Last Updated on September 24, 2022 by Arif Chowdhury
Making money online is not a new thing. This idea started a long time ago & many people are already making money nowadays, and successfully making money is challenging. The most obvious way is to create a blog & connect it with affiliate networks.
I will not talk about how to start a blog in this guide; you can read my guide later if you have no idea about it. But let’s focus on affiliate networks & how to make money for now. When you start a blog or website, you receive lots of visitors. Consider this flow of raw visitors as an untapped goldmine. You have to utilize this goldmine to make money.
Now the question is, how are you supposed to do it? Starting a blog is something everyone can do nowadays but how to market it smartly is another challenging task. If you have no idea how to sell your blog & affiliate products online, you can read my guide later. But, as I said, let’s focus on affiliate networks for now.
This guide will walk you through the best affiliate programs with high commissions. You will also learn how to join them, why you should join them, how to promote their products in your blog & how to make money & withdraw your earnings. It’s a complete guide; you won’t have to search for other guides to learn more.
So, let’s get you sorted out.
What is an Affiliate Network?
You may have a question: What is this network all about? Well, it’s more like a hub/market of affiliate programs where many companies seek affiliates to hire. So let’s imagine your typical job site, where companies are seeking employees to hire.
You may ask, why need a network? If I join a company through their website, what’s wrong with it? Well, nothing is wrong, however, they may be a fraud & you will never know as you are not in a hub/marketplace where other job seekers like you may have posted reviews about that company. If they are a reputed company, you will know about it by reading others’ thoughts. If they are a fraud, you will know right away as well.
As you can see, staying in a network has many benefits. So, by joining an affiliate network, you can assure yourself that all companies here are authentic & reputed.
Let me introduce you to the world’s largest 11 best affiliate networks.
1. Commission Junction (CJ).
CJ or Commission Junction is one of the largest affiliate networks that exist. It was founded in 1998 as Commission Junction and acquired by ValueClick in 2003. Then in 2014, it rebranded as Commission Junction by Conversant.
Anyway, enough history lessons, let me tell you what CJ is about.
CJ is an affiliate network with more than 2,800+ companies from small to large reputed brands. Including IHG (InterContinental Hotel Group), Barnes & Nobel, Zappos, etc.
First, you will get tons of opportunities to join & earn. However, if you do not have enough monthly visitors (i.e., at least 5,000 unique visitors per month), then joining a big brand & promoting those won’t do much for you. So, my advice is – to take a look at your website first & if you have enough visitors, then let’s move on to the signup page.
Remember, the affiliate network signup process is not complicated but relatively easy. But, there is a catch. Every company has its unique signup process as well. So, even after registering with CJ, you may not get to join all their listed companies unless they like your profile first.
To start as an affiliate, first, visit their website & click on the signup. You will be given two options. Advertisers & Publishers. You should choose the publisher option if you want to join as an affiliate to earn money. And if you want to promote your products through other affiliates, then the advertiser is your option.
The signup process is relatively easy. First, you have to confirm your email address. Then gradually, they will ask for your credentials, i.e., name, address, phone, email, website information, etc. Take your time & fill in all the information.
After completing the joining process, they will show your affiliate dashboard. Here, you will get access to all information you need.
You can check their rating when you want to join an affiliate program. How much you may able to earn per click (EPC). And also, their rating shows how trustworthy they are. By checking their EPC, you can quickly identify high-paying affiliate programs to promote. You may also check their commission rates in the details sections.
Savvy affiliate marketers learn everything about their affiliate marketing programs before working on them.
Quick Note: Affiliate marketing has good earning potential; you can get a recurring commission or a one-time payment. However, you have to know to do it correctly. Otherwise, it won’t work for you—for example, email marketing to send affiliate links to your potential customers is the correct way. If you sell online courses, talking about affiliate products can also bring you lots of revenue.
Exclusive features:
- Analytics: This feature shows you detailed information about your performance, i.e., how many raw clicks you received, how many signups, how many sales, etc.
- Affiliate Program Rating: this feature allows you to check reputed companies before you join them. You can quickly identify fraud, thus no chance of losing commissions.
- Deep-link: this allows you to convert any page to an affiliate link; it will be easier for you to promote a specific page of your affiliate website.
- Banners: almost all affiliate program offers banners with embedding codes, so you can easily install banners on your website to promote. It is just a plug & plays feature.
Additional information:
- Payment methods: Direct deposit (min $50) & check (min $100), no PayPal.
- Commission types: CPA, CPL, CPS, CPC
- Cookie duration: depends on individual companies; check their information.
- Niche: almost all types of places are available.
