January 15, 2024  |   

How To Create a Website for Affiliate Marketing

How to create a website for Affiliate Marketing is an article that covers a great way to earn money online. It is a marketing strategy where the user can promote a brand’s product or service to consumers through their site and earn a commission. Every time a website visitor makes a purchase using the personal referral link or code, that the merchant allocated to you, you can receive a commission. In this guide we’re going to show you how to create a website for affiliate marketing. Starting with choosing your product and market niche, to setting up a website, finding affiliate programs and tools, so you can start earning.

Create a Website for Affiliate Marketing

According to recent statistics, affiliate marketing is set to grow to $15.7 billion in revenue in 2024 with it currently accounting for 16% of ecommerce sales in the US and Canada. With 80% of brands now using this method, they are spending more on their affiliate programs and using it to grow their customer base and increase sales. It can be an easy way for anyone to make money online without the added expense of inventory and shipping in a traditional ecommerce website model.

Before you can start with affiliate marketing, you need a website where you can promote your chosen brands and products. Your website should be authoritative, trustworthy and provide value to potential customers.

Here are the steps to create an affiliate marketing website:

Find a Product Niche & Market

First, you need to find a market and product niche. Ideally your product niche should be something you are already interested in and have fair knowledgeable about. This will help you with regularly creating content for your site.

Next on your list, is to do some market research. Identity your target audience, their ‘pain’ points (in other words the problem they want resolved), and potential gaps in the market. Assess the demand for the product or service, e.g., if it’s seasonal or all year round, what is the competition, and if there are supplier affiliate programs in your niche that offer a good commission structure.

Finally, you don’t want to have a niche that is too broad or too specific. A broad niche may drive traffic to your merchant’s site but may not necessarily have a good conversion rate due to too many similar options being available. Conversely, if your niche is too specific, it could result in low traffic and therefore fewer sales.

Ideally you should find a niche that has well-paying affiliate programs, high traffic and search potential, and relatively low competition.

Once you have found your niche, it’s time to find an affiliate program.

Find the Right Market, Brands and Products for your Affiliate Marketing Website

Join an Affiliate Program

The easiest way to choose an affiliate program is to promote a brand’s products that you have used yourself. This puts you in a position where you already know the product, can vouch for it, and use it to create valuable content, based on personal experience. This will help attract the audience you want.

Alternatively, you can use affiliate networks which act as platforms to connect affiliates with merchants and find the right products to market. They also take care of managing payments and communication while giving access to a larger pool of products and services.

One of the most popular affiliate programs is the Amazon Associates Affiliate Program

Amazon Associates - Affiliate Program

Credit: Image Source: Amazon Affiliate Program

When choosing your program brand ensure it is reputable, check the T&Cs, and if they have a reliable way of tracking your sales.

Choose and Register a Domain Name

The first step to creating a website is choosing and registering a domain name. Domain names are your website’s address on the internet and how users will find it. Choosing a good domain will help you stand out amongst the competition and show visitors that your site is professional and trustworthy.

Make sure you choose one that suits your niche and website’s identity, is easy to spell and memorable. You can use Hosted.com’s Domain Name Lookup Tool to see if your domain name is available.

Once you’ve decided on an available domain name, you need to register it. Domain registration is the process of buying a domain name and configuring it to point to your website. It also prevents competitors from using it. You will need to renew your domain name, annual renewal is standard, but you are able to purchase a renewal period of up to 10 years, if available, or on arrangement with your domain registrar.

Hosted.com makes registering and managing your domain simple and straightforward. Not only that, but we also offer Free Domain Registration* when you sign up for our hosting plans.

Sign up For Web Hosting

Now that your website has an address, it needs somewhere to live. Every website, no matter the type, needs to be hosted on a server that is configured specifically for the internet, so that users can access it. Make sure you consider what features and functionality your site needs when choosing a web hosting service.

Let’s look at two of the most popular, user-friendly types of hosting.

cPanel Web Hosting offers a control panel to allow website owners to manage their websites, email accounts, databases, and other hosting-related services from a user-friendly dashboard. The system operates similarly to a desktop application, with an easy-to-use graphical interface that simplifies server admin tasks. cPanel has multiple benefits and features, including affordability, security, scalability, and easy management of domains, websites, and software.

WordPress Hosting is designed specifically for the WordPress Content Management System (CMS) for users to create and manage their website’s content. Hosted.com’s WordPress Hosting servers are specifically optimized for the requirements of WordPress sites to ensure seamless performance, security, and ease of use. It creates a better user experience which can make visitors more inclined to peruse more pages on your site and make purchases.

It’s Time to Get Creative and find your product niche

Build Your Website

It’s now time to start building a website. First you need to decide on the type of site to create. There are a few options you can choose from, just make sure that it suits your niche and audience. Here are a few examples:

  • Blogs: Blogging is one of the most popular and straightforward ways to get into and earn with affiliate marketing. By writing about topics and the products related to them, you can include your affiliate link in the content.
  • Product Review Sites: People often buy based on reviews. Providing detailed ratings and commentaries of products you own or use in your niche, is a terrific way to encourage visitors to purchase based on your recommendations.
  • Comparison Sites: Show your visitors how prices and features of products from different brands compare, along with the pros and cons. This type of site can be especially helpful if you are part of an affiliate network.

