Last updated on January 25, 2021

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Around the time I was 20, I had worked as a big-ticket salesperson in a department store. A big-ticket item is a high-cost item like a home appliance, car, or house/condo. I was reluctant to sell fridges, dishwashers, stoves, and other household appliances, but was pushed into the position to cover scheduling gaps. I didn’t enjoy the experience, but I did take note of the income potential linked to selling big-ticket items.

In the online world, “big-ticket” is used interchangeably with “high-ticket.” High-ticket refers to products and services that cost hundreds to thousands of dollars. For example, a blogger who sells a high-ticket online training program/course for $1,000+ or a SaaS company that charges high monthly fees to use its app.

A high-ticket affiliate program is an offer by a merchant that sells expensive products or services, usually in the thousands of dollars. High-ticket affiliate programs do exist and frequently pay high commission rates because of the effort required to convert sales. You also have merchants that sell expensive items but pay low commission rates in the 1 to 10 percent range, for instance, watch and jewelry merchants. However, you can still make excellent commissions because of how pricey items get. Case in point, a 5 percent commission on a diamond necklace that retails for $9,000 would yield a $450 payment.

Best High Ticket Affiliate Programs

Let’s review the best high-ticket affiliate programs. Most of these high-ticket merchants offer a cookie duration of 30 days or more. To qualify for my list, the merchant must:

• Sell a high-ticket product or service that exceeds $1,000 (the charge can be one-time or recurring)
• Have a robust business reputation
• Be a market leader

Ecommerce Affiliate Programs

1. Shopify

Shopify provides everything you need to sell online, on social media, and in person. Create your store, manage products, accept payments, ship, and integrate with other apps. Learn more and join the Shopify affiliate program.

• Commission rate: 200%
• Cookie duration: 30 days
• Affiliate software/network: In-house

2. BigCommerce

BigCommerce is an ecommerce platform that creates customized online stores with built-in features, such as marketing tools, analytics, and hundreds of integrated apps. Learn more and join the BigCommerce affiliate program.

• Commission rate: Up to $1,500
• Cookie duration: 30 days
• Affiliate software/network: Impact

3. Dropified

Dropified’s software lets sellers put private labels on products and takes care of shipping and tracking orders for dropshipping businesses, allowing sellers to focus on marketing and growing their stores. Learn more and join the Dropified affiliate program.

• Commission rate: 30% recurring
• Cookie duration: 60 days
• Affiliate software/network: FirstPromoter

Marketing Affiliate Programs

4. GetResponse

GetResponse is an all-in-one digital marketing platform that supports email marketing, automation, campaigns, online surveys, webinars, ecommerce, and CRM. Learn more and join the GetResponse affiliate program.

• Commission rate: 33%/$100
• Cookie duration: 120 days
• Affiliate software/network: In-house and CJ Affiliate

6. SEMrush

SEMrush is a powerful and versatile competitive intelligence suite for online marketers. It features research tools for SEO, PPC, social media, and video advertising. Learn more and join the SEMrush affiliate program.

• Commission rate: $200
• Cookie duration: 120 day
• Affiliate software/network: ShareASale

Electronics Affiliate Programs

7. Acer

Acer’s product range includes laptop and desktop PCs, tablets, smartphones, monitors, projectors, and cloud solutions. Learn more and join the Acer affiliate program.

• Commission rate: 4%
• Cookie duration: 14 days
• Affiliate software/network: CJ Affiliate

8. Bose

Bose consumer electronics products include sound, home audio, and entertainment systems. Learn more and join the Bose affiliate program.

• Commission rate: Up to 3%
• Cookie duration: 30 days
• Affiliate software/network: CJ Affiliate

9. Canon

Canon is a leading provider of digital cameras, digital SLR cameras, inkjet printers & professional printers for business and home users. Learn more and join the Canon affiliate program.

• Commission rate: Up to 2.5%
• Cookie duration: 30 days
• Affiliate software/network: CJ Affiliate

10. Dell

Dell sells desktops, laptops, monitors, printers, TVs, cell phones, and other consumer electronics and accessories. Learn more and join the Dell affiliate program.

• Commission rate: Up to 8%
• Cookie duration: 30 days
• Affiliate software/network: FlexOffers

11. Garmin

Garmin sells innovative GPS technology across diverse markets, including aviation, marine, fitness, outdoor recreation, tracking, and mobile apps. Learn more and join the Garmin affiliate program.

• Commission rate: 8%
• Cookie duration: 20 days
• Affiliate software/network: CJ Affiliate

12. iRobot

iRobot’s home robots are revolutionizing the way people clean – inside and out. More than 14 million home robots have been sold worldwide. Learn more and join the iRobot affiliate program.

