Starting an online business is one of the most significant ways of making money online without all the legwork that comes with it. Every online seller aims to find ways that will eventually work to maximize their income. One of the most popular ways to make passive income online available is affiliate marketing, defined as the process of selling products on behalf of someone without all the extra work.
Affiliate marketing has gained popularity over the years as a great way to make money online and monetize your blog. eBay, one of the largest online brands, has an in-house affiliate program known as eBay Partner Network, commonly abbreviated as EPN. The eBay affiliate program provides you with a forum where you will find many useful tips to help you promote over one billion listings from any category. But first, let us understand what eBay affiliate marketing is, shall we?
Can you make money on eBay without selling something?
Traditionally, eBay Affiliate Program has been one of the most popular options for prospective affiliate marketers and bloggers who want to make money with their blogs. This e-commerce company connects buyers and sellers globally by offering an online auction model where users can make purchases by bidding and buying at set prices. Look at it in this manner: if you are a seller on eBay and sell to visitors funneled from your website, you can get paid twice.
But you can also make money without necessarily selling any product, which means you are getting paid for money spent on other sellers’ products. Anyone can use affiliate links to advertise products listed on eBay, from bloggers to YouTubers to influencers. You get to one commission when a customer clicks on the link and makes a purchase.
How Does eBay Affiliate Program Work?
Knowing how this program works will help you understand many things, from how to begin to how you can earn money on eBay without selling products. You first need to sign up for the program on eBay’s Partner Network Site to get started with your affiliate marketing, after which you will receive a suite of tools to advertise for eBay. The affiliate analytics tool enables you to track your progress and revenue once your ads are up and running.
You earn 50 cents and a dollar when a reactivated user clicks through one of your ads and begins bidding on products. A reactivated user refers to one who has not purchased on eBay in more than 12 months. Previously, this affiliate marketing program used to have a base pay for new users. However, that system got dismantled, and the only way to earn extra is when buyers complete transactions thanks to your click-throughs.
One major downside of the eBay Affiliate marketing program is the referral system. Recently, eBay made drastic changes to the system such that the collection of referral data is now done differently. Typically, eBay uses cookies to determine where sales come from. Cookies are small pieces of data sent from websites to be stored in user’s browsers.
These cookies initially lasted for seven days which coincided with the number of days that most eBay auctions lasted. However, following the recent changes made in October, these cookies can only last up to 24 hours. You can place these affiliate links on your blog and make a profit every time visitor buys something.
Now, if you have taken part in most bidding processes, or any for that matter, you understand that online bidders usually do not start bidding until almost the auction’s end. Perhaps the main reason behind this could be to avoid unnecessary inflation of the products’ prices.
Consequently, with this recent change, many affiliates are no longer receiving credit for their bids brought indirectly due to their marketing efforts. You end up earning nothing because the purchase will be made out of the 24-hour referral period.
How to Make Money With eBay Affiliate Program
While the short referral is a significant downside, the program still features high earning potential. With commissions between 1% and 5%, the program stands out as most affiliate programs do offer higher commissions. Taking note of a few things will help you become a successful affiliate with the program.
To begin with, avoid promoting products that are on auction for periods lasting more than 24 hours. The longer the auction time, the longer people will wait to bid. You end up earning nothing in the long run, provided a buyer purchases after the 24-hour referral period. You can opt to avoid promoting auction-style listings altogether and probably just focus on promoting products with the “Buy It Now” option. Even so, ensure you consider the short referral period and strategically go for products you want to promote.
Of importance also is the selection of products you want to promote. Going for products whose purchasing process usually does not take very long will help you earn more. Products such as electronics take people quite some time to make a choice. Going for such will not be very wise if you want to make money. Keep in mind that you must create and publish content that will is useful to your visitors and also promote the products at the same time. An article about how to solve a certain issue using the product you are promoting would be the best or a video you can make and publish on YouTube.
Take into account the price of the product before deciding to promote it on eBay. The pricier the product, the longer the purchasing process, and chances are your visitor will not convert into a buyer within 24 hours.
Most people will typically want more information about a pricy product before making a purchase, and it may take quite some time to do so. That is not to say that your sole focus should be on the cheapest products only, no. Because going for the most inexpensive products also means a tiny commission.
How about going for mid-price ranges and choosing products that do not have many variations or alternatives. This way, you will shorten the purchasing process, and high chances are your visitor will convert into a buyer within the set referral time.
Like most affiliate programs, the eBay Partner Network has its rules, and where there are rules, you have to be well familiarized and be in accordance with them. If you want to remain in the program, you will have to adhere to their rules because disclosures and transparency are the cornerstones of affiliate marketing. You will need to identify yourself as an EPN affiliate and provide a declaration with your links to qualify for the program. Ensure you go through the policies and disclosures before settling to be an affiliate with eBay.
Conclusion
eBay just like many online retailers has its affiliate program. The advantage of eBay is that it is a household name that online buyers from all over the world know and trust and are already purchasing regularly there. Although the commission and the cookie duration might not seem appealing you should consider giving eBay affiliate program a try.
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