would appreciate a link on a coupon site? Or are they more interested in doing tons of research before purchasing, making your promotion efforts more worthwhile on a review site?
While those are questions you’ll have to consider for yourself, let’s take a look at some general types of affiliate programs so you can begin brainstorming potential avenues for your own marketing efforts:
Search Affiliates
With this program, you’ll have freelancers or entrepreneurs pay their own money to promote your offer on search results or other online advertising platforms like Facebook Advertising. While you’ll want to ensure your partner is following search and advertising guidelines, this could work in your favor if your partner has an SEO background and wants to A/B test to see which ads result in the most referrals for you — and most ROI for them.
Bloggers and Influencers
If there are impressive bloggers or social media influencers in your industry who engage with your ideal buyer persona on a regular basis, you might consider partnering with them. For instance, if you sell kitchen appliances, it might be good to reach out to bloggers or YouTube influencers who post recipes, and ask if they’d feature your product as a “recommended tool” in their next recipe post. Ideally, this would result in your target audience taking a look at your website, and if they like the products you offer, could provide additional revenue for the influencer.
Review Sites
If you offer a product or service that is more expensive or niche, it’s likely that most of your buyers need to conduct research on that topic before purchasing. If that’s the case, it might be a good idea to research the top review sites related to your product or service. Reach out to the business or writer who published the piece, asking whether they’d be interested in providing an affiliate link to your product or service in the text.
Coupon Sites
If you’re offering a new product or service that isn’t popular in the marketplace, you might try creating an affiliate partnership with a coupon site for a limited time. While you don’t want to lose money by giving your product away at a discount, it could be effective at getting some first-time buyers to check out your website and become brand advocates.
Email Marketing
This is best in small doses. You don’t want any partners sending out bulk emails to customers who aren’t interested in your products or services, but with proper consideration for who’s receiving the email, this could be an effective method. For instance, if you sell design tools, you might partner with marketing agencies and ask them to include a link to your site within emails they send to design clients. This could help their clients leverage your tools to create higher-quality content, while giving agencies an added source of income.
Are you a blogger or small business who would like to join an affiliate program to generate income? Below, we’ll explore the top affiliate programs that you can join in your industry.
If you’re planning to launch an affiliate program, you can use the following examples as inspiration. Plus, you’ll get guidance on how much you should pay your partners and affiliates.
Don’t have time to look through all of the programs? We’ve divided this list into several subsections:

Best Marketing and Business Affiliate Programs
Best Online Course Affiliate Programs
Best Website Builder Affiliate Programs
Best Web Hosting Affiliate Programs
Best Retail Affiliate Programs
Best Beauty and Cosmetic Affiliate Programs
Best Travel Affiliate Programs
Best Personal Finance and Investment Affiliate Programs

Let’s get started.

Best Marketing and Business Affiliate Programs
1. HubSpot

Commission:15% recurring or 100% of the first month’s revenue
Cookie life: 90 days
Commission: 15% recurring or 100% of the first month’s revenue
Cookie life: 90 days
HubSpot’s mission is to help millions of organizations grow better. HubSpot’s award-winning CRM platform — which is comprised of Marketing Hub, Sales Hub, Service Hub, CMS Hub, and Operations Hub, and a powerful free CRM — gives thousands of companies the tools they need to manage the customer experience — all the way from awareness to advocacy.
As a HubSpot affiliate, you have the choice between a 15% recurring rate for up to one year or a flat rate corresponding to 100% of the first month’s revenue.
HubSpot’s plans range from $50 all the way up to $3,000+ per month. And it is not uncommon for customers to purchase more than one product at a time. So these payouts could quickly add up.
When you join HubSpot’s affiliate program, you gain access to a large creative inventory, including demo videos, banners, and copy examples, all designed to help you earn the most commission possible. Plus, you can cultivate a one-on-one relationship with the HubSpot affiliate team, whose members are all dedicated to helping you succeed.
If you have a large business audience or want to monetize your content, then our affiliate program is likely well-suited for you. (You can learn more about HubSpot by reading HubSpot reviews.)
2. AWeber

Commission: 30% recurring
Cookie life: One year
AWeber has been the autoresponder of choice for over one million businesses and entrepreneurs since 1998. It’s a great tool for newsletter and email drip campaigns.
Affiliates of AWeber can earn substantial income through two different channels:

Their in-house program offers a lifetime 30% commission. Plans typically range from around $20 to $150 per month, so the payout can add up.
Alternatively, you can earn up to $300 per account through CJ Affiliate. However, the cookie life with this option is only 45 days, rather than one year.

3. Sendinblue

Commission: €5 when a referred user creates a free account + €100 if that user buys a subscription
Cookie life: 90 days
Sendinblue is an all-in-one digital marketing platform that helps businesses connect with customers via email marketing, SMS, chat, marketing automation, CRM, and more. This user-friendly tool is rapidly growing in popularity with over 175,000 users worldwide.
The affiliate program has two different streams: one for agencies and one for bloggers.
Sendinblue’s free and affordable pricing plans make it a very attractive revenue opportunity for bloggers and publishers in the email marketing space. You’ll get €100 every time you refer a paying customer and join a network of top affiliates like WPBeginner, Capterra, CodeinWP, emailvendorselection, emailtooltester, and many more.
Note: Even though the payout is in euros, the program is open to the United States and your commission will be converted based on currency rates at the time of the payment.
4. ConvertKit

Commission: 30% recurring
Cookie window: 30 days
A new up-and-comer in the email marketing field, ConvertKit helps its customers grow their customer-base via landing pages, forms, and email drip campaigns. (You can learn more about ConvertKit by reading reviews.)
ConvertKit’s affiliate program is primarily addressed to existing ConvertKit users who feel their audience could benefit from email marketing products. The program offers a lifelong 30% commission for every referred paying customer or webinar subscriber.
With plans ranging anywhere from $29 per month all the way to $2,000+, the income potential is a very attractive offer, and it costs you absolutely nothing to join the program. The program does not, however, offer any special deals or discounts for any product the affiliate might promote.
5. GetResponse

Commission: $100 for every sale referred, or 33% of recurring subscriptions
Cookie length: 120 days
Along with email marketing, GetResponse offers landing pages, opt-in forms, webinar hosting, a CRM tool, and plenty of other marketing automation tools. (You can learn more about GetResponse by reading reviews.)
Just like AWeber, GetResponse has two affiliate programs you can choose from (or, you can join both!):

Their self-hosted program offers a 33% recurring commission. With plans ranging anywhere from $15 to $1,200/month, the payout can be pretty substantial.
You can also earn $135 for every sale referred through CJ Affiliate. However, the cookie life is only 30 days, rather than 120 offered in the in-house program.

6. Fiverr

Commission: $15-50 for Fiverr CPA, $10 CPA + 10% RevShare for Fiverr Hybrid, or 30% of every Fiverr Learn course order
Cookie life: 30 days
Fiverr has a few products you might promote on your own website or blog — including Fiverr (the freelance marketplace with digital services for everything from marketing to tech), Fiverr Pro (access to hand-vetted talent trusted by major brands), and Fiverr Learn (courses for freelancers and businesses looking to expand their skills).
If you work with clients who might need to hire a freelancer for marketing, design, or tech skills, or you write a blog for entrepreneurs and want to promote Fiverr Learn, you might want to consider partnering with Fiverr. The popular site, with over 5.5 million users, offers affiliates a dashboard to manage and monitor campaigns, and creative assets to help you promote their services. Of course, commission varies depending on the service you want to promote. Take a look at their full offerings here.
7. Pabbly

Commission: 30% recurring
Cookie life: 30 days
Pabbly is an online platform that offers multiple marketing and business management tools for email marketing, form building, subscription-billing, email verification, workflow automation, and app integration. The most popular package is Pabbly Plus — a cost-effective bundle of all the Pabbly applications.
Unique features of their affiliate program include:

You can promote all or any of their products to get a 30% commission within 40 days of the sale.
They track sales of all their products using a single cookie. So whatever product you promote, it will get you a commission on the sale of all the products purchased through your affiliate link. Also, this will save you from referring each product separately to your audience.
A single sale of Pabbly products can provide you the minimum commission of $183.

