Have you dipped your toes into affiliate marketing but are now eager for more? High-ticket affiliate programs, in which you earn a greater commission than the average affiliate deal, are appealing to experienced affiliates exploring the next frontier.
However, not all high-ticket programs are created equally. Do you remember how much careful research you did when initially exploring your affiliate program options? You need to do that and then some when seeking high-ticket affiliate programs.
Fortunately, I’m here to take some of the work off your plate. In this blog post, I’ll review five of the best high-ticket affiliate programs, their pros and cons, and strategies to succeed.
Table of Contents
Key Takeaways
- High-ticket affiliate programs offer significantly higher commissions compared to standard programs.
- Affiliates can sometimes expect commissions of over $1,000 per sale, with a lot of upselling and cross-selling opportunities.
- WP Engine, Liquid Web, HubSpot, and Shopify are some of the top high-ticket affiliate programs.
Overview of High-Ticket Affiliate Programs
The difference between standard and high-ticket affiliate programs is the commission rate.
While affiliate programs typically offer commission rates between five and 50%, high-ticket programs kick it up. Affiliates can expect to pocket at least $100 for a single sale, making this affiliate marketing far more profitable.
How does it work? It’s not that different from a standard affiliate marketing program, fortunately. You vet the high-ticket program you want to join, sign up, and begin promoting your high-ticket affiliate products.
Another difference between standard and high-ticket affiliate market programs is that the products are usually worth much more. Alternatively, the order value will be higher, so even if the single-item price is lower, customers buy a lot more of it.
So, why do sellers pay so much more to affiliates? It’s because the products or services sold increase leads and conversions to such a degree that the money is worth it.
Read more: Affiliate Marketing — A Complete Guide for SaaS Businesses
The benefits of high-ticket affiliate marketing programs
High-ticket affiliate marketing is advantageous for many reasons, and more money is only the tip of the iceberg. Let’s take a look.
High earnings
The earnings potential is excellent when you upgrade to high-ticket affiliate marketing. Maybe you get paid $100 per commission, or maybe it’s $500 or $1,000. It all depends on the commission rate the platform pays.
Sometimes, with high-ticket products, your sales earnings can exceed $1,000. Compared to standard affiliate marketing, you can earn a lot more money faster by upgrading to a high-ticket program.
Upselling opportunities
You will have many chances to showcase your upselling skills once you enter a high-ticket marketplace. Upselling can be how you can maximize your earnings on a single transaction or ensure future transactions, which puts more money in your bank account.
For example, if you sell a customer a high-end camera, you can upsell them with a package that includes all the starter accessories a beginner photographer needs.
Passive income
High-ticket affiliate marketing still allows for passive income like a traditional affiliate marketing model does. The rate of passive income is substantially higher. You won’t want to rest long on your laurels, as you can always chase another high-ticket opportunity.
Strengthens audience bonds
You prove you’re a trustworthy resource by promoting targeted, high-value products that fulfill an audience’s needs. Those audience members should return to your blog or website repeatedly when they need recommendations for themselves and their loved ones.
Read more: 17 Affiliate Marketing Programs That Bloggers Should Not Miss
5 Top High-Ticket Affiliate Programs
Are you ready to see what’s out there and which programs offer the most high-value opportunities? I’ve gathered my favorite list of affiliates to explore, with features, pros, and cons for each.
1. WP Engine
The money will come in plentifully as a member of WP Engine’s high-ticket affiliate program. This WordPress platform, which hosts more than 1.5 million sites across the web, will pay big for referrals. How big? Up to $7,500!
Oh, and that’s not all. WP Engine also offers bonuses, increasing your opportunity to pocket huge sums.
The WP Engine affiliate program has received the ShareASale Top 100 PowerRank Program award and the Merchant of the Year title from the Pinnacle Awards.
Granted, this is not your beginner affiliate marketing program. You can customize so much of your experience, from the funnels to the landing pages. However, once you learn the ropes, it’s worth sticking around on WP Engine, as you only need a single affiliate link here to track all your conversions.
