How To Make A Landing Page For Affiliate Marketing

One YouTube viewer named Armando asked a simple question: how do you actually build a landing page that gets people to opt in? Not just a pretty page, but one that converts at 40, 50, or even 60 percent. That is a question worth answering in full, because most tutorials show you where to click without explaining why each piece matters or how to make it work together.

In this walkthrough, you will get the complete breakdown. The core components every landing page must have, the three headline formulas that consistently convert, how ClickFunnels is structured so you stop fighting the builder, how to set up your email integration so you actually collect the emails (one missed checkbox costs you every subscriber), how to optimize for mobile, and how to turn your thank you page into a front-end commission machine. All of this comes straight from Alston Godbolt building a live example inside ClickFunnels, with notes on how the same logic applies in GetResponse, AWeber, and Systeme.io.

What You’ll Walk Out With

The five parts every high-converting landing page must include
Three proven headline formulas you can fill in for any niche
How ClickFunnels sections, rows, columns, and elements work so you stop getting stuck
The exact integration step most beginners skip that causes them to collect zero emails
The above-the-fold mobile rule that protects your opt-in rate on small screens
How to set up a thank you page that earns affiliate commissions right after someone subscribes
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Why Landing Pages Matter More Than Any Other Funnel Page

Your landing page is the first handshake. Someone clicks a link from a YouTube video, a Facebook ad, a solo ad, or a social post, and what they see in the next three seconds determines whether they give you their email or bounce. Every other part of your funnel depends on this page working. You can have the best email sequence ever written, but if nobody opts in, it never gets sent.

A landing page in the context of affiliate marketing is not a sales page. You are not asking for a credit card. You are asking for one thing: an email address, sometimes paired with a first name. The exchange needs to feel worth it. Your lead magnet, your headline, and your sub-headline do that job. The builder is just where you put it all together.

The Five Non-Negotiable Components of Every Landing Page

No matter which tool you build in, whether that is ClickFunnels, Systeme.io, GetResponse, or AWeber, every landing page that converts has these five parts in place:

Headline: the big bold statement that grabs attention and makes the right person feel seen
Sub-headline: one line that expands on the promise and gives more context
First name field: so you can personalize your follow-up emails
Email field: the whole point; make sure the placeholder text says something like “Your best email here” to set the tone
Submit button: and this one has a setting you cannot skip (more on this in a moment)

That is it. No video player required. No long copy block. No countdown timer. Just those five pieces, presented cleanly, and your page can convert. Everything else is optimization.

ClickFunnels Architecture: Sections, Rows, Columns, and Elements

If you have ever struggled to make ClickFunnels do what you want, it is almost always because you did not understand the hierarchy. There are four levels, and each one lives inside the one above it:

Sections: the biggest container; think of these like individual pieces of paper that stack on top of each other to make the full page. You can only work on one section at a time.
Rows: rows live inside sections. You can have multiple rows in a single section. Rows determine how your content is organized horizontally across the page.
Columns: columns live inside rows. A one-column row gives you one block of content stretching the full width. A two-column row gives you two side-by-side blocks.
Elements: the actual pieces of content: headlines, sub-headlines, input boxes, buttons, and images all live at the element level.

There is a rule that trips up almost every beginner: the lower the level, the more authority it has over styling. If you set a yellow background at the section level, then set a red background at the row level, then set a green background at the element level, what you will see is green. The element wins. This is not a bug. It is how CSS specificity works, and ClickFunnels mirrors it. When you are trying to change a color and nothing seems to respond, you are almost certainly editing at too high a level. Drop down to the element or column and make the change there.

To start fresh with a blank page in ClickFunnels, click Build a New Funnel, then select Collect Emails, then scroll down to the blank page template. This gives you a clean slate with no pre-loaded elements fighting your design.

The Three Headline Formulas That Consistently Convert

Your headline is the most important piece of copy on the page. It determines in under three seconds whether someone reads further or leaves. After years of building landing pages for affiliate marketing, Alston uses three formulas that consistently outperform the rest:

Formula 1: How to Do X in Y Without Z

This is the workhorse formula. X is the desired result. Y is the timeframe. Z is the biggest fear or obstacle your audience has. For example: How to Start Affiliate Marketing in 20 Days Without Spending a Million Dollars. The “without Z” piece is critical because it directly addresses the objection that would otherwise stop someone from opting in.