Additionally, they provide a single dashboard for monitoring sales, allowing you to view all your commission-related details — such as sales, referrals, and payouts — in a single place.
8. Unbounce

Commission: 20% of recurring revenue for every customer you refer
Cookie life: 90 days
This popular landing page platform — used by brands such as Campaign Monitor and Zola — helps users design high-converting landing pages for SaaS businesses, ecommerce sites, and agencies. Unbounce’s affiliate program is impressive, giving you the opportunity to earn 20% of the recurring revenue for every customer you refer.
Plus, your site visitors or social media followers get 20% off their first three months using Unbounce, making the exchange valuable for them, as well. Unbounce provides you with plenty of tools to succeed using their affiliate program, including a Partner coach, custom dashboard to track progress, and training and promotional materials to ensure you’re promoting their business as effectively as possible. If you’re a marketer hoping to help clients increase conversions on their landing pages, this partnership could be a win-win for you both.
9. Constant Contact

Commission: $5 for each referral that signs up for a free trial, and $105 when your referrals pay for a new account
Cookie life: 120 days
Constant Contact offers powerful email marketing tools for small businesses, bloggers, and entrepreneurs. Among other things, users of Constant Contact can create Instagram and Facebook Ads, automate their email marketing campaigns, target new ecommerce customers, and send follow-up emails to increase revenue to their online stores.
The company’s affiliate program enables you to earn $5 for all qualified leads, and $105 when the referral becomes a customer of Constant Contact.
Additionally, you’ll receive promotional materials, a tracking dashboard, and personalized support to help you succeed with the affiliate program. Constant Contact is used by major brands including Facebook, WordPress, and Shopify. If you believe your clients or prospects could benefit from email marketing tools, this is a good partnership to consider.
10. Typeform

Commission: 20% recurring
Cookie life: Unknown
Typeform, which offers conversational forms and surveys including Contact Forms, Employee Satisfaction Surveys, and Event Lead Capture Forms, offers a 20% recurring commission on referrals. That means you’ll earn up to 20% of a referred customers’ subscription to Typeform, as long as the subscription remains active.
This adds up quickly, and the service is relatively cheap, making it easy for your referrals to make a purchase. If you refer 100 customers who sign up for a monthly basic plan, you would bring in $580 every month.

Best Online Course Affiliate Programs
11. Thinkific

Commission: 30% recurring
Cookie life: 90 days
Thinkific’s powerful all-in-one platform makes it easy to share your knowledge, grow your audience, and scale the business you already love. The platform enables users to create, market, and sell online courses and membership sites under their own brand.
You’re an ideal candidate for Thinkific’s affiliate program if your audience is made up of any of the following:

Content creators with skills and knowledge to share;
Business leaders who want to create courses for customers; or
Entrepreneurs who want to add new revenue streams

As an affiliate partner, your perks include a 30% lifetime recurring commission, a competitive 90-day cookie window, and access to ready-to-post creative and promotional content. Thinkific affiliate partners earn up to $1,700 per referral every year.
12. Kajabi

Commission: 30% recurring
Cookie life: 30 days
Kajabi is an all-in-one platform that lets users create online courses, launch marketing campaigns, build landing pages, and design the perfect website.
The Kajabi Partner Program is currently only open to Kajabi users. As an affiliate, you’ll receive a 30% lifetime commission for any new member you bring to Kajabi that stays active past their trial period. What’s more, you will be treated to special rewards as you progress. Each level unlocks exciting bonuses only available to Kajabi Partners.
13. Teachable

Commission: 30% recurring, with the ability to earn up to 50% commission through monthly bonuses
Cookie life: 90 days
Teachable helps you create and sell beautiful online courses. With over 18 million students and 186 thousand active courses, Teachable is one of the most reputable e-learning platforms. Plus, it’s heavily endorsed by Pat Flynn from Smart Passive Income.
Ranging from Facebook ads to cake decorating tips, Teachable is suited for a variety of niche subjects. Teachable’s affiliate program pays a recurring 30% commission on the referral’s monthly subscription fee. Plans can go anywhere from $29 to $499 per month, meaning you’ll be able to earn up to $150 a month per sale.
14. iSpring

Commission: 10% per sale
Cookie life: 90 days
iSpring is an international software development company that produces tools for eLearning content authoring and online training. Their flagship product is iSpring Suite, an award-winning authoring tool that allows the creation of interactive online courses, quizzes, video tutorials, role-plays, and ebooks.
iSpring Suite has an intuitive interface that is familiar to everyone (the tool works as a PowerPoint add-in) and offers solutions for any learning need. And that’s why it has become popular among people from different fields: from university professors to corporate instructional designers.
The affiliate program includes iSpring Suite and iSpring Suite Max, which cost $770 and $970, respectively. Thus, you can earn from $77 to $97 from a single purchase and around $1000/month if you provide 10+ customers monthly. You will receive verified commissions quarterly.

Best Website Builder Affiliate Programs
15. Shopify

Commission: 200% commission after a referral has been an active subscriber for 2 months
Cookie life: 30 days
With nearly 2 million merchants worldwide, Shopify has truly proven itself as a market leader in the drop-shipping industry. Shopify has everything you need to start your online store, including website builders, shopping carts, web hosting and store management tools, analytics features, payment processing, and much more.
If your audience is all about e-commerce and needs help setting up an online store, Shopify’s affiliate program might be for you. Affiliates earn a whooping 200% commission on the cost of a monthly subscription (that’s up to $2,400!). Additionally, when a referral signs up for a Shopify Plus account, you get paid a flat $2,000 bounty payment.
On top of the money, as a Shopify affiliate, you get priority support for your own Shopify store, as well as free Shopify content to promote to your audience.
Joining the program is absolutely free. The main drawbacks may be that the target for this program is quite niche, since you’ll need an audience that sells products online and doesn’t already have a solid e-commerce platform.
16. Leadpages

Commission: Up to 50% commission
Cookie life: 30 days
Leadpages is an online tool that lets you create easy-to-customize landing pages to collect contact information and boost your conversion rates. (You can learn more about LeadPages by reading reviews.)
Their affiliate program is only open to Leadpages customers. Each paying customer referred brings in a lifetime commission of 30%. Membership prices range from $25 to $200 per month.
Leadpages will sometimes run special offers, such as a $5,000 bonus for affiliates who drive 10+ sales by a given date. All affiliates get access to banners, sidebar images, and social media-friendly links. You also have the option to share a unique link to a free content page (like a blog post or video) rather than a product page.
17. Wix

Commission: $100 per Premium sale
Cookie life: 30 days
If you’re interested in unlimited payouts with minimal effort, Wix could be for you. The web development company is one of the most popular web hosting platforms, and offers $100 per Premium referral with no limit on the amount of people you can refer (which means, if you refer 10 people, you’ve already made $1,000). Additionally, Wix provides links and creatives, including banners and landing pages in all languages, to make it easy for you to include their link on your site.
However, it’s important to note that there is a minimum sales target you need to reach to get paid — $300 per month (if you make less than that, your earnings will stay in your account until you reach that benchmark). If you feel your website, blog, or social channel is visited on a regular basis by prospects who might be interested in creating their own website on a hosting platform, this could be a good program for you, but if you’re unsure if you can meet the minimum sales target for a while, you might want to reconsider.