Besides, you can always rely on a WP Engine Affiliate Manager if you find yourself stuck on something. WP Engine offers predesigned landing pages and banners if you’re not yet comfortable making your own. There are even co-branded custom assets to use.
Nudge more sales using WP Engine’s custom promotions and discounts, which are only available to affiliates.
Becoming an affiliate on WP Engine is as easy as completing its affiliate form, activating your account through ShareASale, and waiting for approval.
Pros
- The money-making potential of WP Engine is out of this world, allowing you to pad your pockets quickly and reliably.
- The cookies last up to 180 days, giving you more time to earn passive affiliate income on referrals.
- You can make money in more ways between WP Engine and its additional affiliate option, Genesis Pro sales.
Cons
- You must be familiar with how affiliate marketing platforms work to make much use of WP Engine, as it’s a bit more advanced than your average program.
- There’s a 62-day purchase maintenance period where customers can cancel freely, and you don’t get your commissions.
- You can’t withdraw your earnings unless you have at least $50 in your account.
2. Shopify
As the penultimate name in eCommerce, Shopify should be on your radar as you explore high-ticket affiliate programs. Becoming a member allows you to make money by referring merchants to the Shopify Point of Sale or Shopify Plans.
You can make $500 by referring merchants to Shopify POS Pro and $2,000 per sale. Shopify has a huge network of global affiliates: reviewers, influencers, course directors, and content creators.
Once you begin using Shopify, you can dive deep, unlocking access to lead magnets and other assets that will propel the success of your promotions and help you make more money in referrals. The heavily detailed analytics Shopify provides paint clear insights into your success rates. You can always track these numbers on your dashboard.
Shopify requires potential affiliates to have prior eCommerce experience (although not necessarily with Shopify), to make original content, to have an “established audience,” and to own a website. After applying, Shopify will usually get back to you in five business days or less.
Pros
- Shopify cookies last for 30 days, and the recurring commissions last a lifetime, or more realistically, as long as your merchants continue to use Shopify.
- It’s easy to track the numbers that matter most to your success as an affiliate marketer on your dashboard.
- You only need $10 in your account before you can request a deposit, and payments can occur biweekly.
- You can’t go wrong with a major like name Shopify, one of the most trusted brands in eCommerce.
Cons
- The commission rates for Shopify Plans are a lot lower, typically under $100.
- You don’t receive a formal rejection notice if you don’t get selected (Shopify says it’s because it gets such a high volume of requests), which can leave you in the dark.
- The competition is going to be especially steep in this kind of market.
3. Liquid Web
A high-ticket affiliate program that might have your name all over it is Liquid Web. The web hosting company, founded in 1997, has a Partner Program with an affiliate marketing program where you’ll operate as a Liquid Web Hosting Partner.
Your responsibility is to recommend Liquid Web’s cloud hosting to companies and individuals. You can achieve that objective and maximize your earnings: become a reseller, make affiliate referrals, or join the Liquid Web Partner+ Program.
Let’s look at how each works in more detail.
As a Reseller, you can use Liquid Web’s control panel plugin and other infrastructure, combining it with your preferred customer solutions.
Working as an Affiliate requires referring others for a single-time commission through either cash or hosting credits.
Then, there’s the Liquid Web Partner+ Program, where the real money is. If you’ve heard of others making $5,000 per sale on Liquid Web and want to do it, this is how.
As a Liquid Web Partner+ Program member, you can work with Web Professionals and get next-level support.
Other perks include being listed in the Liquid Web Partner Community Directory, payments when you refer clients or products, co-branded marketing, free plug-ins, engineer and architect access to maximize your deals, and a Hosting Advisor to work with.
Pros
- You have three ways to make money as an affiliate for Liquid Web, and the earnings rates can be quite high.
- The cookies last 90 days, allowing you to milk every drop out of your referral earnings.
- You can work with dedicated managers to use Liquid Web most efficiently to achieve your affiliate marketing goals.
