An online affiliate business involves selling already established products thereby minimizing your risks and responsibilities. Due to an extremely low overhead this is considered a very legitimate business opportunity and is favored by many. In fact it is often regarded as the best business to start online. As true as it may be you can get a successful start and earn an income without having your own website however it is advisable to establish a unique online presence nonetheless. This is especially true for anyone who has long term intentions of marketing on the internet.

With that said here are 3 'minor' investments that should be made by anyone looking for long term success when marketing on the internet.

Domain

The selection of a domain name that is appropriate for the business you are building is very important. For starters the more relevance your domain name has with your business the more often it will show up in online searches. Having a domain will also establish your individuality or uniqueness online which is important when building any business.

Choose this name carefully and try to make it as short as possible so that it is easy to remember. The cost of a domain is the equivalent to a couple of cups of coffee therefore it will NOT set you back financially.

Hosting

You are going to need a reliable hosting service to set up your website or blog on and there are several to choose from online. What you will look for is a company with a good reputation, which is simple enough to research, and one that is easy to contact in case of a problem. Preferably you want a host that can be contacted 'live' 24/7 since if your site is experiencing difficulties your income will be affected. This obviously will be a matter you will want to address immediately to minimize any loss of income when you are marketing on the internet.

The cost of a reliable host can be as little as just 7 to 10 dollars a month or you can set up a yearly plan which works out to an even cheaper rate.

Auto Responder

It is wise and advisable to capture the contact information of anybody who visits your site. In fact this is a great way to get a successful start towards building an online business. In doing so you will want to remain in contact with these people to build a relationship and promote other products to in the future. To manage these contacts in an efficient manner you will need an auto responder service. Again there are many available online but a quick reference check will let you know which are the most highly regarded. The cost of a service like this can run anywhere from a few dollars a month to as much as $20.00 or so.

For many there may be a question as to why would you want to put the effort into building a list? The simple response to this is would you rather have the opportunity to sell one person just one item or instead be able to promote different items to them easily over an extended period of time? The latter option makes more business sense from an economical stand point and also increases your marketing effectiveness as well.

Even though an online affiliate business does not require you have your own website it is advisable to establish one nonetheless. Even without a site you can get a successful start with this legitimate business opportunity but if long term success is your goal establishing a unique presence online is always best. In order to do so 3 minor investments need to be made that will set your business up for long term growth. With the proper tools as reviewed above you are positioning yourself for internet prosperity. In the end, you will be better able to expand and improve upon your efforts once again proving why this is considered the best business to start online.