We Share 5 Best Affiliate Programs for Beginners in 2024

Helpful Summary

• Overview:  This is a detailed guide to the five best affiliate programs for beginner affiliates, offering detailed insights into each program's features, benefits, and potential earnings.

• Why You Can Trust Us: Strackr is a celebrated affiliate tracking solution with over 200 partner affiliate networks. Our innovative affiliate marketing tools have helped international companies streamline and better manage their affiliate programs.

• Why It Matters: Learning about the affiliate marketing programs on offer will help you build a stable affiliate marketing business.

• Action Points: For beginners, we recommend choosing affiliate programs that offer high-commission affiliate products, a solid reputation, and strong support systems for aspiring new affiliates.

• Further Research: While affiliate marketing can be lucrative, it comes with several potential pitfalls. Hence, we invite you to explore Strackr’s affiliate tracking and support tools.

Need Help Starting Your Affiliate Marketing Journey?

Affiliate marketing is the great equalizer – it’s a lucrative opportunity for people from all walks of life to generate a passive income online.

However, despite what some influencers tell you, becoming a successful affiliate marketer is easier said than done. Like other legitimate ways to make money, affiliate marketing requires hard work, dedication, strategy, adaptability, and a constant willingness to learn.

Here at Strackr, we understand that choosing the right affiliate program plays a big role in your success, especially when you have little experience.

So in this article, we will share the top 5 best affiliate programs for beginners in 2024, including the key features of each program, commission rates, cookie durations, payment methods, and more.  Additionally, we will share the best practices to maximize your chances of success.

Whether you're a blogger, social media influencer, content creator, or someone who simply wants to make money online, this guide is for you.

But first…

Why Listen To Us?

At Strackr, we specialize in helping affiliate marketers and publishers manage their affiliate marketing business more efficiently.

With our intuitive affiliate program management tool, affiliate marketers can gain significant insights into the performance of their affiliate programs like the Target affiliate program, enabling them to optimize their strategy for more earnings.

Major affiliate companies like Capital Koala, Adclick, and Joko trust our solution to simplify their affiliate program campaigns and track data.

Try Strackr for free and discover how our tool takes your affiliate marketing to the next level.

What is an Affiliate Program?

An affiliate program is a marketing arrangement where businesses reward affiliates (you) for driving traffic or sales to their website through your promotional efforts.

First, you sign up for the program, and the company provides you with a unique affiliate link or code.

Then, each time you make a sale with your affiliate link or code, you earn a commission. You can promote your link on various marketing channels such as blogs, websites, social media, email newsletters, or paid advertisements.

Affiliate Programs vs. Affiliate Networks

Many people tend to confuse affiliate programs with other types of marketing. As we clarified, affiliate programs involve companies paying you a commission for promoting their products using an affiliate link.

On the other hand, affiliate networks are entities or platforms that host multiple affiliate programs from various companies. A network is like several affiliate programs combined.

Through affiliate networks, affiliates/publishers can gain access, join, track, and manage multiple affiliate programs within a single dashboard.

What to Look for in a Good Affiliate Marketing Program

High Commission Rates

High-ticket affiliate programs are lucrative. Each sale or lead generated through your affiliate link can significantly increase your revenue, making it critical for you to maximize the return on your marketing efforts as a beginner. As a result, you ensure that your initial hard work is generously rewarded.

That being said, getting approved as an affiliate for high-ticket affiliate programs can be a challenge for newbies as they have stricter rules and requirements.

Joining several affiliate programs can enhance your earnings as a new marketer. These programs often pay less but are easier to enter, increasing your chances to earn.

That said, managing multiple affiliate programs presents a significant challenge. You must individually track each program's revenue, determine the most effective strategies, and adjust your approaches accordingly. This requires careful monitoring and strategic planning.

How to Optimize Your Affiliate Marketing Business with Strackr

Fortunately, you won’t have to worry about the logistic horrors of managing multiple affiliate marketing programs if you choose Strackr.

Our affiliate management tool can provide detailed data on clicks, transactions, revenue, and all of your other metrics in one place!

Check out Strackr today and take advantage of our free trial offer!

Long Cookie Duration

Cookie duration refers to the particular timeframe in which an affiliate link remains active in the user's browser.