Cons
- The packages are expensive, which makes referrals harder to close.
- Liquid Web is smack-dab in the middle of an industry with heaps of competition, making it harder for you to break in as an affiliate.
4. HubSpot
HubSpot needs no introduction as a marketing tool, but did you know it also has a high-ticket affiliate program?
Since HubSpot software is expensive, you can earn up to $3,200 in affiliate income by joining its affiliate program.
Now, the payouts are tiered, so there are levels you can start at and evolve to as you increase your affiliate performance. You’ll then be eligible to earn more.
In the meantime, you can count on HubSpot to equip you with everything you need to get underway, including a library of more than 400 promotional assets, real-time performance reporting, support available when needed, and training guides. After all, when you succeed, so does HubSpot.
Let’s rewind a moment and talk about the affiliate tiers, of which there are three: HubSpot Affiliate, Super Affiliate, and Elite Affiliate. Here are the perks you get for each and the requirements to go the next step up:
- HubSpot Affiliate: You start as a HubSpot Affiliate upon joining the affiliate marketing program. You earn a 30% recurring commission for up to a year and gain access to these features:
- Affiliate challenges to maximize your earnings
- Promotional assets, with demo videos, banner images, and copy bank
- Affiliate Resource Center access
- Super Affiliate: Once you achieve 100 to 200 signups a month, you’ll get bumped up to the Super Affiliate tier. The 30% recurring commission rate still applies, plus further bonuses. You can also engage in guest blogging and get a website audit with optimization steps.
- Elite Affiliate: Once you’re firmly in the territory of 200 signups a month or exceeding that, you join the Elite Affiliate tier. You get a custom commission at this point and the most access to HubSpot affiliate features, like:
- Co-branded promotional assets
- Optimization and performance reports
- Check-ins with your affiliate manager
Pros
- The tiered affiliate levels make you want to work harder to succeed at referring HubSpot to others.
- Learn to become a better affiliate marketer through HubSpot.
- Cookies last up to 180 days, giving you more chances to earn.
- HubSpot is a household name in digital marketing, which should make its services easier to sell.
Cons
- There are only three commission tiers, and the criteria between them aren’t that vastly different.
- You only get commissions for recommending new customers, not those already in HubSpot’s sales cycle.
5. Capitalist Exploits
Capitalist Exploits’s market insights platform has a high-ticket affiliate program that could be just what you need. It’s called The Network and allows affiliates and merchants to join. As an affiliate, you can make between $750 and $1,750 for each sale, which is nothing to sneeze at!
Pros
- The cookies last an entire year, allowing you to collect passive income.
- You can use Capitalist Exploit marketing materials and assets to further your promotions.
- This affiliate program lets you connect with customers around the globe, and conversion rates are usually high.
Cons
- Capitalist Exploits is considered a more niche affiliate platform.
- Beginner investors may feel turned off using this service because it’s somewhat complex.
Read more: 60 Superb SaaS Affiliate Marketing Programs for 2024
How to Choose the Right Platform
You’ve seen what’s out there, so the time has come to choose a high-ticket affiliate platform. How do you pick? Let’s chat about the factors that matter most in your decision-making.
Audience relevance, needs, and interests
Put, if your audience finds the industry focus of the high-ticket affiliate program irrelevant, then it’s a no-go.
Your audience doesn’t care how much money you make as an affiliate. They want targeted, relevant, and interesting products and services that suit their needs and tastes.
Going in a radically different direction with your promotional products or services can alienate your audience and undercut your earnings. No one will buy something that feels out of left field, even from a high-ticket affiliate program.
Cookie duration
Affiliate marketing is all about passive income, and one of the best ways high-ticket programs allow affiliates to earn effortlessly is through website cookies. The longer the cookies are active, the greater time you have to earn referral income.
You don’t need cookies that last a year like Capitalist Exploits, but ideally, at least a month or several.
Commission structure
By far, the commission structure of the affiliate program is the biggest factor that should influence your decision-making. As you can see from the examples above, high-ticket programs don’t use one set commission structure.
