Bluehost Affiliate Program: Make Up to $130 Per Sale in 2023
When you want to launch and monetize your website or blog, the first step is to find a reliable, secure hosting plan. A stable hosting plan provides blazing fast site speed, and a secure one-click WordPress install.
In the same vein, web hosting platforms are also some of the highest paying affiliate programs out there, with payments from $60 to $130 per sale. And one of the best web hosting affiliate programs of all is the Bluehost affiliate program.
Bluehost powers more than 2 million websites online and is the No. 1 recommended hosting provider by WordPress. With 24/7 support, free SSL certificates, and free domain name registration, Bluehost web hosting is a powerhouse.
This guide on the Bluehost affiliate program gives you everything you need to make more money with their program this year.
Disclaimer: This review contains my Bluehost affiliate link which may provide a small commission to me at no cost to you. However, they are the number one tool I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone looking to start and monetize a blog or website. You can read my affiliate disclosure in my privacy policy in the footer.
Even after choosing their most basic shared hosting plan and a WordPress theme, I was able to quickly set up my blog and get my site speed to 100.
Bluehost sells three types of hosting plans:
- Shared Hosting: A basic hosting plan for individual websites or blogs.
- VPS Hosting: Virtual private servers for larger websites with powerful features.
- Dedicated Hosting: Extreme power and up-time using custom-built servers.
As a bonus, Bluehost offers one of the highest paying commission structures for internet marketers interested in earning additional revenue from their website.
Users promoting Bluehost’s products and services via personalized links on your website, you can receive anywhere from $65 to $130 per sale generated from your website.
In this review of the Bluehost affiliate program, we’ll cover:
- How to set up your monetized website using a Bluehost hosting plan.
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of being a Bluehost affiliate?
- How do you start an affiliate marketing business by joining the Bluehost affiliate program?
- Ways you can promote your Bluehost affiliate links.
- How to login to Bluehost and become a web hosting affiliate.
What is Bluehost?
Bluehost is a web hosting company that hosts over 2 million websites. It was conceived of by Matt Heaton in 1996 and officially launched as Bluehost in 2003.
They offer some of the best web hosting, including options like cheap shared hosting, WordPress hosting, VPS hosting, dedicated hosting, cloud hosting, WooCommerce hosting, and a lot more types of hosting and domain services.
How to Set Up a Bluehost Login and Account
To become a Bluehost affiliate, you’ll need to own a website. And there isn’t a better way than building a Bluehost website. They truly own the market, and it’s a win-win for new bloggers.
1. Visit Bluehost.com and select Shared Hosting.
2. Select a Bluehost Shared Hosting plan that meets the needs of your website.
3. Register a new domain name or add one to own to Bluehost.
Or, if you have a domain name with another service, follow the steps to set up your Bluehost shared hosting with that URL.
4. Add your Bluehost login information.
You may also log in using your Google profile and account details. You’ll use this Bluehost login moving forward.
5. Review your Bluehost package information.
You have the option to include additional features such as SiteLock in your plan. If you do not wish to pay for these features, be sure to uncheck the boxes.
6. Enter your payment information and submit.
After you complete these steps, you use your Bluehost login and launch your website using the Bluehost hosting plan of your choice.
Bluehost Affiliate Program Review
Joining an affiliate program is as simple as signing up for the program, placing text links or banners on your site, and cashing in for any referral sales you generate. As Bluehost is one of the most popular and well-known web hosting companies on the market, they have a highly successful affiliate program.
The program is so popular and successful that Bluehost paid out more than $5 million in commissions over the last calendar year.
However, like all affiliate programs, the Bluehost affiliate process has its fair share of advantages and disadvantages. Here are the top pros and cons of joining the Bluehost Affiliate Program.
Bluehost Review: Affiliate Program Pros
1. Large One-Time Payouts
Bluehost affiliates earn commissions starting at $65 for each qualified hosting plan purchase.
Best of all, there’s no cap on how much you can earn. Bluehost affiliates are allowed to refer as many new customers to the hosting company as possible. Meaning, your opportunities for a passive income stream using the Bluehost affiliate program are endless.
Take Pat Flynn at Smart Passive Income, for example. In one of his income reports from December 2017, he generated $27,650 from Bluehost affiliate commissions alone.
