So, you are close to committing to the Wealthy Affiliate Program. After all, you want to earn extra on the Internet.
But you stopped. Why? Well, you have been browsing some reviews online, and you realized that some people are not too happy with the affiliate marketing program.
One of the most significant warning signs is that its creators are not even making big in their own affiliate marketing efforts. Their content has not even been updated since 2015.
Are you sure you want to shell out your money for something that may no longer work?
To be fair, we will let you make your own conclusions by providing true facts and our findings in this Wealthy Affiliate Review. Read on.
What is Wealthy Affiliate Program?
Wealthy Affiliate is the most popular affiliate marketing course in the world and most controversial at the same time.
It’s controversial because it has a strict “no bullshit” policy about affiliate marketers selling other people’s products and services. This means you get to earn commission while providing genuine products/services.
If you have any interest in internet marketing, it’s worth checking out Wealthy Affiliate. The program is built to be a complete solution for new affiliate marketers.
You don’t need a degree or prior business experience to become successful with Affiliate Marketing. The truth is that in most cases, all you need is a computer and an internet connection, and the program that comes with your membership is designed to be the key to success.
There are some interesting stats about the community
- More than 1,800 coaches.
- Over 10,000+ businesses have started with Amazon Business.
- 4.8 million members
- It takes 23,000 people to help each day
The best thing about Wealthy Affiliate is that it is the most popular affiliate marketing training course out there. It comes with its own community and ecosystem.
With more than a million people involved in its community, you can say that the Wealthy Affiliate platform has the workforce to help complete beginners do well.
Who is the creator of Wealthy Affiliate?
Wealthy Affiliate is the brainchild of Carson Lim and Kyle Loudon, Canadian Entrepreneurs.
They created a system that teaches people how to start an online business with little or no experience in internet marketing, search engine Optimisation, or website design.
They show you exactly what you need to know and then give you the necessary tools to make it happen.
How Does Wealthy Affiliate work?
While some people complain about some of the not-so-great aspects of Wealth Affiliate, one thing is sure. It is at least not a multilevel marketing scam.
Wealthy Affiliate does not claim to make you rich quickly. Instead, they do rely on proven tools and solid foundational training to help their subscribers.
They are focused on helping each online business owner who may seek their help.
Wealthy Affiliate Training Modules
Module 1: Getting Started
The first module deals with how you can succeed when using the platform. It presents four steps that users should follow.
The second part of Module 1 deals with ways to earn money.
The third focuses on various types of niches.
The most important part of this module is that it gives you a walkthrough of the whole platform. So, if you need to familiarize yourself with it, you cannot skip Module 1.
At this point, the authors ask you if you want to continue with a paid membership. The starter membership does have some helpful information that can help you start a career as an affiliate marketer. Obviously, however, it does not have all the tools that you need.
Module 2: Building Your Website
You can only view this module if you are a premium member of Wealthy Affiliate. It highlights the need to have a personal domain. So, you may have to switch if you have been using a free hosting service.
This means that you need to invest more time and money to get your affiliate marketing venture going.
When you get to Module 2, it will not train you to do anything more about your niche. The Wealthy Affiliate program assumes that you have already chosen your niche. However, it does help you choose target keywords and write articles based on your chosen niche.
The module continues to talk about making your site visually attractive and incorporating email accounts. Module 2 is not just concerned about website building but also visibility and traffic.
Module 3: Making Money Out of Your Site
Of course, a good Wealthy Affiliate Review should be able to tell you if the program helps you earn money or not. After all, Module 3 is focused on just that.
Module 3 helps you focus on making money by providing you with the following information/skills:
- how affiliate marketing works
- how to add links to your affiliate pages
- Checking Affiliate offers against Google Adsense
- using Amazon Associates Program
- using product reviews as a leverage
- configuring your website’s Google Adsense
- using Google Analytics to your advantage
This site reminds you to provide valuable information to your readers. Yes, you have links and everything, but is your content compelling enough to make people keep on coming back?
