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So, you’ve set-up a blog and is now ready to publish your first blog post.

If you’re like many of the blogger colleagues I know, you’d probably been stuck on draft writing and editing and deleting words like a mad man, unable to finish even just one paragraph.

Believe me, even seasoned bloggers fall under the spell of a writer’s block every now and then.

If this sounds like you, don’t be ashamed. All big-named bloggers started feeling a bit lost, unsure what topics to write about, and how to deliver information that could entertain, educate, or engage readers.

Issues You May Have Writing Your First Blog Post

Whether you’re in it as a hobby or for the passive income blogging can bring, crafting the first blog post can be challenging because of several reasons. For some people, the reason may be personal (for example: writing is their biggest fear). For others, it may be due to simpler reasons such as:

• You’re not a writer by trade – Not all bloggers took up Journalism. Not all successful bloggers know the difference between passive and active voice. Don’t worry about all the technicalities – there are tools that can guide you through spelling, grammar, and even content flow (more on this later). 
• You don’t have a voice yet. – How do you want to be heard? Do you want to be an authority figure within your niche? A friendly guide to both experts and newbies? Or just someone who out to entertain? Writing the first blog post is hard because getting a voice takes time and more than one post to develop.
• You’re unsure of your goals – Is blogging a hobby? Are you planning to monetize it? Having no goals can be a reason why you’re having issues with your first blog post.

All your reasons and fears are understandable, but just like many things in life…in order to reach established-blog status, you have to start somewhere.

7 First Blog Post Ideas

When I say “first blog post,” this doesn’t include the About Me, Q&A or any similar pages. It should be just like any ordinary blog post, except this one will mark your first-ever post, which will probably haunt you in years to come.

Considering you’re still working on your voice/persona, writing skills and personal blogging goals, these first blog post examples can give you enough ideas to begin your online adventure:

1. Success stories/Inspirational

What or who inspired you to blog?

Readers love the underdogs, rags to riches, and other success stories. Since you’re just starting out as a blogger, the success story doesn’t have to be about you.

Just make sure the story is real and unique enough to hook your readers.

2. Lists

The recommended blog post word count is at least 1,000 words. If you are overwhelmed by the number, lists help break down your post to smaller chunks.

And since this is a first post, you can list down “things you plan to do with the blog (contests, annual meet-up, workshops, and the like,” “blogs you follow and why,” “topics you wish talk about,” and so on.

3. Add Shock Value

If sensationalism is your thing, use it to your advantage.

Get inspiration from your go-to tabloids, but keep it tasteful. First blog post examples that add shock value include:

• a shocking, but real, news (such as the headless chicken who lived for 18 months)
• impressive statistics
• cool historical tidbits (like Nintendo starting out as a card game company in 1889).
• unbelievable trivia (Google was willing to sell under $1 million)

Of course, the shock value you add should at least be connected to your niche.

4. Start with a Question

One of the quickest ways to grab the attention of a reader is to make them answer a question. 

If you’ve been a follower of other blogs before starting your own, you’ve probably read quite a lot of reader questions. They’re great because questions are conversation-starters.

And since blogging is a lot like a never-ending conversation between you and your readers, there’s no better way to get the conversation going than putting yourself out there on your first blog post.

You can ask readers for advice, recommendations, even complaints or scams (like what I do here on IveTriedThat.com). You’d be surprised how many people are willing to share what they know about a subject, product or service.

5. Be Funny

Start with a joke…or a funny story.

Making people laugh always leaves a good impression, as long as the joke is classy and on-topic.

Writing your style of humor into a blog post may seem hard, but as you develop your blogging voice, it’s easier to bring your humor into the writing as well.

6. Share Wisdom

Maybe your grandparents have given you plenty of wise words through the years. Maybe you’re wise beyond your years and have a lot to share.

Readers can easily differentiate bloggers whose words have substance. Begin your first blog post with a quote, a conventional saying that you’ve modernized, recently updated psychology tidbits, and so on.

Be careful in going overboard with this one, some readers may mistake your wisdom with arrogance or being a know-it-all.

7. Tease Your Readers

In some cases, teasing your readers with intentionally-incomplete information can hook them into reading your first blog post.

Introductions like:

• How do you like to learn the secrets of mind-reading?
• What if I told you that your smartphone can earn you $100 today?
• Do you want me to show you how to reach your goal by attracting positive energy?

…and so on can make readers curious and stay on your blog to learn your “secret.” Just make sure to make their stay worthwhile by actually sharing something of value. That’s how you make a repeat site visitor.

How to Write Your First Blog Post

Now that you’ve got some tried-and-tested, first blog post examples, it’s time to implement them into an actual post.

If you’re starting blogging from scratch with no knowledge of WordPress, keyword research, search engine optimization, and so on, I recommend you join Wealthy Affiliate and take part in their free training.  

Wealthy Affiliate’s Level 1 training is perfect for beginners, since it guides through building your first blog, preparing your keywords, and actually writing your first few pages and posts. Level 2 and beyond are geared for people with a bit of experience. Whichever skills-level you’re in, I bet you’ll appreciate the tasks-based training that make it easier to digest all the information you’re going to learn without getting overwhelmed.

Use the following steps as a to-do list with every blog post you craft (not just the first one):

1. Make an outline

Creating an outline helps you break down the number of words for every section of the post.

While you shouldn’t restrict your writing within these wordcounts, the estimates do help in squeezing everything into your blog post. This way, you won’t forget all the important stuff and at the same time, you’d avoid adding fluff. 

2. Research your keywords

Keywords make it easy for search engines to “find” your blog and the posts you publish.

Sprinkling your posts with keywords tell search engines (like Google, Yahoo and Bing) that the post is about that specific keyword.

For example, keywords like “investing for beginners” tells your readers and search engines that your post is about investment and your blog has elements of finance in it.

If you’re joining Wealthy Affiliate, you’re lucky because the built-in Jaaxy is one of the most advanced keyword tool out there and it’s free for all WA members. (FYI: Non-Wealthy Affiliate members pay $49 (Pro) or $99 (Enterprise) a month).

3. Write

Start big, start small, as long as you start writing today, everything will be okay.

The point here is to bring your ideas into text. Don’t fuss on grammar and article flow too much during this stage. Just write away.

Plus points if you’re a member of Wealthy Affiliate, since its SiteContent writing platform works like magic – it was designed with over 100 spelling/grammar checks, built-in with duplicate content checker, SEO analysis, structure analysis, and even vocabulary enhancement suggestions.

4. Attach Media (photos, videos, charts, etc.)

Insert photos, videos, infographics, charts, and other media you have into your blog post. Make sure it adds something to your content.

If you’re getting photos and videos online, be wary about copyright.

5. Proofread once, twice, or more

Proofreading separates the pros from the beginners.

This is where you should get fussy with typos, grammar and structure.

You don’t need to be a professional editor to do this. Just read your first blog post aloud, and you’ll hear it if something doesn’t sound right.

Read your draft as much as you can until you’re happy with the final draft. You can also ask somebody else (like a partner, parent, friend, etc.) to read it for you – having a second set of eyes won’t hurt.

