This article looks at 17 programs that are great for those just getting started in affiliate marketing.

(Image Source: https://www.jeffbullas.com) Affiliate marketing is quickly becoming a very popular way for beginner and budding entrepreneurs to make money online. If you don’t know much about affiliate marketing, that’s OK. The affiliate marketing programs in this article are the easiest ones to use and feature products that are among the easiest to get clicks for.

So first, let’s ensure you know exactly what affiliate marketing is and how it works. Then we will dive into the 17 best affiliate marketing programs for beginners. What is affiliate marketing?

Affiliate marketing is performance-based marketing in which a business rewards one or more affiliates for each visitor or customer brought by the affiliate’s marketing efforts. It is a process where you promote someone else’s product or service and earn a commission when someone decides to purchase by clicking on your link. The affiliate partner then rewards a payout for a specific result to the retailer or advertiser, typically a sale.

But some affiliate marketing programs can reward you for providing them with leads, a free trial, user clicks to a website, or getting downloads of an app. Most affiliate programs are usually free to join, and there are usually no high startup costs. If you have an effective affiliate marketing strategy, you can go from this being a side hustle to a profitable online business idea and earn a healthy monthly income.

What is an affiliate marketing program? Affiliate marketing programs are a way for merchants to promote their products and services. Affiliates are websites that agree to promote the merchant’s products and services in exchange for a commission on sales.

The commission can be based on several factors, such as the number of people the affiliate sends to the merchant’s site or people who buy something or perform some other action. How do affiliate marketing programs work? Affiliate marketing programs connect businesses with potential customers through online platforms such as social media, blogs, and email newsletters.

When someone clicks on an affiliate link, they are taken to the business’s website. The affiliate gets a commission from the sale if they purchase a product or service within a specific timeframe. Affiliate marketing programs offer you the chance to promote brands that sell online business tools such as VPNs and other software, pharmaceutical items, digital products such as e-books, and anything else you can buy online.

What is the commission rate? The commission rate is the percentage of the sale that the affiliate receives. It can range from a few per cent to 50% or more.

The average commission rate is around 20%. Some programs also offer recurring affiliate commissions and they pay you a commission for every month a customer uses their product.  What is the cookie duration? The cookie duration is the amount of time an affiliate has to generate a sale for the merchant before the affiliate’s cookie expires.

The average cookie duration is 30 days, but some affiliate programs have shorter or longer periods. What are the 17 best affiliate marketing programs? Affiliate marketing is a great way to make some money.

Even if you are a beginner, you can make some money by signing up to be an affiliate with an affiliate marketing program. We have selected the most popular ones for beginners based on the size of the program, how popular it is, how easy it is to get clicks, and the size of the payouts. ClickBank affiliate program ClickBank is one of the oldest and most popular affiliate programs.

ClickBank is a marketplace for digital products, such as e-books, software, and membership sites. Most of the products are in the digital information marketing and health supplement niches. Pros You don’t need to have your own website to promote programs The average commission is high compared to many other affiliate marketing programs There are many programs with recurring commissions The pre-selling is already done for you by the merchant’s landing page Digital products can be quickly promoted through email marketing and social media Creating an affiliate link is easy Cons The Marketplace is functional but hasn’t been updated in nearly two decades Some programs have resulted in high refund rates Payment details The commission rate varies The cookie duration is 60 days Rakuten advertising affiliate program (Image Source: https://www.jeffbullas.com) Rakuten Advertising is one of the largest affiliate networks, with over 12,000 affiliate programs.

Rakuten has a wide variety of products and services, ranging from books and music to fashion and electronics. Pros The affiliate network is extensive and has many well-known brands Affiliates can earn cash back as well as commissions There are many tools available to help affiliates succeed Handles over $100M a year in sales yearly Cons The user interface could be more user-friendly It can take a long time to get approved for some programs Payment details The commission rate varies The cookie duration varies Impact affiliate program The Impact affiliate program is a performance-based marketing platform that connects businesses with affiliates who promote their products and services. Impact offers various affiliate marketing tools to help affiliates succeed, including an affiliate network, tracking software, and creative resources.