Recommended Reading: Advance Strategy to Help You Grow Your Blog Audience (Practical Guide)
2. Rakuten Marketing.
Formerly known as Link Share. It is one of the top & reputed affiliate networks that exist. Though it may not be as big as CJ, however does not count for quantity. Rakuten Marketing has large and small brands comprising more than 1,000 companies. Including Walmart, BestBuy, Papa Johns’s, etc.
The signup process is almost as same as CJ. You have to provide all personal & website credentials, including how many unique visitors you are getting every month & what is your business niche. After completing the registration process, it may take a couple of business days to approve your application.
When your application gets approved, log in to your new affiliate dashboard. It’s almost the same as the CJ dashboard. You can choose different affiliate companies from the Programs > categories tab. It provides you with all the necessary details you require. For example, when this company is founded, how much commission it will pay you, cookies duration, etc. Then, you can click on the link to grab your unique affiliate link to promote.
Rakuten Marketing has a unique “deep linking” feature that can make your life easier. Do you have any idea what deep linking is? Well, you can convert every website page to your unique affiliate link. Without the deep linking feature, you will get only the homepage & product page affiliate link. Thus, deep linking gives you an extra benefit in marketing.
Quick Note: Most affiliate programs are free to join. A wide range of content creators, such as bloggers, YouTubers, and Podcasters, can all participate in these programs. However, the best way to promote affiliate programs is to build landing pages using a website builder. Also, email marketing is another possibility.
Exclusive features:
- Analytics: just like CJ, Rakuten has its unique analytic dashboard. It displays all the essential information about your affiliate performance.
- Detailed Information of Companies: though it is not as good as CJ, while they provide a rating system for you to judge, you will still get plentiful information about companies before joining them.
- Deep-link: powerful linking feature allows you to target any page of a website to promote.
- Banners: they offer you an exclusive collection of flags with embedding codes.
Additional information:
- Payment methods: PayPal, bank transfer & check (min $50).
- Commission types: CPA, CPL, CPS, CPC
- Cookie duration: mostly 30-60 days, yet it depends on individual company policy.
- Niche: various types of places available.
It is probably the largest affiliate network that exists nowadays. More than 15,000 companies are currently listed on ShareASale. It was founded in 2000 & since then it’s growing. Though CJ is older, ShareASale has more companies listed. If you want to see the quantity, ShareASale won; however, do not count for the amount.
Anyway, which one is best, is entirely up to you. I have seen many affiliates who have different types of opinions & give the rating differently. So, which one is best? I will leave this to you.
However, if you want to join a single network to connect with various affiliate programs, I suggest choosing which has the most companies listed. This way, it will be easier for you to manage.
Anyway, when it comes to joining this affiliate network, it’s relatively simple & easy. Just visit their site and click on “Affiliate Signup.” Like before, they will ask you about your credentials and website information. After that, wait a couple of business days for your application approval. Then log in to your new affiliate dashboard.
However, don’t forget to purchase a reliable web hosting service for your website and landing pages when promoting affiliate programs. Also, leverage email marketing automation to make your life a lot easier. Finally, check affiliate commissions and minimum payout before starting to promote it.
However, recurring commissions are the sweetest affiliate program, as you will get commission over and over for a single loyal client. So, make sure to pick this program whenever you find it.
Exclusive features:
- Analytics: Like CJ & Rakuten, ShareASale has its unique affiliate analytic dashboard. Here, you can see all the necessary information about your performance.
- Company Rating: just like CJ, ShareASale has a unique company rating called “Power Rank.”
- Deep-link: it will allow you to create your custom affiliate link.
- Bookmark: a unique feature to create a deep link with a single click.
- Banners: almost all affiliate programs offer banners with embedding code; just copy & paste them to your site where you want to promote them.
Additional information:
- Payment methods: Payoneer, direct deposit & check (min $50).
- Commission types: CPA, CPL, CPS, CPC
- Cookie duration: mostly 30 days, yet it depends on individual company policies.
- Niche: almost all types of niches are available, including physical products.
Recommended Reading: Best Blogging Platform to Make Money (Beginner’s Guide)
4. Awin.
Formerly known as Affiliate Window. You may think that ShareASale & Awin both look the same because Awin acquired ShareASale in 2017 though both are still operating their website individually. Thus consider them two different websites even if they look alike.
As both look alike yet, their registration process is different. Awin has four steps for registration:
- First, you have to give your company & personal information.
- They will ask about promotional type & space where you have to provide additional information on how you will promote their products. And the final step is verification through email.
- You have to pay a $5 refundable fee; it is a security system to prevent fraud affiliate account creation.
After completing all these steps, wait 3-5 business days for approval. After that, visit your new affiliate dashboard.
