Can You Really Make Money At Wealthy Affiliate? FAQS

A lot of people have succeeded in affiliate marketing by applying the training at Wealthy Affiliate. But if you asked me: Eric, can you really make money at Wealthy Affiliate?

You absolutely can because I’ve earned multiple commissions by applying what I’ve learned from the training covered on the platform.

However, I’m still not where I ultimately want to be in my business. I have yet to experience massive success (yet), but I will at some point.

In this post, I want to address some common complaints (and misunderstandings) about the Wealthy Affiliate (WA) program. 

I will break down the five most common complaints that are brought up, and I want to clear that up right now.

Note: We may include products or services that will be helpful to our readers. This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please review the affiliate disclosure page.

UPDATED: OCTOBER 21, 2023

Biggest complaints about Wealthy Affiliate

There is plenty of praise for WA, but there will always be people who say that’s the opposite. The people who complain about the platform, they’re either lying or making things up. Or, there may be a misunderstanding of how WA works. 

Especially if they’ve tried it out for a very short time. There’s one website in particular where the individual only tried it out for seven days or so. 

I won’t mention it now, but that’s not enough time to determine if a program is effective or not.

With that, let’s break down five big complaints people often bring up about WA.

To get the full breakdown, be sure to check out my extensive review of Wealthy Affiliate. If you want to learn more and are interested in this platform, read “Is Wealthy Affiliate A Good Program? Wealthy Affiliate Review” to get all of the details. This review is well worth your time as you make your best decision.

Can you really make money at Wealthy Affiliate?

Yes. To this day, I have been successful using Wealthy Affiliate. Currently, I make recurring commissions for several affiliate programs.

Although I’m not quite where I want to be, I continue to learn and push myself further to get to my financial goals. That’s all in part to applying what I learn through the Wealthy Affiliate platform.

Can you really make money at Wealthy Affiliate? This graph shows the five biggest complaints about Wealthy Affiliate.

# 1 The training is outdated

Claim: The training looks like it’s not updated often. Some of the videos go back to 10 years ago. So does the training still work?

That is one of the most common ones I hear from people. To say that the training is more than a decade old is not true- as the platform continues to provide updates and improvements.

Sure, some of the videos in the training lessons go back to 2013-2014; however, that does NOT mean the training no longer works.

All that means is the background (i.e. user interface) looks different than it should be. What Kyle (one of the co-founders of WA) teaches in the lessons is still relevant today, and it will be for a long time.

Take a look at Google

For being a major tech company, Google faces this problem all the time. When providing tutorials and resources, some of the information provided is not always up to date.

When they have an algorithm or core update, that may require updates to their support pages.

But since these updates happen all the time, Google does not change those pages every single time. Oftentimes, they’ll refer users to another page -rather than refreshing a page in its entirety.

You would think that Google would have everything updated all the time, as they have thousands of employees working for their organization. But the reality is they don’t because it is time-consuming, as there can be multiple changes taking place at once.

So that’s the reality: There will be times when an update may be needed, but it may not be necessary right now. When it comes to user interface experience, that will always be the case.

Can You Really Make Money At Wealthy Affiliate? My Honest Perspective

The key point to remember: Principles stay the same- Platforms will change

The principles of online business remain the same today as they did 20+ years ago. When it comes to search engine optimization and writing original content, learning those skills can help you succeed tomorrow, next year, and five years from now.

What does change is how we deliver our content to other platforms. There were no social media platforms prior to 2005- Facebook was still in its infancy back then. Now they’re a giant in the social media space today.

Can you really make money at Wealthy Affiliate? This quote from Kyle about the WA platform.

Today, there are multiple platforms to deliver your content to the masses.

Of course, there will be more ways to share and promote our content. But that’s what makes the internet so unique- it’s changing quicker and getting better at the same time.

For Kyle’s perspective on how WA looks over training, check out this post on how they advance education.

A relevant article from notimekillers.com

Read next on “What Are The Principles Of Online Business? 5 Components“, to learn about the key components to running an online business today.

The first two levels of the OEC core training updated (2022-2023)

As a matter of fact, Kyle updated the first two levels in the online entrepreneur certification (OEC) core training. As of 2022, these lessons are current along with new insights into running an online business today.

If you would like to check them out yourself, feel free to take a test drive by signing up for a free starter account. The first level (five lessons) is free (no credit card required).

# 2 The training does not teach PPC or email marketing

Claim: WA does not teach people how to do paid ads (i.e. Facebook Ads, pay-per-click, etc.) or email marketing. Why don’t they include that in the training?

To say that WA does not teach PPC is completely false. Here’s what they do in regard to PPC marketing.

The OEC course does not cover PPC because it’s not a free method to acquire traffic. The OEC training primarily teaches you free methods on how to build and acquire traffic organically.

That is done through search engine optimization (SEO) and sharing your content on social media platforms. Anyone can learn how to do SEO, and be engaging/helpful on social media.

Although it takes more time and effort, it’s a great way to get organic traffic to your website.

Paid and free methods for traffic

PPC is a whole different level, as it requires a little more investment to get paid traffic.

The same with social media- running ads on Facebook is not cheap. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you’ll end up burning a lot of cash in the short term.

That’s why OEC is the best course for complete newbies in online business. It is specifically designed with the beginner in mind.

Especially when you’re brand new, the last thing you want to do is jump right into PPC or other paid marketing methods.

PPC is covered in Affiliate Bootcamp

In the Affiliate Bootcamp course, PPC is covered in the last two levels of the training. Again, that comes after learning the fundamentals of online business.

That would be SEO, sharing on social media, and other free methods. Once you get to those lessons, it’s a great introduction to how PPC works. The purpose of those lessons is to scale your business once you start earning commissions.

Wealthy Affiliate has classes on email marketing 

Although email marketing is not included in the core training, WA has multiple classes on how to do email marketing. Again, the reason is that email marketing is not a free method to acquire traffic.

Based on what I’ve seen, WA does a series on email marketing at least once a year.

Not only that, email marketing is covered in some of the expert classes WA provides. These classes are included in the Premium Plus plan.

Email marketing is a topic that many members have requested training on, and WA has delivered on that time and again.

# 3 The primary instructors had little success with their websites

Claim: The main instructors (Kyle & Jay Neill) appear to have little success with their own niche websites. So why should we take their advice and trust them?

This one frustrates me a lot, and that needs to be put to rest. Here’s a response to one of the reviews from ebizfacts.com.

By the way, I will say this website has ranked very well when it comes to searching reviews on Wealthy Affiliate. It’s one of the critical WA reviews out there.

It’s clear that the author did not spend enough time using the WA platform. Most likely, he’s probably misleading his readers for questionable reasons.

For example, he’s said he spent only less than a week using WA. If he had spent more time, he most likely would have had a different viewpoint on WA.

Basically, he shows both websites that Kyle and Jay own, but the stats look abysmal in the Ahrefs keyword research tool. Therefore, those websites appear to be flops.

The plain truth

Here’s the thing he did not bring up: Those niche sites he showed happened to be case studies that Kyle and Jay used for their training classes.

In that case, the websites are used for training purposes only. If Kyle and Jay were to keep updating content and running those websites for the long run, I’m sure they would have much better results to show.

Here’s what matters

Ever since I joined WA a few years ago, both Kyle and Jay are excellent instructors. The classes they teach at WA are very helpful, and give me some golden nuggets to help me build my own online business.

Kyle is very active on WA, which includes creating training videos and supporting members on the platform. That’s what he primarily does, which you don’t see too often with the founders of other platforms.

On the other hand, Jay teaches a live class every week on multiple topics. With that, he does at least one case study series every year, and the tips he shares are super helpful.

# 4 Wealthy Affiliate has elements of multi-level marketing (MLM)

Claim: WA appears to have elements of MLM. So is WA an MLM scheme?

There have been claims of WA being a multi-level marketing (MLM) scheme, or something similar. I won’t go over MLM in detail, but it’s something I don’t recommend going into.

What I will go over is why WA is not MLM in any fashion.

MLM often has people act as contractors for other companies. From there, their job is to sell that company’s product or services.

There are some shady tactics involved, such as shamefully promoting products to other people, such as their family and friends. It gets people sucked in to take part in a pyramid scheme.

What does that have to do with Wealthy Affiliate?

WA primarily teaches affiliate marketing, so it’s against any type of MLM practices.

With affiliate marketing, you are taught to build a niche website, create content, share it, and then make commissions. There are no direct selling or high-pressure sales tactics involved.

How we’re taught to write content is to be conversational in our writing. So we need to be friendly in how we communicate with other readers, rather than sounding sales or feeling pressure from people buying products.

None of that sales stuff is taught at WA. That’s not the way to build an online business: That will only make your reputation worse down the road.

