Kyle and Carson are the founders of Wealthy Affiliates. After being successful affiliate marketers, they decide to launch this service to help fellow beginner affiliate marketers. Kyle and Carson initially began their venture as a startup providing a list of keywords (monthly) for $29.99. The hardworking pair has since started this successful, Wealthy Affiliate venture. In this review, we will go through both the free and premium memberships to see what they have to offer.
What is Wealthy Affiliates?
Wealthy Affiliates claims to be your number 1 platform for all things related to affiliate marketing. Founders Kyle and Carson are determined that their platform can help beginner affiliate marketers everywhere to build a legitimate business and achieve success. The program comes with a 7-day free initial membership, where you get access to the whole platform. It is not just the course material, and you also get access to the live chats and coaching sessions, including community access.
It is 7-days free to let you play around with the platform. And if you like it after these seven days, then you can sign up for the Premium membership. From my experience, most people usually do sign up because the platform is so helpful! You can also choose to keep your free membership, but you will get limited access to the tools and lessons you can use. With Wealthy Affiliates, you also get regular updates. The platform has since received many updates, and these are based on Kyle and Carson’s ever ongoing research into bettering their platform.
Who Are Kyle and Carson?
Kyle Loudoun and Carson Lim are founders and creators of Wealthy Affiliate. They claim that their platform is currently the “Number 1 online training platform” in the industry, which might be true, to some extent. Kyle and Carson hail from Canada, and they first began doing business by releasing the popular keyword searching tool, Jaaxy. This was initially the start for Wealthy Affiliates.
They soon realized a gap in the market, and seeing that both their affiliate program and keyword tool were doing so well, they decided to integrate both aspects to form the platform we have today. Because of their intuitive and helpful platform, their community has grown to great lengths, creating successful entrepreneurs everywhere. Anyone who has been part of the Wealthy Affiliates community seems to have only positive reviews to say, and that means a lot.
Who is the Wealthy Affiliates Program For?
Wealthy Affiliates offers members an initial free membership, which is a no brainer. If you are someone who has been thinking of starting an eCommerce business or affiliate marketing correctly, you should 100% sign up for the free course. The free membership will give you an overview of what to expect, and if you are interested, then it is your gateway to the Premium Membership. The Wealthy Affiliates platform will be suitable for complete beginners to the industry, as it will guide you to building your dream online business from scratch. What I like about the platform is that they do not promise a ‘get rich quick’ strategy like most courses do. Instead, you will use legitimate hard work, effort, patience, and support from the community to build your legitimate business. If you are willing to put in a reasonable amount of blood, sweat, and tears, then the market is for you.
The benefits of Wealthy Affiliates come in having one platform for all your affiliate marketing needs. You get your choice of web building tools, domain registration, market research tools, site hosting, backup, security, etc., all in one place! What is even better is that for each of these tools, you also get step-by-step training videos and ever-supportive community help when you get stuck. It is a one-stop platform of all the things you could ever need as a beginner, to succeed. When I think back to my time as a beginner in the business, what seems most appealing to me with Wealthy Affiliates is the private community. As a beginner, I think it is essential to rub shoulders with the right people, network, and you never know who is willing to be your mentor. I found a mentor as I was always putting myself out there and asking the right questions. One day, I met my mentor, who was willing to guide me to where I am today. I am still in contact with my mentor until this day, and she has even conducted myself and my business to great lengths. So, if you are not one to take advantage of this great community, then this course is not for you.
On the other hand, if you are looking at Wealthy Affiliates as a strategy to get fast money, then the course is not for you. For example, if you are at your wit’s end, and you need fast cash, affiliate marketing will not offer you a fast or quick solution. The reason is that it takes at least six months to drive proper traffic to your store, and even then, profits will not be too much. You can probably only start seeing real gains between your second to the third year in the business.
What is included in the Wealthy Affiliate Course?
