What you need to understand off the bat is a Resources page has the potential to be one of the most visited and highest converting pages on your site and that’s exactly why we’re covering it, because why wouldn’t you want that?!

"I use my Resources page to recommend products I know are great for my audience. This is helpful to my visitors because it gives them all my top tools in one place and I can then reference this page elsewhere; social, posts, podcasts, etc. My Resources page is a passive way for me to generate income over time and it provides a ton of value for my audience."

Chris Spooner

Founder of Spoon Graphics

Chris Spooner

So What Is The All Important Resources Page Exactly?

In a nutshell the Resources page is where your readers can go to find out what products (and even services) you use and what you recommend the most. It provides a quick access point to those products that frequent your other posts regularly.

Typically a Resources page starts with a list of all those products that are your go-tos; those you just love and use all the time. 

Following this the resources listed should be organised in a way that makes sense to you audience. These can be broken down in any way you see fit and can include anything you think will help your readers, including links to free resources, blog posts, ebooks, paid products, courses, and more - we’ve got more ideas on what to include further on.

 

A great example Resources page for inspiration from an existing DC affiliate:

Spoon Graphics 

Full Resource Page

Why Does Your Site Need A Resources Page?

Ultimately when readers visit your site they’re looking for solutions and the resources page provides instant value. Whilst we know, if you’re following our advice, your site will be jam packed with valuable content it’s not always super easy for visitors to navigate. The Resources page is a seamless solution.

For example, your Resources page can provide quick answers to questions like…

  • “What software/equipment do you use?”
  • “What are your favourite brushes?”
  • “Which pack do you use the most in your area of design?”
  • “What products/courses/books do you recommend for beginners?”

Your audience doesn’t need to go through all the reviews across your site to find out what they should buy. Of course they can, but for those looking for an immediate answer the Resources page should do the job. And this is why it’s one of the most visited and highest converting pages on most sites.

So Much Conversion Potential

With so much opportunity for conversion on your affiliate links on this page it is really important to carefully choose which products are included.

Your readers when landing on this page want simplicity, so fewer options for your readers is actually better. 

Whilst we wouldn’t suggest only providing one recommendation; that’s reducing the opportunity for earning, you also don’t want tons; that’s also a recipe for reducing earnings. Think it through!

Adding affiliate links to your recommendations has the potential to increase the revenue you see from these links exponentially. And, a Resources page lets you build a page of links with clear purpose. However, we don’t recommend only focusing on making money when you create your page; create your page based on providing value and thinking about what would be the most helpful to your audience. 

When there’s an opportunity to add an affiliate link to a resource you’re mentioning then do.

Ideas on Resource page sections

Think about your toolbox

We know you have a few different “tools” that you always use to help you do whatever it is you do in your niche. This might be things from the digital pencil you use, your go-to texture pack, the brush pack that seems fit for every job and more - hopefully you get the point.

Consider everything you do and the tools you use to help you get your to-do-list ticked off along the way. These items/resources make up the ‘toolbox’ section. And of course, we’re sure there’s at least a few affiliate links in this group.

Recommended other products 

This is those products outside of your everyday items, but those you’ve come across which you absolutely love and provide an enormous amount of value to you - so therefore are likely to provide value to your audience too.

Try to limit the number of products you recommend for a certain part of design; as already mentioned, reducing the options to choose from will actually make readers more likely to click on the links. 

For example, favourite texture pack, favourite watercolor pack, favourite lettering pack, favourite effects pack - only include those things that are relevant to your niche.

Pain point master list

Have a section that really considers your audience’s biggest pain points as well as what you think someone new to your area of design might need to know. Go through all of your posts, tutorials, books, courses or any other content you’ve created or that you love and add links to those key pieces. This might be other influencers/bloggers/experts too - if they’ve helped you and add real value and you want to shout about them - you should!

Placement of your Resources page

It’s all well and good creating a Resources page, but to make the most of it you need to make it super easy to find.

The navigation/menu bar is an obvious, but smart place to include it, but as well as this you may want to link to if from within certain posts when it’s relevant, add a link in the footer of emails and newsletters asking readers to go and check out your recommended resources and there’s no reason why you can’t promote your page on social media with a simple ‘Check out my favourite resources that help me do xxxx’.

Summing up, a Resources page is a really simple and effective way to increase your affiliate income whilst providing something valuable and helpful to your audience. And, you can knock up a page in a flash so there’s really no excuse. Go go go.

Key Takeaway

The most important thing with your Resources page is to scale back. The most effective Resources pages don't overwhelm the reader, rather they break down recommendations into clear areas of interest and then provide 1-3 options for each.

Make sure whatever you recommend you really do use and believe in, it doesn't matter if they are cheap or expensive products if you believe they are valuable - whatever you do, don't just choose products to link to that have high commission value, but you don't know inside and out, your audience will see right through it.

Jem Pennick

About The Author

A self-confessed Marketing geek, Jem Pennick is our Senior Marketing Manager at Design Cuts. Having worked in Marketing for nearly 20 years and with some of the world's biggest brands; including Fila, BRITA, Virgin  Media and Hachette Book Group to name a few, Jem has a wealth of knowledge and experience.