Last updated on January 4th, 2025 at 08:12 pm
The day before I decided to try my hand at this, one question bugged me the most: is affiliate marketing difficult? I did the usual internet browsing and found posts that tried to answer me. Several were written from the heart, but they were all selling something. I didn’t mind because that’s the point of the game, after all, but I didn’t feel satisfied.
It would have been nice if someone had just told me plainly and simply whether it was even remotely possible I could do this. I repeatedly raged at the search engines – IS AFFILIATE MARKETING HARD TO DO?
The promotional efforts of affiliate giants had already piqued my interest. I knew I wouldn’t get rich quickly, and I had a grasp of the basics. I found a ton of rhetoric and sugarcoated promises, but I just wanted to know how tough it would be.
I can write reasonably well, and my brain cells aren’t depleted yet. I’m not a computer whizz by any stretch of the imagination, but I know my way around the keyboard. I’m not particularly afraid of selling either, though I wouldn’t say I like doing it, so there’s that string to my bow as well. But what is affiliate marketing like in reality? Is it complicated?
The Answer: Is Affiliate Marketing Difficult?
In the end, I decided I just had to go ahead and find out for myself, and I’m now 2 years into my journey as an affiliate marketer. As such, I feel I have the authority to give you the answer I craved back then. So, is affiliate marketing difficult? My honest answer is… “YES”.
Affiliate marketing is difficult for beginners, and that’s the plain and simple truth. I’m about to tell you why and how challenges can be overcome, so don’t leave yet. I’ve also built this website to help us all along the way. You’re in good company.
That said, if you’re not prepared to commit and work hard, I recommend browsing for other opportunities and save yourself the disappointment. Affiliate marketing isn’t an easy gig.
Why Is Affiliate Marketing Difficult?
There is an ongoing theme of time and money throughout my analysis. I hope neither puts you off entirely, but I want you to know what makes this trade difficult before you start. So, let’s get into it…
You Need a Website
Unless you’re a maverick or exceptionally well-versed in internet marketing techniques, your shopfront will be your website. This is where you’ll post about your chosen niche and promote associated products. So, do you know how to build a website? I don’t.
There are buttons to press, and wizardry happens, but there’s more to it than that. Understanding how a website works and what it looks like behind the scenes will get you a well-paid job. Since most of my visitors are here for the sweet “Ka-Ching!” that’s probably not your situation right now.
Thankfully, you don’t need much computer know-how to start a website or add content to it. You only need a domain name, a website host, and a content management system! Do you know what these things are? Do you know what to look for?
I admit I felt clueless when I started, but Google is my friend for things like this, and guess what? There’s a horde of helpful affiliate marketers online willing to guide you on which website services to choose. The advice is usually sound, too. That’s how it works!
You Need To Create Content… Often!
Bread without butter is often bland, and so it is with websites and content. Before making money from your website, you must put dinner (and not just bread) on the table. It would help if you built trust, and you do that by assisting people… regularly.
That means writing lots of posts and genuinely helping people with things because they came to your website for that. Your instructions need to be straightforward, too. Recording a video might make things easier for your visitors, so you get on and do it.
On and on you must grind, adding posts on posts without end, each serving something new, appetizing, and helpful. If you help your visitors, they’ll come back to you. If you do it for free, they’ll come back sooner. So, you go again… content, content, content.
Of course, when ideas are fresh in my mind, I have no fear about writing posts. It’s easy and breezy in the days of optimistic creativity. But when my knowledge is lacking, or my heart wanes, it’s trickier than you think. There’s research to do, and the doubts come in.
I want to captivate my invisible audience. Are my words interesting enough? Does what I’m saying make sense? I want to “wow” visitors to my website. Are my sentences too short, too long, too many, or insufficient? I want to help people choose a product they’ll love. Is this gadget really any good? Am I selling it well enough? Am I selling it too much?
Oh, yes, paranoia is my evil nurse when I get stuck, and that’s where my positivity mantra comes in. Let me remind you of it:
Trust me, churning butter (or creating content) is hard work but worth the time, effort, and energy I invest. You need to be aware of this before you get started because it will be difficult sometimes. It gets easier, so let your inspiration and passion lead you if you want to grasp your dreams. You’ll be damn proud you did.
