Should I prioritize all my affiliates via Amazon Partenaires?

Why is Amazon Partenaires such a popular affiliate program?

The answer to this question is simple: Amazon was one of the first online merchants to offer an affiliate program, back in 1996! At the time, it was a revolution: earning money by selling nothing, simply by promoting products sold by Amazon (only books at first). Over the years, Amazon Partenaires has continued to evolve in the right direction:

• Catalog expanded to include many categories
• Opening the site to third-party merchants (Amazon becomes a marketplace)
• Simplified creation of affiliate links (a simple copy-and-paste operation creates an affiliate link)
• Possibility of creating widgets (displaying product photos, prices, customer reviews and a buy button)
• Some of the most competitive prices on the market (and therefore greater chances of earning commission).
• Exemplary customer service (buyers trust this merchant)
• Regular monthly payments to the publisher

It's clear from these points that Amazon has everything it takes to appeal to publishers looking to monetize their media... So much so, in fact, that some publishers are launching 100% affiliate programs with Amazon.

What are the risks of dependence on Amazon Partners?

It's a phenomenon we've been seeing since the mid-2010s: more and more niche sites were using Amazon to monetize their audience. The problem was that, along with a little Adsense (and even then, not always...), these sites were entirely dependent on Amazon Partners. If, for any reason, the program were to come to an end (for example, if Amazon were to suspend it for non-compliance with the terms of use), the publisher would find himself at a loss: the site in question could close down.

Of course, the aim of a niche site is to generate sales in a very specific field (like this one, delivering advice on choosing a radiator... on Amazon). If the site has to close down, the publisher can embark on another adventure. Unfortunately, it's a little more complicated for the hundreds of thousands of blogs on the web: they're often written by enthusiasts who like to share their knowledge. If they turn entirely to Amazon Partenaires for their affiliation, they run the risk of losing all monetization at any time and putting an end to their project for good.

How can I find an alternative (or complement) to Amazon Partenaires?

The good news is that today, the vast majority of merchants offer an affiliation program. If we stick to Amazon's generalist theme, we can mention programs such as those offered by Fnac, Cdiscount and Rakuten (even though the latter focuses exclusively on marketplaces). However, the way they work is different: affiliation is not offered directly, but rather through a third-party platform such as Awin (for Fnac and Cdiscount) or Effiliation (for Rakuten). So, instead of managing affiliation directly with a simple copy-and-paste operation, the publisher has to go through an intermediary platform, which can be a hindrance.

At Affilizz, we're well aware of this, since we offer publishers a centralized affiliation service: whether it's Amazon, Fnac, Cdiscount, Rakuten or any other program, everything takes place within the same interface. This means that any media outlet can offer a wide range of affiliation offers to their audience, and avoid dependence on a single source of revenue.

How can I find the right balance between Amazon Partners and other affiliate programs?

Diversifying monetization through affiliation is therefore essential to the sustainability of a media company. This doesn't mean, however, that Amazon Partenaires should be neglected in favor of other programs. In fact, buyers generally have more confidence in Amazon than in other merchants, even when Amazon is a little more expensive. The reasons for this confidence have already been mentioned: Internet users know that they can buy with peace of mind from Amazon, and that they are protected whatever happens.