Every Wealthy Affiliate review talks about how there’s a lot of quality training information, tools, and material the program has to offer. In fact, it also provides excellent resources for online marketing. So beginners can get the much-needed push to get their online business up and running more easily.
But the question remains; is the training comprehensive enough? I mean, at the end of it all, do you learn a lot? Can you expect to become a high-level or well-trained affiliate marketer? To be honest, I don’t see why not! Because the platform is packed with useful, all-in-one content. The Wealthy Affiliate community is also very active. Plus, there’s a free-trial period.
However, there are drawbacks, as is the case with every such program. Wealthy Affiliate is difficult to navigate if you’re a newbie. And it’s lacking in terms of depth when it comes to a few key areas. But let’s not judge the book by its cover. If you’re serious about this, then you might as well get to know ALL OF THE INFORMATION and then decide.
In simple words, think of training, website hosting, and the software combined in a single package. Much like a single platform that does it all for those interested in affiliate marketing. A one-stop shop if you must.
Ask any established affiliate marketer. And he/she will tell you just how amazing this particular concept is. Because you don’t have to manufacture the products you’re promoting. And that’s the best part, isn’t it?
All you have to do is partner up with companies. And then attract audience, traffic, and buyers to the services/products from your own website. When you convert a viewer into a customer, meaning if the person goes through your website to buy the product. Then you earn a commission.
This may sound easy, but it’s really not. I mean affiliate marketing is easier said than done. There’s a lot of work involved. And that is why there are programs like Wealthy Affiliate. They make the job much more convenient and easier.
So let’s dive deeper…
Before we get into the specific details about the training program. Let me first tell you why starting your very own online business is a better idea. Than actually opening a store or shop on the street or in the mall.
In case of the latter, you have to invest thousands of dollars. For things like stock, employee salary, lease, interior design, and the like. On top of that, there’s no foolproof guarantee that the business is going to succeed. And if it doesn’t, then your lease money just goes to waste. This is nothing but bad news when you’re already trying to make ends meet.
But with an online business, there are no such unnecessary costs. At the same time, you get a lot of time to build your website as per your wishes. Without having to worry about how much it’s going to cost you. And with COVID-19 a part of the picture now. It’s better to launch something promising online. Instead of just doing nothing and waiting for things to turn around.
Starting a new venture online is not such an impossible task. I mean yeah, it is difficult. But once you establish everything, the only tough job left is to maintain it. And a platform like Wealthy Affiliate (WA) guides you at every step.
With this platform, your online venture takes only $49 per month to come into the picture. This amount is nothing compared to the thousands of dollars normally spent in setting up a physical store. Yearly, the amount rounds up to $360 only.
Don’t just look at the price. Also consider the fact that you get whatever you need for setting up and running your online business. Without including any factors like a huge lease payment.
On top of that, what makes it all better is the exceptional training and access to the active community of Wealthy Affiliate. Help and support are available throughout. In fact, the more effort you put in, the more dollars you can make. It’s all up to you and your work. And along the way, you don’t even run the risk of losing any amount of money. Isn’t that the best!
More often than not, offline ventures take at least 1-2 years to hit off. So, during that time, how is one supposed to manage the costs? But with an online business, there are no such expensive or even small-scale costs involved.
You get to comfortably and conveniently work from home or a cafe. All you require is a laptop or smartphone for the job. Even the hours of work are flexible, thus suit your convenience. To be honest, it’s a great way for those who can’t deal with traditional 9-to-5 jobs.
Wealthy Affiliate, needless to say, is a win-win situation. No matter from which angle you choose to look at it. Furthermore, the service offers the most effective methods for supplementing retirement income. For example, different ways to make more out of what you already have at the moment.
Don’t think for a second that WA is a new platform. It has been a part of the online industry for as many as 14 years now. And, no doubt, it keeps updating the content, resources, information, and material.
