Many people create affiliate websites in a bid to make money selling products or services without having to organise shipping. The sale from the website simply gets sent to another site (the retailer) where the order is completed.

So how does it work? Well if the product sells via your website, you get a percentage of the items value. This means that creating a website with expensive products will get you a larger cut of the sale. That said, if you’re selling a highly expensive item people are unlikely to pay for it on impulse and they may do their research a bit more first, perhaps finding the item on another website. Going somewhere in the middle can be a good shout because you get a decent cut from each sale and you’re likely to receive more orders than you would with high value items.

That’s great but how do I make the website?

Well there are many great third party platforms out there that allow you to set up online shops with affiliate items. WordPress is one of the most popular and you can use the Woocommerce plugin to connect with the retailer selling the item. Creating a site on WordPress isn’t too difficult if you practice building pages, and you an download a theme which essentially dresses up your website, leaving you to fill in the blanks.

Amazon have an affiliate marketing scheme that can be connected to WordPress websites, so you’re able to pick and choose from their huge range of products. You can obviously choose other suppliers too, and more retailers are seeing the benefit of allowing people to sell their products for a small percentage. Just remember, the website is just the starting point; you need to create a brand and market that website to maximise sales.

Many people believe marketing to be a great job in the UK and that’s great, but some argue there aren’t many opportunities when you look to move abroad. Of course, in non-English speaking countries you’re going to lack the communication skills but there’s no reason why you can’t progress in the likes of Australia, New Zealand and America among other countries. If you have a great deal of experience in marketing, then it’s important to understand your skills do count, wherever you are in the world. There will be many marketing jobs suitable for you in English speaking countries so don’t feel like you can only gain a marketing job in the UK. Marketing, design, copywriting and photography can be an asset to many employers around the world so make sure you take confidence in your skills and don’t shy away from opportunities abroad.

It’s all to easy to say the best marketing methods are digital. Many people will argue that direct marketing is old, but to say that it’s outdated is just wrong. Improvements are constantly being made in the direct marketing field. Email databases are easier to cleanse. Graphic design is more spectacular than ever. Printing has gone up a gear. Packaging can now be more personalised than ever before. Direct marketing is established and proven to some degree and it still presents plenty of opportunities for small and large businesses. Creating something special online is great, but being able to hold that physical, personalised message can be better, and it can can go further, so never rule this out as a marketing method.