1: You can use this method with pretty much any affiliate program. However, Clickbank will make you more money per visitor.
For instance: You set up 2 sites, one for clickbank and one for amazon.
Both sites get 1000 visitors a day, and 1 in every 100 buy through your link.
Most Clickbank vendors pay 75% commission.
Through Amazon, percentage is 4% to 8% (and you start at 4%)
The average sale, if you include upsells etc, on Clickbank is worth around $40 to you in commission (in my experience). So, with the clickbank site you'll make $400 (not saying you will, just proving why Clickbank is better with Mathematics)
If the average sale made on Amazon was $100, you'll get $4 - $8 in commission. So, you make just $40 - $80
This means, to make the same amount of money from amazon, even at 8%, you would need to either get the average sale up to $500, or your visitors up to 5000 per day, or make a sale in every 20 visitors instead.
Long-term, Amazon might be better, especially if you're building an authority site. But for someone new to IM, go for Clickbank.
I've been following this thread for a while, and you've provided a lot of great insight.
Your advice to go with Clickbank for noobs is solid advice, but, respectfully, this analysis for why needs some more explanation.
It would be fine if we could assume the items sold via CB and Amazon were exactly the same. However, selling a book is not like selling a burger (just to pick two random items).
What one has to consider is the target audience for each and their propensity to buy that particular item. Factors that go into that: Trust (Amazon brand vs CB's), price of the item, the value of the item to the audience, etc. The audience targeted by one's IM is (should be) shaped by what they hope to sell to them through this method. While there is overlap, it is unlikely the same audience is attracted (with equal force) to any given Amazon product vs CB product. So, it is very hard to get a true apples to apples comparison.
If someone wants to build an asset that is lasting (i.e. authority site, as you mention), it may prove very difficult to be successful basing it on CB products, given the superior Amazon trust factor (i.e. more credibility, better "quality" products). The objective of the asset (any asset, really) is a stream of "long term" income. Thus it requires a very different approach to building, and probably requires a higher level of investment.
The CB product is more incentivized (generally) to a Churn and Burn approach, with it's higher affiliate payouts (per $ of sale). The relative "quality" of CB products, in terms of "value delivered", is relatively "medium - low". The product is aimed at an audience following high interest, trending topics (i.e. lower product "longevity"). All of this makes the life of the websites (assets) short. However, the method provided here to C&B is very accessible to noobs, with better odds at payback on effort.
So, yes, CB seems an excellent match for a noob using this method to start making money, with low investment.
Same conclusion, but with an alternative look at the why for CB vs Amazon affiliate programs with this method.
Anyway, much thanks to you FreddyJames and meathead for sharing your acumen on this!