• Commission rate: Up to 4%
• Cookie duration: 30 days
• Affiliate software/network: CJ Affiliate

13. Logitech

Logitech creates innovative products for computing, gaming, and home entertainment. Learn more and join the Logitech affiliate program.

• Commission rate: Up to 4%
• Cookie duration: 30 days
• Affiliate software/network: CJ Affiliate

14. Microsoft

Microsoft sells a broad range of hardware and software, including gaming consoles, games, apps, songs, music albums, office software, and more. Learn more and join the Microsoft affiliate program.

• Commission rate: Up to 10%
• Cookie duration: 30 days
• Affiliate software/network: FlexOffers and Rakuten Advertising

15. Samsung

Samsung is a leader in the consumer electronics marketplace with an array of products in various categories. Learn more and join the Samsung affiliate program.

• Commission rate: Up to 6%
• Cookie duration: 30 days
• Affiliate software/network: FlexOffers and CJ Affiliate

Retail Affiliate Programs

16. Alibaba

Alibaba is one of the largest global trade marketplaces and the leading provider of online marketing services for importers and exporters. Learn more and join the Alibaba affiliate program.

• Commission rate: 5%
• Cookie duration: 15 days
• Affiliate software/network: FlexOffers

17. Amazon

Amazon sells and manufactures consumer products and subscriptions. Also, it sells merchandise and content from vendors and third-party sellers. Learn more and join the Amazon affiliate program.

• Commission rate: Up to 10%
• Cookie duration: 24 hours
• Affiliate software/network: In-house

18. Best Buy

Best Buy is a retailer of technology products, services, and solutions. It sells consumer electronics, computers and accessories, entertainment products, and more. Learn more and join the Best Buy affiliate program.

• Commission rate: Up to 1%
• Cookie duration: 24 hours
• Affiliate software/network: Impact and Rakuten Advertising

19. eBay

eBay connects millions of buyers and sellers globally. It has an online auction model in which users can purchase products by bidding and buying at set prices. Learn more and join the eBay Partner Network.

• Commission rate: Up to 6%
• Cookie duration: 24 hours
• Affiliate software/network: Impact

20. Overstock

Overstock sells a broad range of products, including furniture, home decor, bedding, bath, housewares, jewelry, watches, apparel, and more at clearance and discounted prices. Learn more and join the Overstock affiliate program.

• Commission rate: Up to 6%
• Cookie duration: 14 days
• Affiliate software/network: CJ Affiliate

21. Target

Target is the second-largest department store retailer in the United States. It owns and oversees the company’s ecommerce initiatives, such as the Target.com domain. Learn more and join the Target affiliate program.

• Commission rate: Up to 8%
• Cookie duration: 7 days
• Affiliate software/network: Impact

22. The Home Depot

The Home Depot is the largest home improvement retailer in the United States. It sells tools, construction products, home decor, garden accessories, raw materials, and services. Learn more and join the Home Depot affiliate program.

• Commission rate: Up to 8%
• Cookie duration: 24 hours
• Affiliate software/network: Impact

23. Walmart

Walmart is a multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of discount department and grocery stores. It’s one of the largest retailers in the world. Learn more and join the Walmart affiliate program.

• Commission rate: Up to 4%
• Cookie duration: 3 days
• Affiliate software/network: Impact

24. Other High Ticket Affiliate Programs

24. ScalaHosting

Scala Hosting provides high-quality web hosting solutions. Its services include cloud, reseller, and shared hosting. Also, it offers cloud VPS and dedicated servers, domains, and SSL certificates. Learn more and join the Scala Hosting affiliate program.

• Commission rate: Up to $200
• Cookie duration: 30 days
• Affiliate software/network: In-house

25. Taiga Agile

Taiga is an easy, intuitive, and powerful project management tool for multifunctional agile teams with Scrum and Kanban frameworks. Its open-source software has a large community of fans and contributors. Learn more and join the Taiga affiliate program.

• Commission rate: 30% recurring
• Cookie duration: 90 days
• Affiliate software/network: FirstPromoter

26. Alibaba Cloud

Alibaba Cloud provides a comprehensive suite of global cloud computing services to help grow your business. Learn more and join the Alibaba Cloud affiliate program.

• Commission rate: 4%
• Cookie duration: 30 days
• Affiliate software/network: Rakuten Advertising

27. RVT

RVT.com and OldCarOnline.com are leaders in online RV and auto classifieds advertising. Learn more and join the RVT affiliate program.

• Commission rate: 20%
• Cookie duration: 45 days
• Affiliate software/network: CJ Affiliate

28. Verizon

Verizon offers wireless, internet, TV, and phone services. Learn more and join the Verizon affiliate program.

