Around the world, millions of entrepreneurs are making money selling products on Amazon, and 73% of them use Amazon FBA for their fulfillment. It’s an efficient way for small businesses and startups to launch businesses and products that compete with established companies. If you’re considering starting an e-commerce business that sells products on Amazon, you may be wondering how to find the right products. Here is a brief guide to finding products to sell on Amazon FBA.

How to Choose Which Products to Sell on Amazon​

Before choosing specific products and looking for suppliers, you must consider what type of products you want and how you will do business. Here are the most important criteria for choosing which products you will sell on Amazon:

Niche​

Your niche should be a product, service, or industry in which you are an expert and offer unique value to your customer. If you carry products available elsewhere, consider how you will compete with other businesses: Will your price or service be better? Will you have unique products or services or unique bundles and promotions? To compete on Amazon, your business has to stand out, so research your niche carefully and figure out what sets you apart.

Profit​

You will need to purchase products at a price that will allow you to sell them at a profit. Your profit needs to be large enough to cover all your business expenses, including the cost of your own time and labor, while still being low enough to compete with other businesses in your niche. Calculating all your overhead and expenses will allow you to determine how much you can spend on products and how much profit you can expect from selling on Amazon.

Scalability​

There are two crucial aspects of scalability. If your business is successful, you will need to fulfill more and more orders: how quickly can your suppliers scale up and deliver more products? For example, if you sell handmade quilts, there is a limit to how many you can make in a year and, therefore, a limit to the size and scale of your business. On the other hand, scalability will allow you to increase your offerings and grow your business if your business plateaus. Are there related products in your niche that fit into your product line and will enable you to grow? For example, if you sell comic books, your customers may also be interested in action figures.

Practicality​

It’s important to consider practicality in your Amazon products. Products, especially large, heavy, or fragile items, are difficult to ship and prone to problems and complaints. Items especially expensive, rare, or need to travel exceptional distances may require special shipping procedures and insurance. Consider the kinds of products people look for and buy on Amazon and how to easily fulfill orders with minimal disruptions.

How to Find Products to Sell on Amazon​

Once you have considered your business plan, including costs and prices, it’s time to start looking for the specific products you might sell on Amazon FBA. Some of the best ways to find products for your Amazon business include:

Research Google Trends​

Google Trends is an excellent tool for showing you what products people are looking for, as well as other important information like the specific words and keywords they use, regions where the products are more popular, and search frequency over time. Go to Google Trends and look up your niche and your products. Don’t forget to look at “related queries” for more ideas.

Research Social Media​

People often use social media to share the products they are interested in. Pinterest and TikTok are especially powerful for identifying products that are trending and in high demand. Search for your desired niche or product; note how many people are talking about it and what they say. Social media is also a powerful way to identify people’s thoughts and feelings, which can help you identify an opportunity for an unmet need or competitive advantage related to your product.

Research Amazon Trends and Best Sellers​

Many times Amazon itself is a great way to identify desirable products. Amazon Best Sellers show you what products are selling and their categories, subcategories, and related products. Amazon trend reports are another great way to review what is currently popular on the platform, so you can assess opportunities and competition.

Research Other Online Marketplaces​

While Amazon is the biggest online marketplace in the world, it isn’t the only one. Other marketplaces, like Etsy, eBay, or AliExpress, may have popular products that are less common on Amazon or appeal to a different audience. If there is an online specialty marketplace for your niche or your customer, research your products on that marketplace. The more information you obtain about what products people want, what price they are willing to pay, what features they require, or what they don’t like about the current offerings, the better able you will be to find the right products for your Amazon store. This research is also integral to the foundation of your marketing plan, so it’s vital for your business in more ways than one.

Conclusion​

Choosing products to sell on Amazon FBA is a balancing act between the products that meet your business's needs and those that meet your customer's needs. Fortunately, a vast range of methods and tools will help you identify those products and set your business apart from the competition. The more time you spend planning and researching, the more informed your business plan is, and the greater your chances of success. Take your time, consider all your options, be informed before launching an Amazon FBA business, and set yourself up for success!

As they say, you have to spend money to make money. Starting your own business selling on Amazon FBA is more affordable than many other businesses. However, there are still startup costs, and it requires careful budgeting. Here is a guide to the cost of starting to sell on Amazon FBA.