Also, did you know that there are around 2 million Premium Wealthy Affiliate members as we speak? Isn’t that number proof of the fact that something about the program actually works?
Is it possible for you to earn money from the comforts of your home? That too for free! With Wealthy Affiliate, it is indeed possible. The program gives you the opportunity to create your website and control how much income it makes. It all depends on how many hours you’re willing to put in. To establish a successful online presence.
All the steps involved in setting up a successful online venture are well taken care of. Thanks to the comprehensive Wealthy Affiliate training course. For instance, building the website, attracting traffic, monetizing the website, etc. Whatever you need is present in a single location. And this you have access to for as long as you want!
In my opinion, it’s one of the best and most effective ways of making money online. Even if you’re a beginner. In fact, it’s a great platform for both newcomers and experts. There are 100,000 members that are a part of the WA community. Then there are training program videos. Along with live chat, 24/7 support, and more.
Without the shadow of a doubt, even beginners can start a full-scale online affiliate marketing venture. And then maintain it for life.
Let me first make it very clear here that WA doesn’t make false promises. It doesn’t offer bold claims with regards to advertising. The platform provides all the help and support you demand for getting your online business started. It establishes your affiliate marketing business in the most convenient manner.
The program teaches basic and advanced affiliate marketing knowledge. And this is incredibly useful for those who wish to succeed as affiliate marketers. Content such as how to build your own website. And how to choose the right audience, how to do SEO, etc.
WA offers all the tools and blueprint you require in order to begin. And your effort, time, and skills, eventually, determine the success of your online venture.
To be honest, the limitless possibilities here are the best part of the affiliate marketing show. Once you understand how it works and how to go about it. Then there’s no boundary you cannot cross in terms of success and earning profits.
Let me give you an honest answer to the most commonly asked question. Is Wealthy Affiliate a pyramid scheme? Many people think it is and consider it a scam. And here’s why…
If you’re inexperienced in the department of affiliate marketing. Then it’s only natural for you to make it seem like the products/services you’re promoting are the best of the lot. You may think this might attract an audience. And then convert them into buyers, which would make you rich very soon.
There’s no denying that an approach like this works, but only rarely. For the most part, it creates unrealistic expectations. Therefore, inviting the wrong set of people. And, ultimately, failure.
The truth of the matter is that the whole concept of affiliate marketing demands effort and time. Along with a lot of training. Much like any kind of business you plan on setting up. You can’t just go into it thinking your business is going to succeed JUST LIKE THAT.
Keeping that in mind, Wealthy Affiliate’s not a scam. It may be marketed by some affiliates as a means to make a lot of money quickly. But that is not true. So long as you accept that and are willing to learn and invest time and effort. Then you’re less likely to endorse the platform as a scam or pyramid scheme.
What to expect from it? How does the program work?
The founders of WA are Kyle Loudoun and Carson Lim. The former presents the course. And the latter is more in charge of the backend part.
Kyle Loudoun’s teaching style is very simple and straightforward to follow. He makes the complicated aspects easy to understand. So even if you’re a beginner, the key points of what the course has to offer get across. Such as Google Webmaster tools.
What to Expect?
First of all, is Wealthy Affiliate free? No it’s not, but there is a 7-day free trial period.
The community is very active and supportive.
There’s a lot of content for training. And sometimes some of it may be repetitive. Top students also contribute by creating more useful training information.
You learn how to position affiliate links. Along with learning how to make offers to the audience.
Now here are some of the top recommended resources available on Wealthy Affiliate…
Level 1 - Getting Started
This part consists of teaching you to navigate/access the community. How to complete the setup of your account. And then learning about all the benefits you can get if you upgrade to Premium.
Some of the most important key points included are as follows:
- Choosing the correct audience.
- Creating money goals.
- Building your website.
- Making your website SEO-friendly.
- Setting up your website’s menus.
- Producing engaging content.
- Listing elements.
- Researching relevant keywords.