You Need To Optimize Posts For Search Engines
As well as the day-to-day of putting together new articles, the key to your success in affiliate marketing will be getting people to your website. There are various ways to do this, but getting ranked on the first page of search engines is the standard you need to set for the blog posts you write. It won’t happen immediately or quickly, but it is achievable.
I might as well introduce you to the anacronym “SEO” now since there’s no one here to stop me. You’ll hear it said lots, I promise you, and it stands for “Search Engine Optimization.”
You need to make sure Google, for example, knows you have a cracking post about cleaning chandeliers (if that’s what you’ve got). You need to understand what people are asking Google when they search for help on this. If it’s “How does one possibly shine one’s finest Chandles, darling?” you’ll probably call your article something similar to that.
This has many layers, but that’s not for today’s post. I only want to tell you that you’ll need to optimize your website for search engines. It’s a new skill to learn.
Is it easy? Well, only if asking a Trotter about chandeliers is like asking Mr. Kipling about cakes. Sorry if you don’t get the reference (it’s Only Fools and Horses), but it’s more complicated than you think.
You Need Companies To Accept Affiliate Program Applications
So, you want to make money online by selling someone else’s goods or services? Don’t be surprised when they want to think about that first. Most organizations will appraise your website and application against strict criteria before accepting you.
Unless you think outside the box, you’ll be in a Catch-22 situation. Companies want you to have traffic (people coming to your website) and relevant content before they hand you the keys to their products. Meanwhile, you want access to the company’s goods and services to write posts about them and attract visitors to your website. So unfair, right?
Wrong.
I spoke about the need for lots of content earlier, so I won’t rehash it. I’ve just told you about SEO, so there’s that too. Both must be in place before you and any company you affiliate with make money from your website. Your first few months will be about learning the ropes and building the weight of your website. Only then should you go boxing for the top affiliate programs you want in your arsenal. Patience, my friend, will be your virtue.
You Need To Add Links and Banners
This isn’t too hard, as most companies supply links and banner codes you can copy and paste into your website. There are some things you need to know, but nothing to worry about yet, and the size and positioning of your ad placements can take a little understanding. You’ll learn what works, but it’s initially a little daunting.
You Need To Maintain a Social Media Presence
Relying solely on SEO to draw attention to your website may leave another opportunity unexplored. Using social media sites to promote your business is an effective strategy that shouldn’t be dismissed. In fact, the online landscape is developing at speed and traffic from social media is increasingly vital for affiliate websites to build resiliency and attract traffic. Engagement is a priority and being shy about it is a significant drawback.
Doing “social presence” right is a skill I’m still learning, and it’s hard to maintain. I don’t like to be distracted when I work, and for me, social media feels like “time wasted.” Others don’t find the medium so disagreeable, and I’m trying to incorporate social relevance into my marketing. It has to be at the forefront of strategic thinking and that’s difficult to navigate if you attach a stigma to the method.
You Need Imagery
If you’re like me and your phone is your camera, you probably don’t have much relevant imagery for your website yet. Sadly, you’re going to need some.
Most pictures are subject to copyright, so getting visuals isn’t as easy as lifting them from other places online. That’s a dangerous road that can lead to prosecution and fines, so it’s wise to be careful when using images.
Thankfully, there are pictures you don’t need to pay royalties for and some you don’t need to credit. Knowing where to find them is the most challenging part; using them effectively is the next, and creating your own is one of the joys (or frustrations) of affiliate marketing.
You Need To Monitor Your Website
You’ll need to monitor your website: for example, by checking, monitoring, and replying to user comments. You may also want to collect statistics. How many visitors, what pages are popular, and how long people stick around your website are helpful to know. Analytics tools are freely available to gather this intel for you.
It’s interpreting the information that proves hard. It’s a toll on your time as well. Content is critical, so don’t let monitoring and analyzing drain your creativity. You have to get the balance right.
You Need To Be Patient
Money won’t come fast, some posts will take days to assemble, and sometimes you’ll feel stuck. It’s all part of the process and the trials of affiliate marketing. You must be steadfast to succeed and ask for help when needed. Ten Steps Away is here to support you on your journey, remember. Be optimistic; you’re only 10 steps away, and patience is the first step.