Minimum Cost to Start Amazon FBA Business​

According to a recent survey, 18% of Amazon sellers started with a budget of less than $500. If you don’t have a lot of capital, here is an overview of the minimum costs to start selling on Amazon FBA.

Amazon Seller Plan | Minimum of $0.99 + Seller Fees Per Item Sold​

All sellers need an Amazon seller plan. Plan costs are currently the individual plan, which costs $0 per month + $0.99 per item sold + selling fees, or the professional plan, which costs a flat $39.99 per month + selling fees. An individual plan might be the right choice if you sell fewer than 40 items monthly and don’t need advertising or analytics. The professional plan has many benefits, like advanced reports and analytics, on-site advertising and promotions, and adding multiple users to your seller account.

Amazon FBA Per-Sale Costs​

No matter your seller plan, you will pay a wide range of per-item fees when you sell something on Amazon and fulfill your orders through Amazon FBA. Here is an overview of the per-item fees that sellers pay with each transaction:

Amazon Referral Fees​

Minimum of $0.30 per item sold. All items sold on Amazon have a referral fee. The fee is a percentage of the sale price, and the rate varies depending on the product category. For example, Amazon device accessories have a referral fee of 45%, while personal computers have a referral fee of 6%. The average referral fee on Amazon is 15%, and the minimum referral fee is $0.30 per item sold.

Amazon FBA Fees​

Minimum of $2.47 per order fulfilled. Fulfillment by Amazon is one of the easiest, most affordable ways to manage inventory and fulfillment when selling online, but there are still associated costs and fees. There are two FBA fees: shipping fees for fulfilling orders and storage fees for your inventory. Inventory fees are charged monthly based on the average cubic volume of space your products use in an Amazon fulfillment center. Inventory fees range from $0.48 to $2.40 per cubic foot and triple over the holiday season.

Fulfillment Fees​

Fulfillment fees are based on your orders' shipping size and weight, with additional charges over the holiday season. There is also a separate fulfillment category for apparel items. FBA Small & Light orders can ship for as little as $2.47, while oversized and heavy orders can cost upwards of $150 per pound.

Additional FBA Fee​

Depending on how much and long you store items in an Amazon fulfillment center, additional fees may exist. Additional Seller Fees Depending on the types of products and services you offer, there are other potential Amazon seller fees, including costs like:

• Rental book service fees. If you sell textbook rentals on Amazon, there is a service fee of $5.00 per rental.
• High volume listing fees. If you have many non-media items in your Amazon store that have not sold in 12 months, Amazon may charge $0.005 per item in catalog fees.
• Refund administration fee. If you refund a paid order to a customer, Amazon refund the referral fee. However, they will subtract a refund administration fee from the amount. The price is either $5.00 or 20% of the referral fee, whichever is less.
• Miscellaneous seller fees. Depending on the type, size, category, season, or other factors of your specific inventory, additional Amazon seller fees may apply to your business.

Summary of Costs to Start Selling with Amazon FBA​

The good news is that getting an Amazon seller account and starting to sell products using Amazon FBA is highly affordable and does not require a significant investment. However, the wide range of fees and costs significantly affect your per-item and per-order prices and profits. To help you price your products correctly, you can use Amazon’s Revenue Calculator to compare fulfillment methods and associated costs. With an individual plan, you can sign up and start selling items on Amazon FBA for a minimum of ~$4.00 per item.

Amazon Programs and Incentives​

Amazon has several programs to help new sellers be more successful on the platform. Many of these programs require an investment, but they offer valuable ways to launch and grow your Amazon FBA business. Some of the programs are:

New Seller Incentives​

New sellers can benefit from several Amazon programs, including Amazon FBA, Amazon Brand Registry, and Amazon Coupons. Sellers who join these programs can get free Amazon credits for shipping, advertising, or other bonuses.

Perfect Launch​

Perfect Launch is an Amazon program designed to help sellers make the most of their first 90 days on Amazon. It provides in-depth education and resources to help you understand and use Amazon FBA, Amazon Brand Registry, Amazon Prime, automated pricing, and other seller tools. On average, Perfect Launch sellers generate more than 6% more revenue in their first year.

SAS Core​

SAS Core is more expensive but takes advantage of Amazon’s experts to give you individual guidance, recommendations, and special programs and deals. For $1,600 per month + 0.3% of your sales, you can get personalized operational support, guidance, strategy, and unique opportunities for your Amazon FBA business.

