What Is Affiliate Marketing?
Before we talk about the best affiliate programs let us talk a bit about what exactly is Affiliate Marketing. Well affiliate marketing, as the name suggests, is a marketing strategy that affects sales of other people’s products. The one promoting will receive a percentage, if clicks are made or a product is sold from links provided.
The affiliate marketer helps to sell products to the customer(who is mainly the marketer’s audience) by promoting products through affiliate links. To get started, one has to sign up to affiliate marketing websites/programs available in the market.
What Are Affiliate Programs And How Do They Work?
Affiliate/associate programs are agreements between the merchant(seller) and the affiliate websites, such that there is a flow of traffic to the merchant website. Traffic is directly linked to revenue and is dependent on the volume of traffic that is directed to the merchant website.
Today many people spend a lot of their time on Youtube, Instagram, Facebook, etc. Therefore a percentage of these people can be directed to the merchant’s website. Here is a brief idea about the different payment system for affecting affiliate marketing:
- Pay-per-scale: Here the marketer shall receive a percentage of the amount or a fixed amount per sale. In this category, each payment is made only if a sale is made.
- Pay-per-click: This payment system depends on the clicks made on the affiliate link to just go to the merchant website. Whether the sale is made or not is not important.
- Pay-per-lead: Pay-per-lead means the payment shall be made when a lead is generated. On visiting the merchant’s website, the customer is prompted to enter relevant information in certain forms. On completing that condition, the marketer will receive the agreed commission.
| Affiliate Program | Commission | Cookie life |
|---|---|---|
| Bluehost | $65 per sale | 90 days |
| Dreamhost | $15 – $200 per sale | 30 days |
| Kinsta | Up to $500 per sale + 10% recurring | 60 days |
| Hostgator | $65 – $100 per sale | 60 days |
| WP Engine | $200 or 100% of first month payment for WP Engine & Genesis Pro sales and 35% of StudioPress Theme sales. | 180 days |
| ConvertKit | Recurring 30% commission for lifetime | 60 days |
| Aweber | Recurring 30% commission for lifetime | 365 days |
| GetResponse | 33% recurring commission | 120 days |
| Leadpages | A base recurring commission of 10% with a possibility of getting up to 50% depending on the number of sales | 30 days |
| Instapage | 50% commission is received on the first payment followed by 30% recurring commission | 120 days |
| OptimizePress | Commission rate of 40% per sale. Also, a recurring commission of 20% for club memberships. | 180 days |
| Mangools | 30% recurring commission | 30 days |
| SEO PowerSuite | 33% commission for all orders (including yearly subscription renewals) | 120 days |
| Affilorama | 50% commission | 60 days |
| LongTailPro | 30% recurring commission | 365 days |
5 Best Web Hosting Affiliate Programs
Bluehost
Bluehost is a web hosting platform which also has an affiliate marketing system. Like various hosting sites out there Bluehost is also a member of EIG. It has quite a name among bloggers because of its web hosting platform, which provides a good value for the minimum cost.
Bluehost provides a base commission of 65 dollars per sale. In case the number of referrals driven to their portals is large enough, one can earn a commission up to 120 dollars. Therefore if you can drive the sales volume, large amounts of income can be generated by the help of Bluehost's affiliate program.
The commission earnings from Bluehost can be received after 45 days of the month on which the web hosting purchase has been made. The amount is processed between 16th and the end of the month. To receive the payment, one must have a PayPal account and a minimum earning of 100 dollars.
Bluehost’s primary way of tracking is through cookies. The cookies have a life of 90 days. Since Bluehost is free to sign-up, and also provides a variety of plans, it can be easily promoted.
Highlights:
- $65 commission per sale and can go up to $120
- Payment through PayPal
- Cookie life of 90 days
Dreamhost
Dreamhost facilitates its customers to use its affiliate program even without being a Dreamhost customer.
You can earn a commission between $15 – $200 per sale. Alongside this , one can even receive a bonus of $50 for every five referrals. There is also an option to earn $5 for each sub-referrals made.
Earnings can be received after 97 days. The earnings, when they reach a minimum of $20 payment is made into the PayPal accounts.
With a cookie policy of 30 days, Dreamhost holds an excellent reputation among the reviewers on the internet.
Highlights:
- $15 – $200 commission per sale and additional $50 for every 5 referrals
- Payment through PayPal
- Cookie life of 30 days
Kinsta
This is a web hosting platform that is managed by the WordPress hosting provider. Also, its servers are powered by Google Cloud Platform.