Also, Bluehost utilizes PayPal to send affiliates their earnings. As you may already know, PayPal transactions are subject to a fee. But not to worry, Bluehost covers those for you. You’ll earn the full $65 and won’t have to fret about subtracting any pesky fees.
It is essential to note the payments process between 45 and 60 days after the sale. All sales process between the 16th and last day of the month. For instance, if you earned a deal in January, your earnings will be reviewed and applied between the 16th and 31st of March.
2. Tiered Commission Structure
While commissions start at $65, Bluehost offers a tiered commission to reward successful and loyal affiliate members. As a result, the more sales you make over time, the higher your overall payout. Tiered commissions range from $65 to $130 per sale. When you sign up, tell your affiliate manager your ultimate goals, and you may be able to get a commission bump.
3. Superior Affiliate Support Team
As with all things in the world of Internet advertising and tracking, errors can occur, and affiliate platforms are no exception. Fortunately, the Bluehost affiliate support team is top-notch. In fact, as an approved Bluehost affiliate, you’ll have a dedicated support team ready to help you with whatever problem arises. I’ve found them to be quick to respond to emails, and they provide 24/7 support to help you succeed.
4. Strong Conversion Rates
Generating revenue from affiliate marketing programs takes time, dedication, and a fine-tuned content strategy. Luckily with Bluehost, they have excellent name recognition, low cost for new customers, and reliable conversion rates. Plus, all new bloggers need to choose a web host – it’s a necessity, not a nice to have.
Considering the nature of Bluehost’s low cost to entry and excellent product, you’ll enjoy stable conversion rates.
Plus, Bluehost affiliates are permitted to use affiliate links on any website, blog, email, or other platforms to promote them. So, the more websites and social media content you have, the better the potential for your clicks to lead to conversions.
Keep in mind these conversion rates only surface once you’ve developed content that attracts a loyal audience. It won’t happen overnight.
5. Low Barrier to Entry
Specific affiliate marketing programs have restrictions about who is allowed to join. Frequently, applicants must have a minimum amount of page views or number of subscribers before being accepted into a program.
These restrictions aren’t the case with Bluehost. Everyone who owns a website is allowed to apply for the Bluehost affiliate program. The application process is fast and straightforward, too. You don’t have to go through a lengthy application process and can get approved right away. I got accepted and had an affiliate manager reach out to me within a few hours of joining.
6. Leverage Banner Ads
In addition to text links, Bluehost affiliates can also include banner ads on their website to drive interested readers to Bluehost’s products. With the program’s easy-to-use instructions and widgets, you’ll have no problem embedding HTML code and adding banners to your website.
7. Frequent Discounts and Promotions
To assist you in promoting their products, Bluehost regularly sends notices of discounts and seasonal promotions to their affiliates. These discounts allow you to promote such offers on your website and blog content, providing annual incentives that can lead to more sales. Create content around seasonal shopping trends such as Black Friday, the holidays, or the beginning of the year when a new website is on every entrepreneur’s mind.
Bluehost Review: Affiliate Program Cons
As with any affiliate marketing program, the Bluehost program does have a few small disadvantages.
1. Withdrawal Limits
While you may want to withdraw your earnings from Bluehost immediately, this is not possible. Affiliates must earn $100, or two sales, before being able to withdraw their money.
Fortunately, this only applies to your first payment as a Bluehost affiliate. After you make two sales and pass the $100 threshold, you’re free to withdraw your payments as you wish. If you’re blogging and generate a sale via their affiliate referral program, you receive the payment within 45 to 60 days.
2. User Downgrade Penalties
If one of your referred Bluehost customers decides to downgrade their hosting plan, your referral fee deducts from future earnings as an affiliate.
3. Difficult for Those Inexperienced with SEO
To indeed be successful as an affiliate marketer, you need to master the tactics and strategies of search engine optimization (SEO.)
SEO tactics work to get your content in front of people searching for relevant phrases or keywords on search engines such as Google. It takes a decent amount of traffic to get enough click-throughs on your affiliate links to generate sales.
Before you enroll in the Bluehost affiliate program, carve out time to learn the ins and outs of SEO. Begin implementing these tactics into your blog content, pages, and other areas of your website.
It’s tough to generate traffic (and sales) without a strong SEO strategy. Remember, long-form, SEO-optimized, quality content that matches user intent is critical.
Once you’re confident in your SEO skills, apply to the Bluehost affiliate program, direct readers to your website, and convert them into Bluehost customers.
