Amazon.in associates are facing a hard time retaining their business online after Amazon reduced their commission rates to implausible low rates.
This email was forwarded to amazon.in associates on Tuesday 14th April.
Policy- changes for Amazon.in Associates
Earlier, Amazon.in associates enjoyed up to 8% commission on products that were sold to the traffic they sent to Amazon. Amazon has taken down this policy for its affiliates
It is suspected that the majority of Amazon affiliates will struggle to continue their businesses on Amazon. Most Amazon.in associates will witness a fall of 60-70% in their commission rates. Some may even see no profit at all.
Pantry, pet, furniture, garden, and home products will experience a steep fall in their percentage. These categories of products were at 8% commission and several Amazon affiliates earned their bread through this.
In 2017, Amazon had stopped commission for Amazon.in associates based on their performance. According to the policy, Amazon affiliates were paid a 10% commission on their fetched traffic after completing a certain target order. It also struck down commission rates for electronics to 3%.
Big sites were hit hard by this policy change and some of them reported a 70% reduction in their monthly revenues.
The policy changes of 2017 led Amazon.in associates to shift their focus on categories like pets, home improvement, and outdoors as these generated an 8% income on each product sold. However, after the recent changes, earning revenue will be hard for almost all Amazon.in associates.
But, if there is a will there is always a way. You would be surprised to know that several sites are good alternatives to amazon offering a great affiliate program. If your earnings have been drastically affected due to Amazon’s commission cut, here are a few alternative sites you can link with.
Before proceeding, it is important to go through the advantages of the Amazon Affiliate Program.
Amazon.in Associates: Pros
Customer Faith
Buyers blindly trust Amazon when it comes to their orders being delivered. They offer outstanding customer service and provide customers with every product possible. The one-click purchase option is a conversion rate multiplier in true sense.
Packaged Commission
Amazon.in associates are paid on every purchase their visitor makes. Be it the product link they used to land up with the purchase or any other link they visited on the way. Amazon affiliates get paid for almost every click by the visitor. A $1 commission increases to perhaps $50.
Festivity Offers on Commission
Amazon offers unimaginable earning opportunities for its Amazon.in associates during festive occasions. From the period between Black Friday and 23 December, Amazon affiliates can earn 70% of their monthly income. Special sales like Cyber Monday, Black Friday, and the like provides an increased commission.
Handy Tools
Amazon provides various tools for its Amazon.in associates to up their traffic, revenue, and conversion.
Conversions
Higher rates of conversion are inevitable considering Amazon’s brand name, exceptional return policies, and customer support.
Amazon.in Associates Alternative: Pros
Multiple Choices
Amazon.in associates enjoyed good business returns until the changed policies. It is also doubtful whether now the affiliates would stick to Amazon. So it’s always advisable to keep a plan B ready.
Checking out other affiliates programs is a must too keeping in view Amazon’s ban policies. Amazon is known to ban its affiliates, suddenly, putting an end to your business plans.
Cookie Validity
The cookie duration of your lead to Amazon is 24 hours. This means that if your visitor purchases within 24 hours, you get a commission or else not. In case of some other affiliate programs, associates get a cookie duration of 90 days. That increases your income opportunity from the visitors you send.
Higher commission rates
Alternative Associates Programs also offer an increased commission rate. Combine them with a longer cookie duration, you can actually earn more without being an Amazon.in associate.
Here are some of the best affiliate programs all amazon.in associates can opt for as an alternative option.
Awin
Awin is one of the most underrated associate networks that differ hugely in its nature from Amazon, Etsy, and other online marketplaces.
It has a multitude of advertisers who sell products and services related to insurance, retail, travel, telecommunications and so on. You can promote a variety of products irrespective of your niche.
Rate of Commission:
Like other affiliate networks, the commission rates offered by advertisers and vendors on Awin differ based on the product. A few merchants offer a 50% commission which leaves Amazon lagging way behind. Others offer 10% which is a good deal too.
The revenue model chosen by you also decides the commission you will generate. The commission you earn on Awin is based on the following revenue models: Cost per action, cost per lead and cost for sale. You can opt for any one of the three.
Cookie Validity:
Amazon’s cookie period lasts for 24 hours whereas some sites offer single-session cookies. But Awin offers a cookie duration of 30 days in which users can earn by converting browsers into shoppers, and shoppers into purchasers.
Payment Modes:
Payment is issued by Awn via PayPal every two weeks. Once a transaction is approved by an advertiser or vendor, it is labeled as ‘uncleared.’ This indicates that the transaction has been approved by them but they haven’t made the payment yet. Once they pay, the transaction is marked as ‘cleared.’ The payment is made at this point.
But, different advertisers and merchants opt for various kinds of payout schedules. Your expected time of payment should be 30-45 days from the date of the sale.
Amazon.in associates planning to shift to an alternative affiliate program can lookout for the following advantages of being with Awin.
The application process is easy and the site is comparatively user-friendly. You can choose from an array of vendors and advertisers. The commission rates are more than usual. The site offers many widgets and tools.
However, the cons include delayed payouts and a brand name not as big as other affiliate programs.
The best niches of Awin are telecom, travel, finance, insurance, and retail.