Their commission is one of the best in the market. One can earn up to 500 dollars per sale along with 10% recurring additional lifetime commissions. The plans provided by Kinsta are starter, pro, business and enterprise.
Payments are made within 60-day conversion windows to the registered Paypal account. Also, they have a 60-day cookie tracking policy.
All these above points give Kinsta a good name in the market.
Highlights:
- Up to $500 commission per sale
- Additional 10% recurring lifetime commission
- Payment through PayPal
- Cookie life of 60 days
Hostgator
One of the oldest hosting services in history, and also a member of the EIG. Their affiliate program is built in such a way that one will be rewarded for a high volume of conversions.
Hostgator’s basic commission starts at $50 which can go up to $125 depending on the slabs of the volume referred.
Payment from Hostgator is received monthly. The sales made, get verified after two months and payment is made after a week of verification. A minimum earning of $100 is mandatory for payout. Their cookie tracking period is also 60 days.
Being a reputed host provider in the industry, their plans can be easily promoted and sold.
Highlights:
- $50 – $150 commission per sale depending on the volume
- Payment through PayPal
- Cookie life of 60 days
WP Engine
One of the highest paying affiliate programs in the market is that of WP Engine’s. Since it is one of the leading web hosting providers in the market, you can rest assured about the product you're referring to your audience.
They have a hefty commissioning policy which is a minimum of $200 per sale referred. In case a customer has opted for an expensive plan, 100% of their first-month revenue shall be yours. Apart from this, you will also earn extra money for making more referrals.
Payments are made by the 20th of each month. To receive this payment one must have a ShareASale account. Also, their cookie policy is one of 180 days, which is one of the highest tracking periods in the industry.
WP Engine pays huge incentives compared to any other programs in the industry. As a result of this bonus, this is a great option to consider.
Highlights:
- $200 commission per sale
- Affiliate program is managed through ShareASale
- Cookie life of 180 days
5 Best Marketing Tools Affiliate Programs
ConvertKit
ConvertKit is one of the email service providers(ESP) out there. It is a full-featured program, which was created by Nathan Barry.
A 30% monthly recurring commission is received for every referral that is sent to them through the affiliate link. Therefore the commission is dependent on the number of subscribers.
A properly set up PayPal account is necessary for receiving the commission. Payments are made on the 2nd of each month and it can take up to 60 days to receive the same. The good part is that there’s no minimum amount for the payouts to take place.
The cookie tracking period of convertkit is 60 days. Though new, ConvertKit is an option to consider for affiliate marketing.
Highlights:
- 30% monthly recurring commission
- Payment through PayPal
- Cookie life of 60 days
Aweber
Similar to Convertkit, Aweber is also an ESP. It has been in the market for over twenty-two years. Aweber provides an ID once you sign up for its affiliate program. Like any other affiliate program, you have to tag the links wherever suitable.
Digital payments from Aweber can be received into your PayPal account. Their commission rates are pretty decent. They pay 30% for the referrals made.
An advantage is that they will pay you 30% as long as the audience will remain subscribed. Also, they pay their marketers on the first of every month. Affiliates need to have a minimum of $50 to receive the payment.
Aweber’s cookie period is huge. It is for one whole year.
With a no-cost sign-up program, Aweber is also one of the tools you must look into to earn good commission.
Highlights:
- 30% monthly recurring commission
- Payment through PayPal
- Cookie life of 365 days
GetResponse
A two-way optional affiliate program is provided by GetResponse. The one that is hosted by itself uses custom affiliate tracking software whereas the second one uses the CJ Affiliate network.
The commission is paid per sale made through the referral. Commissions may be one time or recurring in nature going up to 33% payment by the self-hosted option. Recurring commissions are also available. The second option pays $135 for every sale made.
Payouts are made on having earned $50. Payments will be made as per the balance in the account on the previous month, between 15th and 20th. GetResponse cookies have a life of 120 days for easy tracking.
GetResponse, being a program paying high commission is also among the recommended ones.
Highlights:
- One can opt between the 33% monthly recurring or a one time fixed commission of $135
- Payment through PayPal
- Cookie life of 120 days
Leadpages
Leadpages now offers everyone a chance to access their affiliate program. Earlier, a pro membership was mandatory. Their program is managed through IMPACT—an affiliate links hosting platform.