You Need Money
Sorry, but I’m talking about the expenditure side of your budget rather than the income. Owning a website is like having your own piece of real estate, and you will need a degree of financial investment to improve your property’s value.
Here are some of the things you’ll need to spend money on as an affiliate marketer:
- Training: Some structured training is a no-brainer if you’re serious about having a successful online business. You need to learn about affiliate marketing, SEO, and many other strategies, so studying these under one roof is my best advice. The costs for online training vary, but I trust Wealthy Affiliate and Solo Build It! as value-for-money affiliate marketing training platforms.
- A domain for your website: This is your dot com (or other suffix) address. tenstepsaway.com is my “domain,” for example. Unless you buy a premium domain, these will set you back about $15 a year.
- Web hosting: A recurring cost to have your website and its data stored on a secure and usually remote server. Prices vary, and this is another regular cost.
- Imagery / Graphics: You may need to pay royalties if you want to use some pictures on your website. There are free ways to go about this, but having access to a stock supply of free images and tools to create your own graphics is something to seriously consider. There can be costs to this.
- Optimization: Website speed is an essential factor, both for search engine rankings and user satisfaction. There are free applications that can help, but they usually need an acknowledgment banner on your website, which can look unprofessional.
Some Encouragement if Money is a Problem for You
I appreciate that money is an issue for many visitors to Ten Steps Away, so it definitely falls into my discussion about the difficulties of affiliate marketing. I don’t want to mislead you, so you need to know that some financial investment in your website and yourself will be necessary to get started.
Ultimately, the aim is for your affiliate income to exceed the maintenance costs of your website. The good news is that you can manage what you spend to some extent, and the internet world you want to do business in won’t go anywhere while you save.
Affiliate marketing is not a “get rich quick” scheme or a “get money fast” idea. I refer you to Money Saving Expert for sensible ideas on boosting your income. Use their tools to fund your long-term ambitions in this industry, and you’re on the right track.
Final Thoughts
Everything is time and money. All my points speak to at least one of these. Though I’ve become better equipped to handle my financial affairs as a direct result of starting my online business, I can relate to the pressures of money. Time is the constraint that causes the most tension in my shoulders, and I must be patient. Having so many ideas makes that a challenge.
We’re in this together, though, right? I’ve told you the facts, and now I want you to shrug them off. There’s nothing you can’t handle in affiliate marketing and no hidden trick. The hardest part is your self-belief, and that’s why Ten Steps Away values positivity! The stealthy get there with affiliate marketing, I know that to be true. Getting stuck or going astray is all part of the learning curve for beginners, so don’t be intimidated yet.
Every problem has a solution, and Ten Steps Away will simplify some of the complexities of affiliate marketing for you. Your business can succeed online with reliable resources and great strength of character. It’s worth all the sweat and tears when you start to get rewarded for your effort. Your determination now and tomorrow will get you there.
Next Steps: A Beginners Guide to Affiliate Marketing
If you really want to try your hand at this, I recommend you read my step-by-step beginners guide on how affiliate marketing works. It has the tips, resources, and tools you’ll need to overcome all the challenges we’ve mentioned.
Resources: Affiliate Marketing for Dummies
To ease any early confusion or blind spots, I recommend picking up the Affiliate Marketing for Dummies handbook (Amazon link). It will guide you through picking a niche, finding relevant affiliate programs, and having effective strategies.
I bought the book when I first started and still occasionally dip in and out of it. I found that getting an offline take on affiliate marketing is refreshing—it’s free from product placement and gloss. Why not buy your copy at Amazon or Barnes & Noble and let me know if you share my enthusiasm? As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
After reading this, I hope you’ve decided you still want to have a go at affiliate marketing. Stick around Ten Steps Away, and I’ll cover some of the best ways you can tackle these difficulties and start making money online. I’ll support you with honesty and encouragement, and I can’t wait to celebrate your success.
Is affiliate marketing difficult? Let me know what you think in the comments. I’ll be sure to respond, and I’ll answer any questions you have, too.