The Bottom Line

Learning how to write your first blog post is just the first step. Actually publishing that post is a more challenging step, but you’ll need to go through it if you’re serious about blogging.

I hope these first blog post ideas can guide you through this exciting, money-making journey of blogging.

If you need more assistance, I recommend you join Wealthy Affiliate (I’m an active member there, too!). Ask the community about anything anytime, and you’ll receive answers from people all over the world.

Many times, especially if you’re still starting to work from home, finding online jobs from home without investment may seem impossible.

You’re probably looking to start making money as soon as possible, not have to spend money to get a job.

And more often than not, you’ll find that a lot of online jobs require start-up costs, some sort of fee, inventory costs or even training programs you have to take.

So what happens when you don’t have the money to start an online job?

After all, you’ll probably need to make money first to later invest it in your career.

Don’t fret though – you don’t need to have money to make money. Especially online. There are plenty of online jobs that require any significant types of investment and very little previous experience as well.

The good news is:

I’ve compiled a whole list of online jobs that don’t require an investment that you can start today.

And with very little effort!

12 Online Jobs from Home Without Investment

1. Online Writing Jobs

I am going to start with the most obvious option on this list.

As long as you’ve got good writing skills, moderate research skills and the ability to abide by deadlines, then you’re set to start writing online.

This is one of the best online jobs from home without investment, as it requires no monetary or time investment from your side.

You’ll need a computer and a topic to write about and you’re good to go.

You will need to choose a niche to write in, have writing samples ready to show to clients and a rate per word.

2. Editing and/or Proofreading

You can also start offering your services as an editor and it would require no investment from you.

If you have an excellent command of grammar, a good eye for details, great spelling, and you know how to edit text to make it flow seamlessly – then proofreading/editing could be your next job.

What makes it the perfect online job without investment is the fact that you don’t need any creativity or research skills.

All you need is a good laptop and excellent English skills.

Here are 32 companies currently hiring.

3. Virtual Assistant

One of the best online jobs from home without investment is becoming a virtual assistant.

It is more of a part-time gig (turning it into a full-time gig is also definitely an option), and it requires someone who is task-oriented and is able to manage tasks remotely.

You can make anything from $20-$100 per hour as a Virtual Assistant doing anything from:

• Replying to e-mails.
• Booking trips.
• Designing flyers.
• Compiling data.
• Setting up meetings.
• Creating to-do lists.

The list goes on and on and on… You get the point!

4. Social Media Manager

Every brand right now is looking for someone to manage their social media.

No matter how big the company is and no matter the region – social media is rapidly growing in popularity.

And for good reason. Social media has consistently proven itself to be the ultimate medium for marketing. Cheap, effective and with a lot of room for creativity and growth. Who could ask for more?

To become a social media manager, you’ll need basic social media knowledge for entry-level jobs.

It could be as simple as being able to write fun captions and posting a picture.

More advanced positions require SEO knowledge, Ads incorporation and in-depth understanding of different services.

5. Online Moderator

If you’re looking for some part-time work from home without investment and you’ve got a knack for management – try your luck at online moderation.

You will be in charge of monitoring comments on public forums and blogs, regulating behavior, responding to people and making sure all rules are being followed.

And all of this takes zero investment from your side. Most of these jobs don’t even require previous experience and offer very flexible schedules.

6. Online Tutoring

If you love teaching or you’re particularly good at a subject/language, then you should definitely try out tutoring.

Online tutors can make up to $70 per hour depending on the subject and the students.

You can easily make up to $2000 just by teaching English (or your native language) to young students worldwide.

For example, VIPKID pays $14-22 for teaching English to Chinese students. That means you can make up to $2000 just by working 5 hours a day.

Sign me up!

7. Online Research

There are plenty of companies out there that will pay you to do research.

If you’re a college student, then I’m pretty sure you’ve got this skill hammered into your skillset already!

Becoming a researcher needs superb organizational skills from your side, fast Internet and a knack for collecting data.

Here are 7 companies looking for online researchers.

8. Consulting

Consulting is another way to make money that requires an investment of experience only.

If you’re a fitness fanatic, for example, you can set up an Instagram page in seconds and start offering your services as a consultant.

You’ll be able to grow your brand on all social media platforms and you get to decide your rates!

9. Start a Blog

If you already have a blog and you’ve put in the investment of hours and hours of building it, then you can start monetizing it with very little extra investment.

You can try:

• Affiliate Marketing: Advertisers pay you a commission to promote their products on your blog. All you have to do is post a link to your website and you’re done!
• Google Adsense: Get paid to have advertisements displayed on your page. This is where you can choose to get paid per impression or per click.
• Sell Ad Space – Sell ad space to brands on your blog.
• Sponsored posts – Have a company pay you to post a picture, blog or video.

10. Test Apps & Websites

If you’re the kind of person who has strong opinions regarding what works, what looks good, and what doesn’t work then testing apps could be your thing.

It’s not just testing apps & websites – the whole idea of “usability testing” is rapidly growing. You probably won’t make a career out of it, but you’ll definitely be able to make money out of it.

The reviews take anything between 10-20 minutes and you’ll get paid an average of $10 per review.

This is probably the easiest and fastest way to make money on this list.

To help you get started, here are 15 sites to check out.

11. Search Engine Evaluation

10 years ago, no one would have ever thought that a job like that would exist today. This job is usually for people who are bilingual and your tasks will include:

• Evaluating search results.
• Giving feedback on whether they are relevant and accurate.
• Make sure the results are spam-free.

These jobs pay up to $15 per hour.

12. Micro Jobs

There’s a reason this suggestion is last.

This is more part time work that can be incredibly draining and demanding. The worst part is the pay is likely not worth the amount of work you need to do.

All you will need are basic internet skill and a laptop. Some job examples include:

• Sharing a page
• Reviewing a product.
• Writing an article.
• Liking a post.
• Sharing a tweet.
• Doing a quick Google Search.

And much more.

I think micro jobs should be a list ditch resort honestly. These should be jobs you do if you are desperate for cash or don’t mind working hours for just a few bucks.

The Bottom Line

There are a lot of jobs that don’t require any sort of upfront investment; you just need to know where to look.

If nothing on this list works for you, make sure you check out our full list of work from home jobs here. There are over 75 ideas listed with hundreds of companies currently looking for employees.

There is no doubt that there are thousands of people out there with an undying passion for fashion and blogging but absolutely no idea on how to start a fashion blog. And you know what? That’s completely normal.

We can all agree on one thing:

With any creative project, the hardest part is actually getting started. More often than not, we’re stuck wanting to learn how to start but get completely overwhelmed with the hundreds of resources we’re met with.

Luckily for you, fashion blogs are absolutely huge right now! If done right, you can easily be making thousands in passive advertising, affiliate sales, sponsored posts and much more.

Yes, it’s quite competitive. Yes, there are thousands of fashion blogs out there. But one thing remains true: Most of them are subpar.