• Commission rate: 10%
• Cookie duration: 60 days
• Affiliate software/network: CJ Affiliate

Your Next Move

A surefire way to make five and six figures is to promote high-converting, high-ticket items to your audience. Your sales and commissions can add up quickly to produce a sizeable monthly income. Secondly, high-ticket items are available beyond the categories I covered, including web hosting, fitness equipment, jewelry, mattress, furniture, and more. There’s an excellent assortment of lucrative programs on the top affiliate networks, including ShareASale, Impact, and CJ Affiliate.

How to Increase Your Commissions

Affiliate marketing is straightforward. If you get enough clicks, your conversions and commissions will take care of themselves. However, it isn’t as simple as that. As an affiliate, you must continuously create exciting and engaging content. You must compete with and outsmart thousands of publishers in your niche. You must conquer changes, trends, and challenges that threaten your income, for example, Apple’s Intelligent Tracking Prevention protocol. You must select profitable programs and merchants that seek mutually beneficial outcomes. Finally, you must implement effective tactics to increase your commissions.

Let’s review several affiliate marketing strategies and website ideas that will help boost your conversions, sales, and earnings. Also, read these posts for Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram affiliate marketing tactics.

Make Affiliate Marketing a Top Priority

Affiliate marketing is either one of your top priorities, or it isn’t. Dedicated and successful affiliates often work full-time and spend most of it creating content and sending traffic to merchants. By contrast, some affiliates limit their activities to a few hours weekly. They might also juggle multiple business ventures that don’t relate to affiliate marketing, for example, freelancing.

Directing traffic to where money can be made–merchant sites–should be your primary goal. Also, many affiliates make money through their blogs and YouTube channels, so building up those digital assets should be the focus. On the other hand, many marketers send traffic to their social media profiles as much as they do to merchants. Getting more Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram followers should be a distant second or third priority, or not one at all, depending on your strategy.

Learn Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

What is your top source for traffic? Most of my traffic is “organic” and flows from search engines. That is by design and how you likely came to my site.

A few years ago, I took an SEO course on Coursera. SEO is arguably the most critical skill an online worker/marketer can possess because search functionality is everywhere, including Google, YouTube, Amazon, and Fiverr. Understanding and implementing SEO activities will increase your impressions, click-throughs, clicks, conversions, and so on. Focusing on other traffic sources, such as social media and email marketing, likely won’t be enough to reach your goals. I attribute most of my success to SEO.

Track Your Income in a Spreadsheet

Signing into affiliate networks and checking commissions isn’t the same as tracking your income. By recording your earnings monthly, you’ll be able to spot trends and opportunities among your merchants. For instance, I noticed a downward trend in revenues for a specific advertiser, so I stopped promoting it (I also analyzed the causes, which justified my action). Similarly, when you identify uptrends and positive developments, you should increase your promotional efforts for those merchants and goods.

Here’s an example of an income report.

Note: You don’t have to record your earnings to publish “income reports” on your website. Some affiliates post their earnings reports to hype up themselves while their results might be fraudulent.

Promote the Best Merchants, Programs, & Products

Affiliates should seek mutually beneficial relationships with merchants that have high-converting products. Also, marketers should join rewarding programs that pay high commission rates with cookie periods of 30 days or more. For example, GetResponse pays a recurring commission of 33 percent per sale. By contrast, you aren’t going to succeed with companies and programs that pay low commission rates and have short cookie durations. For example, Amazon Associates pays up to 10 percent and has a 24-hour cookie, which produces mostly win-lose outcomes for affiliates. Moreover, affiliates should avoid partnering with companies that have bad reputations or suspect business practices.

Focus on a Handful of Merchants

I have hundreds of affiliate partnerships but routinely focus on promoting eight to ten merchants. I call this exclusive group my “affiliate nexus” or “nexus.” By targeting a few merchants, I strengthen my relationships and increase my familiarity with them, which helps with content creation and marketing. Also, most of the content I create includes or relates to my nexus companies.

Some publishers (bloggers, YouTubers, influencers, etc.) concentrate on one or two programs, whereas others focus on too many. Committing to one or two programs puts your income at risk. A merchant could deactivate its program, lower its commission rate, get crushed by new entrants, or go belly up. Any of those scenarios would cause your commissions to decrease significantly. Alternatively, focusing on too many advertisers weakens your efforts and progress.

Another way to think about it is which “20 percent” of advertisers will satisfy your income goals? The 80-20 rule, also known as the Pareto Principle, suggests that 20 percent of your activities will account for 80 percent of your results. The concept applies to many facets of life. For example, you likely spend 80 percent of your time with 20 percent of your friends. You wear 20 percent of your clothes 80 percent of the time. Twenty percent of Americans control 80 percent of the wealth.

