Choosing Between Amazon and Ebay Affiliate Programs

Joining an affiliate program can be a rewarding experience. But it is relatively challenging, as well. Success will not come without a fight, and you have to tackle any obstacle that comes along the way. The first challenge that you will have to deal with is in choosing what affiliate program to join in. There are plenty, and two of the most famous affiliate programs are Amazon and Ebay. Which of these two programs will you choose?

Of course, you also have a choice to promote both. However, to increase your chances of success it is best to focus your marketing efforts on only one affiliate program first. Once you are successful, perhaps that’s the time you can promote the other program.

There is no better program between the two. Each has its own advantages and shortcomings. It also depends on your current situation, as well as your own personal preferences and expertise. For some, the ideal affiliate program is eBay, while others prefer Amazon. In order to find out which program fits well at your end, it is best to identify the pros and cons of the affiliate programs of eBay and Amazon.

Pros of Amazon Affiliate Program

Numerous products under more than 30 categories

When it comes to choice-flexibility on which product to promote, Amazon gives you more freedom on your selections. There are more than 30 different categories to choose from. Under each category, there are hundreds to thousands of products from various brands. If you like to sell smartphones, flat TVs, digital cameras, home appliances, or home gardening tools, Amazon has them.

Popular brands like Apple, Samsung, and Nike have their own Amazon store where people can buy their favorite merchandise at a price similar to the ones sold in the authorized retail outlets, or even lower. Therefore, being an affiliate of Amazon will give you the chance to sell popular products like the iPad and iPhone.

Aside from that, Amazon is well known for being an online shop for brand new items. While there are second hand or used items sold in Amazon, majority are brand new. So people who want to buy brand new products will normally have Amazon as their top of mind. But if they are tight on budget and opted instead on buying used items, then eBay will be the first thing to pop up in their minds.

Easy to Join

At Amazon, joining the affiliate program is very easy. Your application will be approved even if you don’t have a website on your own regardless of the traffic. You can even use the free blog platforms like Google’s Blogger or Blogspot. Approval is fast, as well. Some Amazon affiliates are quite successful in the program even if they don’t have a website. Their main method of promotion is via advertising.

Better Discounts Better Sales

Amazon is occasionally giving out seasonal discounts and great bargains such as the Black Friday madness and the Cyber Monday deals. They also have exciting offers during holidays like Christmas, Valentines Day, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day, among others. Seasonal discounts increase your chances of getting more sales.

Simplified Earning Structure

With Amazon, you can easily estimate your earnings. The payment structure is quite simple. Earnings of some products are based on percentage commission. Therefore, your affiliate income will be calculated as a percentage of the price.

However, there are also items where the commission is fixed. Regardless of the price, the amount that you will earn is the same. One example is the electronics items like laptops. You will earn a flat rate of $25 per sale, regardless if the laptop is worth more than $2000 or less than $500.

One good thing about the Amazon’s affiliate program compensation program is the performance fee structure. In other words, the more sales you make the higher will be your commission rate. The percentage commission starts from 4% for those with monthly sales of 1 to 6 shipped items per month. It goes up to 8.5% for super affiliates who are able to sell more than 3131 items per month.

Cons

Low affiliate percentage commission

One thing that discouraged many people to join the Amazon affiliate program is the relatively low percentage commission of only 4% to 8.5%. If you are a new affiliate you will start at 4% commission. So if you are able to sell a hundred dollar product, your earnings will only be $4. But the more you sell the higher will be your commission. Still, the highest is only 8.5%.

Longer pay

Another major drawback is the generally longer payment period. It will normally take about 2 months before you will get your earnings. For those who reside outside of the US, it may take 3 to 4 months including snail mail delivery time and longer clearing days for out-of-country checks. This is applicable for those who opted for check payment. You can opt to be paid via Amazon gift check or through direct deposit for US residents only.

 

Pros of eBay Affiliate Program

Many products to choose from

Just like Amazon, there are literally millions of products to promote under more than 34 different categories. This gives you better flexibility on your choices.

Seasonal discounts

EBay also offers amazing seasonal discounts for brand new items. This further helps you get more sales during holidays.

Faster payment

Payment is fast, and this makes eBay more attractive than Amazon. It is made via Paypal. You don’t have to wait 2 months or more to enjoy your earnings.

Cons

Application is not as easy as Amazon

To apply for eBay Partnership Network, you need to have a personal website with sufficient traffic; otherwise, your application will be rejected. If you have no website, then don’t bother to join since you will be most likely rejected. Even if you have a website but if the traffic is low or poor in quality, you will still be rejected.

Unpredictable earnings

It is hard to calculate your earnings in Ebay affiliate network. It is based on (earnings-per-click) EPC structure. The EPC rate depends on the quality of traffic that you send to eBay. So if you want to earn big, then work first on getting high quality visitors to your website.

Ebay is not for everyone. Likewise, Amazon is not ideal for some people. By knowing the above pros and cons of each program, you should be able to decide which affiliate network is well suited for you.