How to Join the Bluehost Affiliate Program
Ready to monetize your website by becoming a Bluehost affiliate?
Once you’ve launched your website with Bluehost hosting using the steps previously mentioned, follow these steps to apply to the Bluehost affiliate program. Unlike other popular affiliate programs in places like CJ (Commission Junction), Bluehost runs its very own in-house affiliate referral program.
Here are the five steps to join the Bluehost affiliate program.
1. Visit Bluehost.com and scroll down to the footer menu. Click on the Affiliates program link.
2. After you’ve read more about the Bluehost affiliate program, click Sign Up.
3. Fill out the required application information so that you can have a Bluehost login.
4. Enter your PayPal email address.
If you do not have a PayPal account, create one before joining the Bluehost affiliate program. Bluehost utilizes PayPal Masspay to distribute earnings.
5. Accept the Bluehost affiliate terms and click submit.
Once you’ve created your account and submitted an application, you must wait for approval from Bluehost, but they are speedy and have automated a lot of this process. In the meantime, be sure to fill out the tax form found in your Bluehost affiliate login dashboard. You’ll need to submit this info to receive your earnings.
How to Promote Bluehost with Affiliate Links
Congratulations! You’ve been approved to be a Bluehost affiliate and can use your Bluehost login to access your affiliate dashboard.
Now it’s time to start creating optimized and intriguing content that not only promotes Bluehost web hosting services but also convinces readers to become a customer.
There are multiple ways to promote your Bluehost affiliate links online.
1. Create a Bluehost Review
The best way to guide readers to your website and convert them into a customer is by developing and distributing content they want to read. In this case, you’ll need to publish content around topics related to website hosting and Bluehost products – like this one.
As a Bluehost hosting customer yourself, you’ll already have firsthand knowledge about the products. Write content that reviews Bluehost products and hosting plans. Provide potential customers with information and tips related to hosting a website on Bluehost. The more insight you can offer, the higher the chance your readers will convert using your affiliate links.
You can also write reviews comparing Bluehost to other hosting services to broaden your affiliate monetization strategy.
2. Write Blog Posts About Starting a WordPress Blog with Bluehost
Did you know top websites such as USA Today, Fortune, TechCrunch, and TED all use WordPress as their Content Management System (CMS)? As the leading CMS on the market, over 30% of websites run on WordPress.
And, Bluehost is WordPress’ recommended hosting service.
Thousands upon thousands of people are searching online for tips about launching their WordPress blog or website. Take this opportunity to write optimized content about related topics such as:
- WordPress hosting.
- WordPress themes.
- WordPress plugins.
- Tips about using WordPress.
- Optimizing a WordPress blog.
- The best WordPress plugins to use for a new blog.
3. Send Welcome Emails to New Subscribers
Among the many steps required to monetize a blog is email marketing. This marketing tactic helps build a community of loyal followers who are eager to consume the content you’ve published.
As part of your email marketing strategy, send each new subscriber a “Welcome” email. In this message, include content aligned, starting a blog or a new website. And, if applicable, mention any discounts or promotions Bluehost may have available at the moment.
4. Film Bluehost Video Reviews
For more promotional content, transform your written Bluehost reviews into captivating videos. Considering 90% of viewers say product videos are helpful in the decision process, these videos are a fantastic way to turn interested readers into paying Bluehost customers.
When publishing your videos on your website and other platforms such as YouTube, be sure to include affiliate links in the description. You can also verbally and visually direct viewers to click on the link for more information about web hosting. Or, create video overlay ads using your affiliate links.
5. Develop and Publish a Resources Page
As a marketer, your goal is to not only drive sales but also to educate potential customers. To do so, add a Resources page to your website.
On this page, display tools, platforms, strategies, and products such as Bluehost you recommend readers use for their website or blog efforts. In addition to using your affiliate links in blog content, emails, videos, and more, a Resource page always lives in the top-level navigation of your site and can generate passive clicks and affiliate revenue.
6. Alternative Ways to Promote Bluehost
While the best way to promote Bluehost is through the content you own and create, some affiliate marketers can earn sales through Google AdWords. However, Bluehost does not allow affiliates to bid on branded keywords, trademarked terms, or use the Bluehost name in ad copy or descriptions.
If you can get creative and devise web hosting ads while adhering to those terms, you may be successful in generating new affiliate revenue through PPC. However, cost-per-click is competitive, and it’s more ROI-positive to start by focusing on generating organic traffic.
