Why Amazon?

One of the biggest benefits of being a member of Wealthy Affiliate, are the times when asking one question turns into another one. When my Amazon Associates account had been rejected after a 90-day Amazon review because, as they stated, “you are not using tags associated with your store in any of the Amazon Special Links…” I asked what I thought was a simple question. When could I reapply? Amazon had shut down my fledgling account, so my only option was to reapply. I was so appreciative when the simple answer was posted as a reply: Immediately.

Yes, there’s more to it than what is embodied in the one word. But I did reapply, was accepted (as was expected), and began to replace my links. I may be doing a couple of things differently with this new account to ensure that I don’t run into the same problem but that’s the subject for another day.

What was interesting was the few WA members who posed another question rather than answer to my original question. Why Amazon? they asked.

Multiple people slammed Amazon for their low commissions, their strict (crazily strict) policies, and that all of their products can be purchased elsewhere. Yes. Yes. And Yes. I get it. Why would we bother with Amazon?

Like so many on WA, I’m just getting started. I asked myself this same question 3 months ago when I applied. And then I applied that first time. I found I could start using Amazon links the same day. Amazon gave me time to prove my blogs could create sales: 180 days to prove it. Yet I got my three sales in under 90 days with less than 10 blogs on both my websites. It was progress. It was something. It indicated I was on the right track. That I was posting and sharing my blog posts in the right places. That I was writing content that could drive sales.

But truly. Why Amazon? Because at this point in my website career, something is better than nothing. And that’s honestly the way I look at it. For now I’m going to use Amazon because it’s easy and gives me a chance. It helps me learn the ropes, because if I can follow their rules then going to any other affiliate should be a piece of cake. And because if I didn’t have Amazon, and a couple of other ShareASale affiliates, my blog would have no way to generate any income. Not even a penny. All it would be doing is costing me.

I guess I’m getting a bit defensive, and I don’t mean it that way. Well, OK. I guess I do mean it that way and didn’t realize it when I started writing. I also think that the WA members who ask the question are so correct. I may keep Amazon in the long run, but I will continue to migrate to other affiliates who pay more and fit with my niche. I’ll continue to analyze my market, my audience, my keywords, and, with the help of WA members, will make the right decisions to grow my business.

I’ve only been accepted by a few affiliates and have been turned down by one display ad company. The one that turned me down was the biggest learning experience. I went back over their requirements and learned why I should’ve waited to apply with them. I need more traffic, more content. More quality, well-planned, keyword-researched content. And every step of the way, I am so appreciative to have WA members to guide me. We don’t have to take every bit of advice we read in the WA community. That’s a given. We always have a choice. All we can do is complete our research so that we can confirm that we are making the best choice for our circumstances.

For you newbies like me who are asking the why Amazon question, I would still encourage you to apply from a standpoint of education. Read their operating agreement because it may be the most detailed one you’ll find. I’m at the point where most display ad companies (such as MediaVine) will turn me down. I have so much work to do to grow what I’ve begun. Amazon is a steppingstone that I may grind down to a few pebbles as I move along. But as long as you fill out these applications for affiliates or affiliate networks with a learning attitude, you can’t be wrong. It’s about following the training. I know it becomes a bit of a mantra, but it’s true. Follow the training.

Learn as much as you can. And oh yeah. Remember the one thing that leads to success. Don’t give up.