As a business owner, you definitely wish to make your enterprise withstand niche competition. Having a powerful online presence is what you should start with. The thing is that a well-designed site can notably enhance your ability to attract visitors, promote products and generate income.
However, choosing the right website builder can be a challenge, taking into account all those multiple options available in the market. Each platform offers a unique set of features, capabilities and pricing approaches, making the decision even more complicated.
Whether you’re a seasoned affiliate marketer or just starting, selecting the best website builder is a critical step to start with. To simplify the task, I am going to analyze and review the most popular website builders specifically tailored for affiliate marketing. I’ll explore key factors like ease of use, customization options, SEO capabilities and pricing to help you make an informed decision.
What Is Affiliate Marketing?
Affiliate marketing is a performance-based marketing strategy where businesses offer financial rewards to individuals or other companies (affiliates) for driving traffic or sales to their website. This form of marketing leverages the power of affiliates to promote products or services, expanding the reach of a business beyond its immediate customer base.
When it comes to affiliate marketing in the website design niche, this is currently one of the most widespread and profitable practices in online marketing. It helps reach several objectives at a time. What you get is a nice opportunity to launch, run and promote your online business to finally generate profit. The use of website builders to start your own project contributes to traffic generation and building partnership relations with other businesses.
The essence of the approach is quite simple. As a website owner, you can offer other users to become a member of the affiliate program of the system you work with. You get a certain fee (percentage) for every new client the system obtains by following your link. Obviously, the more customers join the system, the higher income you get.
Mind that each website builder has specific terms and conditions of the program it runs. This depends on multiple factors you need to clarify in advance. Let’s analyze and review the affiliate programs of popular website builders to help you make the right choice.
Wix
Wix (my review) – one of the leading website builders, offers quite a rewarding affiliate program that allows marketers to earn commissions by promoting its services. The program provides an excellent opportunity for affiliates to monetize their traffic by promoting a well-respected brand in the website-building industry.
The offer works equally well for first-timers and web design pros alike. Everyone can join it to promote the platform on their websites and earn commission fees for that. The sign up process is quick and easy – what you need is to fill out the online form and follow the system guidelines to start generating profit.
Key Features of Wix Affiliate Program:
- High Commission Rates: Wix offers a competitive commission structure, with affiliates earning commissions for each user who purchases a premium plan via the referral link. By the way, the sum starts at $100 and may vary based on the type of plan purchased;
- Generous Cookie Duration: The program features a 30-day cookie window, giving affiliates ample time to convert their referrals into paying customers;
- Unlimited Number of Referrals: There are no limitations regarding the number of referrals you can drive to the site. The more traffic you get and the more clients subscribe for a Premium Plan, the higher your income will be;
- Abundance of Marketing Materials: Affiliates have access to a wide range of promo materials, including banners, landing pages and email templates, designed to help them effectively market Wix services;
- Real-Time Tracking: The program provides detailed, real-time tracking and reporting tools, letting affiliates monitor their performance and optimize their marketing strategies;
- Payout Threshold: To be able to request a payout, you have to reach a predefined earnings threshold ($300).
How To Apply for Wix Affiliate Program
To apply for the program, go ahead to visit the corresponding page on the official website of the service. This is where you will find an online application form with your details and information about the available marketing channels.
After you submit the application, the Wix team will review it and provide the decision (either confirmation or rejection) within the next 10 days. If your project complies with the terms of the Affiliate Program, the Wix team will approve your request.
Once approved, you will receive access to the Wix Affiliate Dashboard, where you can find your unique affiliate links, promo materials and tracking tools to start promoting Wix and earning commissions. You will be assigned an individual Tracking Code for accurate tracking and fee control.
How Much You Can Earn With Wix
As mentioned above, you will get a personal Tracking Code to stay aware of the amount of referrals and fees earned. Affiliates earn $100 for every new user who signs up for a premium plan through their referral link.
There is no cap on the amount you can earn. In other words, the system allows for the unlimited income potential based on your promo efforts and the volume of traffic you generate. Wix will provide the financial refund during 45 days after the end of each calendar month. However, to get the refund, you are expected to earn not less than $300 for this period.
