What Should You Promote? Start With the Customer, Not the Commission

Choosing your first affiliate products can feel harder than building the website.

You join a few programmes, look through the available offers and notice the commission rates. One pays a few pounds per sale. Another offers recurring payments. A third promises a much larger payout.

Which one should you promote?

It is an understandable question. You are building a business, so the income matters.

But commission is the wrong place to start.

Before deciding what to promote, you need to understand who you are helping, what they are trying to achieve and what might make a purchase sensible for them.

You do not need an expensive research tool or a detailed customer profile that takes three days to complete. You need a clear picture of a real buying situation.

Let’s work through how to get there.

Why starting with commission sends you in the wrong direction

Imagine someone opening a local shop and choosing every item because the supplier offers a generous margin.

They have not considered who lives nearby, what those people need or what they can afford. They have simply filled the shelves with products that look profitable.

Would you call that a sound business plan?

Choosing affiliate products without considering the customer follows much the same logic.

A high commission tells you something about the payment arrangement. It does not tell you whether your audience needs the product, understands it or is ready to buy it.

You can end up trying to persuade the wrong people to purchase something they were never looking for.

Then you assume the problem is your writing, your website or your traffic.

Sometimes those things need attention. But first, ask whether the recommendation makes sense.

The starting point is fit: the relationship between a person’s problem, their circumstances and the solution you recommend.

1. Define an audience you can recognise

“My audience is people who want to make money online” is a starting interest, not a useful working definition.

It could describe:

• A full-time employee looking for a small additional income.
• A freelance designer who wants more reliable client enquiries.
• A blogger with established traffic but little income.
• A retired professional interested in sharing their knowledge.
• Someone who needs money immediately and cannot afford to experiment.

Those people do not necessarily need the same products.

Some may need a website. Others already have one. Some might benefit from an email platform. Others need to decide what their business is actually about before paying for more software.

For affiliate beginners, narrowing the audience is not about excluding everyone else. It is about making your decisions manageable.

Try completing this sentence:

I help [a particular type of person] achieve [a specific result] while dealing with [an important constraint].

For example:

I help UK creators with small websites plan useful content around a full-time job.

That gives you more to work with than “I help online entrepreneurs”.

You can now consider their available time, likely experience and immediate priorities.

You do not need to get this perfect. You need a definition specific enough to guide your next decision.

2. Describe the problem without mentioning a product

This is a useful test.

Can you explain the customer’s difficulty without naming the thing you want to sell?

If your description is “they need an email marketing platform”, you have jumped ahead.

What are they struggling with?

Perhaps visitors read one article and never return. Perhaps the creator has promised a free download but has no reliable way to deliver it. Perhaps they already have subscribers but send nothing because they do not know what to say.

Those are different problems.

They may involve email software, but software alone will not solve all of them.

Write the problem in the customer’s words:

“People visit my website, but I have no way to keep in touch with them.”

Or:

“I spend Sunday evening deciding what to publish, then run out of time to write it.”

Or:

“I want to start a website, but I cannot tell which hosting features I actually need.”

Notice how each statement points towards a different kind of help.

The first might require a simple subscriber journey. The second could call for a planning process rather than another subscription. The third needs a clear explanation of suitable options and costs.

When you define the problem properly, you become less tempted to recommend the same product to everyone.

3. Find out what happens when the problem remains unsolved

Not every frustration justifies a purchase.

Someone might dislike the colour options in their current website theme. That does not necessarily mean they need a replacement.

Someone else might be unable to complete a customer order because their existing setup lacks an essential function. That deserves more immediate attention.

Ask:

• What does this problem stop the person doing?
• How often does it happen?
• What are they doing to work around it?
• Does the workaround cost time or money?
• Is the problem important enough to act on now?

Consider a hypothetical food blogger.

They would like more attractive recipe graphics, but their immediate difficulty is that they cannot maintain a publishing schedule alongside paid work.

A premium design subscription might be enjoyable. It may not address what is holding them back.

A simpler content plan could be the more useful first step.

This is where you separate something that sounds appealing from something that addresses a genuine priority.

You are not trying to exaggerate the pain. You are trying to understand it.

4. Understand the buying situation

The same person can need different advice at different stages.

Someone researching their first website is not in the same buying situation as a publisher whose existing hosting cannot handle their requirements.

Both may search for hosting advice. Their questions are different.

The beginner might ask:

“What do I need to get started without spending too much?”

The established publisher might ask:

“Can I move without disrupting my existing site?”