Unlike other affiliate networks, Awin has some unique features about companies. For example, when choosing affiliate programs, you will see some helpful information, i.e., approval rate, conversion rate, EPC, payment status, average payment time, etc. A conversion rate of less than 1% is a waste of time unless you can make hundreds of monthly sales. Otherwise, your chances of making a good profit are very thin. Therefore, try to join with a more than 5% conversion rate.
There is another thing, take a close look at “average payment time.” Some affiliate programs’ average payment time is more than 100 days. Avoid this type of company, do not just look at the commission rate; maybe you will fall into their trap.
They have listed some prominent brands for you to promote, i.e., AliExpress, Etsy, HP, etc.
Exclusive features:
- Analytics: they have a stunning analytic dashboard for monitoring your progress.
- Company information: though they do not have any visible rating, you can use their details & quickly identify the company’s performance.
- Deep-link: has a unique deep link creation tool for creating customizable affiliate links.
- Banners: Like all other networks, the Awin affiliate program offers banners so that you can plug & play.
Additional information:
- Payment methods: PayPal & direct deposit (min $20).
- Commission types: CPA, CPL, CPS, CPC
- Cookie duration: it’s entirely based on the company’s policy, yet you will usually find around 30 days.
- Niche: most all types of niches are available.
5. Amazon Associates.
Amazon is one of the largest brands in the world. So, you do not need to search for its authenticity or popularity. You can trust this one completely. The most amazing part is that you can sell whatever they are advertising on Amazon. No limitation on anything. From pencils to Smart TVs, books, old PS1, new PS5, 2nd hand or 3rd hand products, whatever you like.
Another good thing is when you promote Amazon products on your website; you do not have to choose each product. Instead, you will select a range of products like books, computer accessories, or mobile phones & Amazon’s intelligent rotator system will showcase various products based on that. Sometimes, you may get a commission for products you never recommended on your site.
How is it going to happen? Well, let’s say your website is all about the mobile phone & you choose to showcase mobile phone-related products. However, when someone clicks on your link & visited Amazon, perhaps they didn’t purchase those products; instead browsed other categories and purchased computer accessories. In this case, you will make a profit. Because that buyer referred by you & of course, it has to be within cookies duration.
Take a close look at their commission structure; you will get up to 10% commission based on the product category. So before choosing a niche, always check their commission rate.
Quick Note: Amazon affiliates are very user-friendly for an affiliate marketer. You may replace your Google AdSense ads with Amazon Affiliate products. It will be best if your content is highly relevant to the products you display.
Exclusive features:
- Analytics: Amazon has a unique affiliate analytic dashboard to help you to gauge your performance.
- Company information: it’s rather critical because, in Amazon, the company and general people can sell products. Thus you have to choose carefully before promoting any product.
- Deep-link: just like other affiliate networks, Amazon also has a deep-linking feature to help you to create custom affiliate links.
- Banners: not all products have a banner option. As I said, the company and general people are selling their products on Amazon.
Additional information:
- Payment methods: Amazon gift cards (min $10) or direct deposit (min $100)
- Commission types: CPS & CPL
- Cookie duration: their cookies duration only lasts for 24h. However, if someone adds a product to their cart within that duration, then you will get additional 90 days, though this feature only applies to a certain kind of product.
- Niche: almost all types of physical & online products.
6. Avangate Affiliate Network.
This affiliate network mainly focused on digital products rather than physical ones. Also, they offer high commissions than other networks. If you want to sell software, eBook, or web service, then Avangate is the right place. Unlike Amazon, where physical products are the main focus, here in Avangate, significant products are digital.
Let me give some examples of their products, Antivirus, VPN service, and webcam software, i.e., Kaspersky, Hide My Ass, Bit defender, etc.
Like other affiliate networks, Avangate acts as a middleman so companies & affiliates can work together. If you have a company & want to increase your sales, then join as an advertiser. Otherwise, join as a publisher.
They are also offering you aid in your affiliate journey. Collect the “101 tips for successful affiliate selling” eBook for free advice & tips. An advantage you will get is that their commission structure is higher than usual. You may receive up to 75% commission per sale. The average commission structure is also good, more than 20%.
However, they do have any in-house company reviews. Thus, there is no option for you to learn which one is fraud or authentic. Also, there is no information on how long it will take to give you a payment. Awin has a much better feature, as I mentioned earlier. So, if you want to join Avangate take caution before you promote a product. My advice is to use Google search to check out company reviews.
Exclusive features:
- Analytics: have some basic features to check out your revenue, clicks, signups, and overall progress.
- Company information: do not have any in-house company rating, thus no way for you to check their authenticity.