Best Web Hosting Affiliate Programs
18. WP Engine

Commission: $200+ per signup
Cookie window: 180 days
There are millions of websites on the internet, and more than 40% are built on WordPress. WP Engine provides super-fast web hosting for thousands of WordPress websites around the world.
WP Engine’s affiliate program runs on the ShareASale network. By promoting WP Engine plans, you can earn $200 per signup or 100% of the customer’s first monthly payment — whichever one is higher. You gain access to exclusive affiliate discounts you can offer to your audience.
You can also promote StudioPress themes and earn 35% of the sales generated. These purchases get 60 days of cookie tracking.
It’s important to note — WP Engine’s affiliate program is two-tiered, which means that you’ll get paid not only for referring customers, but also for referring affiliates. You get $50 for each of their referrals.
While it may not be easy to find an audience looking to build a new WordPress website, when you do find those users, the profits can be huge.
19. Kinsta

Commission: Up to $500 per referral + 10% recurring
Cookie life: 60 days
Kinsta was founded in 2013 by veteran WordPress developers “with a desire to create the best WordPress hosting platform in the world.” They strive to offer WordPress hosting that is fast, secure, and reliable.
Kinsta’s affiliate program pays an initial commission, followed by a recurring 10% monthly payment. Affiliates can earn up to $500 initially, depending on the type of plan the referral has purchased:

Starter: $30
Pro: $100
Business: $150
Enterprise: $500

While 10% may not seem like much, your referrals are likely to have a high lifetime value, thanks to Kinsta’s high customer retention rate of 95%.
20. Bluehost

Commission: $65 per sale
Cookie life: 45 days
Bluehost, a web hosting platform that supports more than 2 million websites, offers a phenomenal affiliate program for any business or entrepreneur looking to monetize their blog or website. If you promote Bluehost’s products or services on your own blog or website (either through custom banners or links), you can earn anywhere from $65 to $130 per sale generated from your website — an incredibly high fee.
Best of all, it’s free to join their affiliate program, and Bluehost offers reliable tracking to ensure you get credit for each lead you provide them. Plus, Bluehost offers affiliate managers who can offer support or personalized advice.
21. Hostgator

Commission: $65 to $125 per signup
Cookie life: 60 days
Hostgator offers both web hosting and building tools, and is incredibly low-cost for startups or ecommerce businesses with limited budgets — for instance, a starter plan costs only $3.84/month.
It’s free to become a Hostgator affiliate, and their tiered payouts are substantial — you can make $65 per signup if you provide Hostgator with 1-5 signups per month, and up to $125 per signup if you provide Hostgator with over 21 signups. You can either embed tracking links on your site or create a custom coupon code. Since Hostgator provides a 45-day money-back guarantee, it’s low-risk for your website visitors to try it out.
22. GreenGeeks

Commission: $50 for one sale; up to $100 for six sales
Cookie life: 30 days
GreenGeeks, an eco-friendly, secure web hosting platform, allows you to earn up to $100 per sale. They have a tiered program that pays generously — including $50 for just one sale, and $100 for six or more. Additionally, the company provides a selection of creative assets, content, and banners to ensure you’re proud of the link or banner you include on your website or blog.
If you believe your blog readers or website visitors are interested in exploring web hosting platforms (for instance, if you write content for freelancers), this could be a good option to explore. Best of all, the company promotes eco-friendly alternatives, so you can feel good knowing you’re spreading a positive, “green message” to your site visitor

Best Retail Affiliate Programs
Disclaimer: Commissions for retail stores are much smaller because the purchase price is much smaller. But this also means that it’s easier to get your audience to buy those items (low price = low commitment), which could translate into high conversion rates and higher returns.
23. Amazon Associates

Commission: 1-10% (depending on the product category)
Cookie life: 24 hours
Amazon is one of the most popular online shopping platforms, so if you’re looking to buy something, chances are you’ll find it on Amazon.
Amazon Associates get commissions between 1% and 10%, depending on the category the product purchased falls under. The most valuable items to promote are clothes and luxury beauty products, both of which can earn you a 10% cut on the price.
One of the main advantages of doing affiliate marketing with Amazon is that people already know the company and love to shop there, so it’s not a hard sell. The company has very high conversion rates, especially around the holidays. And because the product selection is so vast, it fits most kinds of businesses.
If you write about animals, for instance, you can promote cat treats or dog toys. If your audience is interested in cars, you can recommend jumper cables — you get the idea.
Additionally, if someone ends up on Amazon through your link and buys something other than what your content links to, you still get commission on the user’s entire cart.
Ultimately, the only downside is some categories have particularly low commissions, such as video games and electronics.
For businesses with large audiences, Amazon recently launched their new Amazon Influencer Program as an extension to the Associates program for social media influencers. You get similar benefits to the online Associates program, as well as your own page on Amazon with a unique URL to showcase the products you recommend to your followers.
Currently, you must have a YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook account to qualify. Amazon looks at the number of followers and other engagement metrics of your social media accounts to determine whether you’re eligible for the program.
24. Target

Commission: 1-8% (depending on the product category and sales volume)
Cookie life: 7 days
While it doesn’t offer as wide a selection as Amazon or eBay, Target remains a highly recognizable brand with a variety of different products.
Target’s affiliate program operates on a volume-based commission structure, meaning that your commission increases as the number of items purchased increases. Sadly, a product category that does not benefit from this model is the Health and Beauty products — the commission on this category caps at 1%, regardless of volume.
It’s also critical to note — most people tend to prefer buying Target products in-person, rather than online, so this could have an impact on your returns.
25. Hammacher Schlemmer

Commission: 8% on any sale
Cookie life: 30 days
Hammacher Schlemmer is America’s longest-running catalog with a lifetime of over 150 years, and continues to successfully sell items ranging from electronics to outdoor living gear. Additionally, the company offers an impressive affiliate program with the potential to earn incredibly high commissions.
They offer 8% commission on any product you’re able to sell through your own website or blog. While 8% might not sound like a lot, consider some of the higher-priced items they sell, including a Muhammad Ali Autographed Photo Collage for $5,000, or the Full Immersion Professional Racer’s Simulator for $65,000.
Ultimately, if you’re able to find products or services on Hammacher Schlemmer’s website that align well with your own core offerings or might interest your buyer persona, you might consider partnering with the brand.
Additionally, this affiliate program could be a good idea for an ecommerce business interested in expanding their offerings. Hammacher Schlemmer provides tools (including password-protected online reports) and content to help your online store succeed.
26. Spocket

Commission: 20% per Bronze subscriber; 25% per Silver subscriber; 30% per Gold subscriber (up to 445.50 per subscriber)
Cookie life: 90 days
Spocket, a dropshipping supplier, wholesaler, and distributor of high-quality American and European products, enables entrepreneurs to sell products from thousands of dropshipping suppliers around the world. They also offer an incredibly impressive affiliate program — you can make up to $450 for each customer you refer to Spocket, and you’ll continue to collect commission off your referral’s Spocket account as long as they remain a customer.
Their program will also provide you with the tools and resources you need to successfully promote their business. If your website visitors are entrepreneurs or ecommerce businesses, this is a good affiliate program to explore.
27. eBay Partner Network

Commission: 1-4%, depending on category
Cookie life: 24 hours
With over one billion listings from a wide range of product categories, eBay’s affiliate program shares a lot of the same advantages as Amazon’s — well-known brand, high conversion rates, and a diverse selection of products.
The eBay Partner Network pays a commission of 1% to 4%. You earn a percentage of the revenue eBay earns from that purchase, based on the product category.
High-ticket items you can promote fall under Parts & Accessories, or Fashion. You can have a look at the complete rate card here. The one downside of this program is that it offers a cap for each category — with most falling well under $1,000. Your earning potential is thus limited.

Best Beauty and Cosmetic Affiliate Programs
28. Ulta

Commission: 1-5%
Cookie life: 30 days
Ulta is a go-to brand for beauty enthusiasts who want both affordable and prestige skincare, makeup, and personal care products. Ulta is popular for its diverse offerings, which can cater to the tastes of a large readership.
Ulta’s affiliate program pays 1-5% in commissions. While this number may seem low, the company is ranked #2 in the beauty and cosmetics online space, meaning that your readers have likely heard of it and could even be current customers. You are provided with dynamic banners and text links to promote Ulta’s products. The company has ongoing promotions, including free shipping and free products, to help you drive more sales.
29. Sephora

Commission: 5%
Cookie life: 24 hours
If you serve a more affluent readership, Sephora is the affiliate program for you. The retailer offers a wide selection of prestige beauty products, including skincare, body care, makeup, and fragrances. Additionally, they offer a superior customer experience — for instance, they offer a free gift with any purchase and have a strong rewards program.
Sephora’s affiliate program offers a 5% commission rate on all sales, which is higher than Ulta’s and most online retailers’ commission rates. Like most programs, Sephora gives affiliates access to promotional banners and other creative assets, which you can use on your site and social media accounts.
The only downside to this program is that the cookie length is uncommonly short: The cookie will expire just 24 hours after the user clicks on the affiliate link.
30. FragranceNet.com

Commission: 1-5%
Cookie life: Unknown
A leader in the online perfume space, FragranceNet.com gives you access to hundreds and thousands of top designer fragrances and aromatherapy products. It sells other products, too, such as skincare and makeup. However, due to its specialization in fragrances, we recommend it for bloggers who primarily write about fragrances.
Affiliates earn 1-5% for every purchase generated through their link. The brand gives you access to links and banners, fresh blog content, seasonal ads, and coupon codes to drive your referral to a conversion. The program is run through the Rakuten platform.
31. BH Cosmetics

Commission: 8%
Cookie life: 60 days
Born and raised in LA, BH Cosmetics is one of the leading companies in the beauty industry. They are passionate about creating new and innovative beauty trends and dedicated to bringing customers the best in cruelty-free cosmetics. They also run promotions and sales regularly to help convert those leads.
BH Cosmetics affiliates receive an 8% commission on purchases made within 60 days of the user’s visit. The site has an average order value of $38 and an on-site conversion rate of 6.46%.
As an affiliate, you’ll get exclusive access to coupons and banners you can use on your website, blog, or emails. You’ll also receive monthly affiliate newsletters. Plus, their dedicated in-house affiliate team runs monthly incentives and affiliate contests to encourage you to promote your affiliate link.