For example, Etsy offers a cookie duration of up to 30 days. This is important since potential customers may take time to decide whether to buy your product.

With longer cookie durations, you boost your chances of earning commissions from the sales generated through your affiliate link.

Flexible and Reliable Payout Methods

When an affiliate program has a reliable payment system in place, you ensure that you can withdraw your affiliate commissions on time.

Moreover, check the different methods an affiliate program pays its affiliates.

For instance, Amazon and Fiverr offer several payment methods, including direct deposit, checks, Payoneer, and PayPal. This gives you a lot of flexibility.

Low Payment Threshold

Sometimes, you just want to get paid right away.

Affiliate programs that have lower payment thresholds allow affiliates to access their earnings more frequently. It helps you see faster results.

For example, Amazon Associates has a minimum payment threshold of just $10. This means that whenever affiliates make $10, they can immediately withdraw their earnings and use it as they see fit.

Reliable Support and Resources

New affiliates usually require extensive support. Fiverr Affiliates, for instance, provides personalized assets, optimization tips, and fast support to guide beginners effectively. Getting custom help like this can significantly boost your chances of success.

Best Affiliate Marketing Programs for Beginners

• Amazon Associates: Ideal for people who want to promote affiliate products without a website.

• Zappos Associates: Best suited for fashion and lifestyle affiliate publishers with a US audience.

• Expedia Group: Best for content creators and bloggers in the travel niche.

• Etsy: Ideal for aspiring affiliate marketers who want to promote homemade or vintage products.

• Fiverr Affiliates: Great option for marketers who have a background in online freelancing.

1. Amazon Associates

Amazon Associates, also known as Amazon Affiliates, is one of the largest and most well-known affiliate programs today.

This affiliate program is an excellent choice for beginners since it allows individuals to earn up to 10% commissions by promoting a vast array of Amazon products across numerous categories.

Amazon Associates Affiliate Program Details

• Commission Rate: Up to 10% commission on sales.

• Payment Methods: Direct bank deposit, check, gift cards.

• Payment Schedule: 60 days after the end of the month in which commissions were earned.

• Minimum Payment Threshold: $10 for direct bank deposit.

• Cookie Duration: 24 hours.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Amazon is a globally trusted household brand

• Millions of products to promote

• Detailed reporting and built-in analytics

• Free to join and open to affiliates from all over the world

• Low payment threshold with multiple payout options

Cons:

• Low commission rates for some categories

• Short cookie duration

• Very high competition

Signup URL: Amazon Associates

2. Zappos Associates Program

The Zappos Associates Program is one of the best fashion affiliate programs to date.

When you join this affiliate program, you can earn commissions by promoting shoes, clothing, handbags, accessories, housewares, and more, including products from renowned brands like Nike, Vans, and UGG!

In addition to this brand's solid reputation and extensive product selection, Zappos also provides marketing materials and support to help new affiliates succeed.

The Zappos Affiliate Program is managed through CJ Affiliate and primarily targets the US market, as Zappos does not offer international shipping.

Zappos Affiliate Program Details

• Offers: 7% per sale.

• Payment Methods: The Zappos affiliate program runs on the Commission Junction (CJ) network which pays affiliates via Payoneer, direct deposit, physical check, and bank transfer.

• Payment Schedule: Monthly.

• Minimum Payment Threshold: No minimum payout.

• Cookie Duration: 14 days.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• 100% free to join affiliate program

• Decent commission rate

• High conversion rates thanks to Zappos' strong brand reputation

• Offers a 14-day cookie duration

• Provides a variety of marketing materials, including banner ads

Cons:

• Restricted to affiliates who can drive US-based traffic

• Commissions are reversed if customers return the products

• Hign competition

Signup URL: Zappos Affiliate Program (via CJ affiliate network)

3. Expedia Group Affiliate Program

The Expedia Affiliate Program is a popular travel affiliate program that allows publishers to earn commissions by promoting Expedia's extensive range of travel products. This includes hotels, flights, vacation packages, and car rental bookings.

One thing that makes this affiliate program well-suited for beginners is that Expedia provides detailed performance tracking and marketing tools to its affiliates.

Additionally, they have a reliable support system to help new and upcoming affiliates maximize their earnings.

Expedia Group Affiliate Program Details

• Commission Rate: 6% commission on hotel bookings, and up to 1% on flight bookings and vacation packages​.

