One great thing about choosing affiliate marketing as a part-time job is that you already have almost everything you need to succeed.

• You have the desire to succeed!
• You have a computer
• You have an ISP (Internet Service Provider)
• You have knowledge/information about at least one subject!

And now, you’re about to have step-by-step instructions for getting wind under the wings of your part-time affiliate marketing job!
But first, take down this list of five things that you might not yet have:

1. A domain name (under $10)
2. Web hosting (Between $5-$10 per month)
3. A website (free – if you build it yourself … and you can)
4. Affiliate products to sell (free)
5. Advertising (The cost is up to you. There are ways to get free advertising we’ll tell you about.)
Let’s start at the top.

You Need a Domain Name

Because your domain name is often the first thing that people see, you need to make sure that it’s an accurate description of your business. Be sure to choose it carefully, and wisely.

There are hundreds of sites on the Internet where you can choose and register a domain name. The best known is GoDaddy

Here are the main points to consider when choosing your domain name:

Words that Describe Your Niche Topic

Somewhere in your domain name you need to have the keyword that describes the topic of your website. For example; if your website is about “Hunting Dogs”, somewhere in the 67 character limit of a domain name you need to include “huntingdogs” or at least “dogs”.

Hyphenated Words in Your Domain Name

There are both advantages and disadvantages to using hyphens in your domain name.

One disadvantage is that hyphens are easily forgotten when users type domain names into their browsers.
One advantage is that you may be able to get the domain name you want if the unhyphenated version is already taken. But, you could end up investing your time and resources in marketing another affiliate’s unhyphenated domain.

Using “the,” “my” and plurals in Your Domain Name

If the domain name you really want is already taken (and it very likely will be), try adding “the” or “my” or pluralizing the domain name. For example: “huntingdog.com” is taken but you might try “myhuntingdog.com” or “thehuntingdog.com” or “my huntingdogS.com”.

You might even add your own name to the domain name you want; “JohnDoehuntingdogs.com”

Your Domain Extension

Domain extensions are the letters that follow the final dot (.) in your domain address. The most common is .com followed closely by .net but those are not the only two choices available. If the .com extension of the domain name you want is already taken, you might see if the .net or .biz or .pro or any one of a dozen other extensions are available.

The Length of Your Domain Name

Shorter domain names are obviously better. It’s easier to remember dogs.com than it is to remember “johndoeshuntingdogtraining.biz”. But you really aren’t likely to get a one or two word domain. Those names are taken.

It’s better, though, to keep your domain name as short as possible but still include the keywords that describe the topic of your website.

Conclusion

It’s in your best interest to choose and register your domain name before you proceed with your affiliate marketing part-time job building project.

Trying to retrofit your domain to your website is just going to make your getting your affiliate marketing part-time job off the ground more difficult.

Tomorrow in Part 2 of the 5 part series, The Part Time Affiliate Marketer’s Steps to Success, you’ll find out about the service you need to get your website online.

• NOTE: Even though Lurn, Inc. receives compensation for products and services promoted in our blog posts, we always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences about those products and services.