Best Travel Affiliate Programs
32. Boatbookings

Commission: 20% + 10% for returning customers
Cookie life: 30 days
If you think your website visitors might be interested in chartering yachts, you might want to join Boatbookings’ affiliate program. Boatbookings specializes in luxury yacht chartering, boat rentals, and sailing and motor yacht vacations.
On the charter value of a boat, Boatbookings receives commission on the net charter value (not including APA or any additional items ordered). On this commission, affiliates will earn 20% as a base rate, with a possibility for escalating rates if referring multiple clients. When customers return to Boatbookings, affiliates receive an additional 10% commission on that second purchase.
33. Cheapflights

Commission: Flat rate — up to $0.45 per click-out
Cookie life: Session
Cheapflights is a travel comparison site that helps users find the cheapest plane tickets.
Cheapflights is another company that rewards its affiliates not for bringing paying customers, but for sending traffic to their partners.
Affiliates are paid a flat fee when a user clicks through — $0.45 per click-out for desktop and tablet, and $0.25 for mobile.
As an affiliate, you get access to various creative assets, ranging from banners to search boxes and travel widgets, that allow your visitors to conduct a search on your site and display flights results on Cheapflights’ page. This is their most popular travel affiliate tool and generates the highest revenue per visit.
34. Momondo

Commission: Flat rate — up to $0.65 per click-out
Cookie life: Session
Momondo is a global travel search site that compares cheap flights, hotels, and car rental deals.
Each time someone clicks on a flight on Momondo’s website from your site’s link, you will earn $0.65 for desktop and tablet users, and $0.45 for mobile users.
35. Sandals Resorts

Commission: 4%
Cookie life: 60 days
Sandals is one of the most well-recognized names in Caribbean resort travel. All Sandals Resorts offer luxurious vacations for couples and families traveling to Jamaica, The Bahamas, Barbados, and more.
The Sandals affiliate program pays you a commission for referring users to book either a stay in one of the Sandals Resorts, or booking an activity. While 4% might seem like a small percentage, these luxury resorts have daily rates that range from $150 to over $2,000 per person — which means, if a couple were to book a romantic week in a Sandals Resort at $500 per person per night, you would earn a commission of $280!
This program is only worthwhile, however, if your site and audience has a true interest in luxury travel to the Caribbean.

Best Personal Finance and Investment Affiliate Programs
36. Acorns

Commission: $10 per qualified lead
Cookie life: 30 days
Acorn is a “micro-investing” mobile app that helps people between the ages of 25 and 35 invest their money wisely. If you own a financial advice blog that serves this demographic — especially if they haven’t yet accrued capital or assets — this is the affiliate program for you.
Affiliates receive $10 for every referred customer. You’ll receive a wide variety of creative assets to help you promote the app and a dedicated account manager to help you boost your marketing efforts.
37. Sage Financials

Commission: 7% per sale and $5 per free trial
Cookie life: 30 days
Sage Financials — a cloud accounting solution built on Salesforce that provides accounting, analytics, and reporting tools for small and mid-sized businesses — has an impressive affiliate program that includes a dedicated support team, commission paid directly into your bank account (and currency of choice), and detailed reporting on your performance and earnings.
Best of all, you’re able to receive commission even from free sign-ups Sage receives from your website or blog. If you feel your website visitors or blog readers are interested in accounting tools, this could be a good partnership to explore.
When you’re looking for affiliate programs, you might want to consider affiliate networks like LinkShare or CJ Affiliate that offer many different programs to choose from. There are no limits to the number of affiliate programs you can join.
Now that we’ve gone over some of the best affiliate programs overall, let’s go over the programs that pay the highest commission.
1. Elementor: 50% Per Sale

Commission: 50% per sale
Cookie life: 45 days
Elementor is a dynamic drag-and-drop website builder used to create 6% of all the world’s websites. With hundreds of widgets, integrations, website templates, and design tools, Elementor users can customize and scale their WordPress website-building process without writing a single line of code.
Yet, Elementor is more than simple software — it has 100k members in its online community where web creators share advice, host meetups, and push each other to professional growth.
Elementor affiliates earn 50% per sale. The software has five pricing packages, ranging from $49 to $999 per year. This broad array of pricing tiers makes it easier for affiliates to strategically market various plans to specific audiences.
With notable affiliates earning north of $10,000 a month, Elementor is an attractive option to consider.
2. Semrush: $200 per Subscription

Commission: $200 per subscription, $10 per free trial, and $0.01 per new sign up
Cookie life: 10 years
Semrush is a SaaS company that specializes in SEO and competitive analysis tools for digital marketers. Its affiliate program offers $200 per subscription, so if you refer 10 people only, you’ll be bringing in $2,000 per month. Plus, they offer a very generous 10-year cookie life.
Since Semrush’s affiliate program functions under a first cookie attribution model, if a referral were to cancel their subscription and sign up again in the future (within 10 years), you still get commission on that second subscription.
Exclusive Semrush promotional material is available in five different languages, and applicants are automatically pre-approved, so the sign-up process is only a few minutes, enabling you to get started right away.
3. Coursera: Up to 45% Per Sale

Commission: 10-45%
Cookie life: 30 days
Coursera offers over 1,000 courses and specializations ranging anywhere from Digital Marketing to Applied Data Science and Personal Development. Each course consists of pre-recorded videos, puzzles, and assignments.
Coursera’s affiliate program runs on the Linkshare network and offers a commission ranging from 10% to 45% with bonuses for strong performance. Courses and Specializations are generally priced between $29 and $99. As a Coursera affiliate, you get access to professionally-designed banners and a monthly affiliate newsletter with curated content recommendations.
4. BigCommerce: 200% per Sale

Commission: 200% or $1,500 per enterprise customer
Cookie life: 90 days
Founded in 2009, BigCommerce is an online store builder that powers thousands of e-commerce stores in over 150 countries. It serves a wide variety of industries, including
fashion, automotive, manufacturing, food, and health.
When you refer visitors to BigCommerce, you earn 200% of the customer’s first monthly payment (that’s up to $500 per referral!), or $1,500 per enterprise customer.
5. 3dcart: $100 per Signup

Commission: $100 per signup, including free trials
Cookie life: 45 days
3dcart is an e-commerce platform with a high focus on SEO. It provides you with all the tools you need to build, promote, and grow your online store. Users can use 3dcart to start an online business, add a shopping cart to an existing site, or replace their current shopping cart platform.
Affiliates earn a $100 commission on each referred customer. Their affiliate program runs on both the Commission Junction and ShareASale networks, and both offer the same commission and cookie life, so it’s up to you to decide which platform you like best.
6. Flywheel: 300% per Signup

Commission: 300%, up to $500 per referral
Cookie life: 90 days
As another dedicated WordPress hosting solution, Flywheel aims to take away all the hassle that comes with web hosting so users can focus on doing what they do best — creating and designing websites.
Flywheel affiliates can earn up to $500 per referral. You get access to tons of creative assets, from banners to co-branded landing pages to stylish social images. The Flywheel team will even work with you to create custom images that can take your commissions to the next level.
It’s worth noting that there is no minimum threshold limit to receive a payment.
7. TripAdvisor: Minimum 50% per Booking

