Wondering whether to promote Walmart products on your affiliate site?
You’ve come to the right place.
I mean, it’s not a surprise you’re considering becoming a Walmart affiliate.
You’ve probably heard that Walmart has 10,500 stores across the globe, with a whopping 4 million different products in their arsenal.
I’ll bet you even live down the block from a Walmart, and go there to pick up anything from fresh milk to a necklace you’re going to wear to next weekend’s event.
In short, Walmart is huge, popular, and offers something for everyone.
But does that mean their affiliate program is great?
Not necessarily.
In this blog, I’ll show you the pros and cons of becoming a Walmart affiliate, so you can decide if it’s best for you and your brand.
But first…
A Brief History of Walmart (And Why that Matters)
Source: corporate.walmart.com
It all started with a man called Sam Walton.
On July 2, 1962, Sam opened his first shop in Roger, Arkansas.
His concept?
“The lowest prices, anytime, anywhere.”
It was clear from the beginning that Walmart was destined for greatness.
In 1967, only five years after Sam cut the ribbon on his first store, one became 27, and the family amassed a fortune of $12.7 million.
The rest is history.
Walmart expanded rapidly, adding a pharmacy, club, foundation…
…and then spreading across the globe.
Today, it is what it is.
It’s the store everyone has heard of (except those living under gigantic rocks).
Inspiring, huh?
Does that mean you should dive right in and become a Walmart affiliate?
I don’t think so.
You see, Walmart’s mission is to be the cheapest brand there is out there.
And while that’s cool for buyers…
…it might not be that cool for us affiliates.
But don’t be discouraged.
Let’s dive into the actual pros and cons of becoming an affiliate, so you can decide for yourself if you want to go for it.
The Pros and Cons of Joining the Walmart Affiliate Program
The truth is, becoming a Walmart affiliate isn’t for everyone.
But there are serious pros to enjoy when you become one.
Here are four.
Pro #1: Millions of Products to Promote
Is your audience interested in the best applesauce around?
Do they have a thing for crossbows?
Or do they want to ditch the glasses and go for cool contact lenses?
Whatever it is…Walmart has the product for them.
With over four million products in their stores, there’s something for every kind of audience out there.
There are even a bunch of products you’ve probably never seen in your life.
Like this water table.
Source: walmart.com
Or this cool Coleman inflatable hot tub.
Source: walmart.com
They have swimwear, camping goods, toiletries, toys, electronics, bicycles…you name it.
In fact, type anything into their search field, and I’ll bet you’ll get results.
With such a huge diversity of things to sell, it’ll be easy to attract a diverse audience and get a ton of sales from them.
Pro #2: Huge Trust
Go out into the street and ask the first random stranger you meet if they’ve heard about Walmart.
They’ll probably roll their eyes at you.
And say, “Duh.”
The point: everyone has heard of Walmart.
That’s why when your affiliate links lead to the Walmart checkout page, your audience won’t spend an eternity chewing on their fingernails and wondering whether or not you’re scamming them.
Since Walmart has built trust with millions of people over the decades, it won’t be hard to promote their products to your audience.
Pro #3: Straightforward Application Process
If you’ve already joined a handful of affiliate programs, you probably know that some of them are set on giving you a hard time.
They require you to be an ambassador, have a certain number of followers, and so on.
Not Walmart.
Basically, it has only three requirements.
-
That you have a website that has some content on it.
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That most of your traffic comes from North America (most of their stores and products are in the U.S., so it won’t make sense to market them to people who won’t have access to them).
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That your site is family-friendly.
And that’s it!
The benefits: less headache and less time waiting to get approved as an affiliate.
Plus, the application process is pretty straightforward.
All you have to do is go to their application page and fill out their form.
Source: impact.com
After you’ve finished, click the “Submit Application” button at the bottom and wait to see if you’re approved.
Easy, huh?
Pro #4: Great Support
So, imagine you’re new to the exciting world of affiliate marketing.
You’ve got your site up and your personalized links to promote.
Now, what next?
As a Walmart affiliate, it doesn’t matter how new you are.
You’ll have a ton of support behind you, from product newsletters to professionally designed creatives (including banner ads).
Meaning, you can be a person without a designer bone in your body, and still rock it at affiliate marketing with Walmart.
Now, for the cons of joining the Walmart affiliate program.
Because you guessed it: it’s not all rainbows and unicorns.
Here are three cons you should know about:
Con #1: Low Commission Rates
Honestly, this is one of the biggest cons of being a Walmart affiliate.
Their commission rates suck.
For example, you get a teeny tiny 1% commission on toys.
Plus, they can change their commission rates at any time, meaning you could wake up one morning to see all your earnings plunge into the abyss.
Like this poor guy.
Source: businessofapps.com
Sob.
Seriously, you don’t want to feel what Ray felt.
So if you’re thinking of making Walmart the only affiliate program you join…
…stop right now.
Making Walmart a part of your long list of affiliate programs is cool.
Relying on it as your sole source of monetization is not.
Con #2: Lower Conversion Rates than Other ECommerce Platforms
Choosing between Walmart and Amazon?
Pick Amazon.
That’s because while it’s controversial and gives low payoffs at best, at least its conversion rates are better.
Here’s what their conversion rates look like:
-
Walmart: 5-7.5%
-
Amazon: 13%
So while both Walmart and Amazon pay off a tiny 1-4% on most of their products, you’ll earn more with Amazon because of their larger conversion rates.
And don’t worry.
Amazon has over 12 million products, three times as many as Walmart has.
Not to promote Amazon, of course, but if you’re into low-paying affiliate programs, I suggest picking it over Walmart.
Con #3: Their Affiliate Program Feels Like an Afterthought
Let’s face it.
When you think of Walmart, you think of the store down the block.
Probably not as a huge ecommerce platform like Amazon.
Because that’s just it.
Walmart today is still racing to catch up with Amazon in the online world.
Which means, their affiliate program isn’t an integral part of their business yet.
Sure, it might be someday.
But right now, it’s plagued by defunct affiliate tools, changeful commission rates, and a ton of other small problems that might make being part of their program just not worth it.
Walmart Affiliate Review: So, Should You Go for It?
I know, it’s confusing.
At first, the pros seem great.
Millions of products, great trust, simplicity, support.
But then you come face to face with the cons.
Low commission rates and comparatively low conversion rates.
Glitches that make you feel that their affiliate program is an afterthought.
So you think, “Is this right for me?”
The answer: it depends.
If you’re just starting out and want to go for a program that has a ton of products and great trust, go for it.
You probably won’t earn a lot, but if your goal is to earn that extra hundred bucks to treat your friends to some drinks, then go.
Also, if you consider the Walmart affiliate program as a supplement to your many other programs, then it’s fine.
But if you’re thinking to make a ton of money from Walmart’s program alone…
…you should think twice about it.
