If you are an artist who wants passive income without turning your studio into a call center, then yes, ready built affiliate sites can help. You buy or build something once, fill it with content that speaks to a niche you care about, and let it earn from product referrals while you draw, paint, compose, or rehearse. It is not magic money. But it can be a slow, steady side income that grows. Companies that sell turnkey affiliate websites promise exactly that: a website already set up, connected with affiliate programs, and ready for traffic.
That is the short answer.
The longer answer is more interesting, and honestly a bit messy. Some artists thrive with this kind of project. Others buy a site, ignore it, and watch it fade. The difference usually has less to do with talent and more to do with expectations, consistency, and choosing a niche that actually fits your artistic brain.
Let us go through it step by step, and I will also point out a few traps that I think many creative people fall into with these sites.
What an affiliate website really is (in plain language)
An affiliate website is a simple idea.
You recommend products or services on your site. When someone clicks your special link and buys, you earn a small commission. It might be art supplies, online courses, music gear, printing services, or anything else.
There are two big parts:
1. The website itself
2. The content and traffic
Most people focus on the first one, because it feels concrete. A site with a logo, menus, and categories looks like a finished project. It is not. It is more like a gallery with empty walls.
The website is not the business. The business is the attention you bring to it.
Still, for artists, the website part can be a helpful shortcut. You might not want to spend weeks figuring out hosting, themes, plugins, and technical stuff. Having that done for you can free your brain for content, visuals, and actual art.
What people mean by “ready made” or “done for you” sites
When you see phrases like “premade affiliate websites” or “turnkey niche websites”, they usually refer to sites that come with some combination of:
- Domain name (the .com or similar)
- Hosting or help setting it up
- A theme and basic layout
- Preloaded articles or product pages
- Affiliate programs already connected (for example Amazon, art vendors, software tools)
- Some starter traffic plan or basic guides
Many of these sites are built around specific topics, for example:
- Watercolor supplies
- Digital drawing tablets
- Home art studio setup
- Online classes for illustration
- Music production tools
If you pick a niche that matches your practice, you can add your own voice without feeling like you are pretending to be an expert in something you do not care about.
I once saw a painter buy a site about “best dog grooming tools”. They did not even own a dog. The site just sat there, because every article felt like homework. It is a small thing, but it matters.
How this connects to your art practice, not just your wallet
If you think of an affiliate site only as a way to make money, it might feel hollow. That is not always a bad thing, but for people who value meaning in their work, that shallow feeling can make it hard to keep going.
There are at least three ways this can connect with your actual art:
1. Teaching what you already know
If you teach art, even informally, you constantly answer questions like:
- Which brushes should I buy first?
- How cheap can I go on paint without regret?
- Which drawing tablet works for beginners?
- What printer do you use for your prints?
Instead of answering this from scratch every time, you can write honest guides and link to products. Your site becomes an extension of your teaching.
If your affiliate site feels like a resource you wish you had when you were starting out, you are probably on the right track.
2. Documenting your process
You might already test tools, try papers, experiment with inks, or compare apps. That is content.
For example:
– A comparison of 3 sketchbooks with photos from your own work
– A page that lists every pencil or brush you use, with short notes
– A diary-style post about switching from traditional to digital or mixing both
Each piece can include affiliate links. But the main thing is that you are sharing your process, not just pushing products.
3. Supporting your existing audience
If you already sell art, have an Instagram following, teach locally, or run a small newsletter, an affiliate site can support that.
Instead of sending people only to Instagram or a shop, you send them to a central place where they can:
– See your work
– Read your guides
– Find your recommended gear or courses
It is a quiet way to earn from the questions you already answer in your messages and comments.
Buying a site vs building from scratch
Here is where many people get stuck. You can build a site yourself, or you can buy one that is mostly ready. Both are fine. Neither is perfect.
A quick comparison might help:
| Option | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Build from scratch |
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| Buy ready made site |
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For artists, the second option is often more realistic, as long as you are picky about what you buy. You probably do not want to become your own web developer. You want a stable base and then enough freedom to shape things so they reflect your work and taste.