Commission: Minimum 50% per booking
Cookie life: 14 days
Crowned the “world’s largest travel site”, TripAdvisor provides travelers with the wisdom of the crowds to help them decide where to stay, how to fly, what to do, and where to eat. The site helps you compare prices from 200+ hotel booking sites so you can find the lowest price on the hotel that’s right for you.
Powered by Commission Junction, TripAdvisor’s affiliate program pays a 50% commission off the revenue generated from a user clicking on links and/or ads that send them to a TripAdvisor partner site. Which means, unlike most other affiliate programs in this list, you don’t have to wait for your referral to make a purchase to earn your commission. As soon as someone comes from your website and clicks on one of the ads or links on the TripAdvisor website, you get paid.
On average, affiliates will earn between $0.15-$0.75 per click-out. While it may not seem like a lot, since your revenue is only dependent on clicks (and not purchase), this can add up quite nicely.
8. Volusion: 200% per Signup

Commission: 200% per Signup
Cookie life: 45 days
Volusion is an e-commerce solution that enables small businesses to create, manage, and expand their online stores. They provide customers with exports to help them every step of the way, including help with domain purchase, web design, cart integration, SEO, and security.
Affiliates get paid a 200% commission on the referred customer’s first monthly payment, which can range anywhere from $29 to $299 (or even higher with their Prime custom tier). As an affiliate, you get access to marketing material to assist in your promotional efforts.
9. Invoice Ninja: 50% per Signup

Commission: 50% on all referrals for four years
Cookie life: N/A; instead of cookie, Invoice Ninja tracks by account creation from referral URL (for four years)
Invoice Ninja, a free open-source invoicing app for freelancers and businesses, offers a Ninja Pro Plan for just $10 a month — and, as an affiliate partner, you can make 50% on all referrals for four years. That means, if you refer 100 Pro users, you’ll receive $5,000 every year for the next four years.
Additionally, any user can start free and upgrade when they decide it’s worthwhile, so it’s easy for your site visitors to give the tool a try. You can provide their affiliate link in your email signature, on a blog post, or in an email newsletter, and Invoice Ninja provides both logos and ads to make it easy to promote their tool. If your social media followers or website visitors are typically online entrepreneurs or freelancers, this could be a good partnership to consider.
10. Capitalist Exploits: 50% per Sale

Commission: 50%
Cookie life: 365 days
Capitalist Exploits provides trade recommendations for investors and anyone looking to outperform the market by sharing only the best low-risk/high-reward opportunities to subscribers.
If your target audience consists of investors, high net-worth individuals, people interested in investment, financial advisors, or wealth managers, then this program might be for you.
Capitalist Exploits pays a 50% commission on any referred sale with absolutely no limits. Their products range from $1,575 to $3,499. This means each referral brings you a minimum of $787.50. Affiliates also receive exclusive access to paid membership trials for your audience.
Ultimately, when deciding which program to choose, there are many key elements to keep in mind, including how established your online following is, and how much you want to earn.
And, most importantly — who is your audience, and what are they interested in?
Think about what your website visitors or your social media followers need and could benefit from, and choose an affiliate marketing program that will let you promote products in support of that. Once you do that, you’ll be well on your way to exponentially multiplying your affiliate income.
Editor’s note: This post was originally published in April 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

If you’re not doing email marketing for your restaurant yet, you’re missing out. Email is a cost-effective, easy-to-use channel for reaching customers and converting them into regular patrons. It can help you generate foot traffic, foster loyalty, and ultimately boost sales by keeping your tables booked and online orders busy.  Read on to learn more…
The post How to Do Restaurant Email Marketing Right appeared first on Benchmark Email.

Last Updated on January 12, 2022 by Rakesh Gupta With each new release, Salesforce is adding tons of new functionalities to Lightning Experience. Which makes you more productive and helps you to provide a better customer experience.  Currently, the Spring’22 release is available under the pre-release program. On the and 07th
The post Top Ten Gems of Salesforce Lightning Experience Spring’22 Release! appeared first on Automation Champion.

Use these 15 landing page examples to benchmark for your next landing page and convert hard-won traffic into revenue.

No matter the industry your organization operates in and the products and services you provide, your business needs to be constantly improving to keep up with a competitive marketplace and evolving consumer needs.
This process of change isn’t optional. It’s required if you want to succeed. The hard truth is that businesses that do not improve and evolve will eventually find themselves extinct.  
When change is required at your organization, how do you go about implementing it? Willy nilly action without planning can do more harm than good. Rather than approaching change blindly, you may want to borrow a concept from lean manufacturing philosophy — the Plan-Do-Check-Act Cycle. Read on to learn more.

What is PDCA?
PDCA, which stands for Plan-Do-Check-Act, is an iterative cycle for continuous improvement of people, products, services, and business processes.
The foundation for this concept was developed by American statistician and physicist Walter Shewhart who was passionate about using statistical analysis to create quality improvement. The model itself was developed years later by William Deming who took this concept and turned it into a learning and improvement cycle.
The PDCA model follows a four stage process, which we’ll discuss in more detail below.
The Four Stages of the PDCA Model
As mentioned earlier, approaching change without a plan can spell disaster for your business. Along those same lines, acting on a plan without evaluating your progress can be just as dangerous.
The PDCA cycle aims to eliminate those issues with a four step process, where each step is imperative because it sets you up for success in the next stage. Let’s take a closer look at these steps and what they represent.

Image Source
1. Plan
To devise a plan that will successfully implement the desired change in your organization, you will need to ask the following questions:

What’s the problem you are experiencing?
What resources will you need to fix this issue?
What resources do you already have available to us at this time?
How can you best solve this issue with your available resources?
What does success look like?

Depending on the magnitude of the problem, this step may be quick and easy, or it may take weeks or even months of discussion to arrive at a plan. Theoretically, the more time you spend here, the easier the rest of the steps will be.
2. Do
With your plan in place, it’s time to put your ideas into practice. The most important thing to keep in mind during this stage is that issues will arise no matter how solid your plan is. Take these problems in stride and be willing (and able) to make adjustments as you go. This is often done in a smaller, controlled environment so you can learn from mistakes and correct them.
Proper communication amongst your team members will help to limit the number of problems as everyone will have a clear idea of their responsibilities and expectations.
3. Check
The most important (and overlooked) stage of change implementation is the “Check.” How did your plan work in the controlled environment? Were your goals achieved or did your intentions fall flat during execution? Now’s your time to identify the flaws in the process and correct them. Perhaps it wasn’t a complete flop, but you have recognized some opportunities for improved effectiveness. Either way, this step is essential.
4. Act
Now that you’ve planned out your change, applied it, and then checked to make sure it was working, it’s time to act on it. If you determined during the Check phase that you met your goals, you can apply your initial plan. This then becomes the “standard” process and best practices for this aspect of your organization. It also becomes the jumping-off point for your next change implementation.
The PDCA Cycle doesn’t stop once you’ve achieved your initial goal, as it is a continuous system that you should consistently review. The great news is that the more you work with it, the easier it becomes. It will be your go-to plan for every member of your team and will help you reach new heights with your business.
PDCA Template
Now that you understand how the PDCA process can help you implement change in your business, you’re probably wondering how to get started.
Like any new program, process, or tool, it’s helpful to have a physical document to work in to compile all of your information, share it with team members, and make updates as time goes on.
You can create your own in Excel or your project management tool or use one of the ready-made templates available to you. The key to a successful PDCA template is clarity. You should write out every step in detail, along with who is responsible for getting it done and by when. The more detailed your plan, the better your execution will be.

Image Source
PDCA Best Practices
Along with utilizing a PDCA template, a few other tips will help you implement changes successfully.
1. Ensure that upper management is on-board with these changes. Without their approval, you will not be able to enforce the new policy or procedure you create.
2. Never stop improving. Remember that PDCA isn’t a one-and-done type of procedure. Repeat this cycle constantly, making improvements with each revolution and looking for the next opportunity to create positive change.
3. Once you’ve implemented a policy change, do so across your entire organization. Every department that deals with whatever shift you are creating should adopt this as a new way of operating.
Over To You
Implementing change across your organization won’t be difficult when you learn to plan, do, check, and act.
It is, however, necessary if you want your business to continue growing and thriving. The organizations that reinvent themselves to better meet market needs, their customers, and their employees are the organizations that we will see far into the future.
Adopt the PDCA cycle today and create the best business you can make.