ShareASale
This affiliate program is one of a kind as it offers associates to sell both physical and digital products.
It is also an easier process to look for other associate merchants with ShareASale. You just search with your niche keyword, and the site provides you with the list of vendors selling products according to your niche.
To become an associate of the site, you have to apply first to each associate individually. But after sorting out which merchants to go for, the application is easy.
For instance, if your niche is home improvement or gardening, you will come across several merchants like Houzz, Wayfair, and Tmart who are high-paying as well as merchants who pay commissions up to 10 %.
Rate of Commission:
ShareASale offers a variety of affiliate merchants with different commission models. A few merchants are similar to Amazon merchants who offer up to 2 %.
Several merchants offer up to 10-30% based on the price of the product and other services.
Cookie Validity:
For new marketing affiliates, cookie duration refers to the period between a visitor-click on your affiliate link and its conversion on the vendor’s site. You’re allowed to receive commissions on the sales from the day a visitor clicks on your affiliate link up to 90 days.
You’re entitled to a commission irrespective of the conversion being a lead or sale, that depends on the vendor program.
One more unique feature of ShareASale is that it offers one of the longest cookie durations at 12 months.
Payment Modes:
The payment is made in the form of a direct deposit or check. When $50 is attained in your account, you can register a request for payment. Affiliates receive payment 20th every month with a one-month gap in between. For example, you will receive your commission for 20th March- 19th April on 20th May.
If any of you Amazon.in associates are looking for reasons to join this affiliate program, here are some:
ShareAsale offers a network that is stable and is well-known in the market. Most categories provide high commission rates. The Cookie durations are longer than normal that is offered. Affiliates are also presented with various types of affiliate merchants and niches.
Talking about the cons, it may take some time to get acquainted with the network and the part where individual sign-ups are required for each merchant.
Outdoors, home improvement, gardening; and clothes and apparels are some of the best niches offered by the affiliate program.
Rakuten
Rakuten is one of the popular affiliate programs consisting of high-profile merchants and big budgets. Known as Linkshare before, Rakuten hosts the affiliate program of Walmart.
Walmart offers a commission of 4%, sometimes even lower, which is similar to Amazon and that’s not good news. Considering Walmart witnesses a huge number of buyers every day, earning revenue through this site is easy.
You can pair up with several other merchants through Rakuten. You can connect with the affiliate programs of merchants like Priceline, Office Depot, Best Buy, Dyson, Hasbro, VRBO, and others through Rakuten.
Rate of Commission:
The rates of commission on Rakuten depend on the product or brand you are promoting. You can choose Best Buy and earn a 1% commission for directing traffic or you can pick Dyson and enjoy commissions of up to 5% or above.
Cookie Validity:
Persistent and session cookies are offered by Rakuten. Session cookies’ tenure ends when a visitor stops browsing. On the contrary, persistent cookies are valid for up to two years.
Payment Modes:
One of the prominent features of Rakuten is that unlike other affiliate programs it offers weekly payment. The first payout is a bit time-consuming. You can choose a direct deposit or PayPal for your payments.
Rakuten’s advantages are that it offers a range of big brands to link with. It has a handy control panel and user-friendly support tools. The rotating banners are a good option too and not to mention the quick payouts!
The only setback of Rakuten is that it is best suited for large affiliates. If you’re one of the smaller Amazon.in associates, it’s best to opt for some other affiliate program.
The best niches include home and outdoor; clothing, shoes, and accessories; sports and fitness; beauty and personal care, and electronics.
Manufacture’s Websites
If you’re one of the Amazon.in associates, always check out for in-house affiliate programs offered by brands you are promoting on Amazon. If you can link with the source directly then why opt for Amazon?
Working with such affiliate programs is more profitable considering they get to directly link with the consumers and dodge the pay of a percentage of the sale to Amazon.
Rate of Commission:
Affiliate programs on Manufactures’ have varying commission rates unlike Amazon’s which only seems to stay fixed or reduce.
The rate of commission offered by Manufacturers is comparatively higher than that of Amazon. Since you will lead traffic towards the Manufacture’s site, your relationship of trust with Amazon stays intact.
Regardless of which manufacturer you promote for, you’re almost always guaranteed to earn a higher commission per sale than you would with Amazon. Don’t be surprised if your conversion percentages increase at some point.
Cookie Validity:
Cookie durations vary according to each affiliate program. Nevertheless, a minimum of 30-day cookie life is expected which is again 29 days more than what Amazon has to offer.
Payment Modes:
Just like other affiliate programs, different product manufacturers and brands have different payment modes. Some prefer to mail a check while some opt for PayPal or direct deposit. The best part is that you can get to know about the payment modes before signing up.
One of the biggest advantages of linking with this affiliate program is that it works with brands, directly and removes the middle man. It also has a wide range of products for promotion and higher commissions. It offers flexibility, trust, and brand recognition.
However, the affiliate program is time-consuming and may demand a deal negotiation.
The best niches offered are apparel, travel, home improvement, Outdoors, and Luxury items.
