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Your Affiliate Web Site Is Built – Now What?

By Vickie J. Scanlon




When I first got my affiliate web site built, I thought I finally had a presence on-line.  Wrong!  I soon found out that I needed someone to host my site, and I needed a domain name.

This, I found,  was my moment of utter confusion. And my first thought was – “What have I gotten myself into!?” I realized I needed the following questions answered before I could even begin my on-line journey.  What do I need in a web host, what is a web host, what is a domain name and – you mean, I have to pay for a domain name as well?




What is a Domain?

A domain name is a unique name that identifies an Internet site. Thus, if you want to do any on-line marketing you need a unique name to identify your business – and definitely a name that identifies or relates to that of your on-line presence.

Do I really need a domain name? Yes. Why?  There are several good reasons:

1. It projects a professional image

2. It’s mobile – you can change web hosts and your domain name goes with you.

3. It takes time and hard work to build your affiliate business – if you don’t have your own name and you want to move your content to a different web host – all is lost because the domain name is not mobile.




What is A Web Host?

A web host is an ISP that offers space in which to store your own personal Web pages.  They utilize a web server, which is a computer that is permanently connected to the Internet and can send out your web pages on request.

If you want a professional presence, I would suggest that you do not go with a free site.  Why? With a free site, you will have the company's advertisements on your pages.

There are many web hosting sites and prices to choose from – and all can be very confusing and confusing and intimidating when you are first looking at putting up a site of your own. So, what should you consider when choosing a web host?



What to Consider When You Choose a Web Host?

When choosing a web host you should consider the following:

1. Does it have customer support available 24/7?

2. How often are backups done?  (You should also do your own backups as well.)

3. How much bandwidth do they give you?  Bandwidth is the amount of activity on your site (traffic).  The more visitors you have, the more bandwidth is used. I recommend at least 2 gigs, with an option to upgrade.

4. How many email accounts do they have?  At least 3, preferably more.

5. Does it have traffic stats – to monitor your hits, page views, and actual visitors?

6. Does it have FrontPage extensions? (If you are planning to use FrontPage).

7. Does it offer autoresponders?

8. Does it offer FTP? I've found FTP to be invaluable. You may be saying to yourself, "I won't need FTP because I'm using their SiteBuilder that is maintained by the company. What if you need someone to come in to upgrade your system from the outside? No FTP? Make sure you have more than one FTP excess.

9. Does it allow for upgrades?  As your business grows, you may need additional services beyond your current plan.

10. Does it offer SiteBuilder or some other form of WYSIWYG?  (If you have no HTML experience/don’t have FrontPage, or no programming knowledge– SiteBuilder or WYSIWYG program can get you up and running quickly.

However, there are some caveats to a SiteBuilder. It has limited capabilities. If you are going to have an affiliate site, or a site in which you are going to place affiliate links on the web pages, you will have a problem. Why? Most Site Builders are scripted for strict drag and drop. You can only add content.

If you are only going to promote a business with no links, it will work fine. However, if you are going to want to put affiliate links on your site, some SiteBuilder's may not have this capability.

Before committing to a web hosting program, if you are wanting to use a SiteBuilder, you may want to ask them the program's capability before handing over any money.

To conclude, remember your web site is your business, your domain is your name, and your web host is your home – all are important factors to your success.  And to think, you only getting started!



Vickie J Scanlon --   Visit her site at: My Affiliate Place for information on Internet Marketing, website types and design and domain and subdomain facts, affiliate deals on computers, software, and electronic gadgets.