How to choose a niche that makes sense for an artist
The biggest mistake I see creatives make is choosing a niche that has high earning potential but no connection to their life. Something like “outdoor gadgets” when they barely go outside, or “crypto trading tools” when they hate numbers.
I cannot tell you your niche, but I can give you a small test.
Ask yourself three questions:
1. Could I talk about this topic for a year without hating it?
2. Can I bring my own experience or taste, not just rewrite product descriptions?
3. Does this topic connect to something I already do or want to do in my art?
If the answer is “maybe” for all three, the niche is probably weak. If the answer is an honest “yes” for at least two, you might have something.
Some niche ideas that tend to fit artistic people:
- Art supplies for beginners in your medium
- Drawing tablets for different budgets
- Home studio setup in small spaces
- Printing and framing gear for selling art prints
- Online art courses and workshops reviews
- Music recording gear for indie artists
- Craft tools for a specific craft you already do
There is a subtle trap here. If you pick a niche that is too close to your main income, you might feel strange recommending “competing” products. For example, if you sell your own online course, you might hesitate to review others. That is a real concern. It is better to decide that early than to feel stuck later.
What “passive” really looks like for these sites
People use the word “passive” a lot. I think it confuses artists more than it helps.
Passive here does not mean “no work”. It usually means:
– Work happens up front
– Earnings keep coming in from old work
– Maintenance is lighter than client work or commissions
If you write a detailed guide to “best watercolor brushes for beginners” and keep it updated twice a year, it can keep earning for years. That is passive compared to doing a custom painting every time you want to earn.
Think of affiliate content like a painting that you hang in a busy hallway. You do the work once, then people pass by again and again.
Still, something has to keep people coming through that hallway. That “something” is mostly:
– Search engine traffic
– Social media traffic
– Email subscribers
– Links from other sites
None of this is instant. For most people, year one is small. If you are patient and consistent, years two and three can feel very different.
Key steps to make a ready made site actually work
Buying a site is the easy part. Turning it into a useful asset is where most people give up.
Here is a rough path that works better than random guessing.
1. Personalize the design just enough
You do not need to obsess over this, but you also do not want your site to look like a template with no personality.
A few ideas:
- Add your own logo or a simple text logo that fits your art style
- Use 2 or 3 colors that you already use in your artwork or branding
- Swap stock photos for your own photos where possible, even if they are not perfect
- Write a short “about” page showing that a real person with a real practice is behind the site
People do not need a flawless portfolio. They just need to feel that someone who actually uses these tools is talking to them.
2. Rewrite or expand canned content
Prebuilt sites often include generic content. This is both good and bad.
Good because you are not staring at a blank screen.
Bad because your site can feel like all the others.
Instead of throwing everything out, do this:
- Pick the top 5 or 10 articles that are most relevant to your niche
- Read them as if you were a beginner artist
- Edit them to reflect your real opinions and experience
- Add photos from your own work or tools you actually own
If the article says “this brush set is perfect”, and you think it is fine but not great, say that. People remember honesty more than forced praise.
3. Add original guides that only you can write
The strongest content is the kind that no template can mimic. Things like:
– “What I wish I knew before buying my first drawing tablet”
– “How I turned a 1-room apartment into a working art studio”
– “My setup for scanning and preparing paintings for print”
– “5 cheap tools I use all the time that nobody talks about”
These posts might link to products, but they also show your thinking and your taste. That is what keeps readers coming back.
4. Set a realistic content schedule
The worst plan is “I will write endlessly until this is huge”. That usually becomes “I wrote two posts then forgot”.
A better approach:
– Week 1 to 4: Fix design, write or rewrite 5 to 10 key articles
– Next 3 months: 1 new article per week
– After that: 2 articles per month, plus small updates to older posts
Of course, your schedule might vary. But some small structure helps. Treat it a bit like a sketchbook habit. Not huge bursts, just steady pages filled over time.
How artists can bring in traffic without turning into spam machines
Traffic is where many artists feel uncomfortable. Nobody wants to be that person shouting “click my link” everywhere. You do not need to.
Here are some approaches that feel more natural.
Search engines
This is slow, but fairly honest. You write content around questions people already ask, and over time some of them find your site on Google or similar.
