Besides getting commissions, most affiliate websites are also part of ad networks trying to build their email databases or sell their products. But if you combine all that together, you’re in for some bad user experience (UX):
Example of bad UX: pop-up on webpage
Example of monetization that leads to bad UX.
Wirecutter is the opposite. Its content is pleasant to read and has great images, GIFs, and videos. Most importantly, the content doesn’t contain any interrupting elements.
Short, positive write-up about whatsapp number list a blue rain jacket; below that, picture of someone's hands adjusting the jacket's velcro cuffs
High-quality contextual photos with good captions in a gallery within Wirecutter’s rain jackets review.
Its product recommendation boxes with affiliate links also look quite nice. Each box even has a “product saving” feature:
"Bookmark" icon in top-right corner where users can save the product to view later
I get it. Maximizing your monetization options is enticing and often makes sense from the business perspective. But I’m convinced that many websites are better off in the long term if they optimize and moderate these elements.
recommended name is what makes affiliate marketing such a powerful pillar of digital marketing.
Think about it this way:
Better UX may make your website more popular and its pages rank better. More engaged visitors obviously lead to more commissions from affiliate links. People may also prefer to more often link to good-looking and easy-to-navigate websites.
All of these factors combined will likely be worth more than what you’d make from the other monetization options.
Google already uses mobile-friendliness and Core Web Vitals in its ranking algorithm. It would make perfect sense if it evaluated many other UX factors as well.
3. Leverage your category pages
Let’s check the statistics of another review page:
Site Explorer overview of Wirecutter's article on noise-canceling headphones
We can see that all Wirecutter reviews are placed within the /reviews subfolder. But all of its reviews are properly interlinked and categorized in the site navigation and breadcrumbs: