Let’s be honest: Web hosting affiliate marketing is the “final boss” of monetization. It is crowded, ruthless, and filled with

How to Start Affiliate Marketing with Web Hosting

Waseem Abbas
December 10, 2025

Let’s be honest: Web hosting affiliate marketing is the “final boss” of monetization. It is crowded, ruthless, and filled with people spamming links to Bluehost on Twitter.

But it is also where the real money is. A single sale can net you $65 to $150. If you sell high-end managed hosting, that number jumps to $500+.

You are a WordPress developer. You have an unfair advantage: You actually know how this stuff works. While 90% of affiliates are copy-pasting “Best Hosting 2025” from ChatGPT, you can show actual server response times.

Here is how to enter this market and actually make money.

Phase 1: The Economics (CPA vs. Recurring)

Before you sign up for 50 programs, understand how you get paid. There are two models. Choose your strategy based on your cash flow needs.

1. The “Big Hit” Model (CPA – Cost Per Action)

How it works: You get a massive one-time fee when someone signs up.
Examples: Hostinger (~60%), SiteGround ($50+), Bluehost ($65+).
The Math: You refer 10 people to Hostinger. You make ~$600-800 immediately.
Verdict: Best for cash flow right now.

2. The “Wealth” Model (Recurring)

How it works: You get a smaller fee upfront (or none), but a percentage of their bill forever.
Examples: Kinsta (up to $500 CPA + 10% monthly), Cloudways (Recurring tiers).
The Math: You refer 10 people to Kinsta. You make less upfront, but if those clients stay for 3 years, you make thousands without lifting a finger.
Verdict: The smart play for long-term wealth.

Phase 2: Choosing Your “Stack”

Do not promote 20 hosts. Promote 3. If you promote everything, you stand for nothing. Your audience is smart; they know you can’t love 20 different hosts equally.

The “Good, Better, Best” Strategy:

The Budget Pick (Hostinger): For the student or the “I just need a site” client. It’s cheap, fast enough, and converts like crazy because of the price point.
The Performance Pick (Cloudways/SiteGround): For small businesses that need reliability.
The Premium Pick (Kinsta/WP Engine): For serious e-commerce or high-traffic blogs. High ticket, high trust.

Phase 3: Content That Actually Ranks

The keyword “Best Web Hosting” is dead. You will not rank for it. The big players (CNET, PCMag, Forbes) have that locked down.

You need to go lateral and technical.

1. The “Alternative” Strategy People hate popular things when they break. Target keywords like:

“Bluehost alternative for WordPress”
“SiteGround vs Cloudways for Woocommerce”
“Is Hostinger good for high traffic?”

2. The “Setup” Tutorial (Your Secret Weapon) This is where you win. Don’t just review the host; show them how to use it.

Article Title: “How to launch a portfolio site on Cloudways in 10 minutes.”
The Hook: “Follow this guide, click this link to get the server I use, and copy my settings.”
Why it works: You aren’t selling hosting; you are selling a solution (a portfolio). The hosting is just a tool they need to buy to finish your tutorial.

3. The “Migration” Guide Target frustrated users.

Article Title: “How to move from GoDaddy to Hostinger (and save $100/year).”
The Hook: Show the math. “You are paying $15/mo. Hostinger is $3/mo. Here is how to switch without losing data.”

Phase 4: The Execution (Where Amateurs Fail)

1. Proof over Adjectives Stop saying “It is blazing fast.” Show a GTMetrix screenshot. Show a Google PageSpeed Insights score.

Bad: “Hostinger is great.”
Good: “I installed a heavy Avada theme on Hostinger. It loaded in 1.2s. Here is the screenshot.”

2. Contextual Links > Banners Nobody clicks on sidebar banners anymore. We have banner blindness. Put your links in the text, where the user’s eye is already focused.

Link text: “If you are following along, [click here to grab the 75% off deal] so your screen looks like mine.”

3. The Coupon Code Most hosting affiliate programs give you a custom coupon code. Use it. People are trained to hunt for deals. If you say “Use code GEMINI for an extra 10% off,” you secure the cookie and the sale.

Phase 5: Disclosure (Stay Legal)

This isn’t just about the FTC; it’s about trust. Put a clear box at the top of your post: “Transparency Note: I use affiliate links. If you buy through me, I buy coffee. I only recommend what I actually use.” Your audience respects honesty. They hate being tricked.