ShareASale Review 2024: Insights and Analysis of a Leading Affiliate Marketing Network

The sheer number of affiliate networks available makes it difficult to select one, doesn’t it?
If you’re looking for a well-established and versatile platform, ShareASale is worth considering.

Known for its extensive network of firms, products, and affiliates, ShareASale offers a robust solution for those interested in affiliate marketing.

This ShareASale review will guide you through its prominent features and pros and cons to simplify your process of earning money online.

Let’s get started.

ShareASale Review in 2024 [Key Takeaways]

• ShareASale is a massive name in affiliate marketing that connects businesses with people who promote products (affiliates). It started in 2000 and joined Awin in 2017.
• You can make money on ShareASale by sharing product links on your site or social media. They pay for leads and sales, offering various payment methods like direct deposit and Payoneer.
• The platform has 30,000 brands across all sectors that include big names such as Etsy and BuzzFeed, and it offers tools to help you pick the right programs to earn. It also provides support if you have payment issues.
• Some users find ShareASale’s website hard to use at first and have faced problems getting paid. Customer service helps, but it may be slow at times.
• Joining ShareASale is simple, usually taking between one and three days to get approved.

Overview of ShareASale

ShareASale is an affiliate marketing platform where companies list their products and services. These companies pay people to promote their products. ShareASale started in 2000, making it one of the oldest affiliate networks on the market. It became part of Awin in 2017 after it was purchased for $35 million.

Today, ShareASale is a big player in the affiliate marketing game. It acts like a bridge, connecting merchants with people who want to make money. These affiliates find merchants and then promote their products. It’s a great tool for bloggers and site owners looking for income.

Finding good programs on ShareASale is straightforward. For example, if you’re into tech gadgets or fashion, there are dozens of merchants selling these items, looking for affiliates to help them sell more online.

You can make money through ShareASale’s affiliate programs by sharing a product link on your site or social media pages. When someone buys through your link, you get paid. ShareASale makes it easy to earn extra money from your website.

Key Services and Features Offered by the ShareASale Network

ShareASale plays a big role in affiliate marketing. It helps both merchants and affiliates make money. Here’s what it offers:

• A user-friendly dashboard shows your earnings and clicks at a glance.
• Daily updates bring new brands and offers, so there’s always something fresh.
• Filters help you find programs by earnings per click (EPC), sale commission, or lead commission. This makes picking the right one easier.
• Creating affiliate links is simple. You get tools to customize how your links look.
• There’s support for direct deposit, which means you get paid faster and more securely.
• The platform supports both pay-per-lead and pay-per-sale models, giving you options on how to earn.
• Average commission rates are visible for each program, helping you decide where to focus.
• An Activity Feed keeps you updated on account changes or alerts in real time.
• There’s a system in place to help solve issues with payments quickly.

Ease of Use

ShareASale makes it simple to get started and keep moving. You can quickly create affiliate connections, search for affiliate schemes, and see how both companies and affiliates gain.

Sign-up process

I’d like to discuss the simplicity of joining ShareASale and beginning your earning journey. The procedure consists of seven steps and typically earns approval within a day up to three days. Here’s your action plan:

1. Visit the ShareASale website and go to Affiliates.
2. Select Create my account.
3. Complete the application form with your personal information, such as your name and email address.
4. Provide details about your website or blog, including its purpose and audience.
5. Decide on your preferred payment method. ShareASale provides various alternatives, although PayPal is not one of them.
6. Wait for an email from ShareASale. They will inform you about the status of your application.
7. Perform any remaining tasks mentioned in the email to conclude your registration.

Keep in mind that there’s no direct method to verify the functionality of your affiliate links once they are active. Thus, monitoring your click and earning metrics could hint at any possible discrepancies.

Creating affiliate links

I know making affiliate links in ShareASale can feel tricky. But it’s a big part of earning money as an affiliate. So, let me show you how to do it. Here are the steps:

1. Log in to your ShareASale affiliate account. This is where it all starts.
2. Click on Links in the top menu. This takes you to where you need to be.
3. Choose Get a Link/Banner. Now you’re getting closer.
4. Select Get Links next to the merchant you want to promote. Pick one that fits your audience.
5. Find the HTML code for your link under the merchant’s logo. This code is what you’ll use.
6. Copy the HTML code provided. This is your magic wand for creating links.
7. Paste this code into your website or blog post editor, wherever you want the link to appear.