- Deep-link: they have a powerful deep-linking feature that enables you to create a custom affiliate link by visiting the company website.
- Banners depend on the company, though almost all companies offer banner options.
Additional information:
- Payment methods: Wire transfer, check, PayPal & Avangate MasterCard (min $100)
- Commission types: CPS & CPL
- The cookie system depends on the company’s policy; however, you are supposed to get at least 30 days on average.
- Niche: various types of digital products.
Recommended Reading: How Content Marketing Can Increase Sales for Free? (Definitive Guide)
7. ClickBank.
ClickBank has been a well-known popular affiliate network since 1998. Still, unlike CJ, Rakuten & ShareASale, ClickBank does not have large brands; most of their products come from individuals or small companies. Thus, you must be careful about their products’ quality before promoting them. Perhaps you may waste valuable time and lose your reputation among your existing audience.
Though, ClickBank has an excellent filter system to help you out with it. You can quickly check products rating, conversion rates, payment periods, etc. By checking all this information, you may able to sort out high quality & high converting products, still use your common sense & use Google to check additional reviews all across the web.
Apart from this, the ClickBank commission structure is generous, with up to 90% commission you are supposed to get per sale. Also, they have an education platform to help you start with affiliate marketing; if you do not have any prior knowledge, then it is a great opportunity.
Exclusive features:
- Analytics: you can use the ClickBank analytic dashboard to get an idea of your performance.
- Company information: you have some basic information, yet as most of the products come from individuals to small businesses, you should not rely solely on their ratings.
- Deep-link: there is no option for custom linking.
- Hop-link: it is a clocking option; you can convert a default affiliate link to a hop link so no one can identify that link. It is perfect when you need to hide an affiliate link.
- Banners: you will get a broad range of banners from almost all products.
Additional information:
- Payment methods: Direct deposit, check & Payoneer (min $10)
- Commission types: CPS
- Cookies system: it depends on the products. However, you are supposed to get at least 60 days on average.
- Niche: various types of digital products.
8. FlexOffers.
FlexOffers, founded in 2008, is relatively new compared to other affiliate networks. Yet, it is one of the top 10 affiliate networks and contains more than 12,000 affiliate programs for you to choose from. In addition, they are adding hundreds of new affiliate products every week. Thus you have brand new opportunities every week.
They have both digital & physical products. You can filter out products based on country, ratings & category. You can identify high-quality products by seeing their in-house rating system. Thus it will be easy for you to stay safe.
FlexOffers has some large brands, including Lenovo, Macy’s, Skechers, etc. Additionally, you will get a dedicated manager; therefore, whatever issue you have can be solved immediately.
Exclusive features:
- Analytics: they offer you robust & detailed analytics reports so you can easily monitor your performance.
- Company information: they have an in-house rating system; thus, it will help you to identify the best & high-paying affiliate products.
- Deep-link: they offer you a deep-linking feature & also able to create custom links while you browse an affiliate website.
- Banners: it depends on the company, though most of them offer the banner feature.
Additional information:
- Payment methods: Bank & wire transfer, check & PayPal (min $25)
- Commission types: CPS & CPL
- Cookies system: it depends on company policy. However, most of the time, you are supposed to get 30 days.
- Niche: various types of digital & physical products.
9. Peerfly.
Peerfly was founded in 2009, another emerging young affiliate network compared to the big dogs CJ, Amazon Associates, Rakuten, etc. Though it’s young yet, it has more than 3,000 companies listed. From small to large brands, they offer some great products for you to promote. You will find large brands like McAfee, Agoda, Fiverr, Uber, etc.
They provide industry-leading fast service; it will take only three business days to evaluate your application. Thus, no need to wait for a whole week to get started. In addition, they offer you a custom tracking feature, which enables you to create custom affiliate links to set up your campaign. For example, you may make two affiliate links for the same products and then promote them on two other platforms—one in your blog & another on your social media pages. By doing so, now you can easily differentiate the performance of 2 platforms.
To make you encourage, they also have a reward system based on your performance. Therefore, the top-performing affiliate can earn extra money. Not only that, they have an in-house competition to set you on fire. Exclusive prize money waits for those top performers.
They also offer you free training & tips along with a dedicated affiliate manager to answer all your queries & issues.
Exclusive features:
- Analytics: they offer you a custom analytic dashboard to customize according to your needs.
- Company information: they provide detailed information about companies.
- Custom link: you can create a custom tracking affiliate link.
- Banners: most of the offers have a banner feature.