Module 4: Social Engagement
Social media can be your best friend. It can help you widen your reach. So, you can use these various platforms for advertising your site. What can you do to make the most of this option?
- Share posts regularly, making sure your content is good and not considered spam
- Make use of various platforms, not just one
- Create a Wealthy Affiliate community blog and update it regularly with relevant content
The module provides you with various ways to manage a campaign effectively.
Module 5: Content Creation
As mentioned earlier, its content that will help your site reign supreme. It boosts the quality of your website as a whole.
Remember the time black hat SEO practices still worked?
This time around, Google is ready to penalize low-quality content. If you want to compete, you must research and present unique, informative articles that people actually want to read.
This module will help you see how content can be used to improve your ranking. However, it also includes other methods, such as good-quality backlinks, keywords, and more.
Under this module, you will learn how to use a keyword research tool and many other technical tools that can ramp up your rankings.
Because of what it can do, only those in the Wealthy Affiliate Premium program can avail of the module.
Module 6: Knowing your Audience and Getting Referrals
Module 6 is all about getting to know your audience. In fact, you should have already thought of it from the start. For a premium member module, it seems to bring you back to the beginning.
To be fair, though, the affiliate marketing program also includes information on how to get referrals. But certainly, though, some of you may prefer that this topic has been discussed under the free membership. It seems to jive well with the discussion on niches.
Module 7: Maximizing Results for PPC Ads
Thankfully, the Wealthy Affiliate marketing course ends with a bang with this module.
It is not only a set of videos that will help you navigate the use of PPC ads. Instead, you also get live webinars every week. These webinars will be hosted by experts that guide you through the topic and answer your queries.
Unfortunately, a free member will not be able to access this synchronous training opportunity. However, it only makes sense that it is only available through a paid membership.
Understanding and applying the lessons from the various modules can take a lot of time. You need to apply yourself if you want this to work genuinely.
So, from what you have read so far, you can tell that we do try to be as fair with this Wealthy Affiliate review. It has some ups and downs.
But is it something worth pursuing?
Let us find out more.
What I Like About Wealthy Affiliate
We started off this Wealthy Affiliate review with some foreboding signs.
But have you ever seen a Wealthy Affiliate success story? Yeah, you may have seen someone who has gone through the core training, used a competent website builder, and came out doing great.
You may have the following pros to thank for:
1.) Its fundamental affiliate marketer module set works.
The modules sound great, right? You have just gone through them. However, a lot of them are basics: using a keyword tool, creating WordPress websites, and understanding what affiliate marketing is all about.
These modules are pretty basic but nicely delivered.
2.) The content is delivered in small chunks.
This setup may start feeling like a huge advantage for someone overwhelmed with so many responsibilities. When you go through little bits of information and get them right away, you feel good about yourself. Sometimes, this placebo effect does not carry you far enough, though.
Affiliates do not obey developers’ advice on writing reviews
To be fair, again, Kyle encourages people to write honest affiliate marketing reviews. It represents the good intention of the affiliate marketing business.
But is it good enough as is? Well, it does raise the program’s trustworthy points. However, not everyone in the WA community is following through – and that is a problem.
3.) It plays by the rules, with white hat SEO
It is good to know that the developers are sticking to legal ways or promoting sites. A paid and popular affiliate marketing program would not be caught dead promoting black hat, anyway. It will destroy all its credibility if it decides to lean that way.
4.) It helps you go back to where you left off
Yeah, life happens. You sometimes cannot complete watching the whole video. So, video text descriptions can direct you back to where you left off. At least, you don’t have to waste your time.
What I Don’t Like About Wealthy Affiliate
So, for every success story, you may also hear a Wealthy Affiliate complaint – or more.
Here are a few things we did not like about it – that you may also not like about it.
