Wealthy Affiliate: 7 Business Model Facts
- Is Wealthy Affiliate’s Reputation In Question?
- Is Wealthy Affiliate Outdated?
- Is Wealthy Affiliate A Scam?
- Can I Get Rich With Wealthy Affiliate?
- Is Wealthy Affiliate A Pyramid Scheme?
- How Does Wealthy Affiliate Make Money?
- Why Do Affiliate Marketers Bash Wealthy Affiliate So Badly?
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There are 7 facts about the Wealthy Affiliate business model that you should know. Questions about any business model and practices of an organization are at the forefront of conversations.
Seemingly, there are both good and bad views of said organizations. In this case, it is Wealthy Affiliate (WA).
As a current member of WA, I have experience and direct knowledge of their business practices.
I hope you value my opinion on the subject matter before you. I will help you parse the information to follow.
Is Wealthy Affiliate’s Reputation In Question?
Wealthy Affiliate, just like any other company, tend to go through a unfair amount of scrutiny over the business model and practices.
And believe me, no business is without some type of flaws. Flaws that are minor to some, yet major to others.
For example, the following is a prime example. Karl at dreamgrow.com, in his review, cited a statement by WA that “You Won’t Fail. We Promise.”
Below is the actual statement:
Here lies the problem, Karl says “I’m sorry, but this is just patently false. Nothing is ever guaranteed in life.”
In my opinion, there is nothing in this in that statement that guarantees anything. Oh, what about the “We Promise?”
Clearly that statement says that you will not fail if you do not quit. That statement is very true and accurate.
The “We Promise” is assurance to potential members. A comfort statement to draw in members at best.
“When you are just starting out with an online business, there’s a good chance that you’ll be making several mistakes. Because of the mistakes that can be made with staring on an online business, many people decide to quit or think that online businesses are scams.”
Fabrizio Moreira
The last two words “some effort” literally means that you have to put in some work to accomplish your goals.
An indication that patience, hard work, and persistence will allow you to achieve some form of success.
The statement does not guarantee riches beyond your wildest dream, nor does it promise a 4, 5, or 6 figure income.
Is The Wealthy Affiliate Business Model Outdated?
Wealthy Affiliate is not outdated. You can read in my post “Wealthy Affiliate: Top 5 Questions People Are Asking” on whether WA is outdated.
I joined the ranks of WA in July, 2021. Although I was new to the platform, as an Information Technology (IT) Instructor, I understood the value of the training offered at WA.
Had some training material been left behind? Yes. Was there updated information posted in new training modules and elsewhere? Yes.
Although the information may not have been where Karl expected it, he would have found it had he went through 20 percent of the training, classes, and community posts.
It is easy to criticize and throw rocks from the outside; however, there are nearly 2.5 million members under the WA banner.
Are they all successful affiliate marketers? No. Are they all failures? No. Will some of them not find success? Possibly.
The co-founders drill their mantra of “patience, hard work, and persistence is required” in to the heads of the members everyday.
No guarantees made; therefore, no assurances to retract.
Is Wealthy Affiliate A Scam?
What is a scam? The Police of the City of Bremerton states “A scam is any means someone uses to get you to part with your money.”
That statement is both broad and vague. A charity wants you to donate money, is that a scam?
Just keeping you on your toes. The definition about is simply an excerpt from a law enforcement article. Without proper context, anything can be misinterpreted.
There are a few unsuccessful entrepreneurs that feel that WA is a scam. No because they were cheated out of anything, but because they did not make it.
Is there the potential for WA to get over on members? Yes, just like with any other company in business.
In my opinion, member are not tricked nor manipulated to joining the program.
While they do dangle a list of features in front of you, they deliver on everything that each membership level specify.
As a premium plus member, I do not feel cheated in any manner. The success of my business(es) depend on my efforts.
As long as the platform is up and running, WA is living up to their end of the bargain.
The member must put in the work to achieve success. Being paid for an investment is a stock market thing, not an affiliate business thing.
Can I Get Rich With Wealthy Affiliate?
Can a member get rich at WA? Potentially. There are no guarantees in the affiliate model. However, there is always the potential to make it big.
Nonetheless, the right niche, good work ethic, and determination could place a member in position to receive substantial amounts of money.
If you want something for nothing, affiliate marketing at WA is not for you.