As is evident, Level 1 is all about getting your website up and running. In this section, you also receive access to 9 videos. That’s around 3 hours of tutorials.
Level 2 - Attracting Traffic
What good is a website if it’s not getting any traffic, right? So in the second part of the course, you learn the following…
- Coming up with and then purchasing a domain name for your brand.
- Transfering your old website to this new domain.
- Using more specific and relevant SEO keywords.
- Setting up an email account that’s domain-specific.
- Posting your website and related information in the active WA community. So you get constructive feedback, be it positive or negative.
- Choosing images for supporting the content.
- Learning to promote Wealthy Affiliate. You can also post on the WA blog.
- Creating a greater number of blog posts. Along with increasing productivity.
Level 1 and Level 2 have a lot in common. The latter repeats a few points from the former. Level 2 actually builds on Level 1. You just dive into deeper, more complicated details here.
In terms of videos, there are 10 of them. And that’s approximately 2 hours, 30 minutes.
Level 3 - Creating Income
Once you understand how to draw potential buyers, it’s time to monetize.
- Locating the right kind of affiliate offers.
- Adding affiliate links to the pages.
- Learning about the lifecycle of customer purchase.
- Learning to promote and sell Amazon products.
- Getting to understand Google Analytics.
- Learning how to display Google Ads on the website.
- Mastering the art of leveraging product reviews.
In short, Level 3 is all about the technicalities of affiliate marketing. It’s the most crucial aspect of the training program. And that’s because this part is what brings you money.
A total of 5 videos, which is around 1 hour, 30 minutes.
Level 4 - Managing Social Media
If you wish to maximize your traffic, then you have to know how to leverage social media. It’s what gets more eyeballs to your website’s Google Ads and affiliate offers.
So here’s what you can learn with the Level 4 part of the course…
- Managing blog comments.
- Using social media platforms like Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter. You can obviously share your blog posts on these.
- Searching for trending Twitter topics. This means finding content that is the most talked about.
- Using Facebook intelligently for creating discussions.
- Learning how to use the social community of WA.
- Understanding when and which social media platform to use.
Like Level 3, even Level 4 is very important. But remember that most traffic comes through the keyword searches on Google. Even so, social media is a crucial part of the process.
The video lessons, in this case, are shorter. 5 videos, which take up only an hour of your time.
Level 5 - Improving Content
Needless to say, content writing is an integral aspect of the online show. Engaging information and helpful product reviews are never overestimated. Especially when it comes to establishing loyal buyers or consumers for the products or services you’re promoting.
Here’s what you learn in the final level of the course…
- Converting your traffic into customers.
- Learning how to strategize for long-term success.
- Creating visually appealing content.
- Learning how to produce efficient content.
- Using Webmaster tools for tracking your website.
- Scaling up the online business.
- Getting access to conversion analysis from successful ventures.
- Ensuring that people are engaging with and reading your content.
- Learning to find ways to outsource your content.
- Setting up yearly plans for the creation of content.
- Getting ranked and indexed on Yahoo and Bing.
Expect to find a little bit of repetitive information here. But, overall, the material is very useful as a part of affiliate marketing training. With 9 videos, you take a quarter over 2 hours to complete this Level.
How do you go about selling WA as an affiliate? This additional part of the course consists of 7 different phases. But the primary focus here is to sell Wealthy Affiliate.
The drawback I came across is that some of the lessons from the previous Levels are repeated once again. Obviously, with alterations and relevancy included. After all, the goal is to push the community of WA using your own affiliate platform.
What you learn here…
Phase 1 – Building Your Website
Much like the “Level 1 – Getting Started” part of the course.
With 8 videos; around 2 hours, 30 minutes.
Phase 2 – Getting Your Keywords and Content In Order
The Level 2 section of the course has a lot in common with this particular phase. But the information is more in-depth here. It talks more specifically about marketing and promoting the Wealthy Affiliate training program itself.
