Affiliate marketing is a tactic to drive more sales through relevant traffic and make it a passive income source.
“Affiliates forever to be rich forever.”
The Affiliate industry is creating lots of opportunities for marketers and entrepreneurs. To start an affiliate business, enroll in software affiliate programs, get started with Amazon affiliate marketing, YouTube affiliate marketing, etc. are some of the best options for beginners.
I thought to come up with this article, especially for beginners who are aiming to be an entrepreneur and willing to drive a golden path in the affiliate industry with cashback business.
Some of you might be wondering, how to start a cashback website.
After having developed 150+ coupons, deals & offers websites, the need of the hour was to come up with a groundbreaking cashback script.
The script can be easily embedded in any existing WordPress-based cashback website.
We will discuss it later in this article but first, let’s get started with…
What is affiliate marketing? #
“Affiliate Marketing“ is a process to earn a commission for an affiliate marketer, who is promoting or marketing products and driving sales for Merchants. This merchant can be a company like an Amazon or individual person who manufactures and delivers products and services to consumers.
Basically, an affiliate marketer is a middleman, who is helping to connect merchants and customers or consumers, affiliate commission tracking becomes your trusty sidekick. It ensures that your efforts are not only bringing in sales but also helping you build a sustainable income stream. Once consumers buy products or services through an affiliate link, the marketer gets paid by merchants as a commission.
The best thing in affiliate marketing is that a marketer can promote the products and services of different merchants and earn a commission from each of them.
How does affiliate marketing work? #
● Let’s start with creators or merchants. A merchant or company who/which are manufacturing products and services generally has many affiliate marketers. They provide unique affiliate links to every marketer so they can track who is responsible for the sale.
● Once the consumer clicks on the link, the cookie file gets stored on their device, which helps merchants track everything like click ID, user ID, click time item purchased item, etc.
● Affiliate marketers are also known as “Publishers“. These marketers usually work in specific industries and familiar markets. Audience building and targeting a specific product is very important to get a conversion.
● Consumers are the buyers who are the most important entity in this business model. Consumers tend to look for offers, deals, and cashback when shopping online.
● Whether they search on Google or find a cashback website offering big discounts on products or services they’re looking to purchase.
● Clicking on this link, redirects them to the product page, and proceeds to make a sale as usual.
The affiliate industry is expected to increase annually by a total of 10.1% between 2015 and 2020, to an estimated US $6.8B. Even alone in India, the cashback coupon affiliate industry is expected to be over Rs. 500 Crore, which is massive.
Social media networks becoming a major factor in promoting products and services. Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter are popular networks providing different ways and opportunities for affiliate marketers.
The number of mobile users can also be a Win-Win factor in affiliate marketing. The total number of mobile users hit $4.8B in 2019 which is 62% of the global population. Therefore, we can say that the future is bright in the affiliate marketing industry.
Various Cashback Coupon Business Models For Affiliate Industry #
∎ Coupon portal #
The coupon portal and deals website is a highly lucrative business model in the affiliate industry. It is basically about coupon codes you use when you purchase something during online shopping.
Promotion codes or coupon codes are alphanumeric numbers that online stores offer to encourage customers to buy their products and services. I am sure that we all have done that before and we always prefer to look for coupon codes before making any purchase.
According to the research, 65% of users plan to purchase stuff online based on available coupons.
Types of features for the best coupon portal website:
- Coupons & Offers Both
- All-Device Responsive
- Member login
- Newsletter Integration
- SEO-optimized & scalable
- Highly Customisable
The coupon and deals website works on a pay-per-scale model. So, marketers will only get paid after consumers make a purchase and a sale is made successfully.
You probably have a question, How do coupon websites get these coupon codes? Well, Coupon websites list down all these discount codes from e-commerce websites and put them on the portal according to categories.
Consumers can use these codes for household goods to mobile recharge, booking flights to intangible goods and courses, etc. Have you seen that “Enter the code here” box on the checkout page? That’s the place where you can type codes and redeem discounts and deals.
Getting tons of traffic while helping people with discounts and deals, a coupon portal is the best option to start.
If you’re looking to start a coupon website, check out this list of top SEO-friendly coupon website themes to get started.
∎ Cashback Portal #
Cashback websites are rumbling in the affiliate industry. Such cashback websites became a win-win situation for young entrepreneurs to generate 6 figure income.
The success behind the cashback website is that people love getting extra cashback along with coupons and discounts. This brings value for you and increases the overall user shopping experience, and the customer would definitely like to visit your website again. Cashback portals are the easiest way to attract new traffic and also make recurring conversions.
Customers visit cashback websites and such cashback offers to encourage them to make a purchase with benefits. Also, there are various options like refer and earn programs which allow the user to get more opportunities to save more money. These are the main reasons why cashback portals are becoming more sustainable for entrepreneurs.
Also, Tracking cashback features allow users to keep an eye on their cashback. Login with OTP and verification makes consumers trust you. That’s how cashback websites gained lots of trust and security.