The reason this formula works is congruence. Whatever you promised in the content that drove traffic to the landing page needs to match what the headline says. If someone came from a video about making money online and the landing page headline is about woodworking, they will leave. The headline should feel like a natural extension of the conversation they were already having.

Formula 2: The Truth About X That the Gurus Don’t Want You to Know

This is an expert-secrets frame. It works because it positions you as an insider and the reader as someone who is about to get access to suppressed information. The word “truth” does a lot of heavy lifting here. The Truth About Affiliate Marketing That the Gurus Don’t Want You to Know. The Truth About Weight Loss That the Fitness Industry Hides. Fill in the X with whatever your niche is built around.

Use this one when your lead magnet reveals something that goes against mainstream advice. It sets up the deliverable perfectly and makes the opt-in feel like they are getting access rather than just giving away their email.

Formula 3: The Five Biggest Mistakes You’re Making When…

The mistake frame works because people are more motivated to avoid pain than to pursue gain. The Five Biggest Mistakes You’re Making When Trying to Lose Weight. The Three Biggest Mistakes New Affiliate Marketers Make in Their First 90 Days. Anyone who recognizes themselves in the mistake wants to know what they are doing wrong and how to fix it.

These three formulas are not exhaustive, but they are the ones with the longest track record. When you are stuck on a headline, run through all three with your niche filled in and see which one feels most honest given what your lead magnet delivers.

The Sub-Headline: One Line That Does Supporting Work

The sub-headline sits directly below the main headline and gives it context. It does not need to be clever. It just needs to tell the reader what they are about to get and why it matters. A simple example from the video: Free training reveals how to start a successful affiliate marketing business fast.

Notice the word “free” is in there. That is intentional. People need to be reminded that what you are offering costs them nothing except their email address. Spelling it out removes any ambiguity and increases opt-in rates.

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One Column vs Two Column: Which Layout Converts Better

ClickFunnels gives you flexibility to build both one-column and two-column landing pages. Here is the practical guide to choosing between them:

A one-column layout is the simplest. The headline, sub-headline, input boxes, and submit button all stack vertically down the center of the page. This is ideal when you are starting out or when the offer is straightforward. Less design decision-making means fewer things to get wrong.

A two-column layout places your opt-in form on the left side and an image on the right. The image is typically a visual representation of your lead magnet: a mockup of an ebook, a screenshot of a training video, or an image that reinforces what the person is about to receive. The data generally favors two-column layouts when the image is strong and relevant. The key rule: keep the opt-in form on the left. That is where Western readers look first, and you want the path of least resistance to be the form.

When building a two-column layout, add a two-column row inside your section. Place your input boxes and submit button in the left column and your image element in the right column. Adjust the margins to make both sides feel balanced.

The Submit Button Setting That Costs Beginners Thousands of Subscribers

This is the most important technical detail in the entire walkthrough. Inside ClickFunnels, when you set up your submit button, you have to choose what action it takes. There are two options that look similar but behave completely differently:

Go to next step in funnel: this takes the visitor to the next page but does NOT save their email to your list
Submit order / Submit form: this actually captures the email and saves it to your list

Alston made this mistake himself early on. People were clicking the button and moving to the thank you page, but zero emails were being collected. The button was taking them forward in the funnel without actually submitting the form. Always set your button action to Submit Form. Check this every time you build a new page. It is a two-second check that protects every subscriber you worked to earn.

Connecting Your Email Marketing Software

Building the page is only half the job. You also need to connect your landing page to your email marketing software so that when someone submits the form, they actually land on your list and trigger whatever welcome sequence you have set up.

In ClickFunnels, go to Settings, then Integration. Select your email marketing platform. Alston uses GetResponse. ActiveCampaign and AWeber also work, and Systeme.io has this integration built in natively. Once you select the platform and authenticate it, choose which campaign or list the subscriber should be added to. You know it worked when you see a green checkmark next to the integration.

If you skip this step, you are collecting names and emails that go nowhere. Your autoresponder never fires. Your welcome sequence never sends. And you have no idea who opted in because there is no record anywhere.

Mobile Optimization: The Above-the-Fold Rule

More than half of landing page traffic comes from mobile devices. Building a page that looks great on desktop and terrible on phone is one of the most preventable conversion killers.

ClickFunnels has a mobile preview mode. Use it every time before you publish. The core rule is this: your input boxes and submit button must be visible on mobile without any scrolling. If someone has to scroll down to find the form, a significant percentage of them will not bother. The fold is the bottom of the visible screen on the smallest device your audience uses.