Conclusion​

Nearly one-third of Amazon FBA sellers launch their business with less than $1,000 in capital, making it an extremely affordable way to establish a retail business. Choosing the right products and offering them at the right prices is the key to success with Amazon FBA, and you can get started with a small amount of investment capital.

Once you’ve chosen your niche and researched which products to sell, finding the right supplier is crucial for success on Amazon FBA. The price and quality of products, as well as the professionalism and reliability of your supplier, determines how you will run your business and how much money you can make. Here is a guide to how to find suppliers for Amazon FBA.

Different Types of Wholesale Suppliers​

Generally speaking, when you sell products on Amazon, you will purchase them wholesale. This means you will be buying products in large quantities for a discount, so you can resell them for a profit. However, when you have large quantities of products, you also need to consider the cost of storing large amounts of inventory, so make sure to include FBA’s storage fees in your price calculations.

There are several different types of wholesale suppliers. Here are the primary categories:

Manufacturer​

The manufacturer is the business that makes the product.

Distributor​

A distributor facilitates sales of products from the manufacturer to wholesalers and/or retailers. They may carry products from several different manufacturers but usually specializes in a specific industry or product category.

Wholesaler​

A wholesaler buys products in bulk to resell them to retailers. A wholesaler usually carries products from many different manufacturers and may carry products in a wide range of categories.

Retailer​

A retailer buys smaller quantities of products to sell them directly to consumers.

As we all know, the more businesses involved in a transaction, the higher the costs because every middleman makes a profit from every transaction stage. Many retailers try to buy directly from the manufacturer to reduce costs. On the other hand, many manufacturers keep their costs down by dealing with a distributor rather than hiring their own sales and distribution staff. Depending on the product and company, you may or may not be able to buy it directly. Remember that when purchasing directly from the manufacturer, you may need to coordinate shipping your wholesale products from the manufacturer to an Amazon fulfillment center. They usually manage moving products from a factory to the fulfillment center when working with a distributor.

One advantage of working with a wholesaler is that the wholesaler usually already has products in your country, regardless of the country of origin or manufacture. This means you don’t have to manage import and customs shipping and fees, making it easier for your products to reach a local Amazon fulfillment center. When importing products from overseas, it can be worthwhile to pay more to work with an experienced wholesaler rather than managing the import process yourself. Finally, buying from a wholesaler can be highly efficient since they specialize in selling and distributing wholesale products and are accustomed to serving customers who will resell the goods.

How to Find Suppliers for Amazon FBA​

Depending on your product type, there are many ways to find suppliers for your Amazon store. Here are some of the best ways to find suppliers for products to sell on Amazon FBA:

Go Directly to the Manufacturer​

Working directly with the manufacturer gives you the best product wholesale price. You can often find products that sell well on Amazon; look up the manufacturer and contact them to buy directly. Not all manufacturers will sell directly; some work exclusively through certain distributors, but it is worth researching.

Contact a Distributor​

In most cases, you can search online for distributors of your specific product or product category. There are specialty distributors for nearly every product type, so use the relevant terms and find wholesale distributors.

Use a Wholesale Directory​

There are a number of online directories that list wholesalers, making it easy to find wholesalers in your category. In fact, a number of wholesalers are specialized in Amazon FBA and already have a supply chain that can deliver products to an Amazon fulfillment center for you.

Visit a Trade Show​

Trade shows are a great way to meet distributors and wholesale suppliers face to face and allow you to find new and unusual products, setting you apart from the competition. You can see and test products in person by attending a trade show, meeting suppliers, and building stronger relationships. Nearly every industry has an annual trade show, and attending is an excellent investment in your Amazon FBA business.

Purchase the Product At Retail​

In most cases, paying retail prices is the most expensive way to supply your Amazon store. However, buying them for resale may be the most efficient method for specialty, rare, or handmade goods.

Because Amazon is such a large marketplace with such a global reach, many suppliers specialize in working with Amazon sellers. If you are new to Amazon FBA, working with an experienced Amazon supplier may be the best option, even if it is not the most affordable.

Every step in your product's journey from the factory to your customer costs money, and various paths are available. Therefore, it is a good idea to calculate your supply chain in several ways to determine which method is most efficient and affordable. Depending on your products, suppliers, and region, there are dozens of ways to configure your supply chain, with differing costs and time frames.