Types of features for the best Cashback website: #
- Member’s Refer & Earn
- Mobile verification by OTP
- Multiple Front-end theme
- Highly customizable & scalable
- Admin Panel
- Responsive Design
- Automated Email Alert
EnactSoft has developed a unique and highly scalable cashback script based on PHP and WordPress.
Cashback portals in the mobile application transformation are very effective for the customer shopping journey.
You can always opt for highly responsive cashback mobile portals manage all options from the intuitive admin CMS and reach out to millions of mobile users today!
∎ Comparison Shopping #
Cashback comparison websites are also known as “price comparison websites” “price analysis tools” or “comparison shopping websites”. Such websites are generally used for comparing two or multiple products. Well, Popular comparison websites provide the facility of comparison of prices, features, reviews, and other criteria.
Price comparison websites are basically used for comparing Mobile phones of different companies and electronic gadgets.
You must have seen GSMarena which is a famous mobile phone comparison and news website. But, isn’t it good to have a purchase facility with comparison features? Comparison websites have a huge contribution to the expansion of the e-commerce industry.
∎ Discovery Shopping #
Discovery shopping refers to the deep, neat, and specific browsing of products while you are shopping. Have you seen the filter option when you search for products in E-commerce stores?
Browsing products with Specific brands, colors, sizes, prices, styles, etc. enables users to tailor product results to suit their preferences.
Unlike comparison shopping, these types of filters and discovery facilities allow a user to narrow down the search, and pick the specific niche and products they want. This increases the consumer’s overall shopping experience. Such different browsing options engage more audiences and increase relevancy.
Discovery shopping is appealing growth for Cashback and coupon offers websites. You can provide such filters on your cashback websites to increase more traffic and relevancy.
Cashback and Coupon business is not only sustainable but growing business. Young entrepreneurs can create a daily deal website business with a low budget and it’s a great passive income source while you sleep. Sounds interesting? Yes, it is definitely possible to earn thousands of $ if you have done your homework well in the Affiliate Industry and follow the trends.
Social media platforms are performing well for cashback coupons and affiliate businesses. As more than half of people in the world are using social media and shopping online such platforms can be winners for you. YouTube is a popular and trending platform for cashback and coupon affiliate business.
Stable income sources, passive revenue, growing ability, etc. are the reasons that starting a cashback coupon website business has an upper edge over other businesses.
Why start a cashback website? #
Advantages/Benefits of affiliate marketing over other businesses #
There are lots of ways to make money online but, why affiliate marketing is attracting lots of entrepreneurs, and why you should choose it? Here are some of the benefits of affiliate marketing you should consider before entering.
- Low risk compared to other business
If you’re doing affiliate marketing, you just have to promote the products and services of other people or companies. You don’t have to deliver to consumers or take care of any inventory, because you will only get paid if you make the sale of products. You are the owner of your business and you can drive it in your way.
In other businesses, mostly you’re dependent on the budget, plus if it doesn’t work out, you will be responsible for the debt and all. In short, financial risk is more, and you have to manage inventory, shipping, and after-service if you have an E-commerce store.
- Passive income business source
Another major benefit of becoming an affiliate marketer is generating a passive income. Wouldn’t it be great to make thousands of $ per day while you sleep? Also, a cashback coupon affiliate industry business is possible as a side business too. It doesn’t require that hard attention every day if your foundation is strong.
Yes, it is indeed possible to generate 6 figures income once you deeply understand the affiliate marketing business and tactics. I don’t think it would be this easy to generate 6 figures income in other businesses.
- Performance surety
Affiliate Marketing is a performance-based business. If your performance and sales are high you will definitely get your commission and sustainability is high. But in other businesses, there might be a situation at a time, when you won’t be able to generate the expected output.
Security is comparatively high if your performance is good enough. But this can turn out too if your performance is not satisfactory. It is not that easy to drive traffic. Don’t forget hard work is the only key.
“Max Affiliates = Max Profits”
- Rapid scale in your traffic
If you’re a business owner then recruiting affiliate marketers to your affiliate program can boost your traffic. The more backlinks to your website or platform, the more traffic opportunities you have. In such businesses, marketers will help you get more relevant traffic, your task is to not let them go away and make them repeat customers. Don’t forget there are many business entrepreneurs around you.
- Multiple revenue streams
There are no limits to sticking with one affiliate. “Sky is the limit“ in Affiliate marketing. You can opt for different affiliate programs and niches for your own growth at a single time. For example, coupon cashback websites, E-commerce products promotion, Software selling, and promotion, online games, Anti-virus software, etc. even 71% of publishers represent 3 or more Networks.
6 Steps to Start Your Cashback Website #
To understand the actual cashback coupon business process and how it works? let’s understand it step-by-step.
1) Website Development #
An affiliate entrepreneur needs a cashback website or portal or an application to start a cashback website business.
If you’re a developer, you can do it on your own or you can opt for the best cashback website development company like EnactSoft. You can make a customized cashback website that is easy to manage and fully optimized.
It’s important to understand your users, needs, industry standards, SEO, and marketing. Therefore, it is always better to get your cashback website development from a company that has expertise in cashback, deals, discounts, cashback app development and coupon business solutions.
