[Juris]

Hi.
Is it possible to join an affilite network without yet having a website?

I want to find a niche to get into. It will be along the lines of either online guitar courses or science related literature, hobby kit / tools etc. These are the things I'm generally interested in and would have no lack of motivation to research.

I noticed that National Geographic has an affiliate program for it's magazine, but one can only access it through commision junction. I tried to sign up but in the registration form they ask for your website. I searched for other products to promote and arrived at trying to set up a google AdSense account. Same story. They ask for a website.

My idea is to join a network to find out what products I can promote, then research the niche and buid a site around the product that's most interesting and profitable. But I can't know what product that's going to be if I can't access the network. How do I hatch an egg without any chicken?
Please help.

[Chuck Hamrick]

That's the way the system has been for 10 years!

[markymark]

It sounds to me like you've already decided on a niche or two. Why not set up a simple website related to learning guitar, add a little content (some tabs, techniques, lessons, etc.) and then apply for relevant merchants or for Adsense.

Even if that niche isn't super-profitable, you will, at least, be on your way.

[Chuck Hamrick]

I see sites with Google as the website. If the merchant allows trademark bidding and direct linking then I accept.

[davidh]

If you need a website in order to get accepted by a network or program that you are interested in, then the best thing to do is just register a domain and put up a website. It only costs 10 bucks. Amortized over the course of the 1-year duration of domain registration, that's only 3 cents per day. If you're not serious enough about what you want to do to invest 3 cents per day in it, you can't expect anybody else to take you seriously either.