How to Easily Set Up an Affiliate Website on WordPress
WordPress is one of the most popular platforms for creating and running blogs and websites. Because of its incredible reputation and user base, it’s a great choice for any type of online publication. If you’re new to the platform or are looking for an easy way to get started then this guide is for you.
The Good
WordPress has reached a point where it’s no longer considered ‘just a blogging platform’. It’s incredibly flexible and can be used for a variety of purposes, including creating affiliate websites, eCommerce stores, and more.
The reason why WordPress is such a popular choice for online publishers is due to its simple, yet powerful and customizable default themes and powerful plugins that extend its functionality.
Users can also install a WordPress plugin called WordPress SEO by Yoast which helps with SEO (search engine optimization) for your site. It offers a variety of SEO-related tools designed to make the process effortless.
The Bad
Although WordPress is a great choice for bloggers and online publishers, it’s not without its disadvantages. To start with, if you’re searching for a free blogging platform then you’ll quickly notice that WordPress is NOT free. Instead, users are required to renew their subscription every year.
Another disadvantage is that, due to its popularity, almost every blog and website implements the WordPress logo and foundation.
If you decide that a WordPress installation is the best option available then you must create a unique brand for yourself and protect it from copying or using inadvertently. In addition, you’ll need to hire someone to help you maintain it and build on it if you’re serious about continuing to grow your blog or website.
The Solution
To get around these issues and limitations, WordPress Power Suite is available for purchase. This package allows you to use WordPress for free, but for a certain time period, (usually one year). After the time is up, you’ll need to purchase the Power Suite again, but this time you’ll have to pay for it.
If you decide that this is the best option available then you should certainly consider it. It’s quite difficult to find a good reason why you shouldn’t use WordPress to power your affiliate website.
Step 1: Install WordPress
The first step to creating an affiliate website with WordPress is to install it on your computer. You can do this either via the Dashboard or via command line. The Dashboard is the user-friendly interface that allows you to access and control your WordPress installation; while the command line is used to execute database commands and install WordPress via the interface of a text-based browser, such as Google Chrome.
You’ll need to have a working knowledge of HTML and CSS to build a basic WordPress website. However, for those new to the platform it’s recommended to learn via a learning curve, where you study a particular topic and then take a test to see if you understand it. To learn WordPress development, you can use wedge.io. This is a free learning platform that teaches you via a variety of steps.
Step 2: Create a blog
Once you have WordPress installed you can begin creating a blog (this is a section of your website that will feature ongoing content, such as articles, news stories, and more).
To create a blog you need to go to your Dashboard and select the “Appearance” > “Options” > “Discussion” menu item. Next, you’ll want to click on “Add New” to bring up a “Post Form” (this is the form used to submitting blog content to your site). Finally, you’ll want to fill out the form and click on “Publish”.
This will create a new blog post on your site, and you can continue to add additional content to it via the “Post Form” on your Dashboard. You can also customize the blog header via this form as well by selecting a theme for your blog (for example, “Blogger” or “WooCommerce”) and inputting your site’s address, name, and short description in the appropriate fields.
Step 3: Install WordPress plugins
After you’ve created your blog, you can begin installing WordPress plugins that will assist you in growing your web presence. To do this, click on the “Plugins” tab on your Dashboard and search for “WordPress” to see a variety of plugins that can help you extend the functionality of your website. Once you find a plugin that you like, you can click on it to see its description and installation options.
Additionally, you can find WordPress plugins that can assist with SEO, email marketing, social media, and more. This is a huge benefit to having a variety of plugins installed because it allows you to expand your site’s functionality without having to learn a new programming language.
Step 4: Determine the structure of your site
After you’ve installed a variety of WordPress plugins it’s time to determine the structure of your site. To do this, click on the “Appearance” > “Options” > “Discussion” tab once more. Next, you’ll want to click on “Site Structure” to bring up a menu of options that will determine the layout of your website. The four main options that you’ll want to configure are:
- Posts
- Sidebars
- Pages
- Attachment
For posts, you can choose between a “Row” (most popular) or a “Column” (least popular) display style. The posts area of your site will contain all of the content that you’ve published since the last time you configured this area (usually via the “Appearance” > “Options” > “Discussion” > “Post Form” on your Dashboard).
For sidebars, you can choose between a “Row” or a “Column” display style. The sidebars area of your site will contain all of the widgets that you’ve installed via the “Appearance” > “Options” > “Widgets” tab on your Dashboard. The widgets are additional content, such as banners, images, or videos, that you can incorporate into your website content.
For pages, you can choose between the “Classic” or the “Folio” display styes. The pages area of your site will contain all of the blog posts that you’ve published since the last time you configured this area (usually via the “Appearance” > “Options” > “Discussion” > “Post Form” on your Dashboard).