1.) The training is not updated
Seriously, some of the content included had been going the rounds since 2015 or 2016 at the latest. It makes you think you should scour the net for free stuff, and you will get the premium bits that Wealthy Affiliate is offering.
2.) The WA community does not get enough support
One of the most attractive things you can get from an affiliate marketing program is community support. The WA community, unfortunately, does not get that. In fact, the two creators seem not too keen on answering the questions of their clients.
It is as if they expect people just to pay and accept the content that they provide.
3.) The creators display a lack of proper SEO knowledge
When one of your modules deal with SEO and gaining more website visitors, you cannot show a lack of knowledge in digital marketing. You cannot say things like, “Oh, I prefer to use H4 over H1”. While you may simply be blurting out a preference, you need to be careful.
You are trying to set an example as a successful affiliate marketer. Contradicting online rules may not favor your reputation.
Is Wealthy Affiliate Legit or Just Another Scam?
To get this out of the way, we should tell you right away that Wealthy Affiliate is not a scam.
It provides you with a product, albeit overpriced, for a particular cost. However, you cannot deny the fact that you get something in exchange for your money.
Is it a pyramid scheme? It is not. Your earnings do not depend on how many people you end up recruiting to the program. Instead, you earn money from the clicks readers make on your site, primarily if the clicks result in purchases.
It is not a scam. However, it may also not be able to provide you with much of what it promises. Each successful affiliate marketer that comes out of the program is among the lucky ones.
Does It Really Work?
Does it work? Yes, some people have made the most of their membership and come out of it a success story.
Does it work all the time? No. It does not. If it does, then we would not be getting a Wealthy Affiliate complaint here and there.
So, it works for the upper-tier who give a lot of themselves into it. Remember, not everyone has the fortune to have several hours to spare. It is also possible that some of these success stories already have some past experiences that have given them a boost.
Are students of Wealthy Affiliate getting results?
Yes, some members of the WA community have been getting their results. They have taken the core training at heart. More likely, these were the ones who were able to invest time, money, and energy into it. You can not get that from a free membership.
Who Should Join Wealthy Affiliate?
Is there a specific target audience for Wealthy Affiliate? More likely, there isn’t one particular group. It simply wants to appeal to anyone who wants to earn an affiliate commission.
After all, it is tempting to go for passive income. Who would say no to that?
However, a Wealthy Affiliate member does not necessarily get all that they want from the program. So, it is recommended that a WA affiliate must be someone who is starting out.
The program’s fundamentals are substantial but do not really take flight after that.
Who Should Not Join Wealthy Affiliate?
If you know your way around affiliate marketing, you may be disappointed that each training module gives you the impression of been-there, done that.
So, if you know your digital marketing like the back of your hand, you may not expect much from the program’s premium membership modules. The modules are not even adequately structured to feel like you are progressing from the ground up.
Wealthy Affiliate Pricing, Payment Plans, and Discount Offers
Here is the thing about investments. You need money to make more money. It would all be worth it if you were dealing with the best affiliate marketing program out there.
Wealthy Affiliate offers a chance to earn passive income through a starter membership (free!) and premium membership.
The starter Wealthy Affiliate Membership is free, but it is also constrained. You find yourself liking what you see – for a short period. Seven days! You may have seen only the most basic of all basic information by that time. So, you will be tempted to scale up.
A Wealthy Affiliate premium membership will cost you $19 for your first month. The month after that, you need to shell out $49 per month. You need to pay for the whole year to get a discount, thus establishing your commitment to them. So, that will be around $30 a month.
Is Wealthy Affiliate Worth The Money and Time?
It depends on when you asked this question. If you asked people this question sometime in 2016 or earlier, they would tell you, “yes.” The program’s success rates were a little high during that time, possibly because the content had been updated to match the year.
Nowadays, you may not even earn back the $30 or$49 that you pay for the program each month. You need tactics because the Internet has continued to grow. It has left Wealthy Affiliate behind.
