Dealer Dan, pictured here with WWE Superstar Mick Foley, has been in internet marketing since 1996. He likes hugs, long walks on the beach, and making money while wearing his jammy jams. For more information, you can read all 
It’s very likely that you already have a website in mind however please don’t skip this step – it will help you in REALLY getting in touch with the core of your actual website.
While you may have grand plans for your website(s), it’s best to start off very small, because no matter how smart you think you are, or how hard you follow this guide – you’ll make mistakes. Guess what? I have 10 years experience at affiliate marketing and have over 100 websites and I still make mistakes when launching a website!
So think of the general topic of your affiliate marketing website. Then break it down into very small niche. If you want to start a website about online poker, then a rakeback site or a poker strategy website isn’t a small niche. A website about one specific poker room is a small niche, or a website about one specific poker player. That’s another small niche.
Here are some more examples:
General Term: “Casino”
1: List of casinos that use a certain software.
2: Site dedicated to specific game strategy Blackjack or Slots Strategy website only.
3: Site dedicated to one form of game, like European Roulette, or Interactive Slots.
4: Site dedicated to one specific progressive jackpot.
General Term: “Books”
1: Focus on one niche like “mystery fiction” and aim to dominate for that.
2: Write about one specific author who has a series of books. Lot easier to dominate for that, and if someone discovers one of the books and wants more in that series, it’s an easy big sale.
3: Books that got turned into movies.
4: Book recommendation on a specific niche like “romance novels”.
General Term: “Video Games”
1: Video game website dedicated to popular franchise like wrestling video games.
2: Combine two niche into one: “Wii games” and “Video games for Kids” and have a Wii Games for Kids website.
3: Video game informational website for a specific game, ie: the Fallout Wiki.
4: Video game site focusing on a small niche like “easy achievement/trophy games”.
Hopefully you understand what I am getting at here. I’m not telling you to build a small, 5 page website. I’m telling you to break down your target market and focus more on an exact market than a broad market. You’re never going to dominate a popular term like “play online poker” but if you add more words onto that term, you’re more likely to succeed. “play 7 card stud online poker” or ‘play razz online poker” are just two examples.
This article was written on November 12, 2010 however all articles are looked at on a monthly basis and updated to keep them relevant.
If you need to contact Graeme, please see his Contact Page. If you are an affiliate manager wanting promoted please see this page.
