Another reason that PHP is so popular is that it is so customizable. You will be able to do a variety of different things with the language, and you will find that more and more webmasters are familiar with it. You will also find that you are able to embed it into an HTML script, so it is easy to integrate into just about any type of site.
The hard way includes building one PHP or HTML redirect page per affiliate link. That means you could potentially end up with hundreds of HTML/PHP files in your subdirectory. This makes it difficult to manage or cloak your affiliate links.
HostGator will set everything up for you in thirty minutes or less. If you're concerned about the cost, don't be. A domain name costs roughly $10 a year, and your hosting service is approximately $5 a year. That's it. I would however recommend that you upgrade to a private registration for a small additional fee. And that's it.
Consider setting up your own keyword rich domain and install WordPress on it. Host it on GoDaddy, DreamHost or Bluehost. Blogger.com (Goggle owned) is free. Post with strong headlines (benefit/action oriented) 2-3 times weekly, promote (RSS), and increase from there. Keep in mind, top bloggers post 2-3 times a day and more. You can ramp up as necessary.
After you have the host, you will have to get down to making your website. This is the tricky part. There are a number of options at your disposal here, depending on your skill level with computers. You could use a HTML template, have a WordPress business blog style template, or even design one yourself using a software like Dreamweaver. Or you could hire a web designer to do it all for you. Depending on the complexity of your site (most small business websites are quite small), it will cost you between a few hundred to a few thousand dollars to hire a professional designer. Discussing how to make your own website, unfortunately, is beyond the scope of this article.
Keeping the read more preceding tips in mind when you start your search for a company for your hosting needs and your domain registration, and you will find sorting the wheat from the chaff is much easier.