Finding affiliate programs

After creating affiliate links, the next step is finding the right affiliate programs to join. ShareASale makes this part easy. Here’s how to do it:

1. Go to the Merchants tab in your ShareASale account and select Search for Merchants.
2. Use extensive filtering options. They help you find programs that auto-approve affiliates or have a high EPC.
3. Look for programs with two-tier options. This means that besides earning from sales, you also earn when affiliates you recruit make sales.
4. Pay attention to merchant ratings and reviews from other affiliates. Good ratings often mean a reliable program.
5. Check the average commission rates offered by merchants. You want programs that pay well.
6. Consider the payment threshold and frequency—how much and how often merchants pay. It helps manage expectations.
7. Review promotional materials provided by merchants—banners, text links, or videos make promoting products easier.
8. Check if the merchant is active on ShareASale and frequently updates offers.

Payment Framework Within the ShareASale Affiliate Marketing Platform

ShareASale deals with money in a way that’s easy to get. It offers many ways to pay you, like pay-per-lead or pay-per-sale, and helps if you are struggling to get your cash.

Various payment options

ShareASale makes sure you have choices that work best for you. Here’s a look at the ways you can receive your earnings:

• Direct deposit: It’s quick and goes straight into your bank account. This way, you don’t have to wait long for your money. ShareASale sends payments on the 20th of each month, following a net 30 model with a minimum threshold of $50.
• Mailed check: If you prefer something you can hold, choose this option. It is mailed to your address. Just keep an eye on the mailbox around payment time.
• Payoneer: For those who like online wallets, Payoneer is available. It’s handy if PayPal isn’t your thing or is not available in your country.

These options aim to cater to different needs, making it easier for affiliates everywhere to access their funds efficiently and safely.

Pay-per-lead and pay-per-sale models

In ShareASale, you can make money in two main ways. The first is pay-per-lead. This means you get cash each time someone clicks on a link and fills out a form or signs up for something. It’s like getting paid for helping companies find potential new customers.

The second way is pay-per-sale. Here, you earn money when someone buys something using your link. So, if you talk about a cool gadget and someone buys it through your link, you get a part of that sale.

Both methods have their perks. With pay-per-lead, you don’t need to wait for a sale to happen to earn money. With pay-per-sale, you might have to wait longer for your earnings, but the payouts are usually bigger since they’re based on the sales price of what’s sold.

ShareASale has lots of different products and services to choose from, so finding ones that match what your readers like isn’t tough. Plus, this platform is known for having more programs that are easy to join compared to others, which is great for those looking to partner with new brands.

Average commission rates

ShareASale offers a range of commission rates. These depend on the merchant and the type of product or service promoted. Some programs offer up to 50% commission, while others might give a fixed amount for each sale or lead.

I find it great that with skill and the right choice of affiliate programs, you can make good money.

For example, selling high-ticket items or services could earn more dollars per sale compared to smaller, less expensive products. It shows that if you pick wisely and work hard, earning through ShareASale is doable. The potential for substantial recurring income exists with proficiency.

Support for resolving payment issues

Payments are usually on time with ShareASale. But some users have said they don’t get paid. If this happens, ShareASale helps out a lot. The platform has a team to fix payment problems fast.

To solve an issue, just send them an email or call them. The team checks everything and makes sure you get your money. This enhances trust in ShareASale as an affiliate marketing platform.

Strategies for Choosing the Right Merchants on ShareASale

As an affiliate marketer, locating the top vendors on ShareASale to bolster your promotion strategies is vital. You can use the following techniques to ensure your selections are astute:

• Evaluate EPC values: By looking into the 7- or 30-day EPCs, you can gauge your probable earnings. Elevated EPC signifies that a vendor’s offerings are popular and have a good turnover.
• Analyze commission rates: Compare the sales and lead commissions offered by different vendors. This assists you in identifying if their products are worth promoting.
• Implement a relevance filter: Focus on choosing offerings that align with your website’s theme. By promoting such products, you can keep your audience active and interested.
• Examine reviews: By going through other affiliates’ encounters with a vendor, you can prevent yourself from forming problematic ties.
• Validate payment alternatives: Vendors provide diverse payment methods. Before initiating, confirm if their methods work for you.
• Monitor for assistance: Having sturdy vendor support is essential to promptly resolve any possible issues.
• Observe the product spectrum: Vendors possessing a broad scope of products offer you more promotional possibilities.
• Scrutinize thresholds: Some vendors maintain elevated payment thresholds; hence, you should always confirm this before enrolling.

If you’re just stating out and want to explore more affilaite opportunities, read my article on the best affiliate programs for beginners.

Support and Resources for ShareASale Affiliates

For affiliates, ShareASale offers helpful guides on payment ways and who to contact if you need assistance.

The Help Center looks old but has good information. If you get stuck, the team is there to answer and fix your problems. This makes working with ShareASale smooth for affiliate marketers.

You can talk to the affiliate manager of a specific program to ask for a higher commission. They know everything about the affiliate program and always have great tips on how to improve your earnings.

ShareASale Pros

ShareASale stands out for its wide selection of brands. This platform makes it easy to find and work with different companies, all in one place.