Bluehost Affiliate Program Review (Summary)
With hard work, time, and a solid marketing strategy, you too can earn extra income from your website using the Bluehost affiliate program. It’s one of the most successful affiliate programs in the world and tops my list of the best 105+ high paying affiliate programs this year.
It’s a win-win. You can start a new blog with Bluehost then use your knowledge of their tool to recommend your readers use it as well. There’s a reason so many people choose Bluehost when starting their blog.
Launch your website and apply for the Bluehost affiliate program today, and you’re on your way to earning up to $130 for every sale (and motivating the next generation of bloggers).
great job buddy
thanks for sharing about Bluehost affiliate program reviews …
Nice information
One question
there is primary link option while sign up for affiliation. what is that? what should be filled in that
Hey Santosh, good question. That is a unique identifier for tracking purposes and you can put anything there you’d like. For example, mind is just ADAMENFROY.
This is a star content for affiliate bigginer
THANK YOU
Hi Adam i would like to know how i can access the bluehost banners for my own blog? which email do you use to communicate to the bluehost affiliate team for help. thank you
To get Bluehost banners with affiliate links, you’ll need to be accepted into their affiliate program first. I would make sure your own email is from your domain (not gmail, hotmail, yahoo, etc.) They have different affiliate managers with different email addresses – I would apply and then message the email they respond to your application with.
Hey Adam,
Great post! I have been a bluehost affiliate for a while now and was trying to find the answer to a question of mine when I found your article.
What is the average sales per clicks ratio? How many clicks lead to a sale on average?
I had 203 clicks in the past 45 days with no sales. A bit worried.
Any advice would be appreciated!
Hey Freya, that’s a great question. Your click-to-sale conversion rate typically varies based on the number of affiliate links on the page and the visitor’s search intent.
For example, my “how to start a blog” post with Bluehost affiliate links has a much higher conversion rate than my post on the “best affiliate programs” with my Bluehost affiliate link. The closer that you can match the Bluehost offering with your organic keywords, the higher your conversion rate will be.
My conversion rates range from 2% to 20% based on the page. I’d aim for 2-5% click to sale conversion rate to start. If you’re not seeing any sales yet after 203 clicks, I wouldn’t be alarmed. I would check on how users are finding you (keywords/traffic sources), and how your links are positioned on the page (number of links/calls to action). I hope that helps. 🙂
That makes sense. The post was a cumulation of ideas so it definitely has less user intent than a ‘how to start a blog’ post.
A lot of my traffic comes from Pinterest at the moment so that affects user intent big time as well.
Still trying to add up those backlinks. You’ve done an insane job of that!
Thanks for the extremely thorough reply!
Hey Adam
What are the best ways to promote BLUEHOST affiliate links? Both free and paid ads! i would love to know!
Hey Fahim, thanks for the comment. There are a lot of options… The best long-term option is to focus on organic search and rank on Google to get readers to your affiliate articles. These can be about topics like web hosting reviews, how to start a blog/website (and recommend Bluehost), comparison articles (i.e. Bluehost vs. HostGator), etc. You can also build up your email list and add the links there if your readers are interested in using Bluehost.
Hi Adam.
Love your write up. Very in-depth and helpful.
I have a question (don’t know if it was answered in the blog post).
Do you earn commissions only when a referral purchases a particular subscription plan, or do your earnings as an affiliate apply to all blue host plans (including the cheapest ones)??
Hey Obed, good question. You earn commissions whenever the referral purchases any paid plan.
Hi Adam,
Great to have all your replies to other’s concerns.
Could you please make it clear to me – a complete new-comer in the field of affiliate (even thought I truly tried hard these days):
– Is it a MUST have website to join Bluehost AG? and
– Given that I have no website, then can I use my other social media (such as facebook,
instagram, twitter…etc as an temporary option? And does it work in this case?
Many thanks.
Hey Donald, while it’s not a 100% must to have a website for all affiliate programs, you’ll have trouble getting approved into programs without one. When you sign up for the Bluehost affiliate program, they ask you for your “primary URL”. I am assuming you could use a Facebook page or social media account in this section. However, your approval odds are a lot lower – it will come down to the affiliate manager that is manually approving/rejecting applications. Overall, if you’re looking to make money as an affiliate, a website is a must.