What’s their Refund policy?
So, here is the thing. Other programs have spoiled you. When you see something you are not sure about, you just click on pay because you know you can get your money back when all things fail.
Is that the case with Wealthy Affiliate? Nope. You don’t get a refund. You don’t even get the usual 30-day money-back guarantee that usually supports overpriced stuff.
When you are given such a poor deal, it makes you wonder if you are in for a disappointment. They know it. So, they want to keep their money when you come to your senses.
How to Join Wealthy Affiliate?
Here is the thing with these kinds of programs. You just head on to their site and find the page that lets you type in your payment details. Then, you are done.
It would have been one of the pros of this program if not because you will have no way of going back from the deal.
Wealthy Affiliate Course Alternatives
The good news is that if you are not happy with Wealthy Affiliate, you can still find other options that may serve your purpose better.
Wealthy Affiliate vs. Super Affiliate System
Does Wealthy Affiliate fare well against this rival? Unfortunately, the answer is no. Although the structure seems to be similar, SAS’ founder John Crestani at least gets the party started by explaining what users can expect from the program. It also specifies the different social media it utilizes.
However, both programs may not do well if you are the sort of person who starts things and leaves them. You need to commit from beginning to end.
Wealthy Affiliate vs. Savage Affiliates
Now, here is the sad part. Wealthy Affiliate certainly has a lot of issues. Even then, Savage Affiliates still pale in comparison. However, some inexperienced affiliate marketers will still be tempted by the much lower price of Savage Affiliates.
You may be a little wary of its advertising tactics. It often cites its current premium price of $297 as discounted from $697. The problem is, why is the discount not lifting at all?
Wealthy Affiliate vs. Commission Hero
Wealthy Affiliate seems to be more popular than Commission Hero. However, Commission Hero saves the day here by offering a less expensive way to get more out of an affiliate marketing program.
If you must choose one, you must lean towards Commission Hero even if both programs do not offer a money-back guarantee.
Wealthy Affiliate vs. Four Percent Group
It’s the battle of the posh. How do the wealthy elite fare against the upper four Percent?
Well, both can theoretically work. You need to work hard and apply yourself and all that. However, Four Percent edges Wealthy Affiliate because about half of its content is free to view compared to the latter’s small chunk.
Four Percent seems to try to help others get onboard the upper, wealthy tier by providing more free stuff. However, if you read reviews about the two, you will see that Wealthy Affiliate is still more popular.
After all, it did have its glory days, and some are staying loyal. Those who joined after 2016, however, will not get that kind of success.
FAQs
Q. Who owns Wealthy Affiliate?
Two Canadian entrepreneurs Kyle Loudon and Carson Lim were the brains behind Wealthy Affiliate. They used to work together under Niche Marketing Inc. This was from way back in 2005.
Together, they have amassed more than 1.4 million users. The program is undoubtedly popular.
Q. How can I cancel my wealthy Affiliate membership
You can cancel your Wealthy Affiliate membership from the site itself.
Or, you may cancel it from your PayPal if that is what you used.
Go to Overview. Find Profile and click on that. Check the Financial Information column. There, you can click on the Pay List link. You can find options to cancel there.
So, at least the cancellation process can be done in the comfort of your own home, using your device.
Q. How much money do affiliate marketers make?
You will realize that this is a complicated question to answer. Different people do differently when it comes to any source of passive income.
In the case of Wealthy Affiliate, it is the program that becomes the wealthiest. It earns as much as 10 million dollars a year from the subscription dues its members pay. It would have been more fulfilling if the earnings were from real affiliate marketing.
So, yeah, there may be some people raking in negatives as they continue paying their monthly dues.
Q. How much does it cost to join Wealthy Affiliate?
It is free for a week. Then, you cannot reaccess it unless you pay $19 for the first month. After that, you need to pay $49 monthly.