The website builder occasionally offers bonus incentives and special promotions to boost your earnings further, providing additional motivation to drive conversions. Mind that all the payments are made in the US dollars via wire transfer, PayPal or any option you will discuss.
Jimdo
Jimdo (detailed review) also offers an enticing affiliate program for marketers aiming to earn commissions by promoting its services. The Program presents a valuable opportunity for affiliates to monetize their traffic by endorsing a trusted and widely-used website builder platform. It is known for quick and easy setup process, opportunity to earn up to 100 Euros commission per customer, unlimited payouts and access to multiple affiliate tools.
Key Features of Jimdo Affiliate Program:
- Competitive Commission Rates: Jimdo provides generous commission rates, allowing affiliates to earn a significant percentage for each new customer who signs up for a premium plan through their referral link;
- Long Cookie Duration: The program features a 30-day cookie period, during which the affiliates have the time to get more paying customers;
- Detailed Reporting and Analytics: Jimdo offers comprehensive tracking tools, letting affiliates to monitor their performance, analyze traffic and optimize their marketing strategies to obtain better results;
- No Limitations on Commissions: The website builder does not impose any limitations on the number of customers who can join the affiliate program. The more customers you drive to the system, the more money you will eventually earn.
How To Apply for Jimdo Affiliate Program
The very first thing you should know about the Jimdo Affiliate Program is that joining and participating in it is absolutely free. Just visit the Jimdo Affiliate Program page and sign up to Impact. Read the Terms and Conditions section before verifying your email.
The system will review your application to further notify you about the decline or approvement of your request. If everything is ok and you are allowed to join the program, you will get access to promo materials to start making profit at once. You will receive a commission fee directly in the account each time a customer purchases a premium Jimdo plan via your referral link.
How Much You Can Earn With Jimdo
Affiliates earn a pre-defined commission for every new customer who subscribes to a premium plan through their referral link. The exact commission rate may vary based on the plan and promotions yet the website builder claims that you can actually earn up to 100 Euros for every customer who subscribes for a premium account via the referral link.
There is no limit to the amount you can earn, providing unlimited income potential based on the volume of traffic you drive and your personal marketing efforts.
Shopify
Shopify Affiliate Program provides a compelling opportunity for influencers, bloggers, and entrepreneurs to earn commissions by promoting the software. As the digital commerce space grows, Shopify (explore the review) provides a robust platform for users to create their online stores. The affiliate program is designed to reward affiliates for bringing new merchants to the platform, with a focus on promoting a service that has become indispensable for many online retailers. By joining the program, you can enhance the efficacy of your eCommerce business, gaining multiple benefits from it.
Key Features of Shopify Affiliate Program:
- Commission Structure: Affiliates earn a commission for each user who signs up for a paid plan with Shopify through their referral link. The system promises to pay up to $3000 per a referral granted that all the terms and conditions are followed correctly;
- Several Partnership Options. With Shopify, you can choose from 4 four types of Partners based on your requirements and program type. These include Referral Partners (those, who have joined the program on a separate Shopify partner program page and choose to make income via unique referral links), Developers (those, who have joined via the system’s Developer Program and choose to create apps/themes), Experts (those, who have signed up for the Shopify Experts Program) and Plus Partners (those, who follow the rules of the Shopify Plus Partner Program);
- No Minimum Sales Requirement: There is no minimum sales threshold to maintain affiliate status, which makes the program accessible for affiliates at different levels of influence and capability;
- Financial Benefits: The system provides the revenue share calculated individually on the basis of the Partnership type, subscription you choose and the number of referrals you drive to the system.
How To Apply for Shopify Affiliate Program
Before joining the Shopify Affiliate Program, you need to make sure your website complies with the terms set by the software. To get the approval of your participation, your site should be active, have an established and niche-relevant audience, publish content that is associated with Shopify’s services and have the experience of cooperating with Shopify or any other similar eCommerce software.
If everything is ok, go to the official Shopify Affiliate Program page to fill out the application form. You will need to provide some basic information about your business and how you plan to promote Shopify. This includes details about your website, audience, and marketing strategies.