To find out what the course is all about and if it is suitable for you, we will go through the modules thoroughly so you can know what to expect from the course. Upon signing up and paying for your subscription, you will get access to all course materials via a platform. On this platform, your dashboard should have your profile, which has your details, and here is also where you can access an introductory module that consists of 10 lessons. The initial lesson will give you the course structure, where it can be simplified in 4 steps. You will begin with finding interest in how you can profit off of it. Now, let us look at what each module brings.
Free Membership Modules
Module 1 – Introductory Module
As with every other dropshipping module, you get a walkthrough on what to expect from the course. Usually, it is just the course creator explaining everything by mouth, but with this, you get an actual walkthrough of the videos. The course creators want you to familiarize yourself so that you can navigate through your lessons seamlessly. They then end the video by discussing the benefits of enrolling onto their Premium Membership, which has a lot of added features but comes with a higher cost. Thankfully, there was no gibberish about ‘framing the right mindset,’’ as most gurus usually spend a whole module dwelling on that filler content.
Module 2 -Fundamentals of Affiliate marketing
Before you begin to establish your affiliate marketing business, it is essential to learn the basics. The affiliate marketing business uses a simple and straightforward business model. However, it is not easy to build and nurture the business. Primarily, affiliate marketing is using a platform. Usually, a blog, website, or social media, to advertise someone else’s products. Often, the brand or person you work with is considered your affiliate. To get your products selling, you must work hard to drive traffic to your online platform. A blog usually works well for this business. It is not difficult to start a blog and also relatively inexpensive. All you need is something to write about, preferably something that you are passionate about. For example, if you love fashion and beauty, you can blog about it, and once your blog receives good traffic, you can reach out to work with affiliates by promoting their products on your site. If your blog is doing well enough, members might even contact you themselves! You will learn all the principals and fundamentals of this module.
Module 3 – Niche Selection
Finding the right niche for your business is crucial. It would be more comfortable and more natural if you choose a niche that you are interested in. If you are passionate about the niche yourself, you will have no problem with coming up with great ideas for engaging content. Affiliate marketing is also about being sustainable. You need to update your site to keep people coming regularly. There are a lot of niches you can consider, and based on the successful businesses, and it seems that the more specific the niche, the more successful it becomes.
Module 4 – Developing A Website
Now that you have decided on a niche, it is time to build your website around it. Building a website is not difficult, and with this course, Wealthy Affiliate has an inbuilt site builder that you can use, which makes it even easier. However, if you are using a host site and site builder together, you might need to spend more on a paid plan. Alternatively, you can use the free membership if you are using a free platform to host. It just requires more work as you need to link your site with a Wealthy Affiliate Sub Hosting Account. Using a sub hosting account also means that your domain always has a ‘siterubix’ at the end. For example, your address might be “fashion.siterubix.com.” There is generally no problem with this, except that it will make your store quite hard to find via Google searches, etc. Another downside of having this prefix at the end is that your site might not look legitimate. Generally, people trust a simple address that ends with .com. Most people even try to avoid endings with .net. Nevertheless, it is an option if you do not want to pay for hosting.
Module 5 – WordPress Content Management System
Now that we have the technicalities out of the way, it is time to build your site. You will be guided through steps on logging in into your website and setting it up. You will learn to add or scrap template posts, unnecessary pages, and plugins, etc. in the end, only the essential columns for valuable content will be left. One good tip is only to keep the essential items, because a cluttered site might lead people to think it is a scam site. And you do not want this. However, the information you get in this module is very, very basic. You can get quickly get this same information online for free.
Module 6 – Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search Engine Optimization is such a great and powerful tool to drive traffic to your site. Especially if you are running a blog, SEO can help you rank high in search engines. And this will directly translate to more traffic, and eventually more commission if people buy the products you advertise. The best thing about this is that it can also be free, which is a perfect method for beginners to start. For this lesson, you will need to install the “All In One SEO” plugin. As an experienced affiliate marketer myself, I can tell you that most people prefer using Yoast, but then again, everyone has their way of doing things.