Bed Bath and Beyond
One of the best direct and converting affiliate programs is Bed Bath and Beyond. The majority of the affiliated programs under the category of kitchen and bath focus on home improvement items like appliances, cabinetry, and hardware. But this site sells any item you promote.
You get an opportunity to earn a regular commission by selling products like cookware, bedding sets, rugs, utensils, dishes, curtains, and so on. Furniture and home décor items are also saleable. The popular reputability of the brand is also an add-on. It has several stores all over the US.
Rate of Commission:
A percentage of up to 7% is offered by this affiliate program on each transaction. Considering the above-average sales of the site, being an affiliate will fetch you a good amount of income.
Cookie Validity:
The cookie duration offered by the affiliated program is similar to many other programs, i.e 30 days.
Payment Modes:
Affiliates are paid monthly and the affiliate program doesn’t require you to have a monthly target to get paid. Every sale fetches income to be paid to you via direct deposit or check the next month.
Amazon.in associates who are looking for pros to join this program, let me tell you that the brand name is worth considering here. It has a massive number of dedicated followers. You also come across several graphics, banners, and the like. The commission offered is good-to-go.
The cons would include the limited commission and the troublesome sign-up process.
The best niches of Bed Bath and Beyond include home décor, bath, and bedding.
Petco
Having a market history of 50 years and 1500 shops all over the US, Petco is a well-known pet-related retail chain. They offer a variety of pet products and have a loyal fan base. This paves the way for higher commissions and hiked conversions.
Rate of Commission:
The rates of commission of Petco vary from 5% to 8%. Excluding food, bedding, flea, and litter which have a 5% commission, you can earn 8% on every other product.
Cookie Validity:
Amazon affiliates will still be in a better position with Petco’s cookie duration of 7 days, short but better than Amazon’s 24 hours.
Payment Modes:
Similar to Bed Bath and Beyond, Petco’s payout system is monthly and devoid of any monthly target. Payment is made via direct deposit or check after a month of each sale.
Amazon affiliates who have a pet niche have several advantages to consider when linking with this affiliate program. First, Petco offers a huge pet niche. Further, it capitalizes on motivated buyers. It has a high ticket system and commission rates. Their management system is mention-worthy too.
However, the short cookie duration and the fact that few products don’t attract a commission is a drawback.
Going by the name and the theme, the best niche offered by Petco is pets, of course.
Chewy
Amazon.in associates having a pet niche must check out the affiliate program offered by Chewy. A publicly-traded company, Chewy is Petsmart’s division and bears a market cap of $12 billion.
Chewy sells a wide range of essentials for pets. The site gets repeated customers and has dedicated followers.
Rate of Commission:
The commission rates of Chewy’s affiliate program are purely different than what others have to offer. Rather than commissions on the sale, you get paid $15 for every sign-up arrangement. That is, with every new customer you send to Chewy, you receive payment.
Cookie Validity:
The cookie duration of Chewy is 15 days. You are paid $15 whenever a customer visits the site via your affiliate link.
Payment Modes:
Monthly payment via check or wire transfer is the payment method of Chewy.
The pros of Chewy include its popular brand name, a vast variety of products, an evergreen niche, and a bonus of $15 for new customers.
However, the only con is that the payment is based only on the sign-up of a new customer.
Chewy’s only and best niche is pets.
CJ.com
Those who want to promote physical products, CJ.com is the affiliate program for you. Known as Commission Junction before, CJ.com has been in the market almost since Amazon. It has 15 offices spread across the world and offers a platform to promote a wide range of products.
CJ.com has some of the largest brands like Lowe’s, J.Crew and GoPro, Barnes & Noble, and several others.
Rate of Commission:
CJ.com’s commission rates depend upon what the merchant decides. The merchants have a free will in selecting their rates of commission.
To stay in the market, brands with the same niche offer almost the same commission rates. For example, BowFlex, Nordic Track, and other fitness equipment brands have a rate of commission of 7% on the sale of fitness products.
The commission rate is low compared to ShareASale and Awin affiliates but higher than Amazon.in associates who receive a mere 4.5%.
Cookie Validity:
There is no such cookie duration on CJ.com rather they follow a “Cookieless Tracking System.” Barring that, you’re entitled to payment from the time a visitor clicks your affiliate payment till he makes a purchase.
Payment Modes:
There are two payment methods offered by CJ.com. Either you choose being paid by check direct bank deposit.
But the catch is that to be eligible for check payment, an affiliate must reach the minimum threshold payment of $100. The minimum threshold for direct deposit is $50. Payment is made on the 20th every month.
Amazon.in associates can consider the following pros when searching for an alternative affiliate program. CJ.com is a trusted and reputed affiliate program. It has a variety of products, an excellent support system, in-depth tracking, above-average commission rate, and regular payments.
One noteworthy con is that affiliates must own a website and get it approved. To be eligible to endorse this site may need some eligibility which is comparatively harder.
The best niches are pets, fashion, beauty, outdoors; health and wellness.
As Amazon continues to dominate the ecommerce space, benefits for affiliates seem to be decreasing with each changed policy. It’s always better to have alternatives in hand than to focus on one and run at a loss. The post has listed for you some of the best alternative affiliate programs for you to get started with. Go grab ‘em.
