Start Your Journey Here

If you are new to affiliate marketing, I am here to help you figure out the ins and outs of the business. Affiliate marketing is simple-but-challenging, and requires a lot of hours to get off the ground (and a lot of hours to keep it off the ground). I read somewhere that affiliate marketing is the hardest you’ll ever work for easy money. You may not understand that yet, but you will (if you stick with this).

There are several routes to go when you become an affiliate marketer. Some prefer to just list advertisements for merchants (paying for ads that link directly to the sellers’ sites). Most, however, prefer to build sites that include links to advertisers.

This is a concise, step-by-step instructional on how you can utilize the build-a-website option of affiliate marketing. If you have questions, please contact me.

1. Brainstorm. Think of an idea for a site. Make it something that you really, truly have a passion about. Politics, pets, purses, or whatever tickles your brain.

2. Brainstorm again. Now that you have an idea in mind, you need to come up with a name for your site. Make it something descriptive, catchy, and creative. Descriptive means make the title relevant to the site. CindysAwesomeSite.com doesn’t tell me what it’s about. Know that creative spelling might cost you some visitors, though. ILoveWhiteFurryCats.com will get more traffic than say ILuvWhiteFurryCatz.com.

3. Register that domain name. Before you can start building your site, you need to purchase rights to the domain you chose. I use and recommend Go Daddy for domain purchases. They have great prices, and the best support I’ve seen. Click here to go to Go Daddy and register your domain name.

4. Purchase a hosting plan. A host company saves your site on their servers. You’re basically paying for someone to hold it and make it available online. Host Gator’s hosting plan is one of the best because, for just $7.95 per month you can host unlimited sites with them. This means that if and when you decide to branch out and create new sites, you won’t have to pay additional hosting fees. Click here to visit Host Gator & learn more about their plans.

5. Build. This is probably the most challenging part of the job. Building the site. If you’re proficient in HTML, you can get busy building the site that fits your needs precisely. Those who know little or nothing about HTML can build impressive sites using Premium Web Templates. By using templates, you can pick one that suits you, then add in your content.

6. Join networks. Check out my directory of affiliate networks. It’s a comprehensive listing of strong, legitimate networks that can enhance your site and earn you commission. Register for as many as you can (they’re all free), then search their programs to find merchants that fit in with your site.

7. Create Content. When it comes to affiliate marketing, content is king. Sites made up of nothing but banner ads will drive visitors away. Overly-wordy sites will hold attention for a little longer than rows and rows of banners, but you need to find a happy medium to hold on to your visitors. Think of the content on your site as a conversation with new friends at a party: You want to write in normal, friendly, informative tones.

8. Add relevant links. If your site is about junk food, you can write a post about the most popular holiday snacks. Then browse your networks, looking for programs you could mention (and promote) within your post. LinkShare Corporation, for example, represents a merchant that sells gourmet popcorn. So instead of writing, “One of the most popular edible gifts is popcorn. You can get it at your local grocery store or online.” You would write, “One of the most popular edible gifts is popcorn. If you haven’t tasted gourmet popcorn, you’re missing out! Dave & Thomas have to-die for flavors. Click here for a special coupon offer from Dale and Thomas Popcorn!”

The link has embedded code that will send your readers to the merchants you choose, and you’ll get commission on any sales that your link generates. Affiliate networks have done most of the work for you. Just search for merchants that you think will tie in with your site/post, and then click on “text links” to choose one that you like best.