Getting more visitors to your website is crucial when you’re looking to consistently generate leads. However, if your website isn’t optimized, all that increased traffic goes to waste and say goodbye to boosted revenue and conversions.  When money and business growth are on the line, identifying the areas in which your website isn’t optimized for…
The post 5 Signs Your Website Isn’t Optimized appeared first on Benchmark Email.

Adding GIFs to your emails is a great way to add some engaging, dynamic content that helps your campaigns stand out. It’s not always straightforward though. In the post, we’ll tell you exactly how it’s done.
For a format created in 1987, GIFs can do a lot to make your email marketing efforts seem modern. They’re not just for fun and memes, either; sometimes, GIFs can communicate ideas or concepts much quicker than words or still images.
However, GIFs only work if they, well, work. If a GIF shows up as a still image or take seconds to load, you’ve lost any advantage the format might bring.
Whether you have a GIF ready to go or you’re trying to familiarize yourself with the format, knowing how to put a GIF in an email is only part of the picture. Make sure you not only add your GIF correctly but also choose the right GIF by following these steps.
In this post we’ll cover:

Optimizing your GIFs for email
Adding a GIF to an email
Choosing an appropriate GIF
Examples of great email GIF usage

Optimize your GIFs for email
Every modern email platform allows you to embed animated GIFs, but they can’t guarantee an identical user experience. User variance — from screen size and internet speed to the option to turn off GIFs in Microsoft Outlook — means you have to be careful to make sure your readers don’t miss out on anything. Optimizing your GIFs is a quick way to make sure everyone sees the message you meant to send.
Everything you need your audience to see should be visible in the first frame of the GIF. Switching off GIF animations, as some email clients allow you to do, doesn’t lead to a blank box — it just shows a static image. That picture might not be able to communicate quite as well as your GIF, but it should cover the basics.
You’ll also want to make sure your GIF is a maximum of 600 pixels wide (typical newsletter width), so it’s not cut off on smaller phone screens. Keep your audience’s data in mind, as well; the target file size for your GIF should be 0.5 MB. You can go up to 1 MB if necessary, but smaller files mean quicker downloads and less chance to lose a viewer. GIF file too big? Try reducing the number of frames using a tool like GIF Cutter. For GIFs you made, you can also try limiting the number of colors used.
Finally, add some alt text for those who are using screen readers or have switched off image loading entirely. This is a good accessibility practice for every image you post on your website, on social media, and in emails.
Insert your GIF using one of these methods
No matter what email client you’re using, inserting an animated GIF is a cinch.
Drag and drop
Best for: Gmail
When you see a GIF you like, simply click and hold on the image and then drag it over to your email client. (You’ll need to have the window with your email message visible at the same time as the page with your GIF for this to work.) This method doesn’t work in every email client, just those that support drag-and-drop uploading.
Copy the URL
Best for: Everything else
Sites like GIPHY and Tenor make it easy to copy a GIF link from the share options; sites like Google Image Search don’t. You can always find the URL of a GIF by right-clicking the image and selecting “Copy Image Link.”
Once you have the URL in your clipboard, go back to your email client and find the Insert Photo button. If you’re using an email template, find an image block (or GIF block, if your client offers one). Click it, select the “paste URL” option (if necessary), and then paste away.
Check to make sure the link you copied ends with the .gif extension, as some sites share the page URL rather than the image URL. If the link you have doesn’t end in .gif, try adding it yourself and see if the image pops up.
Download and then re-upload
Best for: When the other options aren’t working
This method is the most involved and doesn’t come with any special benefits (unless you habitually download GIFs and have one ready to go). However, if your email client is refusing to copy an image that’s hosted on another site, you may have to upload a fresh version.
To download a GIF, right-click the image and select “Save Image As.” Make sure the file keeps the .gif extension or you’ll lose the animation! It’s smart to double-check a GIF after downloading to make sure your device saved the correct image format.
In your email client, compose a new email, click the Add Image button, and select the option to upload a new file. Navigate to the GIF you saved, select it, then hit “Done.”
Make sure you’re using a GIF for the right purposes
GIFs are best used for replacing video rather than for frivolous laughs. They change the tone of an email and risk irritating audiences because they take longer to load. When used correctly, they can enlighten and inspire your audience. When used excessively, they can annoy your readers or obscure important information.
Demonstrating product or feature functionality is a great use of GIFs. Why take 500 words explaining how something works when you can just show it in action? GIFs that educate your audience will make the right kind of impression and drive interest.
GIFs are also great for teasing multimedia content. Embedding videos in email is a bad idea because, unlike GIFs, they’re not universally supported. They also come with much larger file sizes — and load times. Rather than sending a clip, turn your video into a GIF and cut to the most tantalizing bits to build suspense.
Images can sometimes explain things much better — or more quickly — than words. Use GIFs to set the mood for your message or share multiple bits of information in a quick, easy-to-understand format. If a visual can convey a complex idea in a few seconds, why would you bother to write out a full description?
Learn from these great GIF examples

Zip
How do you personalize content when the end product isn’t for your audience? This GIF shares multiple buzzy brands and products right at the top of the email, so gifters know they have options when they shop using Zip.

UNIQLO
Instead of trying to guess whether their shoppers are looking for men’s clothes or women’s clothes, Uniqlo made a GIF that has something for both audiences. We love how the GIF includes multiple sections: the product image, a description, and size and price information.

360Learning
In the back quarter of a lengthy roundup email, 360Learning chose to respect their readers’ time with this GIF that’s essentially an animated slide deck. It provides a bullet-point overview of the product to help readers decide whether to dig into the details beneath the GIF or keep scrolling to the next item.

Madison Reed
This before and after from Madison Reed is a great product demonstration. Unlike photos — which we expect to be digitally enhanced — GIFs seem more raw and real. (This is also a great example of how to get the most out of user-generated content.)

MyFonts
When introducing the Brutalista typeface, MyFonts went above and beyond to educate the consumer about it and demonstrate how it could be used. Having one product photo is good for sales — but having multiple product photos covering multiple contexts is great.
GIF to it!
GIFs aren’t right for every marketing campaign, but when used strategically, they can increase an email’s effectiveness. Many audiences struggle to keep up with their inboxes, which means they only give each email a few seconds to impress them. If your GIF can present the most important information in a concise and visually appealing way, you may earn a few more minutes of your readers’ time.

The post How to Up Your Marketing Game by Using Animated GIFs in Your Emails appeared first on Campaign Monitor.

In June 2021, over 440,000 businesses were launched, making it a record high since the start of the pandemic in March 2020.

Many are focusing on ecommerce businesses, as they offer an easier point of entry. There’s no physical space to scope out, rent to pay, or permits to obtain. However, that doesn’t mean starting an online business is a piece of cake.
Learn what it takes to start an ecommerce business and the steps to start one today.

Tips for Starting an Online Business
1. Design your website with intention.
Your website is your storefront – you don’t want potential customers arriving, looking around, and walking right out.
Think of your website title and meta description as your window display. You want the description to be enticing enough to beat out the competition and get users to click on your website.
Your homepage is the first thing visitors see when they land (or walk in). What will you present to make them keep scrolling? Maybe it’s your latest offer or a striking image from your latest campaign, or perhaps it’s a simple but compelling CTA that will invite curiosity.
Users should be able to navigate your site seamlessly with little friction. That requires a lot of planning, designing, and iterating.
Just as you would take time to curate every section of your store, be sure to give that same care with your website. Every section should have a clear goal and lead users to your desired action.
A first impression can last and can be hard to change – so make sure it’s a good one.
2. Don’t skimp on your creative assets.
We’ve already mentioned the importance of designing your website with care and intention.
Now, let’s get into the elements that will make up your website: your copy and visual elements, such as images and videos.
Your creative assets can make or break your brand perception. Don’t believe me? Look at insurance company The General.
The company recently rebranded and revamped its entire marketing strategy because the public doubted the brand’s credibility due to its perceived low-budget ads. They even addressed it in a commercial.
All this to say that it’s vital that you invest in high-quality visuals as they will be a representation of your brand.
As for your copy, this is important to ensure every message you are putting out is driving the action you want. Otherwise, you may get visitors to your site but not get them to convert. If you don’t feel equipped to take this on yourself, hire a copywriter who specializes in your industry.
For your visual assets, you can:

Outsource the work to a marketing or branding agency, or work directly with professionals on a contract basis.
Leverage sites like Pexels and Unsplash to get some high-quality stock product photos and videos that are free for commercial use.
Use sites like Canva to create beautiful visuals that fit within your brand identity.