Simple steps:
- Use clear titles like “Best beginner watercolor kits under $50” or “How to set up a small art studio in your bedroom”
- Answer the question early in the article, then go deeper
- Use headings so readers and search engines can understand the structure
- Use your own photos, named in a simple way, like “cheap-watercolor-set.jpg”
This is not advanced SEO. It is just writing clearly for people, not trying to trick algorithms.
Social media in a calmer way
If you already post your work on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, or anywhere else, you can fold the site into what you do.
Some ideas:
- Record short clips reviewing a tool you love, then put the full review on your site
- Film your process, and list the tools you use in a link to your site
- Share “before and after” shots of switching to better paper or lighting, with links for people who ask
The key is to add value in the content itself, not just tease. If the video alone is helpful, people are more likely to care about your link.
Email, even if your list is small
Many artists avoid email because it feels formal. It does not have to.
You can send short updates every month or two:
– What you are working on
– One or two new articles you wrote
– One tool you are testing
Email subscribers are more likely to click your links and return. The list does not need to be large to matter.
Can buying an established site save time for artists?
There is another level beyond new ready made sites. Some sellers offer established websites for sale that already have some traffic and income. These cost more, but they might save time.
The logic is simple. An existing site with:
– Several dozen articles
– Steady traffic each month
– A track record of earnings
is less of a gamble than a fresh domain with zero history.
Still, there are tradeoffs.
| Type of site | Typical cost | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand new premade site | Low to medium | Artists with more time than money | Overpromised traffic or income |
| Lightly aged site, few visitors | Medium | People who want a head start, but can still shape content | Generic articles that need big rewriting |
| Established site with real earnings | Higher | Artists ready to treat this as a serious side business | Fake or unstable traffic, fake earnings screenshots |
Here I should push back on a common belief: “If a site already earns, it must be safe.” Not always. Algorithms change, affiliate terms change, sellers cherry pick numbers.
You need to check:
- Where traffic comes from (one viral post is risky)
- How many different products or merchants it earns from
- Whether you feel able to keep adding content in that niche
As an artist, also ask whether the design and tone line up with what you would be proud to share. If it feels spammy to you now, it may stay that way unless you rebuild a lot of it.
Practical money expectations for an artist
Let us talk about numbers for a moment, in a grounded way.
Can affiliate sites reach interesting income levels? Yes.
Do most people get there? No.
Can a patient, creative person with a clear niche and real effort build something meaningful? Often, yes.
Here is a rough, simplified picture. These are not promises, just ranges I have seen:
| Stage | Time after start | Traffic range (per month) | Monthly income range | How it feels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early | 0 to 6 months | 50 to 500 visits | $0 to $50 | Mostly quiet, easy to doubt yourself |
| Growing | 6 to 18 months | 500 to 5,000 visits | $50 to $500 | Small but real, starts to feel possible |
| Stable | 18 to 36 months | 5,000 to 50,000 visits | $500 to several thousand | Worth real planning, but still needs care |
For many artists, an extra $200 to $500 per month is already useful: covers materials, rent for a studio corner, or part of your time so you can say “no” to a few jobs you dislike.
Expecting that after a few weeks is where things go wrong. Expecting that after a year of steady, honest work is more realistic.
Common mistakes artists make with affiliate sites
You are probably tired of hype. I am too. So here are places where this model often goes wrong, told plainly.
1. Treating the site like a lottery ticket
Buying a site and then ignoring it is not “passive income”. It is more like buying art supplies and never opening them. You might resell them later, but more likely they sit in a box.
At minimum, your site needs:
- Content updates
- New articles sometimes
- Checks that links still work
- Basic technical maintenance
You do not need to obsess over it daily. But total neglect rarely works.
2. Forgetting your own taste and standards
Some artists feel pressure to recommend things only because they have high commissions. They end up with pages full of products they would never use.
Readers feel that.
A softer, slower, but more stable path is:
Promote fewer things, but make sure you would be happy to see a student, friend, or fellow artist using them based on your recommendation.
Your reputation is part of your long term income, even if it is hard to measure on a spreadsheet.
3. Choosing a niche just because it “pays well”
I touched on this earlier, but it is worth repeating. If you pick a niche that makes you bored, you will stop. It is that simple.
