Launching a new website is exciting, but it can also feel overwhelming when it comes to choosing where to focus your limited time and budget. Should you invest in influencers, build SEO, or jump into affiliate marketing first? The answer depends on your traffic, resources, and growth goals.
If your site is new and has very little traffic, here’s how each channel stacks up:
Influencer Marketing: Your Fastest Traffic Engine
For new sites, influencers can be the quickest way to get eyes on your product. Since influencers bring their own audience, you don’t need to rely on your website’s organic reach just yet.
Why it works for new sites:
- You tap into built-in communities.
- Micro- and nano-influencers often have stronger engagement at lower costs.
- Influencer content doubles as social proof and ad creatives.
- Harness product seeding to lower costs.
Best play: Start small, structure deals with product seeding, affiliate commissions, or hybrid performance models, and repurpose influencer content for your own channels.
SEO: Building Your Long-Term Foundation
SEO is essential, but it’s not the best short-term growth driver for brand-new websites. Ranking takes time, backlinks, and a steady content pipeline.
Why you still need it:
- SEO is your compounding, long-term traffic channel.
- Each article or landing page is an asset that keeps paying off once ranked.
- Strong SEO reduces your reliance on influencers or paid channels later.
Best play: Target low-competition, long-tail keywords. Publish authority-building content that’s shareable by influencers and affiliates. Build backlinks through partnerships and guest posting.
Affiliate Marketing: Scale Without Upfront Risk
Affiliate marketing is attractive because you only pay on performance. The challenge? Affiliates want proof that your site converts. With no traffic and no sales history, it can be hard to convince them.
Why it still works early:
- You can position early influencers as affiliates, giving them a commission-based incentive.
- Niche bloggers and content partners can create traffic for you if given strong incentives.
- Affiliates help validate your offer and open doors to new audiences.
Best play: Start by recruiting influencers and bloggers into your affiliate program. Provide discount codes, banners, and exclusive deals to make promotion easier. Be generous with commission early to attract partners.
Roadmap for New Sites
When your website is brand-new and traffic is close to zero, here’s a step-by-step approach:
- Months 1–3: Influencer-driven awareness
- Partner with micro-influencers.
- Repurpose their content for ads and your site.
- Use them as affiliates where possible.
- Months 4–6: Affiliate foundation
- Recruit affiliates who can create their own traffic (bloggers, deal sites, niche communities).
- Offer strong commission and bonuses to early adopters.
- Track performance and optimize your funnel for conversions.
- Months 6–12: SEO build-out
- Double down on long-tail, buyer-intent keywords.
- Publish consistent, value-driven content.
- Invest in backlinks to secure rankings.
Final Word
If you’re starting with little to no traffic, your best bet is to borrow traffic first (influencers and affiliates) while building your own long-term engine (SEO) in the background. Influencers give you quick visibility, affiliates scale your reach without upfront costs, and SEO secures your independence over time.
The key is not to choose one channel in isolation, but to layer them strategically as your site grows.
Uptake Affiliate Services is a commission-only affiliate program management partner. We help brands grow sales without upfront retainers—you pay only when you profit, so our incentives stay 100% aligned. Contact us today.
