If you have been looking for a way to work online but are not sure how to go about it, or have tried, and want to increase your earnings, Wealthy Affiliates may be what you have been looking for. The problem however is knowing if is this legitimate. I know this only because I have searched myself in an attempt to find a way to work online without falling foul of any cons or scams.”Just because they say it is doesn’t mean it’s so” and no-one deserves to invest time, hard work and sometimes money, just to end up being taken advantage of.
The big questions you want to know first when looking at any online method for making money online are:
1. Is it a scam?
2. Does it really work?
3. Can it work for me?
For these reasons I have investigated WealthyAffiliate in depth (by taking the plunge myself) and am sharing my findings in an honest and in depth review.
I hope you find this helpful and are able to reach your own informed conclusions by the end.
Overview and summery
Owners Kyle and Carson
Who is it suitable for Absolutely anyone who wants online business
Website URL www.wealthyaffiliate.com
Training 5/5
Support 4.8/5
Websitebuilder 4.9/5
WordPress hosting 5/5
Research tools 4.8/5
Price Start up FREE (unlimited time)
optional upgrade to premium $49 per month
Overall rating 4.9
Affiliate marketing-A very quick explanation
I just thought I would drop this brief explanation in first to help anyone still unsure about what exactly affiliate marketing is.
For affiliate marketing you do not need to have a product to sell. All you need is an interest and this can be anything! By using your website or blog you can introduce clients to companies and their products and earn a commission from doing this. Commissions can be earned through generating traffic or sales depending on the company.
For example your web page or blog may be focused on “how to create the perfect garden in a tiny space”. By researching plants, tools, equipment etc you will find companies which have affiliate programs.
You can create reviews or discuss the products that you use and find most effective. When you have researched a product and are happy to promote it you join the affiliate program and create a link on your blog. When anyone follows the link and buys you get the commission on that sale. It’s that easy!
Wealthy Affiliate -The Background in Brief
Wealthy Affiliate was founded in 2005 by Carson and Kyle who still run it today. I found this really reassuring as it meant it was not a fly-by-night scheme that was going to disappear as soon as I had invested in it.