Your chance to stand out is actually much higher than you might think – if you’re willing to put in effort, take on challenges and learn patience and endurance along the way.

In today’s post, I’ll show you how to become a fashion blogger, create something truly awesome and unique, grow a huge following and make money while doing it!

Quick Intro Into The World of Fashion Blogging

Fashion blogging has very quickly turned from a hobby to a major profit-making business.

Most fashion bloggers have thousands, if not millions, of followers, their own product lines, and their own businesses. Basically, fashion bloggers have become the new “celebrities”.

Blogging is competitive. You’ll find it hard at first to break into the market – as long as you’re different, smart about your content, and unique with your brand.

10 Easy Steps to Starting A Fashion Blog

Before we get into some fashion blogging tips and tricks, I’ll take you through a step-by-step guide on how to start a fashion blog and get it up and running.

1. Get a domain name and hosting

First things first, you need a domain name. After all, wouldn’t you trust a website with a normal URL (myfashionblog.com) more than one with a domain name in the end (myfashionblog.domain.com)?

This will be the place you’ll be posting from, networking with, launching products from and much more. So make it right!

Choosing your right domain name can seem a little bit doozy – you have to think of it as your “brand name.” and as challenging as this sounds, here are a few tricks to get it right:

• Make it short.
• Make it easy to spell and pronounce.
• Let it reflect what your blog is about.
• Be as unique as possible.
• Make it flexible so it could be brandable later on.

2. Install WordPress

WordPress is one of the top blogging tools online and will remove the hassle of having to find a web developer or web designer at first.

Using it is a fool-proof way of getting your blog up and running in no time. No HTML. No CSS. Nada!

3. Pick a theme

WordPress comes with a lot of nice free themes that you can choose from – at first. Using a free theme in the beginning works, but later on, you may want to shift to premium or hire a Web designer to give your blog a little bit of an extra oomph.

Keep it simple to start with – a nice static background, a color scheme, and an organized layout.

4. Install essential plugins

Plugins are an essential part of the WordPress experience. Plugins usually really help in enhancing the user’s (and your) experience on your website and optimize it for your advantage.

Here are some of the best plug-ins for fashion blogs:

• Pinterest Hover Pin-It Button – adds pin-it buttons for the images on your blog.
• SEMrush – Learn from your competitors. What’s their website traffic? What keywords do they use? What keywords should you use?
• WP SEO by Yoast – Yoast pretty much does all the heavy lifting for you when it comes to SEO optimization.

5. Tell your story

Write your About section, include your name, your picture and why you started this blog.

Why should people listen to you?

What made you start this blog?

Where do you want to be in the next 5 years?

6. Content, content, content!

Content is king. You need to publish the best content your brain could possibly produce. And then publish some more.

• Start by having an editorial calendar – Have a list of topics you want to write about, and have a minimum of 3 posts per week. Then, build out a calendar around those posts.
• Write long blog posts – Not only will you rank higher on Google, but you’ll also be providing higher value!
• Add value – Create style guides, DIY tutorials, give advice, and share your vision.
• Focus on evergreen content – Instead of writing about topics that are relevant for a week or two, write content that will stay with you forever.
• Write about what you love – You probably already know it: The readers can feel whether or not you’re passionate about what you’re writing about.
• Keep a running list of topics – Choose a niche but make sure that niche encompasses enough topics to talk about.
• Use pictures – Use captivating pictures in your blogs…Which brings me to the next point.

7. Invest in high-quality photography

Either invest in a high-quality DSLR camera and take the DIY route (set up a tripod and take your own pictures) or invest in a photographer.

No matter what: Always make sure your pictures are high quality, visually appealing, and edited to fit with your general theme.

8. Create a strong brand

It’s not about your logo or your brand name. It’s about who you are and everything you say and do. Whether it’s a signature look, a quirky personality trait or an-out-of-the-box content strategy – make sure you stay unique.

9. Build out a network

Of course, having good content is an essential building block to start a fashion blog, but it’s definitely not enough. If no one sees it, then it’s as if you haven’t even started yet.

One of my main fashion blogging tips for you is to build a network. Here’s how:

• Create a Instagram profile.
• Follow fashion bloggers who inspire you.
• Learn what they do.
• Reach out to them.
• Comment, like and share their posts.
• Start discussions.

10. Social media is your holy grail

Even though you’d think that this is a no-brainer, the amount of people who know how to start a fashion blog but don’t invest in social media is insane.

As a fashion blogger, make sure you use Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest and populate your feeds.

And finally, be patient and be yourself. Starting a successful blog requires hard-work and takes endurance.

How to Grow a Following as a Fashion Blogger

1. Start with social media

Again with the social media, right?

Definitely.

Social media is crucial when it comes to growing a following, and one of the best ways to do this is through having an Instagram with your blog handle and a Facebook page with your blog name.

Social media generates a golden opportunity to generate thousands of likes, shares, and visitors to your blog through cross-promotion.

2. Use Google Analytics for important insights

For you to grow a following, you need to first learn the insights on your blog. How long do people stay on your site? What type of people visit it? Where do they come from? How many page views do you have?

Once you have an idea of those insights, you can build your optimization strategy around them.

3. Engage with your readers and followers

Communicating directly with your followers and readers adds much more value than you might think.

You’ll be building a sense of community and that specific sense of community is what will keep them coming back for more.

Reply to their comments, ask them questions, let them ask questions, and always show them that you’ve read their comments.

4. Network on ground

Attend all fashion weeks, exhibitions, and galleries around you and network your way through them.

Who knows? Maybe you’ll find a local brand that would love to partner with you, or another blogger who doesn’t mind giving you a shout-out.

5. Grow an e-mail list

One of the most important fashion blogging tips is: grow your e-mail list.

Ask them to sign up for your newsletters, or offer them a goodie (e-book, discount, free PSD template, style guide…etc) in exchange for their e-mail.

6. Collaborate with other bloggers

Even better if they have the same audience! Collaborating with another “bigger” blogger is an easy way to get your blog out there.

It’s a great source for new followers, and it will put you in front of a new audience.

7. Write guest posts on other blogs

Choose a blog that has a similar audience to the one you want to acquire and write a blog post there. Preferably a blog with higher traffic than your blog and a larger following!

8. Do expert roundups

Find some celebrities, big fashion bloggers or fashion influencers and request an interview! By writing about some of the biggest names in the industry, you’ll be creating a huge amount of interest for your blog.

9. Host giveaways

Contests are one of the most effective ways of growing a following for your blog.

Run a contest and let your followers know that they have a chance to win a giveaway when they “share” or mention your blog.

It’s a win-win situation.

You get hundreds of new followers and visitors, and they get a gift!

8 Ways Fashion Bloggers Make Money

It’s not all about how you can start a fashion blog. It’s also about monetizing it and creating a decent source of income from your passion.

1. Seriously, embrace Instagram

Instagram is a goldmine for all fashion bloggers out there.

Fashion influencers make anything from $200 – $5000 per post.

Promote your Instagram everywhere, make sure it’s consistent with your blog and grow a following there so you can later get paid for posting about a brand!

