Overview
Once you complete the account sign up process, there are a few more steps for ClickBank users to get on the road to success. Here's a brief overview, and additional resources, to help you get started.
How to Get Started as a ClickBank Vendor
Step 1: Decide what you want to sell.
If you're a ClickBank vendor, you must have a product or products that you will sell. There are three basic product iterations that you can choose from: digital, physical, and recurring.
- Digital Products: Digital products are one-time products that are purchased by customers, and then delivered through a digital product upload. For more information about how digital product uploads work, check out this article.
- Physical Products: Physical products must be physically delivered to the customer. There are some rules are regulations regarding what kind of physical products you can sell, so it's a good idea to get familiar with these before proceeding with physical product development.
- Recurring Products: Recurring products must be regularly delivered to the customer. Product subscriptions fall under this category. Check out this article to find out more about how to sell recurring products.
Step 2: Acquire all necessary legal documentation.
Before you list your product in the ClickBank Marketplace, you are responsible for acquiring all necessary legal documentation and any copyrights for your product. ClickBank does not provide any professional or legal services regarding these topics.
Step 3: Make sure your product is in compliance.
Depending on what you want to sell, you are required to make sure that your product is in compliance with federal, state, and local level rules and regulations. You will also need to provide Certificate of Insurance.
The Selling Physical Products article is a good place to start figuring out if your product is in compliance.
Step 4: Acquire your unique domain name.
It’s a good idea to acquire your unique domain name. ClickBank does not provide webhosting and does not support subdomains such as Wix, Blogspot, Squarespace, etc.
Step 5: Create a Pitch Page.
Once you've figured out what you want to sell and how you're going to sell it, you must create a Pitch Page for your product. This is a requirement for all ClickBank vendors.
A Pitch Page is ClickBank lingo for a sales page. This page will provide potential customers with information about your product. Once a customer is ready to buy the product, they will click on a ClickBank link on your Pitch Page that will direct them to the ClickBank order form.
There is a list of requirements that your Pitch Page must adhere to in order to be in compliance with ClickBank policy. It's a good idea to familiarize yourself with the regulations and best practices before you move on the the next step.
The Creating Your First Product page also provides in-depth information regarding the Pitch Page formation.
Check out the Promotional Guidelines and Product Guidelines too to make sure you're in compliance with ClickBank's rules and regulations.
Step 6: Create a Thank You page.
In addition to the Pitch Page, you must also have a Thank You page for your product. The Thank You page is the page a customer will be directed to after they purchase your product and the payment has been processed. You must include several specific details on your Thank You page including contact information the customer can reach you at.
The Creating Your First Product page is a good place to find out more information about what elements should go on the Thank You page.
Step 7: Add the ClickBank Trust Badge (CBTB) to your product materials.
The CBTB is virtual badge that signifies that your product is approved and supported by ClickBank. The CBTB is required on any of your pages that contain a ClickBank paylink as well as your product’s Thank You page.
There are different styles of CBTBs that you can chose from. For more information on the CBTB, check out this “how to” article.
Step 8: Create and test your payment link.
A payment link is a link that will direct customers to the ClickBank order form. When the customer clicks the payment link, they are directed to a ClickBank order form where they can enter their payment information and complete the transaction. When the payment is approved, the customer is directed to a ClickBank page that confirms their order and provides them with a unique receipt number.
The payment link must be entered into the backend code of your Pitch Page in HTML format. This process can get a little technical, so it is best to see additional resources if you need them. The ClickBank Knowledge Base has an abundance of “how to” articles to help you along the way.
Step 9: Create a HopLink.
A “HopLink” is a referral tracking URL. HopLinks are links that are used in the marketing materials of ClickBank Affiliates to direct traffic to your Pitch Page where customers can make a purchase. It is important to provide this link to Affiliates because it tracks where traffic comes from. To create a HopLink and to designate the location of the link, follow these instructions.
Step 10: Enter your product information into the ClickBank Marketplace.
Once you have created a HopLink and designated its target, you are ready to enter your product information into the ClickBank Marketplace. It is a good idea to make sure that your product information is attractive, compelling, and detailed. This will attract affiliates. To add your product information to the marketplace, follow these instructions.
Step 11: Request product approval.
Your product must be approved by ClickBank’s Business Services before it can be sold. To submit your product for review, follow these instructions. Typically, you will receive the results of your request within 3-5 business days. Once your product has been approved for sale, you can proceed to the next step.
Step 12: Pay the activation charge.
When your product is approved for the ClickBank Marketplace, you must pay a $49.95 activation charge. You can pay this fee via credit/debit card or money order. Instructions to complete the payment will be sent to your email from the ClickBank Business Services.
ClickTip: If you already have an active ClickBank account, the activation fee is discounted to $29.95 to add additional accounts. To receive this discount, include a note in the comment section of your first product request made from your new account.
Step 13: Optimize your business.
Now that your product is for sale, you can optimize your business by connecting with affiliates, providing excellent and effective customer service, and promoting your product. The Knowledge Base offers “how to” guides for the technical tasks. For more tactical advise and business-related resources, Spark, the only ClickBank-endorsed education platform, is a wonderful resource.
Our Client Support Team is always available to help in any way they can. For how to contact ClickBank, here’s our contact information.
Additional Resources & Related Articles
- ClickBank Seller Launch Checklist
- KNOWLEDGE BASE ARTICLE: MASTER ACCOUNT UPDATE: Getting Started With Your ClickBank Master Account
- KNOWLEDGE BASE ARTICLE: How do I use HopLinks?
- KNOWLEDGE BASE ARTICLE: What is the ClickBank Marketplace?
- The Ultimate Affiliate Marketing Glossary