This post is great sir thank you
For some people who are new to internet marketing, Bluehost Hosting may just be the perfect way for them to begin their own successful internet business. There are a lot of people who are starting out online and are interested in having their own online business, and Bluehost Hosting may just be the one for them. There are a lot of people who have used this type of hosting and have had some success with it. With a lot of people having had success with this hosting, you can start to see how successful they can be with this type of hosting. This may just be the way that you are going to want to begin your own internet business and see what all is out there.
There is a lot of information that is out there on Bluehost hosting. You will want to get to know a little bit about the different options that are out there and what the different plans are. You will want to find a plan that suits your needs. You will want to get as many hosting plans as you can afford and make sure that you find a plan that you can afford to have. You will want to make sure that you are taking the time to look at the different options and what your options are. This will help you get started and make sure that you know what your options are and what you are looking for. This will help you start out the right way and see what happens with this hosting.
I asked Bluehost about their tiered structure for signups by mail they said we don’t have any tiered structure for signups.
Do they have a tiered structure for signups or not.
Yes, they can pay you more in custom tiers but you need to start generating sales first – typically 20-30/month to start getting a better commission rate.
Wow.!!
You are good bro
So when does bluehost pays
Is it monthly or daily…?
They pay monthly for commissions earned two months prior.
Hey Adam
I would like to know how long does the cookie tracker last on the persons computer
The cookie duration for an affiliate link is a choice made by the individual affiliate program/company. For example, most are around 30 days, but Amazon Associates might end upon browser close.
Hello Adam,
Thank you for addressing the Bluehost affiliate program.
I started using their affiliate program in the last couple of weeks, and I’ve been getting commissions. Nevertheless, their affiliate program doesn’t seem to be able to track which one of my pages generates which comissions. 20% of the time it shows which pages, 80% of the commissions show always the homepage as the URL, although I have no affiliate links there. I used cloaked links like anybody else.
Any idea why this is happening? Have you ever encountered this problem before? I’d appreciate your valuable advice on this. It would truly mean a lot to me. Thank you
Yes, I’ve actually ran into this problem recently as well. It seems to have sprung up within the last few months. I used to see every exact URL bringing in sales, but now a good portion are saying it’s from the home page. Not sure what to do other than wait for a fix on Bluehost’s end.
Thanks Adam for the good article
I would like to ask if BlueHost is paying affiliate worldwide from any referral from any country,
and should i have registered company to register for their affiliate site.
Thanks
Ali
Yes, they should be allowing international affiliates and referrals. And you don’t need to register as a company. You can be just a sole proprietorship in the United States. I’m not sure about local laws in your country though.
Hi
Nice Post my question is i am from Pakistan so how can i withdraw my affiliate commissions from blue host because paypal is not allowed in pakistan
They do offer bank transfers as well and you can fill out a form. I’m not sure if there are any requirements to get the form though. I’d check with their affiliate team.
Hi Adam appreciate your blog with all the information about Bluehost and how to start the affiliate program. My question is: Can Bluehost serve clients in Europe, for example? I am from Malta and would like to start using Bluehost for my web-site hosting. Is that possible? After that I would like to start their affiliate programme so I am also asking again (you were already asked this question) if they allow international affliliates?
Thanks,
Rachel
Yes, you can join – as long as you can get paid via PayPal it doesn’t matter where customers come from. Here’s more info on their affiliate program.
Hi Adam,
I have a question,…if I invest $500 in google ads or bing ads and promote my “How to start a blog post”, how many sales are my likely to get?
Cheers!
That’s dependent on how well you optimized your copy and affiliate links. I wouldn’t recommend starting with ads – go for organic traffic.
What is the estimated commission per sale for hosting after completed 21 sales or more??
It’s a monthly tiered system. Not based on total sales, but on monthly sales. If you are completing 20+ a month, you can definitely get an increase to maybe $95 or around that number – just a guess. It’s totally up to their individual affiliate managers.
Hi Adam, thanks for the article. How do some affiliates get a custom branded bluehost landing page? I don’t see that option in my dashboard. My link just goes to a ‘How to build a website with Bluehost page creator’ on their site which isn’t ideal as that is what my blog post is also about with me recommending a different page builder (Gutenberg).
You’d have to reach out to their Affiliate Manager and have them create one for you.
Thank you so much brother for this helpful artical. Love from Pakistan.