Build a Website -- Learning the Hard Way

After being online for a while, I can say I have learned a lot --although I am quite sure I've got a lot more to learn. However, I thought I would share my early beginnings, along with the mistakes. I hope you enjoy the humor in it all.


Build A Website and Get Your Feet Wet In Affiliate Marketing
By Vickie J Scanlon

If you want to have a business online, you need to build a website. A website helps to promote your products, as well as, identifies you on the Internet. When I created my website, I went on the premise of "wanting to learn how to do it" as I experience the essence of building my business. I realize now, that even though I learned quite a bit, it did slow my progress down. Read on, I'll tell you want I mean.


A Little History First

After attempting to do typing on the Internet -- you're right -- my first newbie scam. It wasn't a true scam, because I was paid. However, I put in long hours for very, very little pay. Does that read green, naive newbie all over it? Yes, I'm afraid it does.

Needless to say, I gave that up and began looking for something that would give me a viable income -- affiliate marketing was the answer. Thus, my adventure began.


Getting a Web host and Domain

Well, after much reading, I realized I needed to get a web host and a domain if I was looking for a long-haul attempt at making it in affiliate marketing. I found a pretty good web host, paid for my domain -- And, now I was ready to build my website...

My first advise here is -- If you are inexperienced in web construction and you want a quick presence online, I would go with a web host that has web tools which includes Site Studio. It saves you time, money and gets you up and moving quickly.


Building My Website

I decided to use FrontPage (with a dash of HTML) to create my website -- in my first attempt.

Well, my first attempt was beyond words -- no one wanted to hurt my feelings -- the website was beyond bad and the color was what I call Medicine Yellow. But I was still in the glow, and I must say, working with blinders on. (This was my first mistake, my knowledge was limited -- I should have utilized Site Studio that was available to me.)

Needless to say, my first attempt did not stay up long. I went back to work, restructuring my ugly site -- my second attempt. I changed the color to a dark green with a base of gray. At the time it looked good, I thought. I actually got, "you're improving" from a friend. But somehow, it looked, well -- downtrodden.

Third restructuring came when -- after a year, I came upon an article that stated, "if you are using Times Roman -- even though it is easy to read, it reads amateur all over it." My first internal thought was, "Crap, I've got to do my website over again."

So, once again, I began restructuring my site. This time around, I decided to go with a lighter green for my website (just as well, I was going to have to change everything anyway), revamped by Google Ads (4 times), and changed the lettering to "Arial".

By the way, it has been said that either "Georgia" or "Arial" are the two fonts that will give your website a professional look. And you know -- they were right. After changing from "Times Roman" to "Arial" -- it gave my website a cleaner and more professional look.

Color as well, is important to your website -- it is part of your total presentation of your site to prospective visitors. How important is color -- if they don't like it, they are just a click away from removing your site from their vision.

After all the overhauling and tweaking of my website, I believe it is now presentable, brighter and personable to my visitors.

However, I, as well as you, should realize that you are never done with your website. You should always be looking at ways to improve the appearance, products, and service available to your visitors.


Becoming An Affiliate

You cannot be an affiliate marketer without affiliate products. With that being said, you can start your journey as an affiliate marketer by looking at the following sites for items that fit your theme and of which you can make a commission.

Commission Junction
ClickBank
BeFree

Now, don't be disappointed if some of the vendors turn you down in the beginning -- after you have your website up for a while, you will find that some vendors will be dropping you an email and requesting that you sell their product for them. It's flattering, however, be sure that you can blend it nicely into your website theme.


Getting Your Feet Wet

The water may be cold, tepid, or hot -- it depends on your skill level when you begin your journey online (I believe my feet were in the cold phase when I started) -- but you have to get your feet wet. Do your research, get all your ducks in a roll, and begin your journey. If you sit on the fence too long, you will never jump in.

Get what Internet tools you can, read all that you can, and stay positive, even if it means you have to step away from your computer for a day or two to regroup your thoughts.

As you can see from my experience, I jumped in, had some setbacks, some disappoints, but also some individual triumphs. The most important thing to remember is to close your mind to your own negative thoughts, and the negative words of those around you. Why? They can cripple you, and slow or even end your journey toward success.

If you know in your gut, that what you are doing will succeed -- say nothing -- just keep on keeping on. Soon, the naysayers will be saying something positive.


Vickie J Scanlon -- Visit her site at: My Affiliate Place for free tools, articles, ebooks, how to info, Report Your Scams, software and computers -- all geared to help the affiliate/small business person online.