One of the first things you should do as an affiliate marketer is to build your own website, you can get started by clicking on this link. Yes, you can market affiliate programs without it by adding links to your email or signature file on message boards, but you will be very limited in how much you can earn this way. Building a website allows you to expose the products you are promoting to a much larger audience with less effort.
Decide on a Topic
Your first step is to decide what you would like your website to be about. Find a topic you like, something you are passionate about. You will be spending a lot of time creating content for your site, so it may as well be something you enjoy reading and writing about. Your enthusiasm for the subject will shine through as well and will get your visitors interested. Once you have your topic, make sure there are affiliate products available that compliment the site and that there are people interested in buying it.
Pick a Domain Name
Use a site like domaining, or your web host’s site to research available domain names. It helps to have one of your major keywords in your domain name. So if you decided your website will be about growing roses, try to work “rose” in the domain name. You want your domain name to be easy to remember and easy to type. Try to avoid using dashes in the name and find something that’s available as a dot com address.
Hosting
The next step is to set up a web hosting account. You should be able to get by with a basic personal website package, to begin with. Get some recommendations from others when it comes to choosing the actual hosting company. You want a service that is reliable and has good customer service. After all, you won’t be making any money when your site is down. I have been using domainking hosting for years and highly recommend them.
Site Builder or Software
Let’s talk about how you can build your website. Your options are using a site builder or software like Microsoft FrontPage. A site builder is usually easier to use in the beginning and hosting is included. You will pay a monthly fee for the software and hosting combined. If you build your site using software like an x-site pro or FrontPage, you have the added initial expense of buying the software, but your monthly hosting costs are usually lower. Of course, a third option is to have someone else design the site for you. You should still get familiar with the site builder or software so you can make changes to the site.
Do feel free to contact me should you have issues with registering and hosting your domain account. Meanwhile, don’t forget to like, share, comment and subscribe for free articles directly to your inbox. Also, check out my blog post on Affiliate marketing made simple and How to become an affiliate marketer in 4 steps. Cheers!