# 5 No one can succeed at Wealthy Affiliate- Unless you promote their affiliate program

Claim: No one can succeed at Wealthy Affiliate unless you promote their affiliate program. The training appeared to work up until 2016, so can I still make a full-time business by leveraging the Wealthy Affiliate platform?

Again, the training offered at WA worked in the past- and it STILL works today. It worked before, it continues to work today, and it will for a very long time.

Some people would then argue: The only way to be successful at WA is by doing the boot camp training, and recruiting more members to the platform.

But here’s the thing: There are a lot of members who have been very successful in building non-MMO niche websites.

Do people make money with Wealthy Affiliate? 

Yes, people have made money by doing the training at Wealthy Affiliate. If you’re willing to learn and take action, that’s certainly possible.

By going through the training (step-by-step) and taking action, the chances of earning income is very likely.

It’ll take time and effort to make money. But in the long run, you can certainly make recurring income by leveraging the Wealthy Affiliate platform.

Let me layout examples of two current members:

A long-time member earns nearly 10K in one month from a non-MMO website

Zarina has been a WA member since 2015. In 2017, she launched another niche website (non-MMO) that took some time to grow. 

Not until 2020 did her website start to see massive growth in commissions (nearly $5,000/month)

I remember reading that post a few years ago, and that inspired me to just keep moving forward. It was a great reminder to keep up with my work and to remain consistent with it.

2023 Update

Just recently, she wrote another update at the beginning of 2023. In that post, she writes that her website made more than $9300 in December 2022.

She almost hit the 10k mark in one month. Again- this came from building a non-MMO niche website by implementing the WA training.

Can you really make money at Wealthy Affiliate? This image is a screenshot of Zarina's $9300+ post.

As she mentioned not too long ago, it took her FIVE YEARS to see results that were remarkable. It took a lot of time and hard work, and she’s seeing incredible results.

Also, it shows you that building a successful online business doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a long-term game of doing keyword research and creating content on a regular basis.

Zarina is someone who I look up to, and who I keep in touch with every now and then. 

Long-time member make nearly $60,000 in commissions- ALL IN ONE DAY!

John (JohnMks) has been a long-time WA member since 2015. In a recent post he wrote last year, he made over $60,000 in commissions- all in a day!

He writes in that post about not being a top affiliate (or some type of fake guru). In fact, all of the SEO he’s used came from the training Jay teaches every week in his live classes.

As you can see, one sale was a little over half a million dollars! Whatever affiliate program he was promoting must be very lucrative.

Can you really make money at Wealthy Affiliate? This image is a screenshot of a John's $60k post.

Sure, he promotes high-ticket affiliate programs. But how was he able to do that? He did it by applying what he learned in the training taught at WA.

John is someone who I’ve told before- he can do the impossible (as I commented on that post a while back).

Can you really make money at Wealthy Affiliate? I wrote a comment on John's post awhile back.

I could go over many more success stories, but here are just a few more to inspire you. 

*I strongly recommend reading Partha’s posts. There are so many incredible insights he has shared that I’ve learned and implemented in my business. His practices work very well.

It just shows that anyone can be successful in building an online business. By going through the core training (lesson by lesson and taking action), it’s possible to do very well in the online world today.

Final Words

Overall, these are five of the most common complaints that are brought up often. By clearing them up, it’s easier to know what WA is truly about.

By clarifying these misunderstandings, it’s definitely possible to be successful in leveraging the WA platform. Look at no further evidence than the stories mentioned earlier.

So if you want to give WA a go, I encourage you to check it out today. You can sign up for a free starter account and give it a test drive for yourself. 

Based on what we went over in this post, I believe you’re going to like what you’re going to see from this platform.

So check it out today, and I’ll be in touch with you soon.

Your Turn: What are some concerns you have with Wealthy Affiliate?

I would like to get your thoughts on the most common complaints. Do you have any concerns about WA?

Do you think some of the training is outdated? What else could WA provide to help its members succeed in online business?

Do you believe it’s possible to succeed in any niche website, based on the training WA provides?

Feel free to share your thoughts by leaving a comment below. I look forward to reading your responses, and I’ll gladly respond promptly.

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Eric is the owner and chief editor of notimekillers.com. 

He takes great pride in helping people manage their time and grow their businesses. 

Eric is a firm believer in financial and time freedom, as he believes in financial independence and taking ownership of your time. 

“Time is your most important asset. It can be your best friend or worst enemy. How you use your time can shape the future you desire to have.” 

In his leisure time, Eric loves to write and read whenever possible. He enjoys going for long walks outdoors while doing in-home workout videos every week. 

