The goal of my blog is to provide a mix of practical and philosophical advice for Internet marketers. And there are very few pieces of advice that are more practical for an Internet marketer than to establish yourself through a credible website. So don’t rely entirely on marketing efforts that direct traffic to affiliate links; or that send your customers to a sketchy, untrustworthy site that includes six dashes in the URL. Instead, start with this approach:

1.Frame your business clearly in your mind. If you’re like many Internet marketers, the frame for your business may simply be your own personality. If this is the case, your site could revolve around you, the products you make, and your trials and triumphs in Internet marketing. On the other hand, if you don’t sell to the Internet marketing crowd, then your business may be framed around the niche of products you sell. Whatever the case may be, take some time to solidify this framing before you move to the next step. If the theme isn’t clear to you, it definitely won’t be to your customers, either.

2.Select a domain name that matches your framing. It can be your name or the name of your business, but in general, it shouldn’t be a giant string of words connected by dashes. Nothing will kill your credibility faster than using a URL like that.

3.Purchase your domain name and hosting.  Use these sites for domain registration and hosting services:
http://www.godaddy.com
http://www.hostgator.com

4.Download an open source “what you see is what you get” WYSIWYG editor for your website, such as this http://net2.com/nvu. Use it to implement what you had in mind originally. Be mindful that your site content and theme should be clear and navigable. Otherwise, it will baffle buyers.

By the end of this process, you will have a narrowly-themed site with a clear purpose that appears credible to visitors. This is the best place to start if you want a business that has the potential to expand limitlessly in the future.