3. Social media will be key to your success.
Think of social media as a high-traffic area you want your store to be in.
Social media is one of the biggest discovery points for ecommerce brands, aside from search. If you post content where your audience lives online, you can help them discover your company and build a strong community of brand loyalists.
If you’re doing it right, social media gets them interested in your brand, your website gets them to stick around and move to that next step in the buyer’s journey.
4. Help customers help themselves.
Many ecommerce brands struggle with customer service.
They often have a small team that’s unable to manage large volumes of requests from customers. One way to combat this is by offering helpful resources to current and prospective customers so they can the answers they need quickly.
After running your business for a while, you may notice that you get the same questions repeatedly. This is a clear sign that customers are experiencing friction on your site and need more support. FAQ and knowledge base pages are great ways to address that.
An FAQ section will not only be great for SEO, but also address your visitors’ most pressing questions. A knowledge base will help your customers troubleshoot and solve their issues on their own.
This will also allow your team to focus on addressing more important issues instead of fielding simple requests.
5. Automate when and where you can.
On the topic of customer service, automation is the name of the game.
There are many ways to automate interactions in a way that leads them further down the buyer’s journey. For instance, you could set up a chatbot that is designed to answer common questions from website visitors.
Automation can also look like:

Email workflow after a customer makes a purchase to ask for a product/service review.
Ticket creation for a member of your sales team to reach out to a prospect once they visit the pricing page.
Unpublishing out-of-stock products and email notification sent to fulfillment team.

If you have a workflow in place, there’s probably a way to automate it.
6. Leverage multi-channel selling.
As an ecommerce business, you want to maximize your reach and be everywhere your audience lives.
You may have some customers who shop directly from your store on your website. However, you may have some who shop exclusively on Amazon or Etsy.
To maximize your earning potential, sell your products on multiple marketplaces, as long as they align with your target audience and product.

How to Start Your Own Business Online
1. Identify a gap in the market and validate your idea.
The best ideas stem from personal experience.
Maybe you experienced friction when completing a task and figured out a way to streamline it. Or perhaps you thought of a product that would make your life 10 times simpler.
Wherever the inspiration comes from, it’s definitely worth exploring.
If you’re having trouble coming up with an idea, try the SCAMPER method for brainstorming:

Substitute – If there’s an existing product/service you want to model yours after, perhaps you can substitute some elements to make it unique. Think vegan ice cream.

Combine – You also have the option of combining two existing products to make one great one.

Adapt – Have a product that you think needs some changes? See how you can adapt it to the times, the audience, or the location.

Modify, Minify, or Magnify – This urges you to look at an existing product or service, and identify certain elements that could use some tweaking.

Put to another use – Although something may have originally been used for one purpose, doesn’t mean you can’t repurpose it for something else. For instance, Misfits Market takes grocery items that are deemed too ugly for the stores and repurposes them by selling them directly to consumers.

Eliminate – If you find a current product or process clunky and complex, perhaps you can develop a simpler way of doing things.

Reserve/Rearrange – The way you present a product or idea can have a big impact on how it’s perceived. This can be your entry into the market.

These options give you the freedom of developing something without the pressure of starting from scratch.
2. Validate your idea.
Once you identify a product or service, you have to validate it.
The hard truth is that not every idea is sustainable for a business. In this stage, you want to make sure that there’s an audience for it and a need in the market.
How do you accomplish this? There are a few ways:

Research – Resources like Google Trends can help you separate fads from trends that have longevity.
Competitive analysis – Are there other companies currently offering the same or a similar product? How are they performing?
Crowdfunding – Crowdfunding puts the power in the hands of the people by allowing them to fund ideas they believe in. This is a great way to confirm the need for your product but also get funds to jumpstart your business.

3. Develop your product and/or service.
This stage is the one that may take the longest.
You’ll need to figure out manufacturing, sourcing, packaging, shipping, pricing – all of the -ings.
The process you follow will all depend on your business type and industry. For instance, if you are developing a new product, that will involve a lot more steps than if you are white labeling (the process of purchasing products from a supplier and marketing it under your brand).
Need more help on this? Read this article on the product development process.
4. Name and file your business.
Once you have a clear understanding of your business and what it offers, you must come up with a name.
When it comes to naming your business, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

Avoid names that can limit your business. Say I name my business “Martina Bretous Copywriting,” it insinuates that I only offer copywriting as a service. Say I expand into marketing as a whole, I’ll have to do more work to let my audience know.
Make sure the name is not already trademarked or tied to a business in your same industry.
Consider a name that’s catchy and has a relevant meaning.
Say your business name out loud to see how it sounds.
Avoid names that are too general. E.g.: “Lux Clothing”
If you’re debating between a few options, see if the domains and social media handles are available. That can help you narrow down the best choice for you.

After submitting your business name to your state department, you’ll also want to apply for an employee identification number (EIN) for tax purposes.
Lastly, do you need any permits and licenses to operate? Be sure to speak with a professional about the rules and regulations in your state and submit proper documentation before launching your business.
5. Build your brand identity.

Now that the legal details are all covered, you can get to the fun part: Building your brand.
This step is key as it will influence how you market your brand to your target audience. In this step, you’ll need to ask yourself a few questions:

What is our mission?
What do we stand for?
If this brand was a person, how would we describe them?
How do we want to be perceived in the market?

From there, you can start working on your brand logo, colors, tone, and other creative assets that reflect your identity.
6. Secure your domain and social media handles.
Developing a strong online presence will be instrumental to the success of your ecommerce business. As such, you want to start early.
It’s easy to find and buy a domain online. Top domain sites include:

Google Domains
GoDaddy
NameCheap
Domain.com

Many site builders, like Squarespace and Wix, and most hosting platforms also allow you to buy your domains directly from them. That way, the site that owns your domain will be the same one where you host your ecommerce site.
7. Choose an ecommerce platform.

The internet is full of ecommerce platforms, each offering different features and benefits.
To start, determine the level of customization you want. There are four categories of ecommerce platforms you can choose from:

Strictly ecommerce platforms that offer tiered packages based on your needs. Think Shopify, BigCommerce, and Shift4Shop.

Website builders with templates and ecommerce tools like Square, Wix, Squarespace that can be used to build any site but offer features like product catalog management, shipping tools, abandoned cart recovery.

Ecommerce WordPress plugins, like WooCommerce, that are ideal for people who already use the CMS and are familiar with its platform, and want to build from it.

To decide, look at what your timeline and what you want to accomplish. Pre-built websites make it easy to build an ecommerce site quickly. However, they’re not very customizable and can be limiting.
On the flip side, there are fully customizable platforms that offer a lot but can take much longer to set up.
Top features to look for in an ecommerce platform include:

Product and order management
Mobile compatibility
Reporting and analytics
Built-in SEO capabilities
Abandoned cart recovery
Third-party system integrations
Advanced content management system
Multi-channel sales

8. Develop a marketing strategy.
The last step before launching your business is developing a pre- and post-launch strategy.
The idea behind a pre-launch strategy is to get your target audience excited about your product or service before it’s available. If done right, you’ll have a line of customers waiting to try out your products.
A post-launch strategy is a more long-term marketing strategy that involves tying your business objectives to specific marketing goals, such as building brand awareness and acquiring more leads.
Your marketing strategy should also account for audiences at all stages of the buyer’s journey. If you focus too much on the top of the funnel, you won’t be able to convert leads into customers. If you focus on the bottom of the funnel, you won’t be able to attract new customers to your business.
In 2022, building an ecommerce business is more accessible than it’s ever been. If you follow the steps outlined above, you’ll have your company up and running in no time.

Current Software – Klaviyo, Zapier, FB Leads Hey all, low level marketer here. I am prepping a few drip campaigns using FB Lead Forms to collect user info. My question is in regards to SMS optin. The plan is to send FB Leads to Klaviyo via Zapier. However, I am wondering what procedure I need to follow for optin consent. The form includes name, email, and number. Will those FB leads zap over to Klaviyo without prior SMS optin consent? If not, what would be the best method for achieving optin consent? Here is the overview from Klaviyo regarding SMS Optins. https://help.klaviyo.com/hc/en-us/articles/360035056972-Guide-to-Collecting-SMS-Consent
submitted by /u/LAltmann3 [link] [comments]

Are you one of the 7.8 million Americans who commute to work every day? If so, I’m guessing you’ve listened to a podcast or two. You’re not alone. According to Infinite Dial, U.S. podcast audiences listen to an average of four to five podcasts per week.
The podcasting industry continues to grow YoY. In fact, Infinite Dial reports that, in 2021, 7 million more people were listening to podcasts than in 2020 alone.
That’s why it’s important to consider podcast advertising for your brand. Here, you’ll learn everything you need to know about podcast advertising — from top podcast advertising strategies to advertising rates and networks.

