Last updated: January 31, 2025
How This Site Makes Money (And Why It Matters)
This site participates in affiliate marketing programs. That means when you click certain links and make a purchase, we may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
We believe in being completely transparent about this. You deserve to know when we might earn money from your purchases, and we want to explain exactly how it works.
The Basics of Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is a common way websites earn income. Here’s how it works in plain terms:
When we recommend a product or service—like a web hosting company or a blogging tool—we sometimes include a special tracking link. If you click that link and make a purchase, the company pays us a small commission.
The price you pay stays exactly the same whether you use our link or not. You don’t pay anything extra. The company simply shares a portion of their revenue with us for referring you.
This commission helps support the time and effort we invest in creating free content for you.
WHY WE USE AFFILIATE LINKS
Running this website takes time. Writing detailed guides, researching topics, testing tools, and maintaining the site requires consistent effort.
Affiliate commissions help make this sustainable. They allow us to keep creating helpful content without charging you subscription fees or filling the site with intrusive advertising.
It’s a way for our interests to align with yours: we succeed when we recommend products and services that genuinely help you, because you’re more likely to purchase things that actually work.
OUR AFFILIATE RELATIONSHIPS
We participate in several affiliate programs related to blogging and online business:
Web hosting companies like Bluehost, SiteGround, and DreamHost. These are essential services every blogger needs, and we’ve personally used or thoroughly researched each one we recommend.
Email marketing services like ConvertKit and MailerLite. Building an email list is crucial for bloggers, so we recommend tools that work well for beginners.
Blogging tools and software including WordPress themes, plugins, and productivity tools that make blogging easier and more efficient.
Amazon Associates, which allows us to link to books, equipment, or other products we mention in our articles.
Other affiliate networks like ShareASale and individual company programs for various blogging-related products and services.
This list isn’t exhaustive and may change over time as we discover new tools worth recommending or stop endorsing products that don’t meet our standards.
OUR COMMITMENT TO HONEST RECOMMENDATIONS
Here’s our promise to you: we only recommend products and services we genuinely believe will help you.
Affiliate commissions never determine our recommendations. We recommend products first because they’re good, and second because they offer affiliate programs—not the other way around.
If something doesn’t work well or doesn’t fit the needs of busy bloggers, we won’t recommend it, regardless of commission rates.
We also regularly recommend free tools and resources even though they generate no income for us. If a free option works better for your situation, we’ll tell you that.
When we have personal experience with a product, we say so. When we haven’t used something personally but have thoroughly researched it, we make that clear too.
You’ll also find us pointing out limitations and drawbacks of products we recommend. Nothing is perfect for everyone, and we want you to make informed decisions based on your specific needs.
HOW TO RECOGNIZE AFFILIATE LINKS
We make affiliate relationships clear in several ways:
Articles containing affiliate links include a disclosure statement at the beginning, usually something like: “This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.”
Individual affiliate links may be marked with an asterisk (*) or noted in context.
Product review posts and comparison articles will always include clear disclosure about affiliate relationships.
We believe transparency builds trust. If you’re ever unsure whether a link is an affiliate link, you can assume it is, or contact us to ask.
YOUR CHOICES AND RIGHTS
You’re never obligated to use our affiliate links. You can:
Search for products directly and purchase them without going through our links. We won’t know, and we completely understand.
Compare our recommendations with other sources before making decisions. We encourage you to do your own research.
Ask us questions about why we recommend specific products. We’re happy to provide more context about our recommendations.
Choose not to purchase anything we recommend. Our free content remains free regardless of whether you buy anything.
Using our affiliate links is a way to support our work if you find our content helpful, but it’s entirely optional.
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS
We’re not guaranteeing results. Just because a product or service works well for us or others doesn’t mean it will produce specific results for you. Your success depends on many factors including your effort, strategy, and circumstances.
Prices and terms can change. We try to keep information current, but companies change their pricing, features, and policies. Always verify current details on the company’s website before purchasing.
We’re not financial advisors. When we discuss blog income potential or business strategies, we’re sharing information and experiences, not providing professional financial advice.
Individual results vary. Income claims, traffic numbers, or growth timelines we mention are examples, not promises. Your results will depend on your unique situation, effort, and approach.
QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS
If you have questions about our affiliate relationships, want to know why we recommend a specific product, or have concerns about our disclosure practices, please contact us at [your email address].
We take transparency seriously and we’re happy to provide additional information about any recommendations we make.
FTC COMPLIANCE
This disclosure complies with the Federal Trade Commission’s guidelines concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising.
We are committed to following FTC guidelines and maintaining honest, transparent relationships with our readers.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Affiliate marketing allows us to create free, helpful content while earning income when we successfully help you find tools and services that work for you.
We view this as a fair exchange: you get free, honest guidance. Companies get customers who are a good fit for their products. We get compensated for our time and effort.
This model only works when we maintain your trust by recommending genuinely helpful products and being transparent about our affiliate relationships.
Thank you for reading, for trusting our recommendations, and for supporting this site.