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If you're new to the idea of affiliate marketing or website development, here is some
information on the tools you need to get you up and running as soon as possible. |
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Domain Names
. Deciding on the right domain name is important, because it will most likely be your
"brand name" for the entire website. Usually, domain names that are short, relevant,
and easy to spell are the ones that people will remember and revisit. There are many
resources on the web where you can go to check the availability of domain names, and
you can usually get one for about $20/year. See the resources section for suggested
providers. |
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Paid Website Hosting vs. Free Hosting
. Paid - this type of hosting is preferable in terms of the amount of control you will have
over your website. With paid hosting, you control the amount of server space you have
access to, you can get your own domain name, have your own email accounts, and
usually access your website files via FTP, which is much more efficient than a webbased
file manager. Paid hosting can run as cheap as $50/year. See the resources
section for suggested providers.
. Free - the obvious benefit of this is that it requires no money from you, so if you want to
use a free hosting plan in order to learn about web development, this may be a good
option. The downside to free hosting is that many times providers require that you
place unwanted advertisements on your site, lack of complete control over your file
structure, inability to use your own domain name, and no FTP connection for file
management. See the resources section for suggested providers. |
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Website Design Software
. The easiest way to design websites is to use an HTML editor that will allow you to work
in a "design" view without having to code out all the HTML by hand. If you already know
HTML, you may prefer to use a simple text editor like Notepad to build your pages, but if
you do not know HTML, and you would like to concentrate more on the design
elements, we recommend several Webdesign software editors in our resources section. |
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FTP Client Software
. The easiest and most efficient way to transfer your files between your computer and
your web server is to use FTP software (unless your webserver is on your own
network). Some of these are stand-alone software programs, some come bundled with
HTML editors, some are free, and some cost money. Check out our resources section
for suggested providers. |
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Graphics Software
. If you're going to use images on your site, you'll need some type of program to create
and edit these. See the resources section for suggested providers. |
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Affiliate Links
. Every merchant that you market for should provide you with a variety of links you can
use. Merchants that run an in-house affiliate program will usually make these available
to you on their own website or through email. Merchants who use affiliate network
providers like Linkshare, BeFree, Commission Junction, and others allow you to pick up
their links by logging into your account at the network provider's website. Once you
have a merchant's link on your website, any clicks made on that link will be tracked, and
if an order is made on the merchant's site that originated from a click-through on your
website, the merchant will reimburse you as they have promised in their affiliate
agreement. Sierra Trading Post currently pays you 5% of the sale for any orders you
refer to us!
. To grab links for Sierra Trading Post, login to your Linkshare account and click on Sierra
Trading Post in the Create Links section. Select the type of link you would like to place
on your website, and copy and paste the appropriate code directly into your site. |
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Return Days / Cookie Duration
. Because online shoppers don't always make a purchase on their first visit to a website,
most merchants offer a period within which they will credit you for orders generated
from your site visitors. Sierra Trading Post will give you credit for any sales generated
from your site visitors for a full two weeks after they initially clicked through! |
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Reporting
. Every merchant's affiliate program must also provide some type of reporting, so that you
can see how well your website is doing in terms of clicks and orders. To run reports for
Sierra Trading Post, login into your Linkshare account and click on Run Reports. Select
your date period and the type of report you would like to run, and a report will be
furnished to you. Account activity is updated once daily, so you can login to check your
reports at any time to see how your links are performing. |
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