Before choosing an affiliate product, look at five parts of the buying situation.

What have they already tried?

A person starting from nothing may appreciate a straightforward introduction.

Someone who has already paid for an unsuitable product needs a more careful explanation of why another option would be different.

Do not assume they are encountering the problem for the first time.

What do they currently use?

A recommendation has to fit the customer’s existing setup.

A WordPress website owner, a newsletter-only creator and someone selling through an online marketplace may require different solutions.

Replacing something can also create extra work. Include that in your thinking rather than treating a new purchase as an isolated decision.

What can they reasonably spend?

A £15 monthly subscription may be manageable for one reader and an unwelcome commitment for another.

Ask whether the customer has a defined budget and whether the purchase replaces an existing cost or adds another one.

For UK creators comparing overseas software, check the billing currency, billing period and any applicable taxes before quoting a price. Make clear whether you are discussing a monthly commitment or an annual payment.

What can they realistically implement?

A sophisticated tool is not automatically a useful recommendation.

If someone has two hours a week for their project, a product requiring extensive setup may not be their best starting point.

Capability matters as well as features.

Why are they considering a purchase now?

There may be a practical trigger:

• Their current free plan no longer meets their requirements.
• They are preparing to launch a website.
• They have started collecting subscribers.
• Their existing provider is changing its service.
• They have a specific task they cannot complete.

A clear trigger gives you a better basis for recommending a product than a general desire to “grow”.

5. Listen before you build a customer profile

You do not need to invent a fictional person with a name, favourite coffee and carefully chosen photograph.

You need evidence of what prospective customers actually ask.

Start with places you already have access to:

• Replies to your emails.
• Comments on relevant articles or videos.
• Questions in communities that allow research and participation.
• Conversations with customers or other creators.
• Reviews of products in the category.
• Search queries bringing people to your existing content, if you have that data.

Look for specific language and repeated difficulties.

“Too complicated” is a clue, but it needs unpacking.

What was complicated? The initial setup? The terminology? Connecting it to a website? Working out the price?

Likewise, “too expensive” might mean the price is genuinely beyond the person’s budget. It could also mean they do not understand what they would gain from paying.

Record the distinction.

A simple research note might contain:

Treat these as questions to explore, not conclusions drawn from a single comment.

6. Separate the desired result from the product features

People need to understand what a feature helps them do.

That does not mean turning every feature into a grand promise. It means explaining its practical relevance.

Take email automation.

For a beginner, “advanced workflow builder” may mean very little.

A more useful explanation could be:

You can send a requested download and a short welcome sequence without manually emailing each new subscriber.

Now the feature has a clear job.

But if the customer does not yet have a website, an offer or a reason for people to subscribe, the same feature may not be their immediate priority.

Here is another example.

A keyword research tool might provide search-volume estimates and competitor reports. The relevant question is whether those functions help this particular reader make better publishing decisions.

Someone who has not chosen a subject for their website may need guidance before they need a paid research subscription.

Always connect the product to a task the customer understands.

7. Decide what kind of solution is appropriate

Once you understand the problem, do not assume the answer must be an affiliate product.

The sensible next step could be:

• A free explanation.
• A change to the customer’s existing process.
• A template or workbook.
• A free version of a tool.
• A paid subscription.
• A one-off purchase.
• Specialist assistance beyond what you can provide.

This is important for building an affiliate income system that you can stand behind.

You are not obliged to monetise every difficulty.

If someone can solve the problem through a simple setting in a tool they already own, explain that first.

If they need a product, explain why.

You can still run a commercial website while occasionally saying:

“You probably do not need to pay for this yet.”

That sentence also makes you clarify when paying would become worthwhile.

8. Build a short product brief before browsing programmes

Here is a practical way to stop commission rates taking over your thinking.

Write a product brief before you compare affiliate offers.

For a hypothetical part-time creator starting an email list, it might look like this:

This is not a recommendation for a particular platform. It is a decision framework.

Now you can examine products against something more useful than the size of the payout.

You can also explain your recommendation more clearly because you know what you were looking for.

9. Bring commission into the decision after suitability

Commission still matters.

You are entitled to consider whether an affiliate arrangement is worth your time. The mistake is allowing it to decide which customer problem you pretend to solve.

Once you have suitable candidates, compare their commercial terms.

Consider the payment structure, attribution arrangements, restrictions, reversals and any conditions attached to recurring payments.

Do not assume that a headline percentage tells the whole story.

For illustration, suppose one programme pays £20 per approved sale and another pays £80.