Next choose a website builder, for example WordPress. Once you’ve set it up, install a theme that suits your brand and plugins to provide functionality, and help manage and run your site smoothly.

A theme determines your website’s overall look and feel. A theme comes with default settings for a site’s layout and functionality, color scheme, and typography. When it comes to customization, there are thousands of themes available to make your website and pages look exactly the way you want them to. Check out our list of our Top 10 Free WordPress themes.

Plugins can give you advanced functionality like affiliate management systems, sales and traffic tracking, and statistical reporting.

Hosted.com’s Website Builder is the perfect add-on to our cPanel Web Hosting Plan*. You can build a great looking website, blog, or e-commerce store easily without needing to know how to code. With over 200 professional templates to choose from, easy Drag & Drop widgets and mobile responsive design, you’ll have your site up and running in no time.

* This solution is only available as an add-on to a cPanel Web Hosting Plan.

Buy cPanel Web Hosting

Credit: Image Source: Pixabay

Create Your Content

Your content is what attracts people to your site, keeps them engaged and coming back, and most importantly, generates sales. Creating high quality, relevant and informative content is the key to a successful affiliate marketing website.

Once again, this is where you need to do your research. Research what people in your niche are looking for, the questions they’re asking and the relevant keywords. From there you will have an idea of how you can use your site’s content to provide answers and solutions.

You are spoilt for choice when it comes to the type of content you create, from articles, guides, tutorials, videos and more. Just make sure it is original, honest, and valuable.

Here are a few tips to help you create the best possible content to attract new visitors, and to get your regulars coming back.

  1. Keep your audience in mind when creating your content and make sure it is relatable to them.
  2. Provide useful information based on your experience. Post about products that you have used and recommend, this can show that it is genuine and trustworthy.
  3. Use different media formats like videos, infographics, and images,
  4. Post to your site on a regular, consistent basis.

Use Affiliate Marketing Tools

Using the right tools can speed up the process of managing and optimizing your affiliate marketing site. These tools can help you organize links, track sales, find trending topics and help to publish your content.

When choosing affiliate marketing tools be sure to check for the following:

They should be easy to use and not require technical know-how. They should fit within your budget, if necessary, free ones are available if you are just starting out. They should offer support, guides, and tutorials.

Here are a few tools that we suggest looking at to get the most out of your affiliate marketing website:

  • Google Analytics: Search topics that are trending in your niche by keyword, location, and volume.
  • ThirstyAffiliates: Manage, optimize, and insert links into your content.
  • Improvely: Track and monitor traffic and generated sales.
  • ShareASale: Join affiliate networks and connect with brands.
  • Wordable: Import content in HTML format directly from Google Docs to your website.
Use Affiliate Marketing Tools

Credit: Image Source: Pixabay

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  1. Creating an affiliate marketing website is an effective way to earn extra income online with the potential for growth.
  2. Find the right niche for your website by doing thorough research.
  3. Choose an affiliate program…
  4. Choose and register a domain name for your website that reflects your brand, is memorable, easy to spell and catchy.
  5. Sign up with a web hosting service that suits your website’s needs and format.
  6. Build a website based on your niche and audience.
  7. Create valuable, informative content that appeals to your target market.
  8. Use affiliate marketing tools to manage your affiliate links, find topics and track sales and traffic.

FAQs

How do I get paid for affiliate marketing?

To get paid for affiliate marketing, you need to join an affiliate program and promote the products or services of another company. When someone clicks on your unique affiliate link and makes a purchase, you earn a commission.

What are common mistakes in affiliate marketing?

Too many products can dilute your messaging and make it difficult to engage your audience. Choosing the wrong product or not creating valuable content can lead to low conversion rates, engagement and poor sales. Not optimizing your site for search engines can lead to low rankings and less traffic.

How long does it take to make money with affiliate marketing?

The time it takes to start making money through affiliate marketing varies and is depending on how much effort you put into it. The affiliate supplier that you sign up with may also have minimum requirements that they need met prior to paying out commission. However, you could potentially start earning anywhere from a few weeks to 6 months.

How can I track my affiliate earnings?

You can use plugins and affiliate management platforms which have built-in tracking software to help you track conversions and earnings. You can also track your earnings manually with spreadsheets.

Where can I find the latest affiliate marketing trends?

You can find the latest affiliate marketing trends by reading articles and blogs from leading websites and people in the industry. Additionally, you can use Google Trends to see what people are searching for.

What does it cost to create an affiliate marketing website?

The cost of creating an affiliate marketing website can vary depending on the type of website you plan to create. It is possible to create a website for free and only pay for web hosting. However, there may be additional costs like plugins, tools, and premium themes.

Other Blogs of Interest:

– How To Find Cheap Email Hosting

– Five Best cPanel Alternatives for Managing Websites in 2024

– How Long Does It Take To Build A Website With WordPress?

– 5 AI Tools That Can Help Your Business

– Web Hosting for WordPress Website – 6 Helpful Tips

*Ts & Cs Apply

*Free Domain Registration applies to the following domain name extensions: .com, .online, and is only applicable at time of purchase.

Free Domain Registration depends on the selected hosting plan and only applies on 12, 24, and 36 month billing cycles.

All listed prices exclude Premium domain names.

All Prices and Promotions relevant to published date. E&OE