Then, you will learn how to make your content and title more captivating. Although I agree that your titles need to be captivating, they forgot to mention that it is more important that some relevant keywords are included in your title to boost rankings. If all you are concern about it having a captivating title, that might come out very ‘clickbaity’ in the end. You would not want a clickbait title because people will then associate you with a spam site; this will hurt your traffic tremendously.
Module 7 – Other Setups
Module 7 goes back to having a complete makeover for your store. This section mostly covers customization and includes content that you should advertise in your ‘about me’ section and also privacy policy pages. Unfortunately, in the world of internet marketing, the phrase ‘do not judge a book by its cover’ does not apply. Because everything is virtual, we are forced to make decisions based on what we see. Therefore, this module is handy, as you will learn how to make your site look more appealing to the eye. I would suggest that you focus on lessening clutter by using minimal words and using the right color and color placement. Some colors just have a more calming effect, and some might even compel buyers to purchase things from your site. It is essential to do some research and incorporate these little tricks to your store. This is an essential module, but still very useful to learn, and the gurus explained it in a very informative and engaging manner. I just wish they shared more tips and how to create a highly converting site. Having a high conversion means that you have successfully converted people who are just visiting your store to becoming paid customers. This means that a high conversion translates to high profits and sales.
Module 8 – Custom Menus
Most people use WordPress due to its robust customizability. You can change anything you want to make the site feel more like you, meaning that you can make it look exactly like how you want, including customized menus. There are reasons why having customized menus are essential. You want your site to be intuitive and have well-organized menus so that visitors can find exactly what they are looking for. Having custom menus also contributes to making your store look less cluttered. To customize WordPress menus are pretty simple, and you can do this via the dashboard. Just click on ‘Appearance’ and then on ‘Menus.’ Give the list a name, and then hit ‘Create Menu.’ It is as simple as that! After creating your lists, you can then add items like posts, pages that you want to include. Everything is easily movable with drag and drop functions, and you get to have an overview of what it looks like while moving things around. There is no way you can get this much customization on any other platform. You can even create submenus that can work like drop-down menus by drag and drop functions.
Module 9 – Understanding Keywords, The Start Of Your Content
Since an affiliate marketing business relies mostly on your site’s content, keywords are essential in getting your website ranked well in search engines. Having a good ranking essentially translates to good publicity – people can find your site easily, even when they might not be searching for it specifically! Therefore, you need to understand how to use keywords to your advantage. This module is handy and especially crucial for beginners; however, unfortunately, it also lacks depth. I would suggest beginners do their research into this if you want to keep ahead of your competition.
First and foremost, you will learn how to research keywords, and this also will help with email marketing. Keyword research is always changing with the times as the search guidelines are ever-evolving; you need to understand how to conduct this research with your current environment. Once you have your keywords, you can use them to create content surrounding your targeted keywords.
Keywords are the words that people will search for when looking for something. If these words appear in your content, your site will likely appear. By doing keyword research, you need to place yourself in your customer’s shoes and brainstorm what they might type into their search engines. This situation would also be helpful if there is a way you can learn what your target audience is looking for. Because then, you can optimize your content and give them what they want. Keyword research now becomes not only a responsibility for content creators but also marketing and promotional activities. Another great way to stay ahead of the competition is also by researching keywords that your competitors might be targeting. You will learn some necessary tools to do this research.
Module 10 – Overview
This last module is your closing module, and it will take you on a journey of what you have learned so far. You will also get an idea of what to expect next by being a member of the Wealthy Affiliate clan. Honestly, this all just looks like a marketing stunt to get people to sign up for their Premium Membership. Once this course is over, you can no longer access your course content. You will still have an account, and you can again navigate on their platform. However, you will not be able to do anything or use any functions. The system will let you stay for seven days, and after this ends, it is either you upgrade to the Premium Membership, or your account will be closed forever. So essentially, the free membership is more of a preview or demo of what you can expect when you upgrade to the Premium Account.