You can also connect with Eric via LinkedIn.

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16 thoughts on “Can You Really Make Money At Wealthy Affiliate? FAQS”

  1. Alright, folks, buckle up because I’ve got some thoughts on this article! First of all, I gotta say, Eric, you’ve really hit the nail on the head with this one. The internet is absolutely saturated with get-rich-quick schemes and sketchy online money-making opportunities. But Wealthy Affiliate? Now that’s a different story.

    For those of you who don’t know, Wealthy Affiliate is an online platform that teaches people how to create successful online businesses. And let me tell you, it’s the real deal. I’ve seen firsthand the kind of success people can achieve through this program, and it’s truly impressive.

    But here’s the thing: it’s not a magic solution. It’s not a “click here and become a millionaire overnight” kind of deal. It takes hard work, dedication, and a willingness to learn. And that’s why I appreciate this article so much – it lays out the facts and dispels any myths or misconceptions about what Wealthy Affiliate is and what it can do for you.

    So to sum it up: Can you really make money at Wealthy Affiliate? Absolutely. But you have to be willing to put in the effort and take advantage of the tools and resources available to you. And with the guidance and support of the Wealthy Affiliate community, there’s no limit to what you can achieve.

    Thanks, Eric, for shedding some light on this topic and helping people make informed decisions about their online ventures. Keep up the good work, my friend!

    Reply
    • Hi Bob,

      What can I say? You really explained it thoroughly right there. 

      You really understand that Wealthy Affiliate is a great platform to be part of- and that people should consider trying it out.

      There’s no doubt that there are a lot of programs that lead to disappointing results; unfortunately, a lot of people will buy into it and they will regret making those decisions later on.

      Wealthy Affiliate is an exception- I find it to be an awesome program, where it takes you step by step on how to build an online business.

      If you’re willing to take the time and effort, along with being patient, you’re going to see great results down the road.

      Thank you so much for your incredible insights. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate what you had to say.

      Reply
  2. Thank you for creating this informative blog post about Wealthy Affiliate and the FAQs surrounding making money through the platform! 

    One aspect of your post that I loved was the candidness in addressing some of the common misconceptions and myths surrounding Wealthy Affiliate. 

    It’s important to have realistic expectations when it comes to making money through any online platform, and your post helps to dispel some of the hype and exaggeration that can sometimes surround this topic.

    However, I also think it’s important to note that while making money through Wealthy Affiliate is certainly possible, it does require hard work, dedication, and a willingness to learn and grow as an online marketer. 

    It’s not a get-rich-quick scheme, and anyone who is looking to make money through this platform should be prepared to invest time and effort into building their business.

    Reply
    • Hi Dave,

      I’m glad you enjoyed reading the post. It’s good to address some of those misconceptions that are being put out there regarding Wealthy Affiliate.

      You said it best- I couldn’t agree more about how this platform works. It’s definitely not one of those get-rich schemes where you can get misinformed about the program.

      Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts- I greatly appreciate them.

      Reply
  3. In my opinion, it’s a vital topic because I went through a period where I was not too sure about WA. I almost backed out. 

    I personally searched many of the pointers you covered here in your blog post. I would have loved to have found your page when I was looking for the answers to my questions. 

    WA really does help you make money. I think people miss that Wealthy Affiliates provides you with the knowledge and the tools but you have to put in the work. 

    You can earn thousands monthly if you apply what you learn and stay consistent. You definitely hit the nail on the head with this article. 

    Reply
    • Hi Miguel,

      I understand why you ended up close to backing out. When people discovered Wealthy Affiliate, there is some skepticism about it at first.

      What you mention is very accurate. WA can help you make money, as long as you follow the training and take the right course of action. There’s no doubt that you have to put the work in.

      So what you mentioned was very well said- I couldn’t agree with you anymore.

      Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts- they’re greatly appreciated.

      Reply
  4. This would have swayed me to be one if I wasn’t already a WA member. It is refreshing to know that with hard work and dedication and some time, I will eventually start seeing the fruits of my labor. I feel like it is taking me longer than it should sometimes. 

    Reply
    • Hi Victoria,

      Absolutely, it takes hard work and dedication to see good results. The key to doing this is remaining consistent and patient.

      It’s a long-term game to play, so it may take you a little longer than it should. But later down the road, you’ll be glad to reap the rewards when they come.

      Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts- I greatly appreciate them.

      Reply
  5. This is a great response to the questions about WA.  There are no elements of MLM at WA because each person that signs is totally independent.  

