Ecommerce and What It Means for Affiliate Marketers

One of the biggest impacts of the internet is how people and businesses buy and sell goods and services. The first ever recorded instance of an exchange of a product online was in 1994 when a music CD was exchanged in a C2C (consumer-to-consumer) transaction.  Today, eCommerce is a mammoth industry worth in excess of $5 trillion and is expected to grow to over $8 trillion by 2026. eCommerce has advanced significantly ever since that first simple sale was performed, and there are now all kinds of goods and services exchanged online in diverse business models.

Ecommerce and Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing has been one of the reasons that have impacted the exponential growth of eCommerce. It is estimated that over 80% of online brands leverage the power of affiliate marketing to drive sales of their products and services.  Affiliate marketing is a subset of digital marketing where a marketer promotes another company’s products and earns a commission for every sale generated using his/her own assigned unique tracking link. Affiliate marketing is largely performance-based, with marketers able to earn commissions for generating sales, as well as traffic and leads, for companies.  Affiliate marketing provides a reliable monetization method for anyone with an online audience or potential customers for a product. Many brands are now selling their goods and products online, with affiliate marketing now a method for them to reach a wider audience.  For affiliate marketers, this provides plenty of opportunities. To start with, there is now a massive diversity of products to sell, and you can carefully select an affiliate offer that is a perfect fit for both yourself and your audience.  Some of the factors to consider when selecting an affiliate product to promote include: 

• Brand reputation
• Commission rates
• Payout frequency
• Tracking technology
• Marketing creatives
• Publisher support

Beyond product diversity, there have also emerged numerous eCommerce tools and resources that are utilized by individuals and businesses seeking to create a compelling online presence. They include platforms that offer services such as website builders, website hosting, marketing and sales software, as well as drop-shipping support. Many of these platforms run some of the most lucrative affiliate programs online, and publishers can include them in their portfolio of products to promote as eCommerce continues to grow rapidly.  

eCommerce Trends for Affiliate Marketers

eCommerce is a dynamic and ever-changing landscape. Affiliate marketers need to keep tabs on the trends so as to ensure the best performance of their marketing campaigns. Some of the key eCommerce trends that are emerging include:

• Mobile Shopping

Most customers now use mobile devices to visit the internet and shop. Adopting a mobile-first marketing strategy can help affiliate marketers to tap into this trend. This can mean having marketing creatives and interfaces that look great on mobile devices.

• Voice Search

Voice searching is a trend that has been growing in recent years, and it is expected to drive more sales for many brands. Affiliate marketers can make their content more voice-friendly in search engines by including answers to questions that most shoppers are likely to have when they want to buy things online.

• Sustainability

A key trend in recent years has been the desire for many customers to buy products that are friendly to both society and the environment. As an affiliate marketer, you can include eco-friendly products in your portfolio, or even showcase the sustainability qualities of the products that you are promoting. Social and environmental awareness are hot topics and will continue to be for many years. Final Word The future of eCommerce, and specifically eCommerce affiliate marketing is bright and dynamic with plenty of growth expected in the coming years. This provides massive opportunities for affiliate marketers, but it is important to track and adapt to emerging trends so as to ensure the optimal performance of your eCommerce marketing campaigns.