Access to a diverse range of brands and merchants

I love that ShareASale has over 30,000 merchant partners. This includes big names like Namecheap, WPEngine, and Masterclass. It means you can find products from many categories to promote. With so many options, you always discover something new for your audience.

Choosing the right affiliate program is easy. Thanks to the wide range of merchants, you can match your content with relevant products or services. This helps you make more money through the ShareASale affiliate network.

Easy-to-use platform with robust analytics tools

ShareASale simplifies the process for affiliates in monitoring earnings and performance. The dashboard presents everything in clear sight, which saves time. It includes areas such as the “Activity Feed,” where you can swiftly be updated. This feature assists in determining your upcoming strategies.

The platform provides reliable instruments to assess link performance. You can observe which products generate the most attention and sales. This knowledge aids you in selecting superior products to promote and earn on your blog or social media.

Utilizing ShareASale’s analytic instruments directs every action toward achieving success in affiliate marketing.

ShareASale Cons

Even the best services have their downsides, and ShareASale is no exception. Some users find it hard to get around the site at first, and others have run into trouble getting their earnings.

Navigational challenges for new users

Exploring ShareASale for the first time can seem confusing. Its interface has a somewhat antiquated feel, which can make finding your way around challenging. Identifying the right links for your requirements tends to consume more time as compared to other platforms, causing the initiation phase to be somewhat frustrating.

Furthermore, some users harbor ambivalent sentiments regarding the platform’s interface. It performs its function but not always at the highest level of user-friendliness. For instance, when searching for certain merchants or products, the results are not always immediately straightforward. You may need several attempts to locate precisely what you’re searching for.

Payment issues

Some users have faced payment troubles on ShareASale. They’ve reported not getting paid their commissions. This is a big problem.

Another issue is that there’s no way to check if affiliate links are broken. This means you might be promoting products without earning anything because the link doesn’t work correctly. You need to find and use working links, and always make sure you get your earned money.

ShareASale Reviews

Wondering what industry experts who use ShareASale think of the affiliate marketing platform? Here, I’ve gathered insights from several leaders, focusing on the positives and negatives of ShareASale. Let’s take a closer look.

“One challenge is that it can be more time-consuming to find high-converting products compared to other networks due to the sheer volume of options available. In terms of performance metrics, I closely monitor conversion rates, EPC, and average order value. As for the commission structure, ShareASale offers competitive rates, but they vary widely depending on the merchant. Compared to other networks, ShareASale’s commissions are often on par, but the impact on earnings really comes down to the specific merchant and product category. I’ve found that high-ticket items with recurring commissions on ShareASale can significantly boost long-term revenue, which is a distinct advantage over networks that may offer only one-time payouts.” — Brandon Leibowitz, Owner, SEO Optimizers

“ShareASale offers tons of customization options for affiliate marketers, including deep-linking and customizable reporting. Integration with third-party tools and services makes it even more powerful. ShareASale has a wide variety of merchants, so you can promote everything from digital to physical products and cater to different audience tastes. One of the cons of ShareASale is the inconsistent quality of creatives and marketing materials from merchants. This inconsistency can hurt your marketing efforts. Another con is the delay in the merchant approval process, which can slow down your ability to promote new products.” — Mark McShane, Founder, Cupid PR

“For years, ShareASale has been the most manageable tracking network to use and the most economical. We track orders, sales, average orders, clicks, conversion rates, the number of affiliates actively promoting with clicks, and the number of affiliates approved in the previous month. The affiliate channel supplements overall sales, marketing, and brand awareness. The typical impact is 15%–25% overall company sales growth within 18 months. The channel is all about building relationships with publishers. The best launches are from companies that have robust existing sales already with proven conversions.” — Greg Hoffman, CEO, Apogee

“While being relatively user-friendly, ShareASale, without proper teaching of how to go about using its features correctly and learning affiliate marketing, does take some time for new affiliates. Initial frustration and underperformance are the expected outcomes of this lack of education. ShareASale has set a minimum payout threshold of $50, which most new affiliates need help reaching when they need the money desperately at the beginning. The quality of the merchants in ShareASale may differ greatly. While many of them are good, others may need proper support or timely payments that would hamper an affiliate’s experience.” — Asawar Ali, Finance Manager, Get Name Necklace

Conclusion

ShareASale stands out as a top choice for both new and seasoned affiliate marketers. With thousands of companies to partner with, it makes finding products to share easy. The sign-up process is smooth, and getting paid on time is a big plus.

Despite some users facing issues with navigation and payments, the benefits outweigh these bumps.

If you’re looking to promote products or find affiliates, I hope my honest review of ShareASale makes it on your list. And if you want to explore the numbers behind affiliating with brands, look at these affiliate marketing statistics.

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