    There is an affiliate component if someone signs up under a person’s link but that sign-up is completely independent. Nothing that anyone makes ever benefits anyone else.  

    The affiliate component allows us to make money at Wealthy Affiliate, but any money earned other than that affiliate payment is earned by the work of the individual Wealthy Affiliate member.  

    We do not earn money at Wealthy Affiliate, but rather by applying what WA teaches to our online business.  

    Thanks for answering all these questions.

    Jim

    Reply
    • Hi Jim,

      Absolutely- you’re spot on about those points. Affiliate marketing is in full swing when it comes to using the Wealthy Affiliate platform.

      Even if you’re not promoting WA via a make-money-online (MMO) website, you’re still learning the best practices for doing affiliate marketing. Whether that’s white-hat search engine optimization (SEO) or content creation, those are valuable skills to learn and master.

      What you mentioned is totally true, so we both understand how that works.

      Thank you very much for sharing your wonderful insights. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate what you have to say.

      Reply
  6. Wealthy Affiliate give you great support in running a business. 

    There are some who have had no previous experience, by following the training, have made a great success. 

    As in all of life, success is not a guarantee, but it is possible. 

    You have the members who are willing to help each other- all you need to do is ask.

    Reply
    • Hi Carolyn, 

      Wealthy Affiliate gives you lots of support. No matter how skilled you are or what level you’re at, it’s a great platform to learn the fundamentals of online business.

      I couldn’t agree more on success not being a guarantee. We have to work at something in order to ensure that guarantee may happen.

      Yes, all we have do is ask for help. When you’re on the WA platform. It’s amazing how much help you can get when you get stuck at any moment. 

      Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts- they’re greatly appreciated.

      Reply
  7. Hi there, Eric.

    Thank you for sharing your information regarding the unfounded misconceptions and myths about the Wealthy Affiliate platform.

    If there is anyone who has completed the step-by-step training and followed the guidelines set up by the Wealthy Affiliate founders, they will know that it works if you are willing to put in the time and effort. 

    Rome wasn’t built in a day.

    I know for a fact that this platform works if you commit to the training, attend the classes, and utilize the resources available to you. 

    Thank you for providing the evidence and proof that Wealthy Affiliate works. In fact, I have personally learned about email marketing and PPC campaigns, and much more. 

    I am a strong believer in this amazing platform. Experts, mentors, and Kyle, himself are always available to lend a helping hand.

    Rachele

    Reply
    • Hi Rachele,

      I love that saying about Rome not being built in a day. It’s so true; it takes time and effort to build a successful online business in the long run.

      I’m glad you’re getting the most out of Wealthy Affiliate. It’s truly a remarkable platform that provides so much to the community.

      Thank you for sharing your thoughts- they’re greatly appreciated.

      Reply
  8. Hi Eric

    I appreciate your honest take on Wealthy Affiliate and whether it’s really possible to make money through the platform. It’s refreshing to hear from someone who has experienced the training and applied it to their own affiliate marketing journey.

    Your transparency about your progress and the fact that you’ve earned commissions using the training is both inspiring and reassuring. It’s clear that while you haven’t reached your ultimate goal yet, you’re confident in the potential for massive success in the future.

    Addressing common complaints and misunderstandings about Wealthy Affiliate is a valuable contribution to those considering the platform. It’s impressive that you’ve broken down the five most common complaints and provided clarity on each one. This not only helps potential users understand the program better but also gives them a more accurate perspective on what Wealthy Affiliate truly offers.

    I’m curious, as someone who has experienced the training and seen some success, what specific strategies or aspects of the training have you found to be most effective in your journey so far? Your insights could provide valuable guidance to others who are navigating their way through affiliate marketing. Thank you for sharing your perspective and encouraging those interested to explore Wealthy Affiliate with a free starter account.

    Sean

    Reply
    • Hi Sean!

      Thank you for your kind words about my take on Wealthy Affiliate. I’m glad to hear that my experience and transparency have been helpful to you.

      To answer your question, the most effective strategies and aspects of the training that I’ve found so far are the emphasis on providing value to your audience and building a strong brand, as well as the focus on creating high-quality content that targets specific keywords.

      Additionally, the community support and access to industry experts have been invaluable in helping me navigate the world of affiliate marketing.

      I hope this helps, and I encourage you to continue exploring Wealthy Affiliate with a free starter account if you’re interested in pursuing affiliate marketing.

      Thank you for sharing your thoughts- I greatly appreciate what you have to say.

      Reply

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