Finally, remember that the suppliers and supply chain that is best for your Amazon store when it is new and small may not be the best option later on as your business grows. It’s a good idea to revisit these questions and calculations every year or two to ensure you are still getting the best deal for your business.

Fulfillment by Amazon is a program that has made it possible for ordinary people to start a retail business and deliver orders worldwide. While it is not the only way to manage online order fulfillment, it is simple, affordable, and designed to perfectly complement the Amazon marketplace. It is also the most efficient way to sell products using Amazon Prime, accessing Amazon's most committed customers. Let's learn more about Amazon FBA and how to get approved for Amazon FBA.

What is Amazon FBA?​

FBA stands for Fulfilled By Amazon and is Amazon's order fulfillment service. Fulfillment consists of three essential components:

Inventory Storage​

Retailers need space to store products before customers order them. This space might be a warehouse, storage facility, or a portion of a retail store where items can be stored. The space must be clean, dry, and organized, so that stored items are not damaged and can be retrieved quickly.

Order Packaging​

The necessary items must be gathered in the storage facility when orders are placed and packaged for shipping. In most cases, individual products are packaged in a jar, bag, box, etc., and then they must be placed in a second box, bag, or envelope for shipping. When an order contains multiple products or fragile or delicate items, the items need to be packaged together or with special care.

Order Shipping​

Once packaged, orders need to be shipped. Shipping costs usually vary based on the size and weight of the item, and may also have additional charges for faster delivery, etc. With their associated costs, orders are labeled and priced for shipping by UPS, USPS, DHL, and other carriers.

In many cases, online businesses use different services and vendors for these various components of the fulfillment process. Using different vendors may be a good way to fulfill specialty products like hand-blown glass or grand pianos, and may also be more affordable in some instances. However, it also requires the business owner to manage and coordinate different vendors, services, and contracts. Many Amazon sellers find it easiest and most convenient to use Amazon to manage all these aspects of their online retail business.

Benefits of Amazon FBA​

Many sellers choose Amazon FBA for convenience and ease of use rather than contracting their fulfillment service (called "self-fulfillment). However, those who use Amazon FBA while selling on Amazon have other unique benefits not available to self-fulfill sellers. The most significant benefits of Amazon FBA for Amazon sellers are:

Amazon Prime​

While it is occasionally possible for self-fulfilling retailers to qualify for Amazon Prime (the program is currently closed and waitlisted), sellers who use Amazon FBA can sell using Amazon Prime. Over 200 million people worldwide are signed up for Amazon Prime, and many will only order items that qualify for Prime. In addition, Prime items may be prioritized in Amazon searches. Joining Amazon Prime is a key way to grow your business on Amazon, and it is best accessed through Amazon FBA.

Customer Service​

As we all know, sometimes things go wrong with online orders. For sellers who self-fulfill, especially if multiple vendors are involved, it may take extra time and many phone calls to check the status of an order: Has it been packaged? Has it been dispatched? Has it been shipped? Because Amazon and Amazon FBA are a single service, customers can use Amazon to check in on their order status, contact customer service, and process complaints and refunds. This allows sellers to offer excellent customer service and comprehensive information about their orders and refunds without managing these inquiries or tracking down the information.

Inventory Tracking​

Keeping track of orders and inventory is always necessary when selling online. The number of items you have in storage needs to be consistent with the number of things you offer in your online shop. There are different tools to help sellers manage inventory. Still, when the retail storefront and inventory storage and fulfillment are handled by Amazon, it is much easier to coordinate how much product you have and how much you need.

How to Get Approved for Restricted Product Categories​

Using Amazon FBA​

Naturally, not all products are available on Amazon, and FBA will not carry all types of products. FBA prohibits dangerous goods, hazardous materials, alcoholic beverages, etc. Sometimes, you can offer those products in the Amazon marketplace but not fulfill orders with FBA. If you plan to sell restricted items, carefully check the guidelines.

There are specific categories of products that sellers must be pre-approved to sell on Amazon. Generally, these are expensive products like jewelry and watches, fine art, certain collectibles, game consoles, etc. There are also special restrictions on prestige brands designed to prevent counterfeit products.

Here is how to sell restricted products on Amazon:

1. When you add a product to your shop, you may see a notification that the product is restricted. There may be an "apply now" button next to the product name.
2. If there is no "apply now" button, the product is not eligible to be sold on Amazon, even if it has previously been sold.
3. When you click "apply now," you will be taken to the application to sell. The information required on the application depends on the type of product you are listing. In the case of expensive or designer products, you may be required to submit original purchase invoices, certifications of authenticity, etc. You may also be asked to provide photographs or other compliance documentation. Your application will be denied if any of this information is missing or illegible.

