When I started affiliate marketing I had one major dilemma, go with physical products and promote Amazon products or go with digital products and focus only on Clickbank.
In this article, I am going to compare Clickbank Vs Amazon, and my experience with them, and I will give you my opinion on which is the better platform for affiliate marketers.
ClickBank vs Amazon: Advantages and Disadvantages of each platform
In comparison, we will focus on features that will help you to make the most money, the easier to find the products, and how to approach each platform.
What is Clickbank?
Clickbank is an online marketplace that connects digital product creators with affiliate marketers.
It was founded in 1998 and has since become one of the largest affiliate networks in the world, with over 200 million customers in more than 190 countries.
Clickbank offers a wide range of digital products, including e-books, software, courses, and membership sites.
How Clickbank Works
Product creators and merchants can list your products on Clickbank and set the commission rate that they are willing to pay to affiliate marketers (that is you).
Clickbank commissions usually range between 30% to 75% most products are in the 50% range, and very few in the 90%, in rare occasions you can find a product that will pay you 100%.
The reason why many product creators pay that much commission is that, these are digital products, so they just create them once and people can download them as my times as possible, also high commissions attract many affiliates to promote their products.
Once the product is listed by the vendor, ClickBank will review the product and if it meets their requirement it will be available in the market, for affiliate marketers to promote.
Clickbank handles all the payment processing and affiliate tracking, making it easy for both product creators and affiliate marketers to do business.
All you need to do is to find the best Clickbank product to promote and start making some cash.
Advantages of Clickbank
- A large network with a lot of products you can choose from to promote
- The easy-to-use platform for both product creators and affiliate marketers
- Automated payment processing and affiliate tracking
- The low entry barrier for affiliate marketers
- High commission rates for affiliate marketers
Disadvantages of Clickbank
- High competition for popular niches
- Low-quality products can damage the reputation of the platform
- Refund rates can be high for certain products
- You can not promote affiliate products if you are from certain countries
- They can hold some of your money and pay you later
What is Amazon?
 I have seen Amazon grow from a small online bookseller to the giant it is today. Amazon is an American multinational technology company that specializes in e-commerce, cloud computing, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence.
It is one of the world’s largest online retailers and has a significant presence in the tech industry.
How Amazon Works
Amazon operates on a business model where it connects buyers and sellers on its platform.
It offers a range of products and services, including books, electronics, clothing, and home goods.
Amazon has a vast network of warehouses and distribution centers across the world, which allows it to offer fast and reliable shipping to customers.
Advantages of Amazon
People trust amazon
For me this is the main advantage, most people who can buy from your affiliate link probably know what Amazon is and they have brought something from them. This makes it easier to promote products from Amazon.
You get a commission from other products
The good thing about Amazon is that if your prospects clicked a link to buy product A, but they end up buying products B, C, and D, you will get the commissions for all the products as longer is the purchase was made within 24 hours after they clicked the link.
Even though Amazon pay lower commissions, people tend to trust more amazon than Clickbank and they tend to buy more than 1 item, this works in your favor since these commissions can add up very quickly and you can make a decent living from it.
Disadvantages of Amazon
You need to have a decent traffic
Amazon wants you to have already a platform, especially a blog to approve you to become their affiliate, and for me, when I did not make a sale in the first 90 days they deactivated my account, I had to reapply, if you are new, probably you will not get accepted.
My recommendation for this is to create a blog and start posting content, while you start getting some traffic, apply for the Amazon affiliate program and start adding affiliate links to your blog posts.
Some countries are not allowed
This is a problem in the main affiliate network, if you are from some African or Asian country probably they will not let you join the affiliate program, there is no workaround for this, just try a different affiliate network.
Lower commission
One of the worst things about becoming an Amazon affiliate is that they pay you a lower commission, you will get paid from 1% to 10% of commissions in many of the products you will sell on Amazon.
Most products have commissions ranging between 1% and 4%, to make a good living you will need to sell a lot of products, the good news about this is that people like to buy from Amazon, so if you have a high traffic blog, the sells can add up and you can make a decent commission.
Cookie duration
Any person who clicks your affiliate link, they have 24 hours to buy the product so that you can get a commission, if they purchase that product after 24 hours you will not make the commission.
Strange tracking
Amazon has this strange tracking system, if your relative clicks your link you will not get paid, they do this to combat self-referral but I think they overdo it.
I remember someone clicked a link from my Facebook profile and bought a product from that link and I did not get paid the commission, I could see the sale was reflected but I was paid zero, they considered it as a self-referral.
Clickbank vs Amazon: Which One to Choose as an Affiliate?
Product Selection
Amazon has a vast selection of products, from books to electronics to clothing. Clickbank, on the other hand, specializes in digital products, such as e-books and online courses.
If you’re looking for a specific physical product, Amazon is likely your best bet. However, if you’re interested in digital products, Clickbank may have more options for you.
Commission Rates
Clickbank typically offers higher commission rates to affiliates than Amazon. This is because Clickbank specializes in digital products, which often have higher profit margins.
However, Amazon’s commission rates are still competitive, and they offer a variety of advertising options for affiliates.
Cookie period
Amazon has a 24-hour cookie policy, so if someone clicks the link and buys the products within 24 hours you get a commission but if they buy it after it, you will not get paid.
Clickbank has a 60 days cookie period, so if someone buys clicks the links and buys the product after 59 days you will still get credited for the sale.
Ease of Use
Both Clickbank and Amazon offer user-friendly platforms for buyers and sellers. However, Clickbank may be slightly more complicated to navigate for beginners, as it offers more customization options for affiliates.
Amazon, on the other hand, has a straightforward checkout process and easy-to-use search filters.
Customer Support
Amazon is known for its excellent customer support, with a variety of options for contacting its customer service team, including phone, email, and live chat.
Clickbank also offers customer support, but it may not be as extensive as Amazon’s.
However, Clickbank does have a comprehensive knowledge base and community forum for users to ask questions and get support.
How to make money with Amazon and Clickbank as an affiliate marketer?
To make money as an affiliate marketer on Amazon and Clickbank, I would recommend picking a niche and building a blog, with your blog you can build people who follow you and consume your contact, and you can recommend affiliate products from Amazon and Clickbank to those people, this is how you make money.
You can learn how to build a blog from scratch here.
Conclusion
After comparing Clickbank and Amazon, I have found that both platforms have their strengths and weaknesses.
Clickbank is better suited for digital products, while Amazon is better suited for physical products.
However, both platforms offer a variety of products in different niches, allowing affiliates to find products to promote that align with their audience’s interests.
When it comes to commission rates, Clickbank offers higher commissions, but Amazon has a more reliable payment system.
Additionally, Amazon’s affiliate program is more established and has a wider reach, making it easier for affiliates to promote products to a larger audience.
Ultimately, the choice between Clickbank and Amazon comes down to the type of products you want to promote and the commission rates you are looking for.
Both platforms have their pros and cons, so it’s important to consider your specific needs before making a decision.