2. Create a media kit

Once you have created a blog and actually started to get a decent amount of traffic, you’ll need to create a media kit.

A media kit is your passport to brand partnerships, sponsorships, ads, and collaborations.

Make sure to include a little bit about yourself, your blog, your follower count, average engagement, blog traffic stats, and rates.

3. Use affiliate links

One of the easiest (and most low-effort) ways to earn money as a fashion blogger is through affiliate links.

You can use sites like RewardStyle and ShopStyle that will direct the users to the products that you have listed.

You’ll get paid one of two ways: either per click (a few cents for every click that the website you directed to gets) or per action (a set percentage of each converted sale).

4. Sponsored posts

Sponsored posts are one of the main pillars when it comes to making money as a fashion blogger. Sponsored posts are when a brand chooses a blogger who they think represents them and gives them a product/service to review.

However, you will definitely need a decent following and traffic to go this route. It also doesn’t hurt to reach out to brands that you think resonate with your blog and offer a sponsored spot.

5. CPC or CPM ads

Another foolproof and quite common way most fashion bloggers make money is through putting display ads on their blogs.

You can choose between CPC (pay per click) or CPM (cost per 1,000 impressions) ads through Google Adsense.

6. Sell private ads

You can, later on, reach out to firms or advertisers and offer a per-month price for placing their ads on your blog.

7. Sell digital products

If you want to generate an even higher stream of income, try selling digital products. These could include:

• Online fashion courses
• PSD kits
• Fashion style guides
• E-Books
• Create your own product and launch a line

And much more!

8. Join an ambassador program

Ambassador programs are becoming more and more popular because of how low effort they are.

You can partner with a brand you love, get a unique promo code for yourself and whenever this promo code is used, you’ll get a set commission or a percentage of the sale.

The Bottom Line

Creating a fashion blog will certainly be an exhilarating experience.

It will take effort, it will take time – but it will most definitely be exciting.

You can learn more about how to make passive income through blogging here or learn about the most important steps to becoming a blogger here.

Okay, by now, we’ve all seen affiliate marketing images like this online:

They’re usually attached to an article claiming affiliate marketing is the greatest thing since sliced bread.

And now, you’re interested in how to start an affiliate marketing business and start pulling in some of that sweet, six-figure income.

If done right, this business model can lead to passive income (who doesn’t want to make money while asleep?), freedom to do what you want when you want, and more control over your life.

I’ve been extremely blessed to have affiliate marketing be my sole source of income since 2009. I know the blessings that it can bring. I also know the challenges, struggles, and hardships as well.

What is affiliate marketing?

Affiliate marketing is one of the most cost-effective businesses you can start online.

The general idea is you build a website, help connect people with the information they are searching for online, then hand them off to the retailer. The retailer then pays you a percentage of the sale as a commission.

Your website works for you 24/7 without a human manning your site and can pull earnings in around the clock. You have a never-ending list of products and services to promote. And, my personal favorite, you don’t even have to worry about inventory, storage, customer service, handling, shipping and other day-to-day operational issues faced by ecommerce stores.

In this business model, you (as an affiliate) earn with just a couple of steps:

• You promote another person’s or company’s product or service on your blog, social media accounts, YouTube, online ad, or other online platforms of your choice.
• If one of your followers clicks on the affiliate link and then buys the affiliate product or subscribe to an affiliate service that you’ve promoted, this transaction is credited to you.
• The affiliate program then computes all conversions and sends commissions your way.

The concept is actually pretty simple and has been used in businesses long before the internet even existed.

In the past, referral commissions are given to people who bring new customers to a company. The main difference in today’s affiliate marketing is that you use a traceable link when promoting a product/service and the affiliate program uses a browser cookie to track the shopper’s purchases before the cookie expires.

How much capital do you need to start an Affiliate Marketing business?

If you’re just on the planning stages of your online business and can’t dive into affiliate marketing just yet in fear of a high startup capital, you’d be amazed that this make-money-online model allows you to operate at virtually no cost.

Of course, as you earn commissions and expand your business, it’s inevitable that expenses will creep up as well.

To jump right into the world of affiliate marketing, you’ll need:

• Domain name – A domain name is the name of your website. It is the address internet users type in to access your site, instead of entering the numerical IP address. If you don’t have a hosting provider yet, you can get a free domain name with any of the shared hosting packages on BlueHost. If you already have hosting, you can purchase a domain a la cart for as low as $9 per year.
• Hosting – This is where your new website will be hosted. You can start with just the most-basic plans of popular hosting companies. For example, Bluehost’s Basic shared plan already has a free domain included, plus everything you need to begin your affiliate marketing journey. It’s priced normally around $8, but is often on sale at $4/month. Like all hosting providers, the longer subscription you pay upfront, the bigger your savings.

• Keyword Research Tool – Any serious affiliate marketer should invest in a keyword research tool (we use Jaaxy for ours). This will be your secret weapon for successful campaigns with your pay-per-click (PPC) advertising and SEO (search engine optimization) efforts. It helps you come up with ideas for content, keywords, and niches.
• Marketing techniques – You might incur additional monthly expenses based on the marketing technique you choose to use.
  • E-mail marketing – One of the best ways to nurture leads is to run an e-mail campaign. There’s no other e-mail tool better than AWeber, which starts at about $19/month and goes up to $200 or more (depending on the number of subscriptions).
  • Pay-per-click – Another effective way of attracting customers to your affiliate site is to advertise or pay for PPC. You don’t have to go far to look for this one, since Google’s own paid advertising can already do wonders on its own. Fees are only in cents per-click, but this adds up pretty quickly, so expect to shell out $50 or more for a low-budget campaign.
• Content and media – If you have a knack for writing, or is good with photography or Photoshop, then you can save some money and do these yourself. But if for any reason (lack of skill or time) you can’t create content or media like photos and videos, there are people willing to do them for you. You can hire freelancers either by the hour or on a flat fee.
  • Copyright Photos – You can also buy ready-made images straight off sites like Dreamstime and other stock photography sites for as low as $2/photo. Another option, you can use CC0 licensed images for free through a service like Pexels.

You don’t need to buy every affiliate marketing course you could get your hands on. Stick with just one highly-recommended training and go from there.

This is important not only to keep you from getting overloaded with information, but also to spend more time actually working on your affiliate site rather than being stuck at the planning stage forever.

If you play your cards right, you’d be able to build a fully functional affiliate website with just under $100.

How much can you earn from Affiliate Marketing?

There aren’t any set limits here. Some affiliates see $10 per month, others see $100,000. You can fall anywhere in between.

The beauty of this business is if you have a website that gets highly ranked in Google, you can earn money for months, or even years, long after you created the content.

You can put in a few hours of work today, and continue to profit off of that for years to come.

The amount you make depends largely on these five factors:

1) Your Keyword Research and SEO Game – Keyword research should begin the second you decide to build an affiliate marketing business from scratch. This business model may seem like it could adapt to a “come as you go” method. In reality, the better researched your niche is, the higher chances your affiliate site would succeed.