Premium Membership Modules
With all this talk of the Premium Membership, is it worth the high price tag? You get five extra modules with Premium Membership, and it contains more information on how you can ‘make it’ in the affiliate market. One good thing about completing the premium course is that you will receive an “Online Entrepreneur Certification.”
Module 1
The Premium course begins with a short course that is an overview of building a niche affiliate marketing website and how you can achieve it.
Module 2
Then, you will learn about all the different methods of driving traffic to your site. Unlike the free course, the Premium course does not go through niche selection. What this means is that you need to have a niche ready. There are many options for this, and by the end, you will learn the best method for your store. This module also covers the importance of branding and using the right visuals to boost sales and productivity.
Module 3
In module 3, you will learn about making money through the Wealthy Affiliate business model. Firstly, you will learn about the workings of the affiliate market. Then, you will be introduced to several programs that you can select depending on some criteria like niche selection. You will then learn how to add links, and also to use Amazon Associates and capitalizing on product reviews. Here, you will even learn to monetize your site using Google Adsense and analyzing with Google Analytics. You should think that your site has a purpose, to educate people and add value to them. Once you have this in mind, the business will come naturally.
Module 4
Module 4 will teach you how to master a strong social presence for your brand. You can do this via platforms like social media sites or previously, affiliate marketers used Google+ but has since shut down. Included in this module are steps to allow customers to share comments or post on your social media account. Brand engagement is essential, as the more you engage with customers, your bond will be more reliable, and more new customers will easily trust your brand in the future. You will learn how to use platforms like Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter effectively to your marketing needs. You will also learn how to create content within Wealthy Affiliates, where you can get a commission if someone signs up via your Wealthy Affiliates link.
Module 5
Google’s latest Panda update will now penalize sites that have weak or plagiarized content. This movement makes sense to eliminate spam sites or sites that do not offer any benefit to users. You begin by learning about the relationship between content and Google rankings. With my years of experience, I have even realised that SEO research beats having good content. I have seen this with sites that are lacking content get higher rankings due to their keywords. And this includes having the right backlink with anchor texts etc. Primarily, you will learn to set up Google Webmaster tools. Then, you will move on to setting up sitemap, managing your webmaster tool account. Then, you will learn to tweak your content by including both keywords and making then engaging for readers. You also will get a ‘realistic’ breakdown of your traffic potential. Although they claim this to be realistic, I thought they were more of just generalizing for every niche.
Lastly, you will always be advised to plan ahead and schedule your posts. I agree that it is vital to have a clear goal that your site should meet. Posting regularly keeps your visitors happy, especially those who are your longtime patrons. There is also a subsection on outsourcing your content creation. I, for one, do not think this is advisable, because the tone of someone else’s writing can be different from what you or your brand stands for. Moreover, if you are not writing the content, your whole brand or blog might be strayed as your passion for content creation slowly fades away. Trust me, your long term fans will notice and might stop being your followers.
Live Webinars
Another feature in the Premium Membership that makes it so expensive is the live weekly live webinars. Each week, these webinars will cover a different topic on affiliate marketing, and as a member, you get to attend and learn even more. Here is also where you get to ask questions and get weekly updates of industry happenings etc. A bonus is that all webinars are recorded, so in case you missed one, you can watch it after the event occurs.
Wealthy Affiliate Community
Signing up for Premium membership will also give you exclusive access to their Wealthy Affiliates community. Here is where you can ask any of your business or store-related questions to the community. What is great about joining this is that you can have the advantage of peer to peer learning. Networking is essential in the business, and you never know what you might learn from a more experienced affiliate marketer. Therefore, this gives you the perfect platform to mingle and create strong bonds or even business partners.
Affiliate Bootcamp
This phase of the program consists of 70 modules, also discussing the creation and setup of a niche affiliate marketing business.
Phase 1
Phase 1 begins by discussing strategies you can use to promote Wealthy Affiliates to start earning money. Premium members can make up to double commissions. Here, you will learn about different offers you can use and how to conduct keyword research, create posts, install plugins, etc. Most of this information can be found in the free version, but this Bootcamp seems to contain more information. However, instead of practical, real-life examples, most of what Kyle and Carson discuss involve more theoretical aspects.