Generous commission rates are paid by Leadpages. A base recurring commission of 10% is received in every sale made. Depending on the number of sales you make each month you can get 40% – 50% of recurring commission for that month. The amount is credited as long as the referral stays with their customer.
Payouts are made into the Paypal account. Also, the commission is deposited after a lock-in period of 30 days.
Having a cookie period of 30days, Leadpages’ low monthly costs provide a great value to its customers. You can also avail their easily accessible customer support.
Highlights:
- Can get up to 40% – 50% monthly recurring commission
- Payment through PayPal
- Cookie life of 30 days
Instapage
Instapage is a powerful landing page solution for marketers around the globe. It’s mainly used by them for advertising campaigns. It extends a vast range of assets to its associates.
50% commission is received on the first payment. The following payment drops down to 30% recurring commissions. Payments are deposited into the affiliate’s PayPal account in a week once it is earned. Income is earned within 60 days of the sale.
Like many other affiliate programs, Instapage also provides a cookie tracking life of 120 days. It is a great place to get started and even keep on earning recurring passive income.
Highlights:
- 50% first commission followed by 30% monthly recurring commission
- Payment through PayPal
- Cookie life of 120 days
5 Best Blogging Tools Affiliate Programs
OptimizePress
An affiliate program similar to that of Instapage, OptimizePress offers its affiliates three plans, namely—core, publisher and pro.
A high commission rate of 40% is provided by OptimizePress. Also, a recurring commission of 20% can be earned if any customer opts for a lifetime club membership.
Earning can be enjoyed from the Paypal account. This payment is made on a net 30 basis. A minimum of $100 has to be earned to receive payouts.
With a 60-day cookie expiry period, OptimizePress can be a good option if you are a webinar or course creator, digital marketer or a small business owner.
Highlights:
- 40% commission and 20% monthly recurring commission if customer opts of a club membership
- Payment through PayPal
- Cookie life of 60 days
Mangools
SEO tools like KWFInder, SERPWather, LinkMiner are provided by the Mongools affiliate program. Since it provides comprehensive tools, where almost everything can be achieved, it's a great option to use its affiliate program.
A recurring commission of 30% can be earned from its associate program. As usual, deposits will be made into your Paypal account once a month, on reaching the limit of $150.
A cookie tracking period of 30 days is available with Mangools. Since Mangools is a multiple tool SEO platform, this has also been included in our top five list.
Highlights:
- 30% monthly recurring commission
- Payment through PayPal
- Cookie life of 30 days
SEO PowerSuite
SEO PowerSuite has a great number of sales since the market is huge. You can get started with earning commissions for each sale SEO software once your affiliate account has been verified.
A 33% commission rate is provided for every sale and even the subscription renewals made. Multiple payment receiving options are available like—wire transfer, Mastercard, Paypal, etc.
SEO PwerSuite’s affiliate program provides a cookie life of 120 days for easy tracking. Since it has a lot of resources and is quite popular in the market, we have included this in our top-5 list.
Highlights:
- 33% monthly recurring commission
- Payment through PayPal
- Cookie life of 120 days
Affilorama
Affilorama is a platform where one can learn about the various affiliate marketing techniques from its various available courses.
The commission payout percentage is high, which stands at 50%. The pay can be received in 4 different ways—via cheque, direct deposits, Payoneer and wire transfer. They also make payments on a NET 30 basis.
Since most of Affilorama's payments and cookies are managed by ClickBank, the criteria of ClickBank are applicable.
This is also a good place where a beginner can start due to the availability of various courses to sell for Affilorama.
Highlights:
- 50% commission per sale
- Payment and tracking managed by ClickBank
- Cookie life of 60 days
Long Tail Pro
LongTailPro helps in finding long tail keywords which are less competitive but at the same time can get you a lot of traffic.
30% of monthly recurring commissions can be earned per sale from LongTailPro. This earning will be reimbursed to you via PayPal . For PayPal, a minimum of $100 has been mandated.
LongTailPro provides affordable pricing plans to its customers which makes it easier to market. These marketing links have a cookie life for a whole year.
If you’re eyeing on a high paying SEO affiliate program that will help you generate recurring income, LongTailPro is the way to go.
Highlights:
- 30% monthly recurring commission
- Payment through PayPal
- Cookie life of 365 days
This was our top five lists of affiliate programs that are available in the market from different segments. The knowledge that you gained will come of use, now or in future, as passive income is hugely popular—now more than ever.