Use High-Earning Links & Banners

Many affiliate networks allow users to sort through a merchant’s links and banners by earnings per click (EPC). Earnings per click indicate how a program or link is performing by dividing the total revenues by total clicks for a period. Naturally, it’s a wise idea to use links that are converting and performing well.

Quit Programs Periodically

Letting go of poor performers frees up time to focus on winners and new opportunities. Also, remaining in programs for the sake of “keeping your options open” tends to be pointless and inefficient. I prefer to stay active with profitable merchants and deactivate unprofitable ones. For instance, I recently ended 70 percent of my affiliate partnerships because they were underperforming, unrelated to my niche, paid low commission rates, or had low EPCs.

Add Enough Affiliate Links to Each Post

The number of affiliate links you include on each page is critical. You must add a minimum of ten links to stack the odds in your favor. Conversely, adding one or two links will not result in enough clicks and conversions. To increase your link count, you can:

• Link to helpful content. Deep linking is the practice by which an affiliate creates a link to a specific page on the merchant’s site. Many affiliate tracking apps have deep linking features.
• Link to articles that support or relate to your post, for example, case studies and examples.
• Add advertising banners.

Note: Don’t only add links for the sake of increasing your count. Your links should appear natural and be useful to readers.

Encourage Readers to Act

Reading is a passive and unengaging activity for many people. Therefore, occasionally prompting your audience to act will increase their engagement and clicks.

A call to action (CTA) is a word, phrase, or sentence that encourages a reader to take a specific action, for example, learn more, buy now, start your free trial, and click here (click here is slightly outdated). CTAs appear as text and images, such as a “Buy It Now” button.

Add a Resources or “Tools” Page

Many marketers and publishers have “tools” pages that feature the products, services, and apps they use. Those pages attract visitors because people want to know what others are using. An excellent tools page will list five to fifteen items with brief descriptions. The page is typically added to a site’s primary menu.

Be genuine. Some publishers add goods only to generate commissions. For example, an affiliate who uses one hosting company but lists multiple companies. Publishers who recommend multiple tools from the same category are likely putting profits before people, which is a practice you should avoid.

Add a Notification Bar

A notification bar is a rectangular element that appears at the top of a website. Users typically use notification bars to collect email addresses, highlight deals, and special offers.

WordPress users have many free options, including Top Bar, Simple Banner, and WPFront Notification Bar. Premium options include Thrive Themes and OptinMonster.

Get Creative with Widgets

Featuring ad banners and opt-in forms in your widgets are so ten years ago. That doesn’t mean banners and forms aren’t useful, but there are more creative ways to use widgets. Case in point, I use my footer widgets to feature “trending” articles (all are affiliate links). Let your imagination run wild.

Use the ThirstyAffiliates WordPress Plugin

The ThirstyAffiliates plugin is a must-have for affiliates who use WordPress. It allows users to manage, cloak, and track links from a central place. Free and pro versions are available. The pro version includes robust features, including automatic keyword linking, advanced reporting, CSV import/export, and more. By efficiently managing your affiliate links, you can focus on more critical revenue-generating activities.

Use the FooGallery WordPress Plugin

Instead of adding banners to posts the conventional way—Add Media—I insert and manage banners with the FooGallery image gallery plugin. The plugin comes with many robust features and customizations. Changes that I make to my banners/images automatically update throughout my site. That’s much better and more efficient than having to replace banners one-by-one. Also, I can quickly update my banners to promote limited-time deals and sales events. The following is a banner I setup with FooGallery.

Add Affiliate Links to Email Marketing Campaigns

Most email marketing companies have affiliate marketing policies in their terms and conditions. For instance, MailerLite states,

Affiliate Marketing and Affiliate Links are two different things. Affiliate Marketing is prohibited in MailerLite, but Affiliate Links are fine in most cases.

• Affiliate Marketing (Prohibited)- is a type of business where you earn a commission by promoting other company’s products. We don’t allow this activity because there’s no direct relationship between you and your subscribers. You are not allowed to send unrelated offers to your subscribers or pretend to be another brand.
• Affiliate Links (Allowed) – is a way to recommend products or services to your subscribers in your campaigns. Advertisement for another company (Affiliate Link) can only appear under your branding and be clearly presented as a special offer from another company. Moreover, the offer has to be related to your content and meet subscriber expectations. You are not allowed to send emails with links to content that is prohibited in our Terms of Use. Campaigns with blacklisted links will be stopped automatically and we may be forced to close the account permanently.

You must be careful when adding links to your emails and consider the context. However, don’t be too cautious because you’ll lose out on marketing opportunities. If you subscribe to my email list, you’ll see how I combine email marketing with affiliate links.