Update: Some parts of this post are no longer valid since eBay’s affiliate program – now called eBay Partner Network – is now run by eBay and not Commission Junction anymore. That said, the principle remains the same.
In the past, I have talked about making money online without selling anything.
But today, I’m going to focus on eBay and show those of you who don’t like the idea of becoming an eBay seller, a solution to making money on eBay without selling a single thing. And let’s be honest, while there are many other alternatives to selling on eBay, eBay still has one one of the biggest market shares when it comes to online auctions and buying and selling products on the internet, in general.
Table of Contents
eBay’s Affiliate Program
eBay’s affiliate program runs like the usual affiliate marketing programs where a person can send leads to eBay and make a commission for doing so.
Simply put, a person gets incentives for acting as a middle man.
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The middle man’s role is to hook up sellers and buyers. The middleman gets paid when a transaction has been completed.
Once you join eBay’s affiliate program, you will be provided with the necessary materials and resources to help you get started.
These tools can range from auction feeds, to web services, and search engine marketing banners, to name a few.
These resources are guaranteed to help those who are just starting their journey as an eBay affiliate.
How to Become an eBay Affiliate
One has to be a member of eBay before he or she can become an eBay affiliate.
If you aren’t a member of eBay yet, then you need to sign-up to become a member.
But take note that that one has to sign-up at Commission Junction, a popular affiliate network for the actual affiliate program of eBay in order to utilize the resources such as tracking transactions, registration, links and banners.
Do not worry since registration with Commission Junction is free and registered members can start promoting products from eBay right away.
You can register by clicking on this link http://affiliates.eBay.com. Update: that link was for the old eBay affiliate program. Here is the new link for eBay’s new Partner program.
One advantage of getting an account with CJ is that a person is only one click away from applying to eBay’s affiliate program.
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eBay is fast to approve applications for its affiliate program unlike with the case of other affiliate programs available these days. There is no need to wait for a couple of days or even weeks to get the approval.
So, How Do You Get Paid?
One must fully comprehend how the commission structure of eBay works to avoid unrealistic expectations when it comes to the possible income to be derived by joining the affiliate program.
You earn commission in two ways:
- Payment for Sale
- Lead generation
Sale Payment: $.05 per bid – NEW!
You will get paid $.05 each time a user who used your affiliate link to go to eBay and bid on an item within 30 days. eBay drops a cookie as soon as the person enters the site, and if that person bids on any item within 30 days, you get paid for referring that person.
Lead Payment: $5 per Active Registered User
If a person who you send to eBay registers and places a bid on an item within 30 days of their registration, you get $5.
Keep in mind that these numbers may change in the future as eBay has already changed their affiliate program once before and it is very likely they will do so again.
For more updated info on Payout, checkout eBay’s official affiliate program FAQ page.
Marketing
If you want to earn high income through the eBay affiliate program, just like the typical affiliate programs out there, then you will have to spend time on your marketing efforts to promote the products.
You will have plenty of choices on how to market products such as creation of marketing articles, the use of classified ads, search engine optimization, and placing banners on your website, just to name a few.
One of the best ways to pull traffic to a specific affiliate site is through search engine marketing.
Keep in mind that eBay markets the utilization of its affiliate programs more aggressively compared to others such as Amazon Associates. In fact, eBay spends a lot of efforts in the marketing of affiliate programs through the use of traditional content (sites and newsletters). Plus, the company makes use of search contents (both natural and paid), as well—something that other affiliate programs do not maximize or spend for.
Essentially, you can be an affiliate of eBay and promote products without even having your own site.
For example, you can use pay per click advertising. Keep in mind though that with eBay’s terms of service, no affiliate is allowed to bid on the term “eBay,” but the rest of the options are available.
However, you must take note that the use of paid search to increase income potential is not simple and easy. There is a possibility that you end up spending more money than you’ll ever be able to make.
For example, if you use Google Adwords for advertising, it will cost at least $0.05 per click. Considering that you only get $0.05 per bid from eBay, this will be a losing battle. And this is if you were able to convert every single person who licks on your ads to bid on eBay.
This does not mean that the option of paid search does not work. You just have to be careful and calculate the return on investments for your marketing efforts.
In addition, you can also use the eBay’s editor Kit to customize and create your very own auction listing pages in any given web page.
Another good thing about the eBay affiliate program is that it has the Flexible Destination Tool that allows members to produce affiliate links for any listings on eBay. This tool allows users to create a text link that can be utilized on any search site such as Google.
Conclusion
The affiliate program of eBay is considered as one of the best out there and one of the easiest platforms for conversion given the credibility of eBay as a market place.
There is no need for anyone to spend time and effort convincing consumers to make a purchase at eBay since it is already a trusted marketplace. Plus, eBay boasts the many best sellers that are easily marketable.
To make money, you simply must know how to strategically locate your affiliate banners/links for potential buyers to see.
In my opinion, being a part of eBay’s affiliate programs is one amazing method of earning some cash by maximizing what eBay has to offer. And the best part is that you do not have to deal with the burden of what most sellers have to face, such as knowing what to sell and where to get them, dealing with customers and taking in returns.
But of course, you still need to be diligent and work effectively to actually make money as an eBay affiliate.
In any case, you will have to undertake several activities such as driving traffic—a task that requires time and effort, and in some cases, money.
But in the end, the eBay affiliate program has the potential of making you some easy money without you ever having to actually sell a single item.
“you can also use the eBay’s editor Kit” No you can’t, the EK has been abandoned by eBay.
Thanks for the update John.