That ‘get rich quick’ idea is not an adage for affiliate marketing. The very last thing that you can expect from WA or any other program is to get rich quick.
Affiliate marketing is a game for the long-haul. The system responds to how and what you put into it.
A six or seven figure income may take 2 -3 years to achieve providing you are making the proper investment.
Is Wealthy Affiliate A Pyramid Scheme?
Is WA a pyramid scheme? No. WA pays down stream to the members for business referrals.
In addition, member continue receiving pay for as long as the referral remains a paying member.
According to the definition by the US government:
“Pyramid schemes are scams that need a constant flow of new participants to keep them going. They are marketed as multi-level marketing programs or other types of legitimate businesses. They use new recruits’ “investments” to pay “profits” to those participating longer.”
WA does not place a major emphasis on recruiting new members.
Although it is the easiest means of earn an income for beginners, it is a good money making opportunity that has no strings attached.
In addition, there are no claims of easy money or claims of high returns in a short period of time.
Finally the commission structure is not complex. The commission structure is straight forward and transparent.
WA provides a plethora of tools to monitor business income and statistics right from the member dashboard.
In my opinion, researching your interests is key to selecting WA or any other platform program.
How Does Wealthy Affiliate Make Money?
According to Niall Doherty, eBiz Facts, “WA’s monthly revenue is therefore $821,250 or $9.85 million per year, 2019!”
It is not clear as to where Doherty gets his income statistic. However, his numbers are relatively low, the member fees alone exceed his calculations updated November, 2021.
WA’s income sources range from memberships, domain registration, and web hosting services.
Therefore, it is safe to assume that WA has a high volume of paying traffic throughout their platform.
In my opinion, WA has invested in a business model that generates a fair monthly income.
A monthly income that members reap the benefits of their referrals monthly.
Why Do Affiliate Marketers Bash Wealthy Affiliate So Badly?
WA is constantly bashed across the internet by ex-members, affiliate marketers, and other program sponsors.
“A critic is a man who knows the way, but cannot drive!”
Kenneth Tynan
Why? Repeatedly, you will hear critics speak ill of WA training. The most common gripes are:
- Training outdated
- Unkept guarantees
- False Claims
However, upon checking their current platforms, they are attempting to drive traffic to their personal programs or other sponsored programs.
A prevalent sector of the affiliate marketing strategy is apparently geared around flooding the internet with unsubstantiated claims and innuendoes.
This is a niche within itself; however, what would you sell them? Fear, distrust, and apprehension is what these tactics foster.
Many critics claim to be honest brokers in their review; however, they neglect to inform you of the goal to drive you towards a commission sale for themselves.
We turn to reviews to obtain a honest insight into a company, platform, or product. In stead, we are tapped into a bait-and-switch situation.
Remember to always do your research before spending your hard earned money.
During my research for this article, I found very few positive reviews on WA, except for blog that are currently offering WA through their sites.
That practice is actually to be expected. Nonetheless, when read through negative reviews, pay attention to the sales pitch near the end.
In Conclusion
This concludes our dive into the 7 facts about Wealthy Affiliate’s business model. As a member of WA, I have experience and a basic knowledge of their processes.
A business’ reputation is alway under fire for one reason or another. Just like some reasons are justified while others are not.
Many WA critics twist information and statement to suit their needs. Frequent mischaracterizations of messages is a common tactic.
Decrying that WA’s training material is outdated has traveled across the internet like a minor infection in small pockets of the affiliate marketing world.
Branding WA as a scam is a ploy to sell a product they are associated with.
A common question about getting rich at WA surface very often. That is an unrealistic expectation.
Putting in the work, patience, and persistence could lead to a modest monthly income in a year or two. This is not a 100 yard sprint, it is a cross-country battle.
Alligators, sharks, and pitfall are at every turn. Yes, you can anticipate setbacks.
WA is definitely not a pyramid scheme. Yes, they are knocking down a good monthly income. So are member who have high referral rates.
Memberships, domain registration, and web hosting services is how WA make money. An effective business model.
WA has a large target on its back and a number of people are constantly taking aim. Hoping to take down or compete with a 2.5 million member powerhouse, WA.
In my opinion, all of these bogus reviews may lead prospects to WA.
Thank you, critics!
And I close out by saying, we need what we need!
If we keep our minds right, we can keep our bodies tight!
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To your success and growth,
Canty
Founder of The Canty Effect
thecantyeffect.com
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