Some are fixed, others are performance-based, and some still operate on tiers, like HubSpot’s program. Select a program where the commission structure suits what you hope to earn from high-ticket affiliate marketing.
Read also: 17 Affiliate Marketing Programs That Bloggers Should Not Miss
Top Strategies for Success
You’ve gotten set up on your high-ticket affiliate program, and you’re ready to start earning. How do you put yourself in the best position to succeed? Just check out these handy tips and best practices!
Choose a good platform
I know I just finished discussing how to select the best high-ticket affiliate program, but it is an important part of the process. If you choose a platform known for its high ticket sales and commission rates, you’ll find it easier to succeed, as you’ll begin making more money immediately.
Get into a profitable niche
The most money-making high-profile niches are electronics, jewelry, software, loans, insurance, and memberships or long-term courses. How do you choose the best niche for you out of these options?
Consider factors like your knowledge and experience in an industry and your passion for it. I know that passion can get swept under the rug when choosing an affiliate marketing niche, but it’s important.
You can always learn the ins and outs of a niche by taking a course or watching some YouTube videos, but there’s no learning passion. You either have it, or you don’t; having it will help you build an affiliate empire.
Generate more backlinks
Backlinks, third-party links between you and another website, signal to search engine crawlers that your site needs a boost. You’ll improve your visibility, traffic, and, hopefully, commissions by focusing on building backlinks.
However, not all backlinks are created equally. You can follow black-hat tactics, like buying backlinks, but you’ll soon find your SEO rating plummeting as search engines punish black-hat strategies.
Instead, you’re better off focusing your time and energy on producing high-quality skyscraper content that others in your industry and the media want to link to (the media referring to news sites and individual journalists here).
Although not a fast process, pouring your effort into backlinks will pay back dividends for your affiliate marketing aspirations.
Build reader trust
People are more likely to buy products or services when they trust the brand, even if the recommendations differ from what’s in your traditional wheelhouse. Building trust means having the customer’s best interests at heart.
When you recommend products and services, you shouldn’t do so based on which ones will earn you the highest commission income. Rather, focus on what will make the biggest changes to your customer’s life based on learning their pain points, interests, needs, and challenges.
Once customers trust you, ask them to leave reviews and testimonials. This will also make it easier for new customers to deem you trustworthy and buy the products and services you suggest.
Read also: 8 of the Most Popular ClickBank Alternatives in 2024
Optimize your website
You’ll inevitably attract a lot of website traffic, so you can’t afford an outdated, unoptimized website.
Here are some areas you can focus on:
- Navigability
- Readability (font type, text size, font color)
- Branding (tone, colors used, logo placement, etc.)
- Mobile optimization
- Loading speed
- Metadata for headlines, images, titles, and URLs
- CTA button placement and copy
- Website architecture, which makes it easier for search engine crawlers to determine the layout of your site
Build your presence on social media
Social media is an excellent springboard for getting the word out about your affiliate services and products, from Facebook to TikTok and LinkedIn. Billions of people worldwide use social media, so tapping into that market could keep the affiliate dollars coming.
You need to make your social media feeds engaging. Believe it or not, you can’t always share links to your latest reviews on an affiliate product or service. Post industry news, reports, trends, and data your audience will find interesting.
This can be your content or third-party materials you found online from a reputable source. Use automation if you aren’t already, as it will make your daily social posting more manageable.
Produce excellent content
Content is king, and nowhere is truer than in the affiliate marketing business. After all, the content you produce sells products and services, so if it isn’t good, you won’t get much commission income, even from a high-ticket affiliate program.
Explore the varieties of content available to you to the fullest. Write reviews, augmenting them with videos and images. Upload video content of unboxing, installing, and demoing the products you recommend to your audience.
Write five-star copy for landing pages and publish a few eBooks on your niche or industry to establish yourself as an expert and generate trust. You can similarly share case studies.
Once you’ve reviewed enough products or services, you can compare similar ones to help people decide between two great options.