There are 6 videos; approximately 1 hour, 30 minutes.
Phase 3 – Using Social Media
The same as Level 4 – Managing Social Media. With 6 videos that take only an hour to complete.
Phase 4 – Getting Visuals
In this phase, you learn the importance associated with reviews. More specifically, how to improve reviews of the Wealthy Affiliate program. Charts and graphs are also the main features of this phase.
The best thing you learn here is to create text-based visuals for your website.
Phase 5 – Creating More Referrals
Once again, the creation of content is talked at length at this point. With the main focus being the “aim” of your content. You understand how to use the content framework for simplifying your writing process. As a result, you learn how to write better. In order to promote more comments and engagement. This contributes greatly to converting your visitors into customers.
Phase 5 is also about using YouTube for inviting more traffic. The keyword research for this particular platform is different from the rest. So you learn all about that. And how to upload and even create YouTube videos. In such a way that they get indexed quickly. This increases their chances of visibility on Google.
Phase 6 – PPC, Yahoo, and Bing
If you don’t know about using PPC for creating Bing Ads, then you’ll learn it in this particular section. You also understand how to get indexed on Yahoo and Bing quickly. These two platforms, no doubt, take extra time for identifying new content.
And not many people know that Yahoo and Bing rankings, more often than not, are much the same.
Another important point of discussion is the Webmaster Tools of Bing. They’re the ultimate force that allows Bing to access and display your content and brand to the audience.
Phase 7 – Scaling Up PPC Campaigns
It’s very important to know how to make the most of PPC. So you can bank on the already sales-converting keywords.
The final phase teaches you how to target too competitive keywords and why. PPC is a great way for creating a momentary stopgap. While your effective SEO techniques are in the making.
Bonus 2 - Lifecycle of Customer Purchase
So you get access to 3 different phases of how customers purchase online. Once you understand the process. You can target your potential buyers in the right place and at the right time.
What’s also explained is the use of primary keywords. So you get to target and drive relevant audiences to your page or website. In simple words, you put yourself into the shoes of potential customers. And understand how to turn them into long-term or loyal buyers.
Everything is flawed, and WA is no exception to that rule. One of the most common complaints is that you can’t do much if you don’t have Premium access. With basic membership, there are too many restrictions. You don’t get to attend classrooms marked Premium. And you also lose access to the live chat. After the completion of your 7-day period as a basic member.
Another complaint, which is a positive aspect as well, is that there’s just too much to learn. This is good for beginners who don’t know a thing about affiliate marketing. So unless you’re like a sponge, you may have a hard time learning the course.
1. Lack of any real direction or content strategy
There are many Wealthy Affiliate marketers that have zero sense of direction. You see them posting articles on the random. Therefore, they don’t attract any traffic. Generally speaking, most beginners go through this phase.
The outcome of such an approach is that Google doesn’t rank your stuff. Because Google doesn’t understand what your content and website is all about. A clear direction or guide is what contributes to better ranking on Google.
But this particular issue is not your problem. Especially if you’re a newbie. The problem lies with how little information and poor sense of direction or strategy WA teaches to push your affiliate program.
2. Lack of email marketing strategy
You get only the gist of how to go about email marketing in the WA training course. There’s no comprehensive discussion concerning the topic.
Now, this is nothing but bad news in a world where email marketing cannot and should not be underestimated. The truth about email marketing is that it generates a large sum of money.
3. Lack of any real backlinking strategy
Do you learn how to create backlinks? Apart from basic information, there’s nothing more. And this does seem like a major problem that WA should certainly address.
4. Review articles promotion
Now the drawback here is that negative reviews also appear. Mostly, this is bad because these kinds of reviews often exaggerate the real picture. And that’s what leads people into believing that Wealthy Affiliate is going to help them become rich overnight.