Pros Instant approval of brands Wide choice of affiliate programs Intuitive interface Home to big-name brands Choice of categories Multiple ways to cash out earnings Cons Slightly fewer features than some other affiliate programs It has a wealth of features, which is a good thing, but they can be too much for some beginners Payment details The commission rate varies The cookie duration varies Awin affiliate program Awin is a global affiliate network with over 13,000 active affiliates. Awin has a wide range of products, including fashion, beauty, and home goods. It offers a vast selection of affiliate marketing programs, and with its accelerated payment system, you don’t have to wait long for payments.

Pros The network is extensive and has many well-known brands Affiliates can earn cash back, as well as commissions There are many tools available to help affiliates succeed Many big-name brands to work with Cons This program is top-rated, which means you will have a lot of competition Operates mainly in the EU and UK, although it is a global company Payment details The commission rate varies The cookie duration varies Etsy affiliate program (Image Source: https://www.jeffbullas.com) Etsy is an online marketplace where people can buy and sell handmade and vintage items, among other things. Etsy has a wide variety of products, including art, home decor, jewelry, and clothing. It offers a vast selection of affiliate marketing programs.

Pros Commission rates are high compared to other affiliate programs Etsy offers a wide range of products that can be promoted The site is well-known and popular, which could result in increased traffic and sales Etsy is a trusted brand with a loyal following, which could result in higher conversion rates Cons Sometimes, they change the algorithm rules of the platform Popular vendors sometimes leave the platform Payment details The commission rate is 4% per sale The cookie duration is 30 days eBay partner network affiliate program The eBay Partner Network is an affiliate marketing program run by eBay. It offers various products, including electronics, fashion, and home goods. With over 12,000 active affiliates, the eBay Partner Network is one of the largest affiliate networks.

Pros Wide variety of products to promote Low barrier to entry, so it’s great for beginners High commission rates Global brand name PayPal payments Cons Short cookie rate Many knock-offs on their site Payment details The commission rate is up to 4% per sale The cookie duration is only 24 hours Fiverr affiliate program Fiverr is an online marketplace for services. Fiverr has a wide range of services, including graphic design, web development, and video editing. It offers a vast selection of affiliate marketing programs.

Pros You can make a lot of money through their high commissions The interface is user-friendly and easy to navigate They are a market leader, so there is no real competition New services become available to sell all the time, so you’ll always have something to promote Cons You don’t get paid for sales to existing customers Some of the popular programs leave the site Payment details The commission rate is up to $150 per sale The cookie duration is for 30 days FanFuel (Image Source: https://www.jeffbullas.com) FanFuel is an affiliate marketing program for sports fans. It offers various products to make commissions on, including tickets, apparel, and memorabilia. FanFuel has a massive selection of affiliate marketing programs.

Pros Commission on repeat customers for life Real-time data Retargeting campaigns and funnel optimization Good referral bonuses Cons Not all countries can participate It doesn’t associate itself with the offshore gambling websites Payment details The commission rate is 40% per sale The cookie duration is 90 days ShareASale affiliate program If you’re looking for a well-rounded and reliable affiliate marketing program, ShareASale is a great option. With over 5,000 different affiliate programs to choose from, you’re sure to find something to match your interests and skills. The interface may be outdated compared to some flashy programs, but it’s simple and easy to use.

And most importantly, the programs offered through ShareASale are high quality and profitable. Pros ShareASale has a comprehensive database of products and services to promote, much larger than many other affiliate marketing programs. It also includes more minor, unknown, but worthwhile affiliate programs that can be a great source of income.The commission rate is up to 30% per sale The cookie duration is 45 days Cons The interface is a bit outdated It doesn’t have the flashy bells and whistles of some other programs Payment details The commission rate varies The cookie duration varies (Image Source: https://www.jeffbullas.com)(Image Source: https://www.jeffbullas.com)(Image Source: https://www.jeffbullas.com)