If you want to save some money, you must pay an annual fee of $360, which breaks down to $30 a month.
Q. Which is the best affiliate marketing program?
The best affiliate marketing program is one that responds to your needs. If you can try out a few programs before you commit, kindly do so.
If you need a specific name, you may want to get saved by the Commission Hero Premium program. It is chockfull of stuff that will trigger an inspired move from you.
Q. What Kind Of Tools and Training are Available Inside Wealthy Affiliate?
Wealthy Affiliate comes with seven main modules, as discussed within the article. These modules may be basic, but they do serve a purpose among those who are starting out in the Affiliate commission world.
The training videos can provide people with a self-paced way of getting started in this business. However, you must make the most of the time because you may have to pay $30 or $49 a month in the long run.
Q. What do you get with The PREMIUM Wealthy Affiliate Membership Option?
The premium Wealthy Affiliate Membership comes with all the training videos that discuss the modules. Most of all, it provides you access to a live training session that you can join every week.
Those weekly sessions are possibly the highlights of the membership. It is when you can distinctly feel that you are part of the WA community.
Q. What do you get With The FREE Wealthy Affiliate Membership Option?
The free Wealthy Affiliate membership option is also called your starter kit.
Unfortunately, it only gives you a glimpse of what the rest of the program could have given. With only seven days to navigate and the first few lessons included, you will not be able to move forward in your quest to do well as an affiliate marketer.
Q. Is Wealthy Affiliate a pyramid scheme? Is it MLM?
Thankfully, no, Wealthy Affiliate may have several issues, but it is not a scam. It is not a pyramid scheme, which is a popular type of scam.
When you pay for your subscription, your money goes straight to the company. When you recommend someone, their earnings will not benefit you. You are taking a straight road and not creating a web of people making you reacher simply because they joined.
Should You Prefer Commission Hero over Wealthy Affiliate?
What do you think at this point?
If you have not tried either one, you may tend to lean more towards the more popular (seemingly) option – Wealthy Affiliate. Its name also uses a word that everyone aims for wealth.
However, even Wealthy Affiliate cannot deny that content is king. So, we will have to go with Commission Hero.
Commission Hero costs less, for one, although both do not offer money-back guarantees. It also produces easy-to-understand content. You can say that it is newbie-friendly.
Being newbie-friendly should be a fundamental goal in the world of digital marketing. Everyone’s too busy becoming Renaissance men and women to deal with jargon.
Commission Hero also provides a quick return on investment (ROI), not feeling like you are just getting negative earnings. It also comes with a 12-month success guarantee, which Wealthy Affiliate does not provide.
So, when it comes to refunds, Commission Hero wants you to show proof that you have utilized its tools before declaring your defeat. It is confident enough in what it offers.
Wealthy Affiliate Review Summary: Is it Worth the Money?
Writing a negative review seems like a mean thing to do. However, we have already found out how Wealthy Affiliate members seem averse to writing negative reviews. So, there is a need for some balance.
Let it be clear that we do not think the program is without any merits. It’s just that for the price it charges, you don’t expect it to stumble.
It still offers 2016 information. By this time, experienced marketers would have encountered them elsewhere. Yes, the live sessions do make things more interesting.
After all, you get to ask any affiliate marketing question you want. However, weeks do not always work for us. Sometimes, we cannot even make it to all our online meetings.
If you do get to it, it simply means you have been paying big bucks primarily for those sessions.
The program is, at least, not a scam. It gives you something for your money. It would have been great if not for rival programs popping up and offering more.
2021 users are now more tech-savvy. They want something that they have not encountered before. Then, the membership cost would not have been an issue.
It is also essential to send out a negative review now and then.
Hopefully, Wealthy Affiliate’s developers will read this and see why they should do something about their program structure and content.
By doing so, they are practicing what they preach. They have been telling people to provide great content to attract readers. Then, they should do the same.
This way, people would not hesitate to subscribe and follow their methods.
