[Linda Buquet]

Hi shortylow50,

Welcome to 5 Star. Well affiliates don't like showing their sites and I can't because it's a breach of privacy, but I can give you some ideas.

There are as many ways to build an affiliate site as there are ways to build any other type of site. There are many different strategies. Some of the big affiliates have sites that are big malls filled with thousands of products. That's not a good way to start, but that's one example.

You can do a search for about any type of product like digital cameras or luggage or a merchant like Best Buy, Overstock, Walmart, Amazon and find tons of affiliate sites - all set up differently but you can get some ideas and see them. Google XYZ coupon code and most of the sites that come up will be affiliate sites - that's just one type - coupon sites. Some affiliate sites look so good you'll think it's an actual ecomm site - but when you click to buy you end up at a different site - the merchant's site - then you know it was an affiliate.

Some focus on a single type of product and write reviews. Some are howto sites, some are coupon sites, some are article sites, some are shopping comparison sites, some are pure sales sites - there is every type of affiliate site out there you can imagine.

One strategy I recommend and many smart affiliates these days use, because the net is so competitive - is try to come up with a unique smaller niche. Some topic or need or disease or problem or hobby that a small niche of people are interested in but one that hasnt been marketed to death yet. Then an easy way to start is to do a blog. Variety of options there. Then AFTER you figure out the topic, generate some content and start getting traffic you can start adding affiliate links.

The thing is it takes LOTS of targeted traffic to make any sales. So don't even worry about joining affiliate programs at 1st. Concentrate on building a site that has value, then after you get it going start thinking about how to monetize it.

That way instead of trying to learn everything about building sites, writing content, marketing and affiliate stuff all at the same time and getting so overwhelmed you get no where and quit, just focus on building the foundation 1st. The foundation is finding your niche, researching the right keywords, building a site or blog, generating content and then learning to market the site.

Read all the stickies in the newbie forum. Then start reading the niche forum to learn how to research niches. There are many ways to get started, so you need to learn some of the options and get a feel for what may work best for you.

We're here to help you along the way!