(Hint — You Don’t Have to Open a Store)

We all know Amazon is the 800-pound gorilla of e-commerce. One web domain accounting for 43.5% of all online sales in 2021, up from 41.8% in 2020 … it’s hard to overstate. The Amazon logo should be in the dictionary entry for “dominance.” Imagine if one company did 43% of all the yard work in the country, or if one company did 43% of the taxes. Who would open a lawn-care or CPA firm again?

But suppose you do have a lawn-care agency or a CPA firm. Amazon is a big deal … So what, right? You can’t sell landscaping or tax preparation services on Amazon … right?

Yes, right … but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be making money from Amazon.

So what does that mean? Should you sink thousands of dollars into your own private-label product line, endure the logistical hell of importing it to an Amazon processing facility, then dump more thousands of dollars into ads promoting your new store until you get ten positive reviews and sales pick up their own momentum?

Yes, a lot of money can be made that way if you succeed … but a lot of money can be lost if you fail. It probably makes more sense to stay in your lane … right?

Actually, it can be a lot more simple than that.

Did you know that Amazon has an affiliate program? And just about anyone can join?

Making Money Promoting Other Peoples’ Products On Amazon

Amazon’s affiliate program, Amazon Associates, works like most affiliate programs. You get a dedicated link to promote products on Amazon — products in other peoples’ stores, or sold by Amazon directly — and you get a commission when people follow that link and buy the product.

Think about that. Someone else took the risk of developing the product, importing it from China, and listing it on Amazon in hopes of making sales. You get paid just for recommending it to your audience.

Ideas for Non-Ecom Businesses to Monetize Amazon through Amazon Associates

Since you can buy nearly everything on Amazon, the possibilities are endless. Just think — what would be useful to the people who care enough about your product or service to have become a lead or a customer?

• Lawn-care specialists could promote hoses, fertilizers, non-toxic pest control devices, croquet sets, and other lawn maintenance/upkeep/entertainment options.

• Fitness brands could promote home exercise equipment and athletic wear — without having to stock retail themselves.

• Hairstylists could promote favorite hair-care products — again, without having to stock retail.

• Cosmetic surgeons could promote those crazy infrared hair-regrowth helmets that they promote to people who get hair transplants.

• Consultants who help people start podcasts or YouTube channels could promote cameras, microphones, lights, and other necessary equipment.

• Coaches could promote their reading list, by physical book or on Kindle — hell, anyone can promote their favorite how-to books within their niche.

• Travel agents could recommend travel products like luggage organizers, passport sheathes, battery chargers, and other travel-specific products.

Bottom line — there is some product sold on Amazon that you could recommend to your leads and/or clients to enhance their experience of your brand. Why not use Amazon Associates to monetize those recommendations?

Whether you add a “Recommended Products” page to your website, include the recommendations in your onboarding process, or blast out a product recommendation to your email list, failing to take advantage of those commissions is just leaving money on the table.

How to Start Collecting Amazon Affiliate Commissions

Becoming an Amazon Associate is easy …

1. Go to the Amazon Associates home page.
2. Sign into an existing Amazon account or create a new Amazon account.
3. Answer a few questions about your business to create your account.
4. Submit your payment and tax info when the account is created so you can get paid.

You’re ready to go. Found a product you want to promote? Here’s how to start doing it …

1. Go to the product page.
2. Now that you are logged in with an active Amazon Associate account, at the very top of the page will be a brand-new toolbar called “Amazon Associates Site Stripe.”
3. Under “Get Link,” choose to get a text, image, or text + image link.
4. Use this link whenever you send a lead, customer, or client a recommendation for that product.

That was easy, right? With just a few clicks, you have added a whole new source of revenue to your business … courtesy of Bezos.