Some of you may have noticed that there has been a shift in the interior design industry over the last few years. More and more in this post-pandemic world, potential clients are embracing e-design and online shopping for convenience and flexibility. Designers must learn to adapt, in order to stay relevant and achieve continued business success. For this reason, we recommend affiliate marketing for interior designers. It is a great solution for decreasing project management time while keeping profit at the forefront of your process.
Affiliate marketing is a process that rewards you for marketing other company’s products. Put simply, you select furniture and home decor products that you would recommend, and you receive a commission every time someone purchases one of your recommended items. With the right technology, affiliate marketing requires minimal effort on your end, and you get to help clients discover decor that they love for their homes. At the same time, you can also spread the word about your services and increase your business income.
Navigating the world of affiliate marketing can be overwhelming when you are just getting started. With so many options out there, which one should you choose? We have streamlined the research process by highlighting the pros and cons of 3 easy-to-use affiliate marketing platforms for interior designers below. Let’s take a look!
SideDoor
Pros:
- Choose products from a variety of high-quality trade vendors without having to sign up for each trade account. Notable vendors include Adesso, Arhaus, Bernhardt Furniture Company, Currey & Co., Four Hands, Global Views, Loloi, and more.
- Products are available at many different price points to accommodate any budget.
- Pricing, availability, and profit margin is shown through the platform, so that you do not have to spend time reaching out for quotes or checking stock.
- The platform is only for interior designers, so you have your target market at your fingertips.
- Samples are available for some products.
- Designers have the ability to make up to 30% of the purchase price.
- Products and collections can be embedded to your website for an easy point of sale.
Cons:
- All sales are final, and custom products are not available.
- The platform only provides payment through Stripe, which must be connected to your bank account and requires some initial setup.
- The platform does not integrate with QuickBooks or project management software.
Collection curated by Sycamore Home for a blog post written and published by 4Dbiz
LTK
Pros:
- Social media integrations and a mobile app make it easier to reach a large audience. It is also more convenient for shoppers to make purchases from wherever they are.
- The platform has a lot of resources to help you get started and continue building your brand after you join.
- Shoppers have the ability to follow you and save products to wishlists, which may increase the chances of repeat customers and profitable clicks.
- Because the platform is focused on influencers, products are shown in functional and lifestyle shots, which may seem more appealing to shoppers and entice them to purchase more.
- The platform has established partnerships with more than 5,000 brands, offering a large selection of items to add as affiliate products.
- Products are available at nearly every price point, making it one of the easiest platforms to use for accommodating budgets.
- Designers typically make between 13 and 20% of the purchase price.
Cons:
- The platform is geared towards influencers, not interior designers specifically. It may be more difficult to reach your target market, and home decor product offerings may be somewhat more limited.
- Because products are hosted as redirected links instead of directly through the site, product availability may not be consistent or accurate.
- While samples may be available by contacting individual sellers, they are not available through the platform.
Collection curated by Erica Ooh Designs and promoted on social media by 4Dbiz
Amazon Associates Program
Pros:
- People from all walks of life use Amazon, and their familiarity with the site can influence sales.
- This program offers access to any of the products you can find on Amazon, which means that there is a much larger selection than LTK and SideDoor. If you provide organization services in addition to design, you can easily link to storage solutions,
- Amazon products typically have reviews by consumers. This can help you make educated decisions about which products to promote.
- Products are available at many different price points to accommodate any budget.
- Pricing and availability is shown through the platform, so that you do not have to spend time reaching out for quotes or checking stock.
- Designers have the ability to earn up to 10% of the purchase price.
Cons:
- There is no feature to create and organize collections, which means that it is not possible to suggest coordinating items through the platform unless you have an amazon storefront.
- While samples may be available by contacting individual sellers, they are not available through the platform.
- The quality of products is more varied. Remember that it’s important to read reviews and do your research before promoting products!
Products curated by LA Move Consultants for an email newsletter created and published by 4Dbiz
While affiliate marketing for interior designers should take minimal effort, keep in mind that it does require a small time investment initially to set up your account and select products. We know that you probably already have a long to-do list as an interior designer, so why not get the support you need from the 4Dbiz team? We can help you set up a new account, organize an existing account, or integrate your affiliate products with other business marketing efforts, such as blogs and email newsletters. Schedule a consultation with our Marketing Specialist to learn more!