Additional information:
- Payment methods: PayPal, BitCoin, Amazon Gift card, Payoneer, check, bank transfer (min $50)
- Commission types: CPS & CPL
- Cookies system: it depends on individual company policy, though you should expect to get at least 30 days.
- Niche: a range of both digital & physical products.
10. Walmart Affiliates.
Amazon associates and Walmart are both kinds of the same. Amazon holds the most significant US market (50% of all eCommerce sales), while Walmart only has 3.7%. Compared to this statistic, I suggest you join Amazon associates, as you will find more opportunities. However, even after that, some affiliates may find Walmart more profitable than Amazon associates.
Why? Because Walmart gives you a slightly better commission rate than Amazon associates. For instance, Walmart offers a 4% commission on toy category products, while Amazon associates provide only 3%. Though 1% is probably nothing to you, this 1% extra commission will boost your monthly earnings regarding bulk selling.
One more benefit, while Amazon associates offer only 24h cookies duration, Walmart gives you 72h. This extra time will also boost your overall earnings. In addition, their registration procedure is also faster than Amazon’s; it will take only 24h to evaluate your application.
Exclusive features:
- Analytics: they offer you an excellent & detailed affiliate analytic dashboard to monitor your overall progress.
- Company information: most of the products are from small to large brands & you can also check their in-house rating.
- Deep-link: you can easily create a custom link to a product.
- Banners: it offers you the unique ability to create a custom banner for an individual product.
Additional information:
- Payment methods: PayPal & bank transfer (min $50)
- Commission types: CPS & CPL
- Cookies system: only last for 72h (3 days).
- Niche: a range of both digital & physical products.
Recommended Reading: How to Create a Facebook Business Page and Promote a Business?
11. eBay Partner Network.
Just like Amazon, eBay is highly popular. Both have some similarities, yet eBay only holds 6.6% of all US eCommerce shares, while Amazon is more than 50%. Like Amazon, eBay has almost all kinds of products to sell & there are wide varieties, though, as you will find 2nd & 3rd hand products from individual and large brands.
It doesn’t matter, though; just like Amazon, eBay is worldwide popular; therefore, you won’t have to worry about authenticity. However, there is a catch, the platform is well-known, yet the products have no guarantee, as many products you will find come from individuals. So, yet again, on many averages, affiliates find themselves safer sticking with Amazon and eBay than other affiliate networks.
The commission structure is slightly the same as Amazon, around 1% to 4% maximum. So if you can sell hundreds of products per month only, you can make a handful amount of revenue.
Exclusive features:
- Analytics: powerful analytic dashboard will help you to gauge the overall performance.
- Company information: there is an in-house rating system, yet take caution before promoting a product.
- Deep-link: there is no such feature available in eBay affiliate.
- Banners: it depends on the products. Some may have, others don’t.
Additional information:
- Payment methods: PayPal & wire transfer (min $10)
- Commission types: CPS
- Cookies system: only 24h duration; however, if an auction is placed before this period, then cookies will last until the auction is over.
- Niche: almost all kinds of products are available to promote.
Executive Summary.
I have listed one of the top affiliate networks that are trusted by me & other affiliates worldwide. So if you see bad reviews about these networks, do not judge them immediately. Remember, these affiliate networks are highly reputed to both companies & affiliates. Therefore, they must have to keep their reputation intact, & for that reason, they often remove spammy affiliate accounts or forfeit payments. But it doesn’t mean that these networks are inadequate.
Before you join, try to remember the below advice:
- Make sure your website is authentic, well-designed, well-written, has high quality & unique content, and has no adult-related content.
- Make sure you have at least 5,000 unique visitors per month. It is not a rule, just a suggestion from an expert.
Before you start promoting products, remember the below advice:
- Make sure you use the correct affiliate link; even the slightest mistake will make you lose your commissions.
- Do not promote those affiliate links elsewhere, i.e., forum, social media, etc. If you do, then there is a possibility that they will ban your account as well as forfeit any commission you make.
- Do not trick them with false/misleading information, i.e., generate fake signups/leads by using VPN/proxy servers or with the help of your friends. If you do, then prepare to get banned by them.
They will also be dedicated to you if you stay loyal to them. Promote affiliate links only to your website or other registered sources (you must notify them before doing so). If you can adequately do all of these, then there is no reason for you to get banned. Even after that, if you face any problems, do not forget to contact me for advice or write a comment below; I will try to help you.
Further reading on Cliobra: if you want to learn how to promote affiliate links on social media such as Facebook, Twitter, or even Pinterest, I recommend you read my other guide, “Ultimate Guide: Social Media Marketing Strategy for Small Business.” You have to be careful when promoting an affiliate link; there are some secrets on how to do it perfectly on social media, so why are you waiting?