2) Association with affiliate networks #
The next step is to pick the affiliate networks, according to your niche and products, and associate your website with them. There are hundreds of affiliate networks available industry-wise. Check out the list of high-paying affiliate networks to get started.
3) Content On the Website #
One of the important steps is content on your website which can include design, blogs, a list of numbers of E-commerce stores, images, promotion codes, categories, daily offers, gift cards, and a guide to claiming offers.
Above all, content should be creative and eye-catching. All pages should be easy to navigate and SEO-friendly. This will make the user’s overall experience better and smoother.
4) Promotion #
Promotion and marketing are the heart of this affiliate business. Your websites need traffic and affiliate marketers will help you get traffic. But, as a business owner, you should post and publish about the offers, and services you provide and spread the word.
As I discussed before, social media are one of the best options for cashback coupon business promotion. PPC campaigns are always winners of the cashback websites.
For more tips on marketing strategies for cashback websites, visit this pro guide.
5) Earn Commission #
People come to your website, click on cashback or coupon offers and they will be redirected to their respective stores.
Upon purchase, merchants (e-commerce websites) pay a commission to the cashback website owner(you).
6) Pass-on Cashback #
Publishers or cashback business owners keep the major amount of commission get from merchants and pass on the rest to the consumers.
Consumers feel satisfied and happy with offers, deals plus extra cashback, and that brings value for the business owner(You).
In short, repeat customers. This cycle repeats and as a business owner, you get a highly scalable passive income source.
How EnactSoft cashback script is different from the market clone cashback script? #
1. WordPress-based cashback website
EnactSoft cashback website is a combination of a WordPress-hosted front-end website, PHP admin & member dashboard.
These are tightly integrated for a seamless user experience. Not to brag, there is no such solution available so far across the globe!
2. Convert your WordPress-based coupon website to a fully functional cashback website
Easy to retrofit on your existing WordPress-based coupon website.
3. Fully automated cashback operations
Seamlessly connects with Coupon API for an end-to-end automated solution. Right from creating, updating, and expiring coupons to rewarding cashback to users is done fully automatically!
Now, you know why it’s unique from all other cashback websites.
4. Integrated with all leading affiliate networks
Our cashback web app is integrated with all leading affiliate networks such as Optimise, Payoom, VCommission, iCubesWire, eBay Direct, Flipkart Direct, Snapdeal Direct, etc.
This helps you offer the highest cashback to your clients and an improved bottom line for your business.
5. Fully functional amazing cashback features to attract more visitors
There are many outstanding options to offer a great user experience visiting your cashback website
- Refer & earn system
- Record of each & every click made by your users
- Payout withdrawal by gift vouchers, wallet transfer, and bank transfer
- Very user-friendly dashboard to view & track cashback by members
- Easy social sharing to make the most out of referral functionality
- FAQ and important information on every page
- Comprehensive coupons & offers from hundreds of merchants.
6. Admin dashboard to manage all aspects of cashback
The admin dashboard gives you as a website owner full control over merchants, networks, members, cashback split, etc. A few unique features include.
- AdBlock detection
- User mobile verification by OTP to curb fraud user registration
- Multi-layer verification for members before awarding referral
- Member-wise tracking of cashback claims, earnings, clicks, etc.
- Fraud member detection
- Easy help on all pages
- CMS to manage content on all pages of the member dashboard
- Automated email notification for all important actions by member
- Major settings are at the site level so that less time is required to go live.
- Comprehensive logs
- Seamless integration with all leading networks to capture, and update cashback amount & status, etc.
- Manage redemption & missing cashback claims easily by exporting to various formats.
Know more about why cashback clone script is not sustainable for affiliate businesses.
FAQ’S #
How does a cashback website make money?
Cashback websites primarily earn through affiliate marketing. They receive a commission from retailers for every purchase made through their referral links. While a portion of this commission is given back to the user as cashback, the website retains the rest as profit.
How do cashback websites ensure accurate affiliate tracking?
Cashback websites use tracking cookies and unique affiliate tracking IDs to monitor user activity. When a user clicks through to a retailer via a cashback site, the tracking system records the action, ensuring any subsequent purchase is attributed to the referring cashback site.
What are the challenges I might face when running a cashback website?
Challenges can include tracking issues, competition, maintaining profitable retailer partnerships, managing cash flow, and ensuring user trust and satisfaction.
What kind of marketing strategies work best for promoting a cashback website?
Content marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click advertising, influencer partnerships, and social media campaigns can be effective. Regularly offering exclusive deals and promotions can also drive traffic and user engagement.
Conclusion #
Among all the affiliate marketing options, starting a cashback website business is the best option to choose from. It creates a WIN-WIN situation for all involved stakeholders.
This is one of the reasons why the cashback website is growing in the affiliate industry.
EnactSoft provides an array of solutions for startups, growing businesses, and enterprises at highly competitive pricing.
Everyone should look for a start-up that generates highly scalable passive income while you doing your favourite activities.
Moreover, we believe in making a success story for our partners. Hence, We support them in their journey of entrepreneurship in technology, marketing, business development, and launch/start a cashback website.
Get in touch with us.
