If you’re blogging, making YouTube videos or sharing any form of online content, the chances are good that you’ve at some point considered setting up an affiliate website or monetising your content with some form of affiliate scheme. Maybe it is about time you started doing just that!
Previously you may have written it off as too complicated, too expensive or too difficult to gain traction. Don’t let yourself fall at the first hurdle! It’s easier than you might think to set up and manage an affiliate website that helps you make your voice heard while making you good money. Best of all, it needn’t cost you a penny.
Here’s how it’s done…
Hosting & Domain- Finding your home
Of course, your first step will be to find a domain and hosting service (if you don’t have one already). Hosting is just like anything else… you can pay top dollar if you want to. But there are also cheap and even free options if you know where to look.
There are plenty of platforms out there that can give you free hosting. WordPress.com and Wix.com are the most popular, and use a selection of themes and templates to help you create a professional looking website in minutes. When you sign up to these free services you are provided with your own dedicated subdomain which you can call whatever you like. Alternatively, you can upgrade to a domain name of your own for a small extra charge.
Finding your Niche
Whenever you’re creating anything, it’s essential that you know your niche. Many a would-be affiliate has faltered because they’ve tried to be all things to all people. Decide on a niche and it will help you to find your audience. You’ll be easier to find in online searches because you’ll be competing with fewer other websites. What’s more, knowing your niche will allow you to deliver focused content and more relevant ads.
And when ads are more relevant to your followers, they’re more likely to click-through and take advantage of offers… and that is, after all, how affiliates get paid. It will also help you to keep delivering relevant, interesting and useful content to your target audience.
The more specific your niche, the better. For example, if your passion is for parenting, you may still find that you’re competing with too many other parenting blogs to be visible online. However, if you choose a more specific focus like behaviour and discipline or nutrition, or even a specific age range like teens or early years you’ll find it easier to find your niche and develop a loyal following.
Monetising with Affiliate Ads
Once you’ve found your niche and established yourself, it’s essential to keep turning out regular content to keep your audience engaged. You need to give them something before you can expect something from them.
Once you’ve established yourself and found your rhythm, it’s time to start monetising your website with affiliate ads. As with all things, this is much easier when you have a helping hand.
Thus, the easiest way to get started with an affiliate website is by signing up to an affiliate network you can find all kinds of networks in the WOW TRK Network Directory. When you sign up to a network, you’ll get all the resources you need to monetise your site and turn your passion into cash.
You’ll usually get a range of banner ads and text links from the affiliate network which you can add to your website. You can add banner ads to the sidebar of your website, for example. Or if you prefer not to have traditional ads you can integrating them seamlessly into your online content without compromising your website’s aesthetic or interrupting the flow of your content, for example if you are writing about how to do online shopping you might link a competition to win ASDA vouchers. Remember when doing this though that you should include a disclosure on your website stating that some of the links featured may be affiliate links and earn you commission.
Keep on building
An affiliate website isn’t a “get rich quick” scheme. It’s a way to make good money sustainably. It may take time for you to see the results you desire. But they are more likely to come if you keep adding useful, relevant and high quality content to your site and give people a reason to keep coming back and engaging with you. Interact with followers on social channels and make sure that you’re sharing the content of other creatives if you expect them to share yours. Invite others to write guest blog posts and collaborate with others in your niche on projects.
Your affiliate network will always be on hand to offer help, support and guidance to help you grow your website and get paid for your passion.
