Author Kyle
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In this tutorial I am going to be walking you through the process of setting up an Amazon Associates (US) account, the affiliate program that allows you to promote the products/services within Amazon's network of 100's of millions of products.

Amazon commissions range 1 - 10%, and you can get their current commission structure from their fee schedule page.

In this training I am also going to explain the application review process, and give you a tour of the back office of your Amazon Associates account.

If you have any questions at all about Amazon Associates, please leave your comments below.

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Tomoko1 Premium
I am thinking of joining Amazon. This video and comments of members helped me. Thanks to Kyle. One thing I would like to know is: if they don't like my website and I am denied, am I able to apply for Amazon again?
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DianeScorpio Premium
Hi - Amazon is unusual in that it will accept all sites, even if they are new (unless their content relates to illegal practices). However, do be aware that you will have to meet their target of 3 sales in 180 days which is not easy until you are getting daily traffic.
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Tomoko1 Premium
Wow, I didn't know that. According to Kyle, we are able to re-apply for Amazon after our account is suspended for non-sales. Thank you for your reply.
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Jaz333 Premium
You are able to reapply if you are suspended (or denied), but in that case you will be given a new associate ID and you will have to go back and edit all your links within your posts, which can become time consuming.
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Tomoko1 Premium
I see. Thank you for telling me.
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hi, it sounds like getting the min target of 3 sales in 180 days on Amazon is
not that easy? how so? surely it can't be that hard or is it?
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DianeScorpio Premium
Hi - you have to take in to account that Google views all new websites with suspicion for the first few months and doesn't rank them high enough in its search engine results to be seen by visitors. Amazon has a lot of strict rules, so, for example, you can't buy products yourself through your own links, neither can you allow friends or relatives to do so. You have to rely on genuine visitors to your site.
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mjcharland Premium Plus
Hi Diane:
I'm hoping to become an Amazon affiliate but something you said recently has me concerned. You said that after you become an Affiliate you can't buy products yourself through your own links. Do you mean that you must cease being an Amazon customer when you become an Amazon affiliates? I've been an Amazon customer for many years and I buy a lot of products from them.

Thanks in advance for your clarification of this rule.

Monique Charland
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DianeScorpio Premium
Hi - when you become an Amazon affiliate you will be able to put links on your website for potential customers to purchase something. You can't click on these links yourself to buy something in an effort to meet their sales target, but you can still use Amazon in the normal way.
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Meenaf1 Premium Plus
Done! Thank you very much Kyle! The training was very step by step and very useful. It worked very well without any difficulties. I wasn't able to figure it out by my own. So I am glad I had your training as a good source to refer to.

Kind regards,

Meena
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waltthewell Premium
Quick question: as a newbie, i've been working diligently on my site. My site is currently not google indexed and without any traffic. Should i apply for Amazon Associate at this point or should i wait until my site begins to get traffic on google?

Also, i'm currently working on a review post, but as i've learned, i cannot use any of the product photos from Amazon. Should i wait to insert these photos once i'm accepted into the Amazon Associate program? I'm told that if you want to use product photos, you can get them from Amazon once you get accepted into their associate program, is that correct?
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Rex10 Premium Plus
Hey Walt,

You're doing great, just keep adding content and wait until your indexed and get some traffic before you apply to Amazon. Right now, most likely they will reject you. They did me when I was at the same stage. If they do, don't worry, just wait a couple of months and re apply.

Amazon Photos, hot topic around here sometimes. The product photos themselves do not belong to amazon, they are the property of the product manufacturer. You can go to the manufacturer's website and get the photos directly. Probably the safest way to go.

Amazon gets upset when people screen shot product photos and include all of Amazons' graphics, descriptions and pricing. If you right click on the photo (and only the product photo), and then "save photo as" rename it and download it to your site, they will have a real hard time proving where you got it. I don't think you will have a problem if you do it that way.

