The Sub-Domain - An Affiliates Friend

It's surprising, at least to me, the amount of Affiliates who aren't aware of the value and flexibility that the 'sub-domain' can give their promotional website activities. Set up in the right way, a single domain through a host who includes multiple 'sub-domains' in their hosting package can fill ALL the online needs of even the busiest and most diversified Affiliate.

Firstly, for those who need to know, a 'sub-domain' is simply a separate, individual web folder, which can be attached to a 'main' domain and treated in all respects as a separate entity online. It is similar to a 'sub-web', which most hosting facilities include except that it is, in it's own right, treated as a separate domain by the SEs rather than a sub-folder under a domain.

The way in which they are represented online as URLs is as follows:

For instance, if you have a domain name, 'domain.com' and you add a sub-domain named 'bubble', the URL to that particular 'website' (which is what each sub-domain amounts to, a separate website) will be 'bubble.domain.com'. No doubt, many have seen these types of URLs online and in promo emails etc. The 'dot' between the sub-domain and main domain is not to be confused with the 'dash' that can be used as part of a main domain. For instance, 'bubble-domain.com' would need to be registered and propagated in it's own right whereas, sub-domains can be created under a main domain in a matter of seconds, with their own FTP password, image, private and cgi-bin folders etc.

What makes them so valuable a tool, if it's not so obvious already, is that an Affiliate can create a separate website for totally unrelated products or services, fill each website with the necessary pages of content, links and facilities etc and promote each to the Search Engines and other directories, virtually as if it were a different main domain. As I've said, the SEs treat each sub-domain as a separate entity and categorize them as such. A very handy ability when it comes to Affiliate programs that supply a website or webpage for their Affiliates to use and promote. In such a case, you can basically make that page or site your very own in every respect, optimizing for SEs and presenting it how ever you please (provided no agreements are broken).

Obviously, having a 'generic' main domain name is essential to getting the best out of this cost, time and trouble saving method of creating multiple websites. If you have a main domain name 'pillshop.net' (perhaps your initial Affiliate endeavor involved promoting this type of product) it is really only going to be useful for the one type of product or service. Alternatively, something more generic like 'online-plus.biz' is going to be useful for promoting almost anything because it has no specific meaning. For instance, in the case of promoting a Singles Dating Affiliate program, something like 'singles.online-plus.biz' would work as well as 'pills.online-plus.biz' or even 'dogs.online-plus.biz'. However, 'singles.pillshop.net' just doesn't work, does it? (Although, I have seen some pretty weird URLs around!)

The only problem you will be presented with, concerns the traffic ranking facility Alexa. Alexa will read all sub-domains as their parent 'main domain', so the traffic ranking for each website will be the same, as will all the other Alexa information. However, this isn't such a great problem when you consider that the total traffic indicated for each website will actually be the total for ALL of them. In my opinion, not so much of a problem, at all.

So, for the Affiliate at least, choosing the right type of domain name and a hosting facility that includes multiple sub-domains in their package is very important, especially if there's any possibility that you're going to be venturing into promoting unrelated products and services. The first hosting facility I was involved with a few years ago, charged $10 to create each sub-domain. The one I've been with for the last couple of years, allows unlimited free sub-domains (contact me at one of my websites if you want to know who they are).

The 2005 Edition of Steve Brennan's popular ebook title 'The Affiliate Guide Book' is available now. He also operates a number of Affiliate wesbites which include Hair Loss Remedy and Diet & Weight Loss Place.

---

How to Profit with Domain Name Speculation

Domain Name speculation has become big business. According to recent study, the average domain name bought and sold by domain name speculators realized a 377% profit. In... Read More

The Power of Domain Names in Marketing

Purchasing your own domain is inexpensive and very effective for any kind of marketing campaign online or offline.You should be able to purchase a domain and redirect... Read More

Earn Money With Parked Domain Names

Do you have domain names that you are not currently using?Did you know that these domains can actually become a source of revenue for your online business?There... Read More

Domain Squatting Explained

The one thing that annoys me most about the topic of domain names is when trying to find a domain name for a new site only to... Read More

How Do I Get My Domain Name Appraised?