Search engine optimization (SEO) comes into play once your website is live. Both on-page SEO (steps you can do from the site to make it search engine-friendly) and off-page SEO (things you can do on third-party sites to make your website more attractive to search engines) are important.

Both your keyword research and SEO game should be on point, and continuously conducted throughout the life of your affiliate sites.

2) Pay-per-click Ads – PPC is a powerful type of advertising that can drastically improve sales on ecommerce websites. When it comes to affiliate marketing, using PPC ads is completely optional, but if you want your business to expand quickly and bring in more targeted traffic, pay-per-click ads are the best route to take.

Of course, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with AdWords, Facebook Ads, and other popular PPC ads, master effective copywriting techniques, and find the perfect balance with low cost per click and high conversion number.

3) Number of Affiliate Links and Product Features Posted – Every time you post a product feature with its respective affiliate link, you get a chance for a commission. The more posts you publish with different products (and affiliate links), the likelihood of someone buying from your links increase over time. Now imagine you’ve religiously added a unique product post daily for an entire year – you have 365 links that are readily available for your readers to click.

Of course, when you expand your affiliate marketing business from one website to two (or more), your earning potential multiplies as well.

4) The Site’s Niche – Check out Commission Junction and Clickbank… and you’ll see that there is virtually an endless list of products you can promote. However, the “Best-Selling” or “Top Products” from affiliate networks shouldn’t be the only deciding factor when picking your site’s niche. Choosing a niche for your affiliate site should involve more research and analysis than that. After all, the success of your site relies mostly on your topic’s level of demand and how well you take advantage of your readers’ needs.

5) Marketing Effort Done – Marketing your website everywhere helps in increasing traffic to the site. And when traffic shoots up, more people are able to read your content and decide if the product or service you’re promoting is worth checking out. As a result of the amount of marketing effort you commit, your chances of earning commissions increase with every person that visits your site.

As you can see, your earning potential from affiliate sites has no limit, as long as you put in the work for research, traffic generation and marketing. Of course, you’d have to invest in the right niche to maximize your site’s growth.

How do you become an affiliate marketer?

There is no master plan to build and run an affiliate marketing business that fits everyone’s budget and goals. You’ll be deciding on multiple issues, from the number of websites to create, to the method of traffic generation, advertising and other major decisions that can affect your business.

The steps below follow only the basics. You can definitely change some of the steps, if you have a higher budget to use, or decide to expand into two or more affiliate sites.

1. Brainstorm and gather ideas.

Planning should always be the first step when drawing up any kind of business. Even if affiliate marketing operates completely online, it should still be considered as a full-blown business and given ample time for research.

If you’re lost which idea you should be checking out, stick with what you know, what you’re passionate about, and products you can’t live without. Whether you’re planning to expand a generic product (such as “fitness toys for dogs”) or focus on a specific brand (such as FitPAWS), it’s essential that you know what the competition is like if you decide to go through with such a topic.

You should also be checking out if these branded products offer affiliate programs. If not, move on to another idea. If so, do a bit of research and determine if this niche can provide years-long of topics or unlimited number of products to feature.

• Use tools. One awesome (yet completely free) tool you should use when brainstorming niche ideas is the Google AdWords Keyword Planner. While predominantly used for AdWords and PPC, you’ll love the detailed information provided, which includes average CPC, competition level, and more.
• Test your ideas. The cool thing about affiliate marketing is that you don’t have to build a website first to find out if your idea is viable. Instead, you can join affiliate networks, browse products that fall under your chosen niche, and conduct research to see if these products would “sell.” Find what is trending online to see what ideas would bring more money to the table.
• Decide on a niche. You can only go so far when it comes to your initial research. But once you find a niche that you are passionate about and have potential for growth, go for it.

2. Build your website.

There are a couple of decisions you’d have to make when creating a website for your affiliate marketing business. For example, the platform you choose could slow down page loads, which in turn, affect your site’s ranking. This will reduce its ability to become a click-worthy affiliate site.

Other considerations when building a website include:

• Domain name and hosting: As we’ve mentioned earlier, the domain name and hosting make up the basic requirement to set up a website. You’ll spend a lot of time coming up with a user-friendly domain name and comparing hosting packages. Don’t take these decisions lightly.
• The platform: You have several options for your site’s platform, including your hosting provider’s built-in website builder that features drag-and-drop style site creator perfect for beginners, or coding the website from scratch (which provides the most flexible option when it comes to customization but require advanced HTML and programming skills). The most popular platform used across the board is WordPress. It’s the industry standard and used by a third of every website online.
• The website layout: You can make affiliate marketing work no matter what website layout you choose. For example, if you’d like your site to look more like an online store similar to the popular Odditymall, nothing is stopping you to do so. There’s no rule preventing site owners from showcasing affiliate products this way. Many affiliate marketers choose a blog layout instead, often writing product information or reviews along with links going to the store.

3. Choose the right affiliate network.

Affiliate marketing has been around since the late 1990s, which is why you shouldn’t be surprised that there are dozens of affiliate networks beyond the ever-so-popular Amazon and ClickBank.

There is no right or wrong affiliate network, but your choice would depend on these three things:

1. The products you wish to promote

ClickBank is known for handling the affiliate programs of digital products like ebooks, software and even membership sites. So if you wish to promote toys, clothing, or other products on your website, ClickBank wouldn’t be the most appropriate network to join.Amazon Associates continue to be the choice of people new to affiliate marketing, since Amazon has thousands of products readily available at any given time.

If your website isn’t a made-for-affiliate marketing site, you’d have to be careful in promoting products that reflect your niche and values. For instance, a beauty blog couldn’t just recommend a kitchen item or online marketing ebook out of the blue. This blog, however, would do much better with affiliate links that come from a shop like Sephora.

2. Commission per sale

All the work you do promoting third-party products shouldn’t be in vain. You have to understand that commissions in affiliate marketing aren’t guaranteed – you’d have to make sure your blog has traffic first, and that you’re able to encourage people to click the affiliate link. From there, you’d have to cross your fingers that these people buy something from the affiliate network so you can earn a cut from the sale.

Every affiliate program offers different commission rates (along with rules that you should know). For example, some programs give out 20% commission, but only on the exact product you posted on your site. In other affiliate programs, you’d receive commissions from any product sale the referred person bought from the store, as long as he/she completed a full checkout within a specific period of time. For example as an Amazon Associate, you are given a 24 hour cookie window.

3. Cookie period given to affiliates

Cookie period is the time wherein affiliates can still be credited for commissions. It is set by the affiliate network. The browser cookie links a sale to you whenever your site visitor clicks on a particular affiliate link and makes a purchase. The cookie period refers to the time they reach the destination website to the actual time they purchased something from the store.

So if you read 90-day cookie period, it means you’ll get a commission if your site visitor makes a purchase in 90 days or less after clicking your affiliate link. The longer cookie period an affiliate program/network offers, the higher your chances for revenue.