Hope that helps,

Rex
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waltthewell Premium
Thx so much Rex:

I'll continue to pump out quality contents first before applying to Amazon Associate or any other associate networks. I've read that many got rejected because the site just isn't ready. I'll aim to get at least 12-15 posts with some organic traffics first once i get indexed, then apply for Amazon then. Thank you for your tips on photos. That surely helps!
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Rex10 Premium Plus
Glad to help Walt. You're doing great. Keep up the good work and you will be on your way.

Rex
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SofiaMM Premium
Hello, in addition to what Rex10 said, be aware that you will only have real issues with Amazon if you are indeed an Amazon Associate. In that case, they deny the commissions payment if affiliates/associates don't do exactly as they say: only use their links material.
If/when you become Amazon Associate, have that in mind: change the images to their images and graphics and add their disclosure sentence nearby every single link you add to your website.

As for now, keep posting until you get some traffic. There's a rule to use Amazon Associates - make 3 sales in 6 months - that you won't be able to meet without traffic :) as a rule-of thumb your site needs to have at least 6 months, and you need to have 50-60 posts posted to get good enough traffic. So... don't make my mistake and apply immediately :D

Wish you the best sucess.

Cheers,
Sofia
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waltthewell Premium
Beautiful! Thx Sofia for your tips. I'll try to pump out on aver 8-10 posts every month to the best of my ability. Will try to apply by the end of the year when I get close to 30 posts, hopefully by the end of the year.
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bill808 Premium Plus
The flaw in Affiliate Marketing is that you are at the "mercy" of the company you are representing. When you depend on someone else for your income that will always be the case. WA, in one of the early classes, recommends affiliate marketing as a way to get started and learn how to promote products on the net. WA also recognizes that secure income comes from diversification and selling your own products.
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suppose this is also true.. thanks
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Lewsoftbal Premium
Kyle thanks for the video. I have heard a lot of the bad press about what Amazon is doing. As a new person getting into affiliate marketing, I do not know what was there in the past. What I do know is that they are one of the biggest sites that most people go to. As you mentioned earlier, 3% of a big pie is better than 0% of nothing. I guess it is just a cost of doing business.
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BrendaMZ Premium Plus
Kyle, your last blog talked about Amazon fees cut so making less for affiliates. Why would you support them when their fees are so low? They cut their affiliate fees for associates. I wouldn't sign up with them-no way. Nice video but you got to be kidding me. Before it was 14 percent now cut to ten percent, thats low of lowest I’ve seen.
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j52powell Premium
For my scuba diving and outdoor products it is now 3%, down from 4.5%.
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Kyle Premium Plus
Yeah, but it still is one of the largest affiliate programs online, and they generate the most sales out of any company online. There likely will be scenarios in every niche where you can benefit from Amazon, and of course reasons you will join many other affiliate programs.

I certainly don't support their latest moves, but even at 3% with some things you can be very lucrative.
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BrendaMZ Premium Plus
Dislike that. That really sucks.
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BrendaMZ Premium Plus
Dislike. Right, agreed other affiliate programs offer better commissions. Not every niche from Amazon will be lucrative, the only way to make a killing through that is to sell very expensive high ticket items. Glad you don’t support their latest move . Neither do I. Glad there is something else to promote other than the big A.
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CashYoda7 Premium
Hey guys,

I agree. I do nootropics supplements on my site, and I got cut off at the knees.

Went from 4% to 1% if memory serves.

I took my Amazon affiliate links out for my current site, but am still keeping Amazon in mind for a new site promoting appliances or larger ticket items.

I'm pissed at Amazon too, but It's hard to say no to the volume you can push with them.

What ya gonna do? Amazon's so big, they can do what they want. It's just the nature of the beast.


Steven.
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RosanaHart Premium Plus
I'm a big fan of nootropics and I've noticed over the past few years that Amazon sells fewer and fewer of them.
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CashYoda7 Premium
Really? What kinds have you tried?
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RosanaHart Premium Plus
Umm.. quite a few... piracetam and other racetams including oxyracetam, aniracetam, noopept. Other mind enhancing supplements too. Discovered them many years ago and take them off and on.
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CashYoda7 Premium
What did you think of noopept?
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