Track your metrics and improve
Consumer needs and marketing strategies constantly shift, meaning once you find the keys to higher-ticket affiliate commissions, you must stay on top of your promotional measures since you won’t always use the same ones.
Analytics and real-time reporting will inform you which of your strategies are hitting it out of the park and which haven’t quite made their mark.
Read more: ClickBank Pros and Cons for Affiliate Marketing — A Quick Guide
Challenges and Considerations
Building a strong online presence is only one of your challenges as an aspiring high-ticket affiliate marketer. You must also be ready for the following drawbacks and have solutions ready.
Market saturation
If you think anyone with a modicum of affiliate marketing experience and knowledge wouldn’t want to break into high-ticket affiliate programs, you’re crazy. Of course they would, for the same reasons as you would: moolah, spondulix, Benjamins. You know, money.
However, with everyone chasing after the same goal (dollars) and only so many high-ticket affiliate niches, the market can get saturated fast, especially if you join a popular affiliate program.
Truly understanding your brand and having a unique value proposition is the panacea against your competitors, as that will help you stand out.
Higher customer expectations
Since customers are paying more, their expectations are equally high. Meeting those expectations requires honesty when reviewing products. Although hiding all the bugs and warts to drive sales is tempting, that’s doing your customers a disservice.
Mention the bugs and warts, but otherwise, be benefits-focused. The customer will fully understand the product or service and feel their expectations are being met.
Credibility issues
Building credibility takes time. Promote an attitude of honesty and transparency from the beginning, and you’ll win your customers’ trust faster.
You should also publish high-quality, shareable content like infographics, eBooks, blog posts, and videos. If your content spreads, your name will be perceived more favorably, and you’ll become an authority figure in your industry.
Also, I can’t speak highly enough of reviews and testimonials, as they build social proof. Consumers will always trust their fellow consumers more than any salesperson, so you need as many glowing reviews as possible.
Read also: 3 Impressive Affiliate Marketing Examples to Inspire You + Tips
Earn 30% Recurring Commission With EngageBay
Yes, that’s right!
We offer an enticing affiliate marketing program for all affiliate marketers — without any hidden terms and conditions. You receive a 30% recurring commission every month for as long as the subscriber continues their paid subscription.
There’s no upper-limit on how many paid subscribers you bring aboard — you’ll get compensated for each new subscriber.
You don’t even have to buy the product to promote it. Just sign up for the free version and get started!
To learn more, check out our affiliate marketing program page, or send an email to affiliates@engagebay.com.
Note: Self-referrals are not allowed. The point is to get you to refer other people. This is not a way to get a discount on your own account.
Read also: 5 Top Affiliate Marketing Networks of 2024 Compared
Conclusion
High-ticket affiliate marketing presents the potential for significant commission earnings. However, you must first choose a program, select a niche product or service, and use the right promotional tactics to build trust with your audience and motivate them to purchase.
Carefully selecting and promoting the right products will increase your high-ticket affiliate marketing success!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. What makes an affiliate program “high-ticket”?
The commissions’ value usually starts at about $100 and can be several thousand dollars per sale. Standard affiliate commission rates are usually a lot lower.
2. How can I evaluate the profitability of a high-ticket affiliate program?
Perform market research, looking into how much high-ticket items sell for. Compare that against the affiliate program’s commission rate to gauge what you can earn. You should also read reviews, testimonials, and firsthand experiences from other affiliate members.
3. What are the best strategies for promoting high-ticket items?
Paid social media or PPC ads on Google will draw more traffic to your website.
Once visitors are there, they need to be regaled with five-star content in the form of videos, copy, landing pages, and blog posts. Further, build a strong presence on social media to redirect your followers to your website.
4. Are high-ticket affiliate programs suitable for beginners in affiliate marketing?
No, because they require more affiliate marketing expertise than the average beginner has.
5. How do cookie durations affect my earnings in high-ticket affiliate marketing?
The longer cookies last, the more time you get to increase your commission earnings from referrals.
