Since you’re here reading this, you’ve likely already heard about how you can make money with Amazon Affiliate Program. Perhaps you have already created your own website and hosted it in hopes of making some good coin with Amazon Affiliate Program. If you are unsure exactly how to do that, you aren’t alone. Here are some steps to get you started.

1. Learn basic HTML – If you don’t know HTML already, now is a good time to learn it. It will help to keep your costs down and give you more flexibility. Many sites are WYSIWYG but the trouble is you lack any flexibility when it comes to creating hyperlinks, formatting text, and carrying out other tasks that can help you to make money with Amazon. There are tons of HTML tutorials online so in no time at all you can learn the basics.

2. It’s time to decide what your niche or topic will be – If you are planning to make recommendations, do product reviews, or just talk about a certain product or products in an effort of selling that product. Make sure you choose a narrow niche that is distinct and will be easy to target. For example Latin dance, card making, Jack Russell, etc.

3. Pick the domain name – make sure that you give this the thought it deserves. Choose a name that is keyword rich to help you with SEO, a name that is relevant, and matches your niche. Of course, it will have to be available so have a few options that you’ll be happy with. For example, latindanceforbeginners.com easycardmaking.com or ilovejackrussel.com you can also be creative in case the domain you want isn’t available by using hyphens, such as latin-dance-for-beginners.com or choose a different domain extension. There are tons – for example net, ca, org, edu, etc.

4. Register the domain name – Many hosting sites are set up so you can register your domain right away but if not you can register it separately through many different sites. Once you register your domain name, it will be yours to use. Registering a domain for a year ranges from $10 to $20 on average.

5. Setup web hosting – This is where you need to be careful. There is really expensive web hosting and generally there is no reason to pay high rates. Even if they offer all kinds of tools most people don’t use the majority of these features and you’ll be paying for them. You should be able to find hosting for as little as $5 a month, and for as little as $10 you can find hosting for unlimited sites.

There you’ve got a good start. Read Part 2 for the final steps in getting started making money with Amazon.