4. Develop your content strategy.

Now that you’ve decided on a niche and affiliate network, you probably have a good idea of the products you’re going to feature on your affiliate site. Before you go on a publishing spree, make sure you create a workable strategy and put it on writing. This doesn’t have to be perfect, since you can adjust it as you go along, but it makes a whole lot of difference if you follow some sort of guide.

Content refers to everything from product reviews, features, images, videos, infographics and other types of media. This strategy may include topics for future publishing, products to prioritize, search engine optimization tasks, categorization, and more. You can list them down on a spreadsheet, on paper, or even on a to-do list app.

Developing a content strategy is particularly useful for team collaborations. If you’re planning to outsource writing, SEO, or website management, this guide will help keep things organized.

5. Write content.

Including this as a step is kind of unfair.

Once you get and idea picked out and your website setup, creating content is going to be your sole focus for the remainder of your affiliate marketing business.

If you’re planning to create content on your own, you’ll have to commit to it wholeheartedly because the life of your affiliate marketing business relies on regularly-published content. If you’re planning to hire someone to craft the content for you, that’s totally OK too. Either way, here are awesome tips you could follow when it comes to creating content for your affiliate marketing site:

• Strive to become an authority. It doesn’t matter if your niche is the silliest topic in the world, as long as you’re “THE” site to check out when it comes to everything about fidget spinning (or whatever niche you decided to focus on), then your website is a success. To become an authority within your niche, you have to be consistent with publishing content, provide value to your readers, and make it a goal to earn your readers’ trust.
• If you can test the product first, do it. There’s a reason why many affiliate marketers stick to digital products – they’re cheaper to buy, test and review. But if you can find a way to get a hold of the product first before promoting it to your readers, your post about that particular product would hold much more value since you’ve tested it firsthand. You don’t even have to buy it – some manufacturers would gladly ship out a product free if you’re already an authority in your industry.
• Tackle content beyond your website, too! Aside from your website, you’ll also need to think about content for email campaigns, social media, and other marketing techniques you’re going to use (more on this on the next step).

Don’t get stuck on your niche forever. Once you feel that your level of authority has risen a few notches, try to discover sub-niches that’s related to your topic. For example, if your niche is weight loss exercises, you can tackle supplements or diet food as well.

If you’re having writer’s block, here are 20 article ideas to get you out of it.

6. Expand your traffic-generating techniques.

Unfortunately, people won’t magically find your website out of the millions of websites around. It’s either you pay to get traffic directed to your site, or you spend time marketing your website all over the web. And your website definitely needs visits from real people. Tons of them, if you’re hoping to earn from affiliate marketing.

Here are some tried-and-tested ways of generating traffic to an affiliate marketing site:

• E-mail marketing – When done properly, an email marketing campaign can be a powerful tool of increasing visitors to your blog. You can even hire email marketing specialists if you want a campaign done right for you.
• Social media campaign – Consider each website as a company and open up social media accounts for each of your site. Keep these accounts updated regularly.
• Two-way guest blogging – You can invite other people to write on your blog and you can start guest-blogging on other people’s websites. It’s a win-win situation, especially if you have valuable information to share. With this technique, your goal is to encourage visitors from other blogs to visit yours, and build a rapport among other bloggers.
• Conduct on-page and off-page SEO – Performing SEO tasks improve a website’s chances of getting into the first page of search engine results. Not sure where to start? Check out these 20 elements that could help make your site SEO-friendly.
• Expand your network – Get to know other affiliate marketers within your niche. Make friends with other bloggers. Follow other authority figures on their respective social media accounts. These small tasks add up in time and before you know it, your network of connections can become pretty impressive.
• Build a small community – Take care of your readers. They’re the ones who will turn into buyers and allow you to get a cut from their purchase. Reply back on reader’s comments. Answer their e-mails. Make them feel welcome on any page of your site.
• Check out competition – Don’t be scared of your competition. Research them. Learn about their marketing techniques and copy what works (then scratch what doesn’t). Try to find out what lacks on your competitor’s site and offer it on your site.

7. Understand your audience

If you’re serious about your affiliate marketing business, you’ll need to learn everything you can about the numbers and data. There are two non-negotiable analytics that you should master:

• On-site Analytics (preferably Google Analytics) – It’s free and can be easily integrated with WordPress and other website platforms. Google Analytics lets you see bounce rates, sources of traffic, keywords used to land your site, and a whole lot more. You can use this information in developing your topics that your readers like best and improve traffic of your site.
• Analytics of Affiliate Program/Network – Almost all the major affiliate networks have their own analytics tool to help you check conversions, commissions and everything related to your account. Pay attention to the small details. It would help you figure out which products to feature next.

There are other paid analytics tools available, usually included as part of internet marketing programs, but these two would work pretty well.

Aside from data, you need to understand that these are real people coming to visit your site.

You are never going to succeed if you just push out poorly written content, filled with affiliate links.

The Bottom Line

Here are the steps you need to take to build a successful affiliate marketing business:

1. Brainstorm and gather ideas.
2. Build your website.
3. Choose the right affiliate network.
4. Develop your content strategy.
5. Write content.
6. Expand your traffic-generating techniques.
7. Understand your audience.

Like any kind of business, affiliate marketing requires hard, consistent work.

Don’t believe anyone who tells you that you can become rich overnight with an affiliate marketing site. However, there are several advantages of this business model over traditional brick-and-mortar businesses.

For one, you don’t need a lot of capital. If you’ve got a knack for writing, you can do everything yourself and learn the rest from editing photos to setting up a WordPress site through research. After all, the internet has given us everything we need to build a successful affiliate marketing site.

According to Internet Advertising Bureau, affiliate marketing represented 6% of the United Kingdom’s online economy in 2012 (that’s about £9 billion in sales).

The future of affiliate marketing doesn’t seem to wane, even in 2018.  But as Google and other search engines continue to put value towards sites with high-quality content, your goal is to up your game to compete with older websites and relentlessly provide value to your readers no matter what products you’re planning to promote.

Have any questions before you get started?

Affiliate marketing has been my sole source of income since 2009.

If you have any questions about what it takes to get started, just leave me a comment below and I’ll be happy to point you in the right direction.

You know how they say time flies?

I’m coming up on my 10 year anniversary of being a Wealthy Affiliate member.

That’s an entire decade of my life dedicated to being an active member of their community and using their training to help build my business.

A lot has changed in ten years to say the least. Wealthy Affiliate in 2009 was much more primitive and didn’t offer even a quarter of the features they have today.

What is Wealthy Affiliate?

Wealthy Affiliate is an online platform that offers the training and tools you need to build a website and make money.

The owners, Kyle & Carson, use videos and tutorials to break down the process behind getting your own income producing site up and running. Their emphasis has always been to make it as easy as possible for anyone to follow.

The only way it would be easier to create a website would be if Kyle or Carson physically came to your house and did it for you.

That’s not really an option, so for now, you just have to follow along and do the work yourself.

What is Affiliate Marketing?

Affiliate marketing is best described with an example.

Let’s say it’s December 31st and you haven’t come up with a New Year’s Resolution yet.

