There are hundreds of thousands of tools out there to that are marketed as "the tool you need to successes online". A lot of those tools will help. The problem is that if you are not careful you will spend thousands and still be at square one (only with less money). Here are some essential tools every beginning Affiliate Marketer needs.

A computer. I know this may seem obvious but lets cover all the bases. Now in picking out a computer you need to remember that you will be launching an affiliate business not launching rockets. You don't have to spend thousands on a computer. A simple computer for under $600 will be just fine. If you want to be more portable you can find laptops for under $700 that will do the job. Lets just assume that you will have an Internet connection to go along with your computer.

You will need to sign up with a web host. A web host simply hosts your web sites. Stay away from free hosts. They look very unprofessional. A visitor will think "hey why should I listen to this guy he can't even afford a web host". Now you can find good hosting for lessthan ten bucks a month. Just like with the affiliate programs you join, research your web site host. There are plenty of web hosting forums out there. You are looking for a host that will allow you to host multiple sites under one account. You will also want to find a host that offers cpanel with fantastico. Cpanel is a very easy to use front end to your hosting account. Fantastico gives you tons of scripts that are super easy to install and make your site look great.

You will need a domain name or names. Now don't buy your names from your host. Buy from another company. Don't spend more than ten dollars on a domain name. Again just like everything, else do your research.

Since you will be making web sites you will need something to make web pages with. Now affiliate websites don't have to be a masterpiece. If you want to spend some money there is a program that I would highly recommend call Dream Weaver. Macromedia makes it. If you don't have the money to spend there are lots of free html editors out there. Just do a Google search for "free html editor" You will want on with a WYSIWYG editor. That just mean what you see is what you get. Also when searching for you web site host look for one that offers free software like site builder. It will have templates and practically builds your pages for you.

You will also need a program to keep track of your expenses and earnings as this will come in handy around tax time.

These are just a few tools. There are many more. As you see things you might like, weight how valuable the product might be. Don't just purchase everything at once. Take your time, remember your are investing in your success.