Kyle Co-founder

Carson Co-founder
It started life as a keyword list membership site to help others succeed online in the same way as they had.
As the membership grew they added a forum and then a training schedule (which is still constantly being updated to keep in step with the ever evolving world of online marketing) .
In 2007, they incorporated their own web hosting and the siterubrix web building service, followed by the WA blog in 2010, enabling members to record their progress and share motivation, inspiration, problems and advice to others on the site.
Live Chat was then rolled out giving the opportunity for members to communicate in real time, followed by rewards for likes, training and comments to other members.
In June 2012 notifications were added, members were now able to stay in tune with was going on currently.
In October 2012 free start up membership was introduced, you can stay at this forever if you choose not to upgrade. This gives you access to startup training, 2 free websites and the information to let you make a start with your own on line business.
In 2013 classrooms arrived, here members receive step by step tutorials, which include videos and clear concise advice on how to go from complete beginner to becoming successful in building your own online marketing business. Then in 2016 Wealthy Affiliate made it possible to register your own domain name inside WA or transfer an existing domain into WA.
Over the last 12 years it has been developed into one of the most respected online marketing programs and continues to be updated to ensure it remains a leading program in online marketing.
What it is!
Wealthy Affiliate is an online training program created by top earners and experts in the industry to help those who want succeed on line whether you are a complete newbie or are already generating an income at whatever level.
It’s the opportunity for you to organize your own life, around your schedule and the things that interest and motivate you. To be your own boss and generate your own wealth and create your own freedom
It is a community of 800,000+ like-minded and motivated individuals who offer support, help and training. It can be a really lonely out there and totally exhausting trying to figure everything out on your own. At Wealthy Affiliate the community is actively encouraged to help you out.
Based on your passions Wealthy Affiliate walks you through creating your niche market, SEO (Search Engine Optimization), keyword optimization, building your website, attracting traffic and earning revenue. At the end you not only know how to create your business but understand how it all fits into the big picture.
What it is not!
Well the big question! Is Wealthy Affiliate a scam or not?
Wealthy Affiliate offers a completely free start up with no card details taken. After you have joined and experienced the training and resources available, you have the option to upgrade to premium, a step I would highly recommend if you are serious about building a thriving online business.
There are only 2 levels, free starter membership and premium $49 per month (with a yearly option $359).Unlike other programs once you upgrade to premium you then have access to all the tools and areas in Wealthy Affiliate. You are not asked to pay any extra, there are no fees to move onto the next level, you have access to all areas.
The answer then is a definite NO, it is NOT a scam!
Wealthy Affiliate requires commitment and a willingness to learn. The people that do not succeed are generally those who give up or are expecting to get rich without putting in the work to get there.
It is NOT a get-rich-quick scheme. You have to be prepared to put the effort in. However, it is evident that this does work if you are prepared to treat this as your business, follow the lessons and engage with the community. The resources available provide you with an abundance of expert knowledge that you are going to need to succeed.
How does Wealthy Affiliate work then?
By using everything available you have a complete guide to on line marketing. These are the main areas which will educate and prepare you to launch or grow your individual business:
Classrooms
This is where you move through a series of lessons which are designed to help you, step by step, from beginner to expert and will teach you everything you need to know. Tutorials include clear instructions and guides, and provide extremely useful videos which make maneuvering the site simple. The tasks incorporated in each session are planned to keep you moving forward without loosing momentum.
Live video classes
52 live video classes are delivered throughout the year which gives you the opportunity for live interaction. There are also hundreds of live classes available on playback which can be accessed as and when you need them.
Websites and Hosting–
On the starter membership you can create and develop 2 free wordpress websites and on premium up to 25 free plus 25 owning your domain using the SiteRubrix platform (exclusive to Wealthy Affiliate).
Wealthy Affiliate claim you can have your website built within 30 seconds and up and running in no time. It sounded like an astonishing claim, I had never created a website before but I gave it a go, and yes it is true and amazingly easy! It’s as simple as a few clicks to create a professional, highly efficient and creative website in minutes ready for you to fill with amazing content and affiliate links.
As a starter there are 12 themes you can choose, on up grading to premium there is a choice of 3000+.The bonus of hosting your website on the Wealthy Affiliate platform is that they have a team that monitors the network and all of your sites 24 hours a day 365 days of the year to protect you from hackers and spam. Unlike other hosting platforms, at Wealthy Affiliate your sites have full redundancy, this means there is always a “mirror” of your site running, that way if it ever goes down it can be swapped immediately and you are up and running again with no hassle.
There is also protection in case you make a mistake (which is easily done in my case) and your website goes down. Daily snapshots are taken as standard for all members. The team can then help you to get your site up and running again.
Domains
Starter members get access to 2 free websites/blogs. These are sub domains which means that they are put on the SiteRubix domain, so you would have your website/blog name followed by siterubix.com. Premium members have access to 25 plus another 25 where you own your own domain name. Domain names can be acquired through WA or transferred to WA from other registrars. This way you are then able to use all the domain features offered at Wealthy Affiliates. Most members start with a free website and then upgrade later when they have got the hang of it. This is a really good risk free way of making sure it’s for you and also enables you to start with no initial outlay.
Support- through a caring community
It is a community of 800,000+ like-minded and motivated individuals who offer support, help and training. It can be a really lonely out there and totally exhausting trying to figure everything out on your own.
At Wealthy Affiliate the community is actively encouraged to help you out. Wealthy Affiliate has the largest community of entrepreneurs who are all building their businesses in every niche you can imagine at every stage of growth.
You can ask any question at any time, WA operates 24/7. I’ve found it’s the most positive community who share their experiences, give expert advice offer tips and help with problem solving through live chat, blogs, private messages and the questions forum. The most impressive thing for me though is that the owners Kyle and Carson are also active members regularly responding to questions and are easily accessible through private messaging!
Key word tool –
A built in tool that enables you to find the most effective key words and phrases relevant to your writing. It will show you the statistics that word/phrase creates and gives ideas for alternatives that may be helpful and help you rank in google searches.
So, what do you get when you join?

Can it work for everyone?
The good thing about Wealthy Affiliate is that it encourages you to use your passions to build you business. By working at something you are interested in you are less likely to become bored or dissatisfied. Wealthy Affiliate will help you identify your niche and then turn this into a money making business.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Free start up package and you do not have to give your card details! No risk involved -this was a great big pro for me and at the top of my list
No pressure to go premium.
Amazing resources
Step by step training
Fantastic community
Really friendly with a positive energy. I found everyone there really wants you to succeed Including Kyle and Carson.
Premium gives unbeatable value for money
Cons
It can be really overwhelming when you start and look at the amount of information and learning resources available.DON’T PANIC keep a cool head and just take it step by step.
You have to be prepared to put a good bit of groundwork in before you see results. It’s not immediate but it is worthwhile
It can take a while for you to get answers. Don’t be afraid to ask again.
My conclusion
This really is worth looking at. There is no risk involved. I at the time of joining was completely new to the whole thing and was able to get up and running within a few days. I had started my dream! If this sounds like what you may be looking for why not give it a go. Make up you own mind without risking a thing. There really is nothing to lose.
I hope this has been helpful. Please feel free to leave a comment or ask a question below and I will he happy to get back to you.