If you are looking for the essential tools for affiliate marketing, you are lucky because that is precisely what I will share in this article.
As you probably know, affiliate marketing is the method to promote other people’s products for a commission without taking care of customer support, refunds, etcetera.
To become successful at affiliate marketing, all you need are these three essential tools:
- A domain name with a drag-and-drop software
- An email provider
- The right traffic
That’s all there is to it.
However, with the number of options, which I discussed in other articles on this blog, there is a lot of confusion, but I will share the three essential tools that I use that will cost you a little bit over $100 in startup cost, and a little bit over $100 in maintenance cost.
But I also found something that will cut your maintenance cost by almost 40%.
However, I have to warn you that this article is completely biased since I use these tools myself.
Now, you can do things cheaper, but it will take you more time, and I have personally found that these three tools are all you need to start generating sales as soon as possible.
So, if you want to know about them, keep scrolling, as I am giving away the three essential tools I think every affiliate marketer needs.
Let’s begin with the first one, which will decide everything for you – “traffic”…
Essential tool #1 Traffic – Real Human Eyeballs to Your Offer
Now, if you have been around watching videos and tutorials on affiliate marketing, you have come across the word “traffic.”
If you’re wondering, it isn’t the kind of traffic you see when you are outside.
Instead, the word “traffic” means sending actual human eyeballs to your offers, and it all comes down to their interests. That’s right – it’s not your interests, but theirs.
Ask yourself where your potential customers are hanging out online.
That will determine what kind of offers you will promote. It will make or break your chances to make anything as an affiliate marketer.
If you have done your research already, you know that the term traffic is divided into two large main categories:
- Free (or organic) means you don’t need a ton of money.
- Paid – you need a little money to promote people’s products.
Which is right for you?
Only you will be able to decide on that. First, however, let me inform you that they both have advantages and disadvantages.
I would suggest that you start with something you’re passionate about. Then, sharing your knowledge with them will be fun and immensely rewarding. If they see you as the expert, they are more likely to buy from you.
You don’t have to know everything about it—only a little more than the average person to be viewed as an expert.
If you do a little bit of research every day, for about 30 minutes a day, you will become an expert in two to three days. That is how long it will take you if you are a beginner.
Here are my best traffic tips to start making money fast.
Essential tool #2 – The Drag-and-Drop Software with a Domain Name
When you know who you will market to, it is time to set up your domain name. It will cost you anything between $8-$25, depending on whether you purchase it or go through a broker. After that, you will pay the same amount yearly.
Here are a couple of sites that will help you purchase your domain:
- Domains.com
- GoDaddy.com
- JustDropped.com
- Namecheap.com
- Sedo.com
If you want help determining a good domain name for you, I suggest you consider what your customers are already interested in.
If you want help, here is a free guide to help you decide on the best domain name.
Purchase the domain you like that will make the most sense to your customers.
If your name is Mary, and you want to promote a book on weight loss for women, a domain name like Mary’s Weight Loss Tips will make the most sense to everyone instead of something like I Love My iPhone, right?
I think you get the point, don’t you?
Now that you’ve got your domain name, you need to build a website to collect people’s emails.
You can do this by hiring a coder, an expensive copywriter, and an entire sales team to sell your product and pay thousands of dollars before you can start generating anything, or you can choose a super simple drag-and-drop web-based software that will get your affiliate marketing business up and running within 30-minutes or less.
Which method do you prefer?
If you decide to take the first route, I hope you have deep pockets since it will cost you dearly before seeing some revenue coming into your company.
If you decide to take the second route, you are brilliant.
In that case, you should use Internet-based software that will cost you a little bit but save you from many headaches and get your business up and running within 30 minutes or less.
I recommend and also prefer to use ClickFunnels myself.
I have found that it is the easiest one to use. It makes it a no-brainer to set up your entire website in a relatively short period.
It comes with excellent support and fantastic video guides to help you get solutions to any problems you might have.
You can get a 14-day free trial if you click here.
That is my very own affiliate link. I will earn a commission if you click through and purchase through my link.
You don’t have to pay anything extra for that.
However, after that initial two weeks, you will have to pay $97 monthly if you decide to pay for it.
Soon, I will give you an alternative to bootstrap your business and get almost 40% off.
If you want to know which funnel builder is the best for affiliate marketers, click here to read my comparison between ClickFunnels, and one of its competitors.
The best ClickFunnels-option is WordPress.
If you can’t afford to pay $97, I have recently discovered an easy way to set up an entire “funnel,” which means a sales system in marketing jargon for a monthly cost of $37.
You will get the same number of how-to guides plus a dedicated mentor with 20+ years of experience that will help you decide what you need to do next, and he will be available every Tuesday, as long as you pay for his course.
The only downside with this program is that you have to pay $127 up-front.
To help you decide on which option is right for you, I decided to put a little table to give you a quick overview:
| Name of product | ClickFunnels | Blog Profit Network |
| Initial cost | Free for 14 days, then | $127 |
| Recurring cost | $97 | $37 |
| How-to guides | Yes | Yes |
| Dedicated support: | Yes | Yes |
| Live calls: | No | Yes |
If you know the right fit, you can click or tap on the button below.
Both are affiliate links, and if you decide to purchase, I will earn a commission that helps me keep this blog up and running. As you can see, I am honest.
Essential tools #3 – The right email provider.
Have you ever heard the expression “the money is on the list”?
If you have, you know that having an email list is the best way to make money online.
If you’ve heard that email is dead, you are misled. I always make money daily through my email list and have been doing it for years.
Only marketers are afraid that you will succeed without purchasing their expensive courses. Who says?
Email marketing has an average of 40x return on investment (ROI). So if other marketers try to tell you that it doesn’t work any longer, it is because they don’t want you to make money and succeed.
I am not like those people.
In my article “Which email builder is the right one for you?” I compare three popular email providers and tell you which one I prefer as an affiliate marketer.
If you don’t want to read it but want the best email provider for affiliate marketing, click here.
Of course, I only promote things I use, and I honestly think it is the best email provider for affiliate marketers, but I am biased, which all marketers are.
You will get a 14-day free trial, and you only have to pay $17 monthly.
It is also an easy drag-and-drop software, making it a no-brainer, and you don’t have to hire anyone to set it up.
If you ever face any issues, reach out to their fantastic support team, and they will help you.
I can’t tell you how many times I have used them myself.
Even when you become more experienced, you will encounter hiccups and technical issues that you need help fixing. That is when you need to contact support.
The 3 Essential Tools for Affiliate Marketers Are
As you should realize by now, the three essential tools for all affiliate markers are:
- Your website and domain name
- An amazing email autoresponder
- The proper traffic method to find your customers
I hope that you have found this helpful.
If you have, please leave a comment below, and if you know anyone who needs this information, don’t hesitate to share it with that person.
To your success!