If your request is denied, you can request approval again with the complete and correct documentation.

If Amazon marketplace or Amazon FBA determines the product or your account is ineligible to be listed or fulfilled, you don't have the option to appeal; if you really want to sell or fulfill those products or orders, you need to find another marketplace. However, for most ordinary products and sellers, Amazon FBA is the easiest and most convenient way to keep your business profitable and your customers happy.

Have you ever considered earning income from your blog - without the stress of endlessly writing or promoting it? It seems like a dream, but it is not.

Publishing content regularly is a daunting task. With all the hard work of researching, editing, and writing at the end of the day your earnings are at the mercy of the amount of time you put in. To make things worse, it also varies on the nature of your topic, keywords, and advertising trends. Hence, instead of putting all of your eggs in one basket, you must look for other ways to generate income.

Here comes the very (in)famous idea of earning passive income while sleeping by blogging. Let’s discuss five ways to make a passive income that require no writing on your part.

There are several passive ways to earn money from blogging. Some include monetizing your blog with advertising and affiliate programs and selling products and services derived from the content on your site.

Each of these methods has its own set of benefits and drawbacks, so it’s essential to consider all of your options before settling on a particular approach. Don’t forget that using multiple approaches might work for you!

1. Affiliate Marketing - No Marketing Degree Is Required To Get Started​

Affiliate marketing is a great way to earn passive income from blogging. Depending on your blog's niche, you can generate affiliate commissions through sponsorships, advertisements, and charging for products and services. Once you have established a following and developed relationships with your readers, monetisation possibilities abound.

To get started with affiliate marketing through blogging, it's important to set up an effective blog strategy.

• First, identify your target market. This will help you determine which products to promote and which topics to write about.
• Create quality content that will interest your target market and help your readers learn about the products you're promoting.

To help you on your journey, we’ve built our very own training course on how to integrate Amazon Affiliates into your blog that you can check out here.

2. Published E-books - Write Your Opinion To Make a Living Forever​

If you love creative writing (rather than writing blog posts), publishing ebooks on your blog can become a source of extra income for you. You can start a blog about ebooks and write articles about how to sell, as well as provide tips for buying and reading ebooks.

This will help you to set up yourself as a credible person. Adding links to your ebook in these articles will help you to divert potential buyers to your product. But before doing so, the following are important tips that you must follow to be successful in this business.

• Make sure your book is perfectly written. This is one of the most important aspects of selling ebooks online. If your writing isn't up to the mark, prospective buyers will quickly lose interest.

• The cover design of the ebook is also critical. Make sure your cover stands out and grabs attention. Pay attention to both the title and the subtitle so that you can create an effective sales pitch.

• Offer free excerpts or previews of your book so that people can get a taste for what they're buying before actually committing to purchase it. This will also help you gauge how well your writing is striking a chord with potential customers.

• Be prepared to offer steep discounts on your eBook when it first goes on sale in order to entice people into buying it.

3. Sell Personal Resources- Best Way To Advance Your Business Sales​

If you have valuable personal resources that you can offer to others, blogging can be an excellent way to generate passive income. By writing quality content about your product and building an engaged following, you can generate recurring revenue.

Here are some tips for selling personal resources through blogging:

• Identify your niche. Before starting a blog, you first need to identify your target market. Once you know who you’re speaking to, start thinking about what topics would be of interest to them. Then, research the latest trends and explore how your unique skills could benefit others in your market.
• Plan your posts wisely. When writing blog posts to sell your product, consider the purpose of each piece before diving in. Your aim should be to provide valuable insights that can help people improve their lives.
• Be consistent with your brand messaging. When it comes time to promote your product online, make sure all the components of your branding are in line – from the look and feel of your site to the tone of your voice (and everything in between).

4. Digital Products - One-Time Investment To Earn Lifetime​

Bloggers can sell digital products by blogging to generate passive income. This type of product can be anything digital like tools or software that can be downloaded or streamed.

Such products just need a one-time investment and enable you to earn profit for the rest of your life. You can sell your developed software or buy them from other websites.