• Payment Methods: PayPal and wire transfer.

• Payment Schedule: Monthly.

• Minimum Payment Threshold: $30.

• Cookie Duration: 7 days.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Free to join

• Decent commission rate considering the price of travel bookings

• Offers a 7-day cookie duration

• Provides a variety of marketing materials and support to affiliates

Cons:

• The program is primarily geared toward website and blog owners

• Only pays commission for completed or consumed trips

• Payments typically reflect between 60 to 150 days after a trip has been completed

URL: Expedia Affiliate Program

4. Etsy

The Etsy affiliate program allows you to earn commissions by promoting handmade and vintage items within the platform.

This gives aspiring affiliate marketers a unique opportunity to earn commissions from sales of products from sellers around the world.

With a 4% commission rate and a 30-day cookie duration, Etsy provides a straightforward and rewarding affiliate program for beginners.

Etsy Affiliate Program Details

• Commission Rate: 4% commission.

• Payment Methods: Paypal or direct deposit.

• Payment Schedule: Monthly.

• Minimum Payment Threshold: $20.

• Cookie Duration: 30 days.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Free to join from anywhere in the world

• Etsy is a trusted and popular household brand

• Opportunity to promote unique products

• Support for various promotional methods

• Long cookie duration

Cons:

• Low-income potential compared to the other affiliate programs on this list

• Depending on the seller, Etsy’s product quality might not always be guaranteed

• High competition

Signup URL: Etsy

5. Fiverr Affiliates

The Fiverr Affiliate program allows individuals to earn commissions by recommending freelancer services to employers and clients worldwide.

As a Fiverr Affiliate, you get customized shareable links that you can share on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, emails, podcasts, blogs, websites, and more.

With a high commission rate and high-quality support, it's a great choice for beginners looking to start their affiliate marketing career.

Fiverr Affiliates Program Details

• Commission Rate: 25% to 100% of the customer's first order; 10% revenue share from all future orders placed by the customer in the first 12 months.

• Payment Methods: PayPal, Payoneer, or bank account.

• Payment Schedule: Payment is made on a net 30 basis, which starts at the beginning of the following month. For instance, invoices for January are paid on March 1st/2nd.

• Minimum Payment Threshold: $100.

• Cookie Duration: 30 days.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• High earning potential

• Globally recognized brand

• Good support system for newbies

• Plenty of freelance services to offer

• Supports multiple payout options

Cons:

• High payout threshold

• Short cookie duration

• You need to have a website to join

Signup URL: Fiverr Affiliates

Best Practices for Affiliate Marketers

Diversify Your Affiliate Programs

As the famous saying goes, avoid putting all your eggs in one basket.

As a beginner, we highly encourage you to join multiple affiliate programs and promote a variety of products. This way, you will not only build multiple income streams but also be able to cater to the needs and wants of a wider market.

Utilize an Affiliate Management Tool

To streamline the management of your affiliate programs, use tools like Strackr.

Our affiliate management tool solution comes with a user-friendly dashboard and provides you with a unified API and analytic tools to help you navigate the challenges of affiliate marketing.

Utilize Multiple Traffic Sources

A steady stream of traffic is one of the crucial factors in having a profitable affiliate marketing business. Hence, device strategies to diversify your traffic sources and avoid over-reliance on a single platform.

For instance, instead of only relying upon traffic generated from your blog or website, find effective ways to promote your affiliate links on various social media platforms such as Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter.

This approach ensures a steady flow of traffic and potential customers for your affiliate products.

Track and Analyze Performance

Regularly track and analyze the performance of your affiliate campaigns and adjust your strategies based on the data to improve your outcomes.

With analytics tools such as Strackr, you can effectively monitor vital metrics such as conversion rates, click-through rates, traffic, revenue, and more!

Conclusion

Selecting the ideal affiliate program is vital for new affiliate marketers. A beginner-friendly affiliate program should offer not only competitive commission rates and popular products but also feature a low payout threshold, ensuring a steady income stream for new affiliates.

Plus, by using tools like Strackr, you can join multiple affiliate programs and manage them all in one dashboard to maximize your income potential!

Try Strackr for free today and experience our tool’s magic in managing multiple affiliate programs in a single dashboard.