If you enjoy gear and tools, gear based niches can be fun.
If you love teaching, “how to” guides and course reviews might fit better.
If you care about studio life and mindset, writing about workflow and setup can work.
There is no perfect niche. There is just “can I genuinely keep talking about this without hating my screen”.
4. Not protecting your art energy
One more honest concern. Some artists start an affiliate site and slowly let it swallow their creative time. Instead of drawing, they obsess over stats, plugins, and small layout tweaks that nobody else cares about.
If that sounds like you, set a simple rule:
– X hours per week on the site
– Y hours per week on actual art
And do your best to keep those numbers balanced in favor of the art. The site should support your practice, not replace it.
A simple action plan for an artist curious about affiliate sites
If you are still reading, you are at least mildly interested. Let me suggest a practical path that avoids both hype and paralysis.
Step 1: Define one clear audience
Not “everyone who likes art”. That is too vague.
Pick something like:
- Beginners in watercolor who have less than $200 to spend on tools
- Digital artists who want budget friendly tablets
- People who want to set up a small art corner at home
- Craft lovers who want tools that fit in a tiny flat
Write this down somewhere. Refer back to it.
Step 2: Decide build vs buy
Be honest about your tolerance for tech setup.
– If the thought of picking themes and dealing with plugins makes your head hurt, consider a premade site.
– If you enjoy tinkering and want full control, building from scratch is fine.
The choice is practical, not moral.
Step 3: List 10 article ideas that feel natural
If you can not think of 10 things to write about for your audience, the niche might be too narrow or uninteresting to you.
Some starter formats:
- “Best X for Y” (for example “Best cheap sketchbooks for ink drawing”)
- “My setup for Z” (for example “My setup for painting in a tiny kitchen”)
- “Things I wish I knew before buying…”
- “Tools I regret buying” (people like honesty)
Aim for a mix of product focused and process focused pieces.
Step 4: Commit to a 6 month experiment
Six months is long enough to see movement, but not so long that it feels like a life sentence.
During those months:
- Publish regularly, even if it is short content
- Share your posts with your existing followers without spamming
- Track traffic and sales once a month, not daily
At the end, review:
– Did you enjoy the work more often than not?
– Did you see any income at all, even tiny?
– Do you have ideas for more content, or are you drained?
Your answers matter more than any general advice someone like me can give.
Questions artists often ask about affiliate websites
Q: Will an affiliate site distract me from my “real” art?
A: It might, if you let it. The site is another creative project, not completely separate. Writing honest guides, shooting photos of your tools, and explaining your process can deepen your own understanding.
If you start feeling that the site is stealing time from painting or composing, set limits and treat it like any other side project. It should support your art life, not compete with it.
Q: Do I need to show my face or personal life?
A: Not always. Many affiliate sites work with just a name, a simple about page, and photos of hands, tools, and art. That said, a little bit of personal presence builds trust.
You can show your work, your workspace, or your tools, without turning it into a personal diary. Share what feels comfortable, and see how readers respond.
Q: Is it still worth starting an affiliate site now, or is it too late?
A: People have said “it is too late” for years. But new questions, new tools, and new trends appear all the time. Artists, in particular, bring a perspective that many generic product sites do not have.
If you pick a narrow, honest niche and focus on real experience, there is still space. The bigger threat is not competition. It is giving up before your work has time to compound.
Q: What if I try it and decide I hate it?
A: Then you learned something. You might keep the site as a small reference library for your students or followers, even if you stop adding content. Or you might sell it later, even for a modest amount.
Not every project has to become a pillar of your income. Some just show you what type of side work fits your energy.
Q: How do I know if a ready made site seller is trustworthy?
A: Ask questions like:
- Can I see sample sites or content?
- Is the writing understandable and natural, or stiff?
- Do they clearly state what is included and what is not?
- Are there realistic examples of earnings, or just big promises?
If answers feel vague, rushed, or full of hype words, that is a sign to step back. Take your time. A little patience now can save you months of regret later.
And maybe the hardest question, but also the simplest: would you personally want to read the site you are about to buy? If the honest answer is “not really”, what does that tell you?