When selling digital products, tools, and software on your blog, make sure to include the following elements:

• Digital products are visual objects, so make sure you present them well. If a potential customer can't see how amazing your product is right away, they're likely not going to buy it. Use high-quality graphics and templates to create well-designed visuals that will draw in your viewers.
• If you have a digital product tool or software that's different from the others on the market, be sure to feature it prominently on your blog. Compare your product's features and pricing against those of other popular counterparts, and let potential buyers know why your specific product is better value for money.
• Add clear information about how to download and use the product. Your blog visitors want easy access to information about using your digital products tool or software. Include clear instructions on downloading and installing the software, as well as any necessary user guides. Showcase screenshots of users successfully using the product so that potential buyers can see how it works in practice before buying.

5. Online Courses - Share Your Knowledge To Make Money for Life​

Selling online courses through blogging is a great way to share your knowledge and expertise with others, and it can be very lucrative and profitable. It doesn't matter what type of educational background you have, you will find students to offer paid courses to generate extra income.

If you're interested in selling online teaching courses on your blog there are a few things you'll need to consider.

• Decide what type, of course, you want to offer. Are you a teacher looking to add an extra income stream? You can record videos related to your area of expertise and upload them on your website.
• Once you've decided on the type of course, think about what other sites are selling similar courses. If you're offering a course on photoshop or baking, for example, look at other blogs that sell similar courses and see what features they offer that make their courses stand out.
• Next, create a template for your course page to create a professional design. Finally, create a listing for your course and attach an appropriate payment accepting method.

Conclusion - Final Thoughts​

Blogging is a great way to share your thoughts and ideas with the world, but it's not always easy to make a living from it. There are however plenty of passive ways to earn money from your blog, and this guide showed you the top five methods to get started.

Whether you're a teacher who wants to sell your knowledge, a business owner, or a creative writer, this guide has covered everything you need to run a successful side business without any hassle.

You've probably seen this title too many times already. Blog posts that list out a bunch of ways to make money blogging. Then you get overwhelmed by the choices and give up.

We're going to shake things up in this post, instead of listing out all the methods you've already seen, we're going to focus on one of the most pervasive ones: Amazon affiliate marketing.

Give me my passive income now!​

Well, that's the problem. See, before we even talk about making money blogging (Amazon Associates or otherwise), we need to start with the blog post itself.

The very first step to making money while blogging is to not only write great content, but to write the absolute best content you've ever written.

You need to know your audience, what blog topics resonate well with them and most importantly, you need to know what you're talking about (which if that's indeed the case, then the other two should sort themselves out).

In other words, you need to build a successful blog with loyal readers in its own right before you start thinking about how it can make you money.

As a blogger, you should deeply understand your audience’s challenges so that you can offer the most in-demand solution.

Start by looking at niches where you’re a member of the target audience yourself. This way, your domain expertise shines through faster.

Writing amazing content will not only get your readers to beg for more, but more importantly the Eye of Sauron of the internet that is Google search (as well as all the other search engines) will take notice, push your content up the search rankings and land you more traffic on your blog.

Now don't let me lead you on, it's not quite that simple. You need to master Search Engine Optimization (SEO), keyword research, how to find a profitable niche, and so much more. But we go into more detail about it in our training, where we take you along the journey of building your own Amazon affiliates blog step by step.

This baby fits so much traffic from Google search​

"Winner winner chicken dinner! Look at all this traffic coming to my new blog!" is what you'll be saying once you've written enough quality content that rivals some of the most successful bloggers out there, and done all the other things we advise you to do in our training.

"Can I start making some money now, pretty please?" At which point I would say *"Fine. But whatever you do, NEVER let it get in the way of creating the quality blog content that you've now become known for."*

We all know that the internet can smell bullshit from a mile away, so in order to not get shit on by the very audience that made you, you need to cherish the trust that they've placed in you like you would cherish your first born.

In practical terms, this means adding an Amazon affiliate link only where it makes sense. That means no links to coffee machines when you're talking about the latest beauty trends, no links to drink bottles when you're talking about online courses, and certainly no links to dog food when you're talking about cats.

Now, let's talk business: How do I make money blogging?​

Now that we're clear on what you need to do before you can even start thinking about how to make some money while blogging, let's actually start talking about the money making bit.

If you're somehow not already familiar with the Eye of Sauron of eCommerce Amazon (where my Lord of the Rings tragics at?), well aside from running one of the largest eCommerce platforms in the world, they also run just about the largest affiliate marketing program in the world as well.

