I just got this question from Paul who is in the process of selecting a domain name for his new affiliate site.
Hi Ben, I’ve been a SFP member for quite a while however and i’m not proud to say have never taken action. But today is a new day and i’m moving forward with SFP. Got a question though. I’m going through various CJ affiliate links, some I’m approved for and some I’ve been declined. No problem.
When selecting a domain name is it better to have the affiliate name as part of the domain or have the category as part of the domain. As an example. I’m approved for ediets.com Do i select a domain such as easyediets.com or fatlossdiets.com ? One has the affilliate name. the other does not.
Another example I’m approved for several web hosting affiliates, lets use blue hosting. Do i use bluehostwebsolutions.com or easywebhosting.com ?
I think you get my point.
Any help would be great.
Thanks
Paul.
Hi Paul,
Thanks for the note. I like how you are approaching your domain name selection.
To be frank, either approach works. I have sites that have domains with the brand in them as well as the more generic themed domains.
One thing to be careful of is if the advertiser has a policy against using its branded name in your domain. Many of the advertisers don’t like affiliates to use their brand name in the domain. However, other advertisers are ok with it. Sometimes, even if their policy prohibits use of the brand name in the domain, they will make an exception for you.
For instance, let’s say that you purchase edietsreview.com where you post real customer reviews and testimonials on the site. The advertiser may be ok with that – and actually encourage you – so long as they are represented in a positive light.
I hope this helps.
-Ben