The clock is ticking and under pressure you decide you’re going to walk a minimum of 10 miles per week.

It’s now 11:55PM and you have 5 minutes until that ball drops.

You don’t know how to magically keep track of distances walked in your head, so you pull out your phone and do a quick search to find the best fitness tracker.

You are an astute consumer and want to make sure you get the best value for your money. You pick the #1 fitness tracker on the market at the moment.

You click on the Amazon link (because you have Prime and love that free 2-day shipping, of course) and make a purchase with 30 seconds to spare.

Two days later that fitness band lands on your front porch and you start hitting your walking goals.

What you may not have noticed is the affiliate link you clicked on.

You see, when you clicked on that Amazon link, Amazon was notified you arrived via another website.

Amazon will now pay the originating website a percentage of the sale.

This is called affiliate marketing.

You partner up with companies and send your website visitors to their website.

When they make a purchase, you get a commission.

It’s as simple as that.

Is Wealthy Affiliate for Beginners?

So I used the word simple in the previous line.

I also mentioned some complicated stuff about building a website, partnering with companies like Amazon, and getting visitors to visit your site.

A lot of this can look overwhelming on the surface, but the reality is, there are a lot of tools out there that make this one of the easiest and most cost-effective businesses that you can run.

Wealthy Affiliate was designed with the beginner in mind. Kyle assumes that you know nothing about creating a website or affiliate marketing and will go over everything in extreme detail and provide you with video tutorials so you can “look over his shoulder” as he works.

In addition to this, there is a live chat feature, a technical support team with insanely fast response times, and an opportunity to ask any questions you may have.

Odds are, you’ll run into a problem at some point.

I guarantee you that whatever problem you face, it will not be unique. Someone will have encountered it before and will be able to provide you with a fast solution.

The help that’s available at Wealthy Affiliate is really what makes the program shine.

What if I already have a website up and running?

Then Wealthy Affiliate is still for you.

I founded this site in 2007, but didn’t join Wealthy Affiliate until 2009.

In fact, here’s what the site originally looked like…

Hey man, you don’t ask. I won’t tell.

I was making some money with this site before signing up at Wealthy Affiliate, but it wasn’t enough money to live off of.

After joining Wealthy Affiliate, I was able to use the training, community, and relationships there to really help take my site to the next level.

So can you take advantage of Wealthy Affiliate if you already have a website?

Yes, you can.

I’m living proof.

How many members does Wealthy Affiliate have?

Wealthy Affiliate has just over 1.4 million members that have created accounts.

I say “accounts created” and not “active members” for a specific reason.

While that many accounts exist, not everyone uses it every single day. Seeing such a large number can make it seem like you will get lost in the crowd.

But that is not the case at all. All this means is that Wealthy Affiliate has members from all over the world, from all walks of life, and from all levels of experience all working towards one goal: building a successful business online.

These 1.4 million members span 193 different countries. No matter where you are, you’ll fit in at Wealthy Affiliate.

How much does Wealthy Affiliate cost?

There are three different membership levels.

Starter, Premium, and Premium Yearly.

As a Starter member you pay a whopping $0 per month. That’s right, Starter memberships are completely free.

And they are free for life. However, there are some restrictions with a free membership.

You don’t have access to the advanced training modules, hosting websites on your own domain, and enhanced community support.

I like to view Starter as an opportunity to really test-drive the system.

You can get in, see how it handles, and if you like the community and find the training enlightening, then it’s time to upgrade to unlock Wealthy Affiliate’s full potential.

A Wealthy Affiliate premium membership will cost you $19 for the first month and then $49 every month after that and this gives you access to EVERYTHING Wealthy Affiliate has to offer.

There aren’t any upsells within the community. You pay one price for a membership and that’s it.

“But you just said there’s a ‘Premium Yearly’ option!”

I’m getting to that, chill!

What is the Wealthy Affiliate yearly membership?

The Wealthy Affiliate yearly membership is just an opportunity to pay less money for the same membership.

You heard that right.

Both levels of Premium offer all of the same features, one just costs a little less money.

If you were to pay month-to-month, a membership will set you back $588 per year.

However, you can opt to pay for a full-year upfront for only $359.

That’s a savings of $229 over the course of the year. Basically, you are paying for 8 months and getting 4 months free.

The memberships are exactly the same, one is just a much better deal financially. That’s why I always recommend people go yearly if they think they will be around for a while.

Are there any Wealthy Affiliate discounts?

Kind of.

You do get the first month at 60% off, and if you do pay for yearly you do save an additional $229.

Kyle & Carson take it one step further and offer promotional pricing for Wealthy Affiliate every Black Friday at the price of $299 per year.

This drops your total price to around $24 per month, roughly half off.

This offer pops up every year just after Thanksgiving and extends into early December.

It’s a great way to save a few extra bucks on an already incredible membership.

Is Wealthy Affiliate worth it?

Let’s remove the 5,000+ training modules, 24/7 live chat, instant website support team, weekly live webinars, 14 years of experience, and 1.4 million member community and focus on just the website hosting alone.

A website host is just the physical computer (called a server) that “hosts” your website. Your website is stored on a server that is connected to the Internet 24/7 and allows people from all around the world to access your website.

Wealthy Affiliate allows you to create and host 50 different websites on their state-of-the-art servers.

I’ve pulled a screenshot of the closest possible hosting competitor for a simple price comparison…

Yikes.

You are going to be paying $290 PER MONTH if you want to host up to 15 websites. You could maybe get away with the Startup Plan for a little while, but will eventually need the Growth Plan.

However, this is JUST TO HOST YOUR WEBSITE.

None of those prices includes training on what to do with your website once you’ve created it! Yes, the technical support is there, but that’s where it ends.

You will be paying nearly $250 less at Wealthy Affiliate and get access to everything I mentioned above.

So now you tell me, is Wealthy Affiliate worth it?

Does Wealthy Affiliate have an affiliate program of their own?

Yes, you can refer new members to Wealthy Affiliate and get paid to do so.

There are a few ways to make money through Wealthy Affiliate.

If you refer a new Starter member and they fill out their account profile, you get paid $1.

If that Starter member decides to join Premium, you get $8 for their first month.

If that Premium member sticks around longer, you get paid $23.50 each month they remain a member.

And if that active member decides to go yearly, you get paid a whopping $175.

Are you happy with Wealthy Affiliate?

I started this post telling you that I’ve been a member there for 10 years now.

It’s hard to continue to pay for something for 10 years and not enjoy it!

While I do hold some criticisms of Wealthy Affiliate (be sure to check out my full Wealthy Affiliate review), overall I am extremely satisfied with the platform that Kyle & Carson built.

I have been reviewing various work at home and affiliate marketing programs since 2007. I can count on one-hand the number of programs that I would seriously recommend. Wealthy Affiliate has been at the top of that list since I joined back in 2009.

The main reason is they continue to improve the service, add new features, update the training, and simply blow everything else out of the water.

There is no other business out there that you can start for less than $50 per month and earn enough to replace your full-time job.