5. Poor customer support
It’s hit and miss in this case, unfortunately. The quality of support varies drastically. I mean in response to a simple or straightforward question. You can get all kinds of different answers, even though plausible ones.
If you’re just starting out, then you might want to steer clear of these common blunders…
1. Not doing proper, relevant research
It’s not only important but absolutely necessary for you to use tools. To research long-tail keywords. And when you’re brainstorming ideas for your blog posts. With these, all you have to do enter the keyword you wish to rank for. And the tool offers a whole list of potential long-tail keywords. That are relevant to the one you typed in.
So it’s only the opposite of common sense to miss out on such a golden opportunity. By not doing good research.
2. Creating fake review articles for promoting WA
Do not belong to the crowd that posts made-up review articles only to promote the Wealthy Affiliate program. The method, no doubt, is ineffective. And that’s because many people are doing it. In fact, writing fake review articles invites Wealthy Affiliate lawsuits.
3. Always promoting WA to make money
Whatever the case, don’t get into the earn-money-online niche. Because if that’s your approach, then you’re only going to promote the program to make big bucks. But doesn’t the platform exist so that you CAN MAKE BIG BUCKS? Of course it does. But don’t get into that space intentionally or deliberately. Not until and unless you know what you’re doing.
Instead, target a different niche. One where not too much competition exists. It may not be such a profitable choice. But at least you’re advocating your own services or products.
4. Not being patient
How to make money with Wealthy Affiliate? Whatever the answer to this question, patience plays a major role at every step. You can’t get frustrated after just 3-4 months of being in the online business. Sometimes it takes websites more time to rank well. Try to figure out why you’re not getting that traffic on your platform.
More often than not, it’s because there’s little informational or useful content on your site. And/or you have 100-percent review articles on it. You need to realize that Google isn’t stupid, not anymore. So Google knows when a website is established only as an affiliate platform. As a result of which, you are not rewarded in the form of better rankings.
All the more reason to include content that’s informational. And that supports your products.
One more thing; new websites take a while to rank on Google. Google takes longer to trust new sites. But what you can do to speed up the process is have multiple socials. That are linking back to the website. This helps with quicker ranking, no doubt. Make your online presence look like a brand. Because real brands offer many social media accounts.
The initial months are all about posting good content. And also getting to know your type of audience. So make it a point to be an active member on online forums. Q&A websites such as Reddit and Quora are also great platforms to be a part of. So you understand your niche. And then drive the audience to your site. While waiting for Google to bring you organic traffic.
You have to be patient for at least 6 months before getting any form of Google traction. So, in the meantime, you can also drive traffic using other ways. For example, creating an ebook or posting on YouTube.
5. Poor or no social media presence
Google + may provide backlink power. But this also limits the potential capacity of your website. Thus, it’s important to have as many socials as possible. And make sure these are interconnected. It’s the best way for powering up each platform. Along with powering up the website.
On top of that, these social media properties should be automated. Meaning if you post content on your site, you ought to get links from the other social platforms back to your website. On the other hand, if this step is done manually, it can take up a large amount of your time. And why do it manually when there better ways to go about it!
6. Having unreasonable/unrealistic expectations
Don’t expect WA to offer a solution to all problems you might face. I mean think of the whole thing as a traditional business. Just because it’s affiliate marketing doesn’t mean it’s going to be successful on its own. The process demands learning and effort on your part.
In fact, WA doesn’t cover a lot of important stuff. Such as getting to the website links. Or starting a YouTube channel. But why does Wealthy Affiliate not touch on these topics? In the case of not getting to your site links, it’s a gray zone. So it’s only logical for WA to not want to enter murky territory. In short, topics that are outside its scope are better left that way.
Nevertheless, you should try to get to know more about such aspects. Since they’re extremely helpful in terms of success. So instead of having unrealistic expectations. Why not learn a little more about affiliate marketing!