The second is not automatically the better business choice. You still need to consider customer suitability, product quality, the programme terms and the work involved in producing an accurate recommendation.

Nor should you assume the cheaper product will necessarily sell more easily. That also needs evidence.

The point is to compare the complete proposition.

A reasonable decision order is:

1. Does it address the customer’s problem?
2. Is it suitable for their circumstances?
3. Can I support the claims I would make?
4. Are the buying terms clear?
5. Does the affiliate arrangement make commercial sense?

That keeps the customer and the business in the same decision, without confusing their priorities.

10. Turn the buying situation into useful content

Once you know who the recommendation is for, you can plan content around their actual questions.

Suppose your reader is a part-time consultant setting up their first website.

They may need help understanding:

• What a basic site needs.
• Which costs are essential.
• How hosting differs from a domain name.
• What information to prepare before building.
• When a paid upgrade is justified.

That is more useful than publishing a generic “best tools for entrepreneurs” list containing everything you can earn commission from.

It also connects your product choices with your traffic and funnels.

The article should attract someone with a relevant question. The next step should help them resolve that question or make a considered decision.

If the reader is still defining the problem, provide an explanation.

If they are comparing options, provide meaningful criteria.

If they are ready to buy, help them check the costs, limitations and setup requirements.

Do not expect one article to serve every stage equally well.

And do not promise predictable affiliate income simply because the content and offers are connected. Better planning gives you a clearer business to evaluate; it does not remove uncertainty or guarantee sales.

Five beginner mistakes to avoid

1. Choosing a niche because a programme pays well

A programme is not an audience.

Before committing, identify the people you can help and the questions you are willing to research properly.

Otherwise, you may build a site around a payment arrangement rather than a useful subject.

2. Treating every reader as ready to buy

Someone asking “Do I need a website?” is in a different position from someone comparing two hosting plans.

Match the recommendation to the decision they are making now.

Sometimes the right next step is another guide.

3. Recommending your own setup to everyone

Your tools reflect your experience, preferences and existing business.

A beginner may not need the same functions or be comfortable with the same costs.

Explain who your setup suits and where a simpler alternative would make sense.

4. Making product claims without enough evidence

Reading a sales page is not the same as testing a product.

Be clear about what you have used, what you have researched and what you cannot verify.

If you have not tested a particular function, do not describe it as though you have.

5. Hiding the commercial relationship

Your reader should be able to recognise affiliate advertising.

For UK affiliate content, the ASA requires advertising to be obviously identifiable. Its guidance explains that a vague statement saying some links “might” earn commission is not enough to identify the relevant advertising content; clear, prominent labelling is important.asa+1

Make the relationship clear rather than hoping nobody notices it.

A practical exercise you can complete today

Choose one audience and one problem.

Not your entire website. Not every possible product category.

Write answers to these questions:

1. Who am I helping?
2. What are they trying to achieve?
3. What is stopping them?
4. What have they already tried?
5. What do they currently use?
6. What can they afford and implement?
7. What would make a purchase sensible now?
8. What would make it unnecessary?

Then write this paragraph:

I am helping [audience] who want to [result] but are struggling with [problem]. They currently [situation] and need an option that [requirements]. They probably do not need [unnecessary features or expense]. Before recommending anything, I need to check [remaining questions].

Only then shortlist products.

For each candidate, record one reason it might suit the reader and one reason it might not.

If you cannot explain the limitation, you probably need to investigate further.

The exercise will not make every decision obvious. It will show you where your understanding is clear and where you are still guessing.

Key takeaways

Before deciding what to promote:

• Define a recognisable audience.
• Describe the problem without naming a product.
• Understand the person’s budget, experience, existing setup and reason for buying.
• Listen to real questions rather than inventing customer motivations.
• Consider free and non-product solutions.
• Assess commission after establishing suitability.
• Create content around the decision the reader needs to make.

You do not need a long list of affiliate programmes to begin.

You need a clear reason for each recommendation.

Put the customer research to work

Once you understand your audience’s problem, the next step is deciding what to publish to help them.

If you are still putting the foundations in place, explore the How to Start Affiliate Marketing guides on The Strategic Affiliate. For the practical side of organising your work, tracking progress and building repeatable processes, visit the Systems page.

The Affiliate Content Planning Workbook can help you turn your research into a manageable four-week content plan, covering new articles, existing-content updates and seasonal opportunities.

Start with the person and the decision they need to make.

Then choose the product.

The commission belongs in the plan. It should not write the plan for you.