Plus, you can try everything for free with a Starter membership.

What are you waiting for?

(If you have any other questions, leave a comment below. I’d be happy to answer anything you send in!)

Dropshipping can be a lucrative ecommerce model for sellers who don’t have much capital to start a business from scratch. What makes this model different than traditional online stores is that sellers don’t have to stock products in a rented warehouse, handle inventory, and process shipments. Sounds easy, right?

Dropshipping is actually not easy, which is why many people fail thinking that this ecommerce model can work with a “set-and-forget” method. Fortunately, many dropshipping stores do perform pretty well, despite having fierce competition. If you’re planning to open an online dropshipping store, here are 10 things you can learn from dropshipping horror stories:

1. eBay and Amazon Can Ban You Anytime

If you’re planning to sell products of a dropshipper/wholesaler/distributor via Amazon, eBay, or any other platforms, you don’t have much control about their policies. This means if a buyer reports you, or you receive negative feedback, the platform could ban your account anytime… and you can’t do anything about it. Some sellers even report disputing issues for months to years, but to no avail.

Solution:

Get a domain name, hosting provider, and build your own store. This isn’t the easiest solution, since you’ll be starting from scratch and there’s a ton of work involved, from uploading products to attracting site visitors, but it is worth it because you have 100% control over your store.

2. PayPal Shuts Your Account Down

PayPal is the most popular payment gateway, but it can be a nightmare once it decides you’re selling fraudulent items or that your activity is “unusual” (receiving $5,000, after weeks of just $200/day). When this happens, PayPal holds payment for up to 21 days “to make sure you’d have enough funds to cover for future refunds/claims.”

Solution:

Unfortunately, no payment gateway supports dropshipping. PayPal tolerates it, but others (like Stripe) ban it completely. Many store owners who have had success in dropshipping recommend not telling PayPal or Stripe that your store follows a dropshipping model. You do have to make sure your suppliers have prompt delivery, which in turn, lets you avoid chargebacks and keep your PayPal account in good standing.

3. Not-as-Described or Damaged Items

This can be potentially damaging to the reputation of your online store, since damaged or not-as-described items usually lead to negative reviews or refunds.

Solution:

Not-as-described items shouldn’t have been a problem if you bought samples of products you’re selling during product research. However, if the issue presents itself, there’s nothing left to do but to apologize and make it right. If the buyer really wants the item and is willing to wait, you need to check with your supplier and ask them to ship out a replacement. If not, send a refund immediately.

4. Shipping Delays

Most dropshipping horror stories are about delays in shipment. Because you don’t have control over inventory and shipping methods, you are at the mercy of your supplier and the potential wrath of your customer who is awaiting the delivery of his/her product.

Solution:

When shopping around for suppliers, it is important that you try out for yourself how fast they process orders and ship items out. Learn everything you can about their fulfillment, handling and delivery processes. Most suppliers process orders within 24 hours. The only way to avoid this problem is to find reliable suppliers with reliable delivery options.

5. Problematic Order Fulfillment and Returns

Sometimes, your customers may receive the wrong item or wrong quantity. If this happens, you can’t pass the blame to your supplier. You will always be responsible for communication with both the supplier and your customer. Your store’s reputation will always be the one to suffer from problematic orders.

Solution:

One surefire way of avoiding fulfillment issues is to order your top 5 selling products in advance so you could store them and ship items out locally. If capital is a problem, you can be upfront with your target market and declare that you source products from overseas and returns could take weeks. This way, customers wouldn’t feel trapped when order errors occur, or an item can’t be replaced quickly.

6. Bad Dropshipping Partners

The most important aspect of any dropshipping business model is having reliable partners. After all, the dropshipper stocks and ships the product you’re selling. If you partnered with unreliable dropshippers, you could lose money with refunds, chargebacks, or a ban on the platform you’re using. Such is the case of Vanessa, whose highly-rated eBay store got affected by a single customer after orders were delayed for weeks.

Solution:

Dig deep in finding reputable dropshipping partners. Sometimes, smaller obscure wholesalers take customer service more seriously than those that are widely-known. When choosing dropshipping partners, check if they offer:

• Access to real-time feed of their inventory
• Fair return and warranty policies
• Multiple shipping providers
• Tracking codes of shipment
• English-speaking customer representatives
• Sample orders (so you could check fulfillment speed)

In addition, work with multiple dropshipping partners, so you have an option to streamline order routing.

7. My Dropshipping Store Doesn’t Have Visitors

The problem with creating a store from scratch is the work involved in directing traffic to the site. It isn’t easy, but it’s possible. As such, don’t expect to make a sale at the launch of your store; you need to give months of leeway for organic traffic to pour in.

Solution:

Don’t be fooled by the “set-and-forget” statements you see when people encourage others to use the dropshipping business model. While passive income is definitely possible with a dropshipping store, you have to work on search engine optimization, automation of fulfillment, and other tasks involved in running the online store.

Proper training will go a long way as well. Proven Amazon Course has been my go-to recommendation on how to leverage the power of Amazon to build a successful dropshipping business.

8. Angry E-mail from Customers

Those new to the ecommerce business can be discouraged by complaints and angry emails from customers. Unfortunately, this is normal in this industry. You can’t please every one of your customers.

Solution:

If the customer is angry about delays, wrong item received, or other issues that is clearly your supplier’s fault, apologize and try to fix the problem by either a refund, replacement, or acquiring the item from another source. However, if the customer is at fault, learn how you could protect your store. Check how this eBay seller stood her ground when a customer wanted a refund from a damaged item, but didn’t want to ship it back.

9. Out-of-Stock Items

Suppliers run out-of-stock or items get discontinued completely and you’re left scrambling where to find a particular item your customer just ordered. This happens a lot in the dropshipping business and it is often beyond your control.

Solution:

Call your customer about the item’s status. Even if it is harder for you, customers would appreciate calls than e-mails. If you could source an item from another supplier, check availability of that item. Sometimes, customers may agree to alternatives, so research a similar product from your suppliers and recommend it to your customer. Know that if you don’t communicate these issues with your customer, it could lead to negative ratings or worse, chargebacks from the payment gateway your customer used.

10. Selling for a loss

Many people enter this industry aware that dropshipping businesses have a low profit margin, but selling for a loss is problematic, since you’ve built this business to earn money (and not lose more). Unfortunately, these things happen more commonly to online stores that follow the dropshipping model. The main reason for this is due to the number of hands products go through before it reaches the customer.

Solution:

You can either sell products that are priced above $100, or scale up your business to sell more items (even they’re all priced below $10). This is one of the most important decisions of a dropshipping store because you don’t have the luxury of competing on price. In addition, you’d have to be hands-on with customer service – ensure that products they receive are as-described, in good condition, packaged well, and arrived on time – to earn their trust and increase repeat business.

The Bottom Line

Like any other type of ecommerce, dropshipping is not an easy business. It has the potential to be huge, but you’ll need comprehensive research to find multiple reliable suppliers. Doing your due diligence avoids a lot of headaches and financial losses in the future.