Build a Good Website
May 24, 2004

If you're looking to create a money-making website, there are four basic elements that you either must take care of or that you that are strongly recommended. They are: registering a domain name, choosing a web host, joining affiliate networks, and taking steps to increase your web traffic. For more on each of these crucial topics, keep reading.

Registering a Domain Name

An individual setting up a personal site may do fine with a subdomain on a host's site and free web hosting, but if you're here to make money, registering a domain name is the way to go. That's because a domain name provides a site identity and signals a more professional operation than a subdomain site. A quality domain name is one that is easy for your visitors to spell and remember, making it a snap for them to reach your site.

In choosing a domain name, consider the following points.

• The top-level domain (TLD) is an important part of your choice. Those now available include:

.biz, .com, .info, .net, .org, .us, etc.

For more information, see the article Choosing a Domain Name Extension.

• As you decide on the domain name itself and its spelling, remember to only use the letters of the alphabet, the digits 0–9, and the two characters hyphen/dash and period.

• The service called WHOIS is the means to find out if the name you wish to register is available. If it is, you can register it with an ICANN-authorized (ICANN is the International Organization for Assigned Names and Numbers) registrar.

• Since domain names are registered on a first come, first served basis, the name you want may not be available, so it's a good idea to formulate a few possibilities. Switching TLDs or adding hyphens can sometimes help you get a good fit when exactly what you want is not available.

Choosing a Web Host

Your domain name registrar may be a web host, which may mean that you can do all your business in one place. Depending on your plans for your site, there are a variety of hosting plans that may meet your needs, but the more you're investing in hosting (if, say, you need to have dedicated hosting or collocation), the more research you should do. See the article Reliable Hosting Companies for assistance in making the decision.
Also, keep in mind the standard varieties of web hosting available:

• free  (not usually a good plan for a money-making site)
• shared
• virtual dedicated server (VDS) or virtual private server (VPS)
• dedicated 
• managed
• colocation
• reseller

If you have the expertise, you can also run your own server from home.

Joining an Affiliate Site

Affiliate programs are one of the means to make money with a website. If you have other ways to make money (for example, as a merchant), this may not be so important to you or fit your development plans, but otherwise, it's worth considering. Affiliate networks, unlike programs that are connected to individual merchants, help this article has all rights reserved and is copyright by 100 Best coordinate the tracking of your affiliate involvement. See the article "Choosing the Right Affiliate Programs for Your Site" for more information.

Increasing Your Website Traffic

Bringing people to your website is another crucial element. You can encourage visitors through listing in directories, search engine optimization that fine tunes your listing on search engine results pages (SERPs) and raises your page rank, discriminating use of link exchange, advertising, and—once you have some site traffic—you can encourage return visits through opt-in email campaigns. See the articles "Getting Listed in ODP/DMOZ," "More About <meta> Tags," "Link Exchanges and More," and "Marketing with Opt-in Email."

 

Related Web Tools:
Reliable Web Hosting