What's your domain name worth?Perhaps it is better to ask how much a potential buyer would be willing to pay to acquire your domain name. If there... Read More

How To Buy And Sell Domain Names Part Time For Profit Part 2

Let's just take a quick glimpse at what we've done so far:We've used www.wehavethem.com, www.DeletedDomains.com or www.namewinner.com to locate names that are about to expire or have... Read More

Why to Register md-Domains?

What is .md?.md is the web address that identifies you, your company or your organization with the healthcare industry. Thousands of professionals and companies in the healthcare... Read More

Do You Have a Good .Com Name? What is One So Important!

A domain can leave an imprint on the mind of a prospective client. Just like a catchy phone number, it is easy to remember and can be... Read More

Domain Names and Longevity

It begins as an idea -- a company name, a business venture, a personal project. You research available domain name options, choose the one you want, and... Read More

Domain Name Goldmines: Expired Traffic Investing In The 21st Century

I get pretty frustrated when thinking back to the days of seven-figure domain name sales. However, I was only a little kid, but still, I spent hours... Read More

What Questions Should You Ask Yourself When You Select Your Domain Name for Your Home Business?

So you want to be an Internet superstar, work from home and earn six figures cool we are working on doing just that. In previous articles we... Read More

Domain Names 101 - A Dummies Guide to Choosing Great Domain Names

When it comes to choosing your domain name, do not allow yourself to get stressed out or worry over choosing the perfect domain name that will make... Read More

How to Choose the Right Domain Name for Your Company

As the editor of DomainNameWire.com, I'm frequently e-mailed by people asking for domain name advice. Specifically, what should they look for when registering a domain name for... Read More

How To Make Great Money Part Time Buying And Selling Domain Names - Part One

This truly is the business to get into in 2005. It's a red hot opportunity that savvy investors can make a killing on when you know how.... Read More

Protect Your Domain Name or Risk Losing It

Your domain name is an important part of your brand and identity. Losing it could be disastrous! Yet, month over month we see people lose their domain... Read More

ICANN Registrar: Great promotion by is-domains!

ICANN accredited registar Secura is announcing today, that the company offers is-domains to persons and companies outside from Iceland.The is-domains, which are the domains from Iceland, belong... Read More

How Do I Buy a Domain Name?

Q: I'd like to buy a domain, but I discovered that it's already registered by a bulk domain buying company (just check negres.com). I tried to contact... Read More

Understand the Domain Name System

Ever wonder why DNS systems came into existence? Efficiency. Every computer has a distinct IP address, and the Internet needed an elite method for obtaining these addresses... Read More

How Can You Choose the Best Domain Name?

It's all in the NameThe domain you use for a particular site can have a huge impact in the way that humans and search engine spiders perceive... Read More

Free eBook: Business Domain Names

Since every website needs a name, Dr. Steve Baba has written a free ebook that will help you obtain a brandable, memorable domain name at a reasonable... Read More

A Little Secret About Public Domain Treasures

I bet this little secret is going to get YOU excited... just like it did me. I just discovered public domain treasures and it's a perfect business... Read More

Eu-Domains For Everybody

Cologne,10 July 2004. ICANN accredited registar Secura announces today, that the company is accepting applications for the sunrise and real time period of eu-domains (https://www.domainregistry.de/eu.html).Sunrise... Read More

Dot Com or Dot Net, Which is the Best Domain Name to Settle for?

When seeking domain names most people get confused over whether to settle for a dot com address or a dot net one. More so in recent times... Read More

How to Get Rich Playing With WORDS!

How many times have you read or heard on the news that someone hit a state lottery? Winning Millions of Dollars.The odds of winning a major state... Read More

Secrets of Expired Domain Name Traffic

One of the biggest challenges to a webmaster is how to generate traffic. More traffic to your website equates to more sales. So how does one generate... Read More

What is a Domain Name and Why Would I Want One?

In this article we will cover the basics of what a domain name is, how they work and why you need to have at least one. I... Read More