Phase 2
Phase 2 of the Bootcamp begins with learning how to come up with suitable content visually and informatively. You will also learn how to set up your affiliate links for your products correctly. Here is also where the program stresses the importance of understanding keyword research. You will learn to refrain from ‘keyword stuffing,’ so your content is actually readable and not just for search engine ranking. Then, you will learn to create reviews and target keywords. There is a particular review structure you should adhere to, that is basically to prevent your reviews from looking spam-like or bot-like. Other than content, this phase 2 also brings you along with your site experience. The user experience here discusses the type of columns or menus you should include.
Phase 3
Here, you will learn about tying your site with social media. Social media should be the best friend for affiliate marketers. Kyle and Carson will guide you through adding social buttons on your platform and creating innovative ideas to boost social media appearance. For example, you will learn to produce engaging content, stay away from social waste, and even adding Google Analytics to your site. Suddenly, there is a subtopic on using the Jaaxy Affiliate Program, which is Kyle and Carson’s first venture. This was the only part where I felt like they were shamelessly marketing their product.
Phase 4
Again, this phase 4 continues to stress the importance of getting your site aesthetically pleasing. You will learn about using good quality pictures and videos for your website. Using good quality pictures will help customers to trust you more. Video advertisements are crucial in assisting people to understand what your brand or products are all about. You will also learn about creating logos inexpensively using a free tool. If you do not design savvy, you can also outsource this cheaply to freelancers on Upwork or Fiverr, which they fail to mention. There is also a mini shameless marketing stunt for Jaaxy again here, where they discuss how you can create a useful review using Jaaxy.
Phase 5
This section focuses on learning about your audience and how to maximize referrals.
Phase 6
Here, you will learn about Pay-per-click via Yahoo and Bing. Funnily enough, the guys do not intend to talk about Google because it is ‘too difficult.’
Phase 7
Again, this topic is more strategies to promote Wealthy Affiliates using pay-per-click.
Wealthy Affiliates Final Verdict
For some reason, quite many people associate Wealthy Affiliates with scam sites. It is probably because of all the publicity it has recently been garnering. Overall, I think Wealthy Affiliates is a legitimate and robust platform that many beginners will find useful. Even if you are not a beginner, and you are struggling to get tools to kickstart your business, this platform can help. What is even more appealing is their Wealthy Affiliates community.
This community has been around for a long time, and I am confident that unlike most inactive cities, this community will be filled with active users. Active users mean that you can reach out and get help anytime you want. That’s not all; the support system you get with Wealthy Affiliates is astounding. Not only is there a community, but there are also weekly webinars that you can take part in. In terms of course material, I find that some information is lacking. Y
es, Kyle and Carson cover a lot of topics, the topics, however, seem to lack depth. I find most of the information very basic and accessible for free via simple Google searches or other guru’s YouTube videos. Additionally, by offering the course as free membership for one week, it just shows that they have nothing to hide. If it were a scam site, they will be asking for your money as soon as you sign up. Instead, you get around a week to play around the FULL VERSION.
The full version also is quite reasonable. Essentially, you are just paying $49 a month to subscribe to use their robust platform and get access to their helpful community. However, I also cannot ignore that there were some parts where Kyle and Carson are shamelessly marketing their own tools. Although I do not agree with this, they do not take up whole modules to do this, and just small subsections.
Wealthy Affiliate Alternative
I personally believe Savage Affiliates is by far one of the best course on the market to date.
I am not the only one who believes Savage Affiliates to be one of the best there are a ton of other’s who do as well.
Why though? Once you see the amount of information there is, how cheap it is AND the student results, you will see why it’s one of the best courses out there!
Read my Savage Affiliates Review, you will find out why this course is one of the best. Everyone thinks it’s overhyped until they actually have access to it.