Affiliate Marketing and Ecommerce

Affiliate marketing and eCommerce don’t always go hand in hand. Basically, affiliate marketing is a type of eCommerce as it is a business that is accomplished electronically.

So what is Affiliate Marketing?

Affiliate marketing is like having a sales force working on a commission basis. Let’s say that person A is a seller of aquarium supplies while person B has recently released eBook teaching how to breed different types of fish. Person B could strike up a deal with person A, asking them to put a banner in their domain that advertises the eBook. For every sale the author makes of their book through the domain of person A, the aquarium supplies seller would get a flat fee of 10%. Person B would be under no obligation to person A if no sales were made of their book. This is affiliate marketing.

What 2021 Bringing for Affiliate Marketing ?

According to Statista researches for USA markets, since the year 2015, revenue from affiliate marketing programs increased by 10% annually. Expectations are this impressive trend to continue into at least 2022. Saas Scout reports more: an estimate of the global value of the affiliate marketing industry is $12 billion, whereas the US market accounts for $4.5 billion. The largest market share is held by the US with 39% of the total, followed by the UK (15%) and Germany (11%). According to iDevDirect affiliate software vendors, they see a clear increase in interest in self-hosted affiliate programs and a tendency to independent management of these from 2019 to 2021 and counting.

Ecommerce as Affiliates

Referring to the last example, the person selling aquarium supplies is basically involved in E-commerce. The fact is that eCommerce owners are the best affiliates for affiliate marketing. This is because online business owners are open to any earning opportunities that might come their way. In fact, it might even be a two-way deal. Different business owners in a somewhat related niche could post each other’s ads in their website with the promise of per-sale commission. By doing this, each person has the capability of appealing to a larger market while at the same time having the chance to earn more.

According to studies, eCommerce and affiliate marketing could actually speed up the development process of a domain. As affiliate marketers link with different eCommerce websites, they could appeal to a larger market without spending a dime. For example, the author selling his eBook could also affiliate with other eCommerce sites such as those selling customized aquarium designs or another seller involved with aquarium supply sales.

How to Create a Stronger Affiliate Team

Keep in mind though that even with eCommerce and affiliate marketing, there is still very strong competition. This is why as much as possible; individuals should take the time to choose their movements carefully. This is especially true for the people involved in affiliate marketing. Basically, they should recruit as many affiliates as possible and perhaps offer a two-tiered commission system. This way, their affiliates would have a stronger impulse to promote their product to make additional sales.

With the right approach, affiliate marketers and eCommerce owners will find themselves getting excellent revenues by helping each other. However, it is important to point out that this only works if they help each other with the process while at the same time promoting their products as much as possible. Note that affiliate marketing and eCommerce only work when the two are operating in a related niche. It wouldn’t work to post an affiliate advertisement about aquariums on site that sells clothes since the market is hardly compatible. Hence, choose eCommerce and affiliates correctly to get the best results possible.