"Wait, what is affiliate marketing", you're probably asking. Well, It's when you make reference to a product or service that you recommended in your blog post.

After reading it (and trusting you enough to make this purchasing decision) your readers have then gone and purchased that product.

As a thank you for your blogging efforts, the makers of the product/service reward you with a portion of the profits of that sale, known as a commission.

Ok, so how does Amazon help me make money?​

Now in our case, Amazon rewards you directly for referring your readers to purchase products on their site.

It works so incredibly well because Amazon couldn't possibly become an expert on every niche that exists and explain to each audience why they should buy each product that might be relevant to them, in the same way that they can't sell just about every product in the world (which is why Amazon allows third party sellers to sell through their platform).

Instead, they outsource that responsibility to anyone that happens to be an expert in a niche that requires products that can be purchased on Amazon, like you and me.

It's a win-win, Amazon gets more interest from people that actually put their hands in their pockets and buy things, and you get rewarded helping those same people finding a real solution to the problem that they're trying to solve.

Not to mention, it's a far more authentic experience for your user as they're being recommended products that are actually relevant to them, rather than being shown random ads via Google AdSense that, most of the time, are completely irrelevant.

Instead, that visual space on your site that would've been use as ad space can now be filled up with your content, which your audience absolutely prefers.

This then leaves you with a nice little profitable blog that will make you money for years to come!

How long does it take to build a blog that earns money?​

As we outline in our training, before you can sign up for an Amazon Affiliate program account you must have your own blog that has at least ten blog posts already on it. So you'll need to factor in how long it's going to take for you to do this.

Depending on how much time you can devote to it, it can take you a couple of months, especially if you take the time to make them great blog posts.

Wait a minute, did you say a couple of months? That's a serious time commitment.​

Yes, it absolutely is.

Now I'll be the first to remind you that there are no shortcuts to success, but I will let you in on a little turbocharger to success which is to get someone else to write your blog posts for you.

There are plenty of talented writers on Fiverr who will happily write you blog posts for a modest fee, and this is a great way to avoid all time and effort you would otherwise devote to writing from scratch.

This isn't a complete get out of jail free card though. You will need to spend time editing the posts and otherwise cleaning them up ready to be posted, but again if you really want to you can again enlist talented editors on Fiverr to do this for you for a modest price.

If I'm honest though, the more editing you can do yourself, the better because then you can build up your own digital marketing skills and not be entirely reliant on others.

Ok. So what else should I take into account?​

Once you have your blog full of content, you can then go ahead and create your Amazon Affiliates account. The process is relatively straightforward, and can be done in under half an hour.

After you submit your application, it can take between one to three days for Amazon to review and approve your account. Once it's approved, you will be able to start creating links to products which you can embed into your posts, which is precisely the point you can say that you make money online!

At this point of course, you're not going to have that much search engine traffic coming to your site, and as such, you're not going to have that much affiliate income coming in. But as you continue to write amazing content and follow the advice in our course, you will grow the amount of traffic coming to your site, and as such grow the amount of money coming in!

How can I keep the blog post ideas coming?​

It's worth noting that once you build up enough of an audience, you will be approached by brands looking for you to write sponsored posts (where they will pay you for a post on your site).

You'll also have writers reaching out to you about writing guest posts on your blog, or even wanting you to write a guest post on their blog.

The bottom line with these is to ask yourself, does my audience benefit from me accepting these proposals? Will it genuinely solve the problems that they're trying to get answers to? If they clearly do, then it's definitely worth taking the opportunity.

Now again, you can farm these out to your buddies on Fiverr if you want or write them yourself, but just know that you'll have no shortage of ideas on what to write next.

Sounds great. What's my first step to building a blog that makes money?​

You're in luck! As we've already mentioned, we've actually put together an entire course on how to build a blog that makes money. We take you through all the steps right from the beginning, so there's no prior experience required.

We show you how to use all the tools, what strategies work (and what doesn't), and we provide a curated list of supplementary resources that will help you develop the critical skills you need to master so you can share in the success of thousands of others who build blogs that make sweet affiliate money. You can access the course here.

Welcome to the Agora blog! We're currently working on writing some great content that will help you get an insight into the current state of Amazon Affiliate marketing. In the meantime we hope you enjoy our training material, which alone was many months in the making. If you haven't already gone through it, you can check it out by hitting the Training button at the top of this page. Happy affiliate marketing!