Podcast Expert Advertising Strategies
Before you get started with podcast advertising, consider this advice from the experts.
Use podcasting for brand awareness, not lead generation.
Rebekah Bek: As a UX writer for Ahrefs, Bek was put in charge of podcast sponsorships. She writes her advice for podcast advertising strategies in this Medium post. Here are the key takeaways:

Rather than being a tool for lead generation, podcast advertising is a tool for gaining exposure and brand awareness.
It’s not always about measurable ROI.
Organic, not scripted, mentions perform best.

Understand your audience may have eclectic tastes.
Midroll: Midroll, a company that matches advertisers with shows , gives their advice to advertisers. Here is the key takeaway:

It’s wise not to adhere too strictly to a category. Don’t assume that comedy audiences aren’t also entrepreneurs or that listeners to a sports podcast aren’t interested in a comedy special. You may be surprised at how broad and eclectic your audience tastes and needs are.

Ads read by the host perform better than third-party ads.
Jason Hoch: Former Chief Content Officer at HowStuffWorks, Hoch revealed what type of ads work best for their brand in an interview with DigiDay. Here are the key takeaways:

Ads read by the host perform better than scripted, third-party ads placed in the podcast.
Listeners feel like they are being shouted at with third-party ads.
Consider producing organic mentions for better results.

Test and measure the success of your campaigns.
Kurt Kaufer: Partner and CMO at Ad Results Media, a podcast advertising agency, Kaufer wrote a survival guide for podcast advertising in this Forbes post. Here are the key takeaways:

Measurement is the key to determining success in a podcast advertising campaign. Use promo codes, custom links, and post-checkout surveys to track success.
Be comfortable knowing not every ad will work at first and that a breadth of shows will need to be tested to figure out what works and what doesn’t.

Measuring the success of your podcast campaigns is best done with a tool, like Casted, that gives you an overarching view of critical metrics. With the tool, you can access behavior metrics, demographic data, and traffic information that helps you understand your content’s true value. 
You don’t need to sponsor the biggest podcasts, you can reach the same people on smaller shows.
Sam Balter: Former podcast marketer at HubSpot, Balter wrote about his podcast advertising learnings in this post. Plus, I spoke with him about his top podcast advertising strategies. Here are the key takeaways:

Pre- and post-roll ad spots are generally cheaper than mid-roll and take less time. In addition, most ads have some sort of call-to-action that prompts listeners to go to a specific URL or use a discount code to get a discount.
Podcast popularity and listenership will only continue to rise and so will the opportunity to connect with people in a new and novel way.
When sponsoring podcasts, trust the host to deliver a message in their own voice.
It’s better to go for frequency than reach. Pick a podcasts where you can purchase three to five ads versus one on a large podcast.

Podcast Advertising Rates 2022
The amount you pay for podcast advertising will vary depending on the length and type of the ad.
It’s essential to know that podcasts offer different pricing structures. Ads are sold on a cost per mille (CPM) or cost per acquisition (CPA) rate. CPM is the cost you’ll pay per 1,000 impressions or downloads. CPA is the cost you’ll pay to acquire a customer. Most ads are priced on a CPM model.
The current average cost of podcast advertising is a CPM of about $25.
AdvertiseCast notes that the average CPM for 30-second ads is $18, and the average CPM for 60-second ads is $25.

Image Source
Podcast Advertising Networks
A podcast advertising network is an agency that connects companies or brands with respected podcasts on which to advertise. The goal is to take away the friction in podcast advertising by helping brands promote their products on podcasts and helping podcasters monetize their projects. A few examples include:
1. Midroll

Midroll, now part of SXM Media, is used by over 800 brands to buy ad spots on 300+ podcasts. With such a wide variety of shows, advertisers have the opportunity to use audience-based buying to ensure ads align with podcast topics most relevant to your brand, helping you accurately target relevant users and maximize reach.
Your ads can be pre-recorded or host read, the ladder being a valuable tool for generating brand trust as audiences trust hosts and see them as a valuable source of social proof. 
Midroll prices ads on a CPM model, so you pay based on the number of certified downloads each episode receives. Its website notes that prices can range from $18 to $50 CPM, with higher performing shows being more expensive. 
The advertiser portal also gives you an overview of campaign metrics, helping you see important data like forecasted downloads and ad placement cost per show. 

Image Source
 
2. Podcast One

Podcast One sees more than 2.1 billion annual downloads and 350 different episodes produced weekly, making it a high-impact platform for podcast advertisers. 
It offers pre-recorded and live host endorsements, and you can use its geo-targeting and copy-split capabilities to ensure you target the right audiences and pick placements for your ads that are most relevant to your business. 
With PodcastOne, you also have the unique ability to use visual integrations for your ads in the form of a sponsorship splash, an ad banner, or a forced video ad.
3. Megaphone

Megaphone offers powerful podcast advertising tools with the Spotify Audience Network, helping you target the most relevant listeners that are likely to drive the most impact across a wide variety of podcasts. 
With the service, you can:

Reach listeners according to their interests, purchase behavior, and things like apps, devices, and platforms that they use.
Get actionable campaign insights that help you understand performance to ensure you have the right strategy.
Use dynamic ad insertion to populate ads when downloaded so messaging is fresh and relevant.

Contact Megaphone to obtain pricing information.
4. AdvertiseCast

AdvertiseCast boasts 2,300+ podcasts, a 150,000,000+ monthly listener reach, and 4,200+ available ad spots to choose from, making it a valuable tool for podcast advertisers as you can select target audiences that are the best fit for your business. 
You also have three different podcast ad opportunities to choose from: 

Baked-in host-read ads (its most popular option), where podcast hosts read your ads within the episode. Pricing is based on length (60 seconds or 30 seconds) and whether you select mid-roll or pre-roll placement. 
Dynamically inserted ads, which are pre-produced, pre-recorded and scheduled to be inserted into podcast content. Pricing is based on the average number of downloads in the first 30 days. 
Custom podcast ad units where you can be as creative as you’d like, like a social media plug for your profiles, a 10-second shout out, or a 90-second baked-in mid-roll ad. 

AdvertiseCast also offers an end-to-end ad campaign platform that you can use to manage your ads and view detailed metrics that help you understand campaign performance. You can also make use of the full service solution, where AdvertiseCast manages the process for you.
Podcast Advertising Statistics 2022
1. There are around 2,000,000 podcast shows and over 48 million podcast episodes as of April 2021. (PodcastInsights, 2021)
2. 75% of the US population is familiar with the term “podcasting,” which is up 5% since 2019. (Infinite Dial, 2020)
3. Half of Podcast ads lasted longer in 30 seconds in length. (Interactive Advertising Bureau, 2021)
4. A survey of 300,000 listeners found that 63% of people bought something a host had prompted on their show. (AdvertiseCast)
5. Cost per mille (CPM) or cost per 1,000 listeners is the most common pricing method for podcasts. (AdvertiseCast, 2021)
6. Dynamically-inserted ads increased the share of revenues from 48% to 67%. (Interactive Advertising Bureau, 2021)
7. Streaming audio and podcasting is projected to be one of the channels with the largest growth in 2022, with a 17.8% increase. (Inside Radio, 2021)
8. Host-read and pre-product ads increased share of revenues from 27% to 35%. (Interactive Advertising Bureau, 2021)
9. Local advertising for streaming audio and podcasting will outperform targeted banner advertising and broadcast TV. (Inside Radio, 2021)
10. U.S. Podcast Ad Revenue is set to exceed 2 Billion by 2023. (Interactive Advertising Bureau, 2021)
Podcast advertising is a marketing tactic that is continuing to grow. As a majority of people have listened to a podcast, and engagement rates are increasing, brands can no longer ignore podcast advertising.