7. Creating useless content
Google loves content, right? But not the kind of stuff people write just to fill in words. You have to create smart, informational, attractive content. Always ask yourself before writing any copy. What do I want this content to accomplish?
Make sure your every post offers something solid to your reader. That solid result can also be taking him/her to a particular result. In short, create supporting articles. That leads your potential buyer into making that purchase. Either now or at a later time.
This can only be achieved if you produce valuable, practical information. Only then does the person find it useful to click through that link you present him/her with.
But please don’t overdo anything. Meaning make sure not every article is focused on converting your visitors into customers. Let some just encourage them to do other things. Such as joining your mail list.
8. Just creating review articles
It’s okay to write review articles. But it’s not okay if that’s the only kind of article you’re creating. Then you’re just wasting your time and effort. You may rank among the top links. But for low-competing keywords. For higher competition keywords, what’s must is informational content.
Supporting articles of such kind have relevant keywords that you wish to rank for on Google. No doubt, they add value and nudge potential customers your way. They also contribute to better Google rankings. Just keep in mind to link that supporting post to the main article. And the other way around!
How does this compare to the other top contenders? It’s time to find out!
- Authority Hacker
The course of Authority Hacker is an excellent creation by Mark Webster and Gail Brenton. And this particular platform has a lot in common with Wealthy Affiliate. The only difference is that the former is more sophisticated than the latter. Therefore, a little more intimidating as well.
For beginners, Authority Hacker offers information that’s more specific and detailed. The information goes through constant updates to make it more practical. More importantly, it provides actionable advice. When it comes to selecting your audience. Furthermore, it teaches you how to receive links back to the website. For higher Google rankings.
And here’s the reason why anyone would choose this over Wealthy Affiliate. The former keeps all the course content constantly updated. So you don’t miss out on the latest tricks and tips that Google gives importance to.
What’s the drawback though? That you have to shell out almost $1000 even for their basic training course. So unless you’re willing to loosen your purse strings, you should check out Authority Hacker.
- Income School Project 24
The current one is another option worth checking out. Made by Ricky Kesler and Jim Harmer, Income School Project 24 has a huge podcast and YouTube channel. And let me tell you that Wealthy Affiliate and this one don’t have much in common. In the sense that Income School Project 24 offers just a course. Unlike WA, which provides website hosting as well.
The only reason why both are up against one another is because both cater to the needs of beginners. The Project 24 course also receives constant updates, like Authority Hacker above. You get a comprehensive, detailed blueprint. That helps in building your website over the span of 2 years.
The main focus here is building affiliate websites by producing excellent content. And just like WA once again, it doesn’t include building links.
- SEO Affiliate Domination
SEO Affiliate Domination, the creation of Greg Jeffries, targets backlinking. Now, this is something Wealthy Affiliate doesn’t offer. And that’s what separates the two. Also the fact that SEO Affiliate Domination teaches more gray-zone SEO techniques. So, in comparison to WA, this one helps in getting results faster.
You get to learn techniques that help you pick profitable audiences. And techniques that help you achieve valuable insights. No doubt, these factors matter a lot when it comes to affiliate marketing.
Once more, the only setback here is the high cost. No wonder Wealthy Affiliate enjoys the upper hand. You end up paying around $97 for a month. This is twice the amount WA charges monthly. But if advanced affiliate marketing strategies matter more to you, then this price is definitely worth it.
- Deadbeat Super Affiliate
In comparison to the current Wealthy Affiliate program, Deadbeat Super Affiliate is outdated. In fact, the platform under the spotlight is now loaded with useless content. That is bound to get your website penalized.
So is it worth it? There’s just no denying that WA is a remarkable platform for newbies. Even for experts as a matter of fact. All thanks to the all-in-one information the course has to offer.
In this Kyle and Carson Wealthy Affiliate review, I have covered all important aspects. The best part is that you pay for more than only training with your membership. There’s website hosting, tools for keyword research, updated content for training, and an affiliate marketers community.