There is a ClickFunnels feature that makes this easier. You can mark any element as Desktop Only or Mobile Only. This lets you create slightly different versions of certain elements for each device without building two separate pages. For example, if a large hero image looks great on desktop but takes up too much vertical space on mobile, mark it as desktop-only. Then create a smaller version of the same image and mark it as mobile-only. The right element shows up on the right device, and you control both from a single page.

Alston notes this is one of the main reasons he prefers ClickFunnels over Kartra for landing pages. In Kartra, you have to build separate pages for desktop, mobile, and tablet. In ClickFunnels, a few visibility settings handle all three from one editor.

Your Thank You Page: A Front-End Commission Machine

Once someone submits their email, they land on your thank you page. Most affiliate marketers treat this as a confirmation screen and nothing more. That is money left on the table.

Your thank you page should do three things:

Confirm the opt-in: something like “Thanks for signing up”
Set expectations: “Your [ebook / training / checklist] will be in your inbox in five to ten minutes”
Present affiliate offers: “While you wait, check out my recommended tools for [your niche]” followed by two or three affiliate links

According to Alston, roughly 10 to 15 percent of people who land on the thank you page will click at least one of those affiliate links. Some will buy. This means your thank you page is generating revenue before a single email has been sent. The lead magnet delivery is happening in the background while the subscriber is already exploring a product recommendation.

Add two or three affiliate links here rather than one. Not every product will appeal to every subscriber, so giving them options increases the chance of at least one click. Make sure the products you recommend are directly relevant to the lead magnet you just delivered. If your lead magnet was about starting affiliate marketing, your recommended products should be affiliate marketing tools, training programs, or resources, not unrelated offers.

Step-by-Step: Building Your First Landing Page From Scratch

Here is the full process in order, without any steps skipped:

Step 1: Open your funnel builder. In ClickFunnels, click Build a New Funnel, select Collect Emails, name the funnel, and click Build Funnel.
Step 2: Choose the blank page template. Scroll to the bottom of the template library and select the blank option. Delete any pre-loaded elements so you start from nothing.
Step 3: Add a full-width section. Click Add Section, then choose Full Width. This creates the outer container for your entire opt-in area.
Step 4: Add a one-column row inside the section. This keeps things simple for your first page.
Step 5: Add your headline element. Use one of the three headline formulas from above. Make sure the text is large, readable, and directly relevant to the traffic source that brought people to this page.
Step 6: Add a sub-headline element below the headline. Use a short sentence that includes the word “free” and restates the value of what they will receive.
Step 7: Add a first name input box. Set the placeholder text to “First name here” or “Enter your first name.”
Step 8: Add an email input box. Set the placeholder text to “Your best email here.”
Step 9: Add a submit button. Set the button action to Submit Form. Do not select “Go to next step.” This is the step that determines whether you collect emails.
Step 10: Go to Settings, then Integration, and connect your email marketing software. Confirm the green checkmark appears.
Step 11: Click Save and give the page a title, description, and keywords. Add a share image so that when you post the link in Facebook groups, a visual appears.
Step 12: Switch to mobile preview. Confirm that the opt-in form is above the fold without scrolling. Adjust font sizes, spacing, or use desktop-only and mobile-only visibility settings to fix any issues.
Step 13: Set up your thank you page. Add confirmation text, delivery timeline, and two to three affiliate product recommendations with links.

Honest Drawbacks to Know Before You Build

No tool is perfect, and landing pages are not a magic traffic source. A few realities worth naming before you spend time building:

ClickFunnels costs money. The basic plan starts at around $97 per month. If you are just starting out, Systeme.io has a free plan that includes landing pages and email list building. The interface is different, but the logic is identical. Build the concept in Systeme.io for free, then migrate to ClickFunnels when your business can sustain the cost.

A great landing page cannot fix bad traffic. If the people clicking through to your page have no interest in what you are offering, they will leave regardless of how well the page is built. The headline-to-traffic match matters more than any design decision. Traffic from a video about affiliate marketing landing pages should see a landing page about affiliate marketing, not a general “make money online” offer with no specificity.

Email open rates are dropping industry-wide. Even with a well-built page and a fast-growing list, expect average open rates in the 20 to 35 percent range. Your thank you page affiliate links are valuable precisely because they reach subscribers at the highest-intent moment before open rates become a factor at all.