Keep in mind that since June 2022, Shopify’s affiliate program is powered by the Impact affiliate network – a third-party affiliate tracking platform that provides users with extra tracking options, real-time reporting tools and monthly commission fees. When you apply for the program, you will be redirected to the Impact website. Don’t worry, it’s ok. Go ahead to sign up for the account, provide the required details and wait for the feedback. In most cases, the application is reviewed during 5 business days.
How Much You Can Earn With Shopify
The earning potential with Shopify’s Affiliate Program can vary widely depending on a number of factors like the size of your audience, the way you market the platform and the success of those you refer to in selling through their Shopify stores.
Shopify calculates commission fees on a monthly basis, following the terms of the selected plan and the type of program you choose. Generally, the software pays $150 for each qualified referral yet your final income may reach $3000 for every new client driven to the system.
An interesting issue is that Shopify offers 2 payment periods. This happens twice a month – the first period ends in the middle of the month, while the second lasts to the end. To find the detailed terms and requirements, read the Shopify guidelines.
Squarespace
The Squarespace Affiliate Program is designed for content creators, influencers and digital marketers who wish to monetize their platforms by promoting Squarespace website builder. The program provides an opportunity to earn commissions by referring new users to Squarespace (read review), which is particularly popular among creatives, entrepreneurs and bloggers seeking a reliable and stylish web presence. What’s important, Squarespace does not allow all sites to join its affiliate program. If your project does not relate to the topic the system deals with or contains offensive/objectionable content, it won’t get the approval.
Key Features of Squarespace Affiliate Program:
- Promotional Tools: Squarespace provides a variety of marketing materials to affiliates, including banners, editorial content and unique promotional offers that can be shared with potential customers;
- Variety of Plans: The website builder subscriptions and features vary a lot based on affiliates’ needs. Thus, your profit will also depend on the selected subscription;
- No Cap on Earnings: There is no limit to how much affiliates can earn; the more new customers they refer, the more they can make;
- One-Time Application: If you have more than one site, there is no need to apply for the program several times. Just include them in one application form to get the opportunity to promote any of them, thus boosting your profit.
How To Apply for Squarespace Affiliate Program
Applying for the Squarespace Affiliate Program is free. What you need is to reach the corresponding page, find out more about the terms of the program and fill out the application form. Provide necessary details such as your name, contact information, and details about your website or marketing methods. The system will review it during 5 days to notify you about the decision.
After you join the program, Squarespace will provide you with custom banners or links you will be able to add to the website. As soon as a user makes a purchase via this link/banner, the software will be notified about the commission fees you have earned. Actually, you will get a financial reward for every website/eCommerce plan new Squarespace users will sign up for.
How Much You Can Earn With Squarespace
Squarespace often offers a fixed commission per new paid subscription that comes through an affiliate link. The exact commission rate can vary depending on promotional terms and conditions at the time. The fee varies from $100 to $200 per new subscriber.
There are no system limitations regarding the number of potential affiliates. The more clients you drive, the higher your profit will be. The minimum sum of withdrawal constitutes $400.
What Is the Best Website Builder for Affiliate Marketing?
The number of ways to promote your online business is quite impressive. Each option unveils specific opportunities, offering a particular range of advantages. Affiliate marketing is one of such options that makes it possible to use the power of the most popular website builders to promote your brand and get the profit.
- Wix Affiliate Program typically provides competitive commissions and is popular among affiliates for its flexibility and the comprehensive design tools it offers to its users;
- Jimdo Affiliate Program caters well to smaller, perhaps more niche audiences or markets, with a focus on simplicity and quick website setup. It can be particularly appealing for affiliates whose audiences are less tech-savvy or looking for an easy entry into online presence;
- Shopify Affiliate Program caters to those interested in eCommerce. It stands out for its lucrative commission structure, especially suitable for affiliates who are able to drive traffic to Shopify from businesses or individuals looking to establish or expand their online stores;
- Squarespace Affiliate Program prioritizes style and design, being a nice pick for creatives like photographers, artists and bloggers. The program offers marketing materials and support, helping affiliates convert leads into customers.
Each program reviewed above is worth your attention as each of them has much to offer in terms of profit generation and business promotion. Just don’t hesitate to explore all the special features to pick the program that complies with your website requirements most.