Mobile testing is not optional. Pages that look perfect on a 27-inch monitor can be broken on a phone. Preview on mobile every single time before you send traffic. The above-the-fold rule is the most important mobile check, but also look for text that is too small to read, buttons that are too close together to tap accurately, and images that overflow their containers.

Find Your X

Building a landing page is a skill that serves whatever online business model you choose. But before you spend time optimizing opt-in rates, it helps to know exactly which model you are building toward. Different business models need different types of lead magnets, different email sequences, and different affiliate offers on the thank you page. If you have not nailed down your direction yet, finder.platformproof.com will help you figure out which path makes the most sense given what you already know and what resources you have right now.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need ClickFunnels specifically to build a landing page for affiliate marketing?

No. The five components of a landing page, headline, sub-headline, name field, email field, and submit button, can be built in any funnel tool. Systeme.io has a free tier that includes this exact functionality. GetResponse and AWeber both have landing page builders built into their email platforms. ClickFunnels is the tool Alston uses because it is what he knows best, but the logic he teaches in this video applies directly to every other builder on the market.

What should I offer as a lead magnet to get people to opt in?

Your lead magnet should solve one specific problem for your target audience and deliver that solution quickly. An ebook, a checklist, a short video training, or a PDF guide all work. The key is that the lead magnet has to be congruent with whatever content drove traffic to your landing page. If people came from a video about affiliate marketing for beginners, your lead magnet should be a quick-start guide or checklist related to affiliate marketing, not a general business planning template.

What conversion rate should I expect from a landing page?

Alston mentions 40, 50, and even 60 percent as targets in this video. Realistic ranges depend heavily on traffic quality. Cold traffic from paid ads often converts at 20 to 35 percent on a well-built page. Warm traffic from your own YouTube channel or social media can convert at 40 to 60 percent because those visitors already know and trust you. The headline is the single biggest variable. Testing two different headlines is almost always the first optimization worth running.

Why do I need to collect the first name if I only need the email?

Personalizing email subject lines and openers with the subscriber’s first name increases open rates and makes the emails feel less like bulk marketing. Most email platforms let you insert the first name dynamically. “Hey [First Name], here is what I promised” performs better than “Hey there, here is what I promised.” Some marketers skip the name field to reduce friction and get more opt-ins at a lower quality. Others keep it to get fewer opt-ins at higher quality. Test both and see which approach your list responds to better.

What is the difference between a squeeze page and a landing page?

The terms are often used interchangeably. Technically, a squeeze page is a specific type of landing page with one goal: collect an email address. It has no navigation menu, no links to other pages, and no distractions. Everything on the page pushes toward the opt-in. A landing page is a broader term that can also include pages that ask for a purchase or a click. In affiliate marketing, when people say landing page, they usually mean what is technically a squeeze page: email collection only.

Can I use this same landing page for multiple traffic sources?

You can, but your results will be stronger if the headline matches the traffic source. Someone arriving from a Pinterest pin about passive income and someone arriving from a YouTube ad about affiliate marketing are coming in with different expectations. A single generic headline will underperform for both. The ideal setup is one landing page variant per significant traffic source, with the headline adjusted to match what that audience was thinking when they clicked.

How many affiliate links should I put on the thank you page?

Alston recommends two to three. One is too few because not every product appeals to every subscriber. Four or more starts to feel like a pitch wall and can undermine the trust you just built by delivering a quality lead magnet. Two or three relevant offers at different price points gives subscribers genuine options and keeps the page feeling helpful rather than salesy. Label each link clearly so subscribers know what they are clicking before they get there.

Do I need to disclose that the thank you page links are affiliate links?

Yes. The FTC requires clear disclosure whenever you might earn a commission from a link you recommend, and most affiliate networks also require it in their terms of service. A simple one-line disclosure at the top of the thank you page is sufficient: something like “The links below may be affiliate links, meaning I earn a commission if you purchase at no extra cost to you.” Disclosure does not hurt conversions meaningfully and protects you from compliance issues that could shut down your affiliate accounts.

Sources

Alston Godbolt, “How To Make A Landing Page For Affiliate Marketing,” YouTube, youtu.be/g3Qz3ve0Ed4
ClickFunnels documentation on sections, rows, columns, and elements
Systeme.io free plan feature list
FTC Endorsement Guides, 16 CFR Part 255