Affiliate Marketing What computer do I need
Although you can run on an iPhone, iPad or a laptop, it’s like trying to construct something complicated with one eye shut and looking through a keyhole.
What I am using now is a Dell Desktop Precision T7500 Computer that I bought second hand 2017 for about £450.00 (about $580.00)
It had a 64 bit operating system and I installed 32 GB of RAM and it runs Windows 10. I also bought 2 screens and a stand for them. At the time the were around £220.00 (About $280.00) It’s by far the best setup I have ever had.
I bought this on eBay back in 2017 but looking at offers on eBay now this model is a third of the price I paid. So it might be worth buying a better model. Dell machines are wonderfully quiet too and run for years without problems. So it’s not worth buying a new one. Also I leave it running for weeks at a time without any problems.
What Programs MUST you have for Affiliate Marketing?
1. I am running Windows 10 but now Windows 11 is on the scene it might be best to start with that if you are starting from scratch.
2. A REAL IMPORTANT must have is virus protection. I was using the free version of Comodo but something got through and there was no one I could speak to about that. So I switched to the paid version called CIS 7 Pro at $3.99 per month which not only gives you access to the makers of Comodo, but has Indentity Protection and Virus removal service in case some nusiance person invents a new virus, and doesnt seem a lot for peace of mind. You can set it to run at 12 midnight every night and your computer will be virus free. In the last 4 years nothing has got through. Incididentally there is a version called CIS Complete 7 at $8.99 per month which has more features
3. Another must have program is a good backup program like Acronis or Macrium for backing up your “C” Drive, where your operating system is. These are imaging programs and backup the entire disk to an image on a portable hard disk or DVD which can be stored safely. So that when your computer won’t start or the hard disk becomes unusable, you have a backup of every program ready to run stored on your portable hard disk.
4. For backing up my “D” drive I use a program call “Second Copy” to Back up the “D” drive. It costs $29.95 and backs up your files to a portable hard disk.
5. The disk I use for backing up my “C” and “D” drives is a Seagate Portable Drive, 2TB, External Hard Drive $69.99 on Amazon United States or £61.99 on Amazon United Kingdom
Affiliate Marketing desktop programs not necessary but NICE TO HAVE
1. Microsoft Office 2007 is what I am still using and can be had second hand with a genuine serial number for about £10.00 on eBay (about $13.00)
I use it for the Microsoft Desktop Outlook email program. Avoid the free email programs, like Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, Etc. The mail so often goes to spam that you might never see it.
Also included Microsoft Office 2007 are other useful programs i.e. Word for Windows, Excel, Powerpoint, and if you can do a little bit of programming, Microsoft Access, which is a database and database viewer combined is very useful, but it only comes with the Professional version of Microsoft Office 2007, which is slightly dearer.
2. A bookmark program is very useful, especially one that also bookmarks files on my own computer. For this I use Linkstash, there are others, but they are not as good.
3. another program that is very useful is Hypersnap which is a kind of a screen snapshot program, only with the added bonus that it takes small snapshots or very large scrolling snapshots, which can then be saved to your desktop and edited using Macromedia Fireworks.
4. Photoshop is useful too for editing/composing images for each post. Although It has quite a steep learning curve and is expensive.
I have been using Macromedia Fireworks 8, which is easy to learn and gives great results.I like the way you can “export for the web” and then choose what ‘weight’ you want the file to be. I usually choose 30 with very little loss of detail. This in turn doesn’t allow the images to slow my website down. Macromedia Fireworks 8 is an old program and can be bought second hand on eBay for very little money.
5. Browsers. My main browser is Chrome. But you need to have Firefox, Microsoft Edge and Safari to see what your website looks like on these Browsers.
6. Winzip and/or Rar.
7. Another very useful program is Copernic which is a desktop search engine which can find files on your computer and in your deleted emails that you cannot find yourself. Costs $29.99 one off payment.
8. And Finally what it’s all about: Accounting. When you start making money you are going to need an account program. Since the year 2001 I have been using XERO, a New Zealand based monthly payment of around $24.00 to $30.00 online program that works in every country.
For years I used Desktop Quickbooks and tried to use the online version of Quickbooks, but found it to be totally illogical. I do not think Desktop Quickbooks is supported anymore as most of the accounting programs are switching to online Bookkeeping and Quickbooks in no exception..
The beauty of online bookkeeping is that you can let someone else at a different location do your bookkeeping or let your accountant see your accounts. I needed a good accounting program because I am running more than one business, plus my wife includes her business in my accounts too. These businesses all go into one set of accounts.
And that’s it. Now you know all my secrets. Good Luck.
If you need to ask questions, do it through the comments section below, and I/we will answer you within 24 hours
Also you may want to sign up for our newsletter (top right) so that anytime we publish a new Blogpost you will be informed.
2. Click Below to continue
Thank you for this incredibly thorough breakdown of the essential equipment and programs for affiliate marketing! I can really relate to your approach of using tried-and-true tools over the latest, high-cost tech. I’ve been using a refurbished laptop with basic specs, but I’m considering upgrading to a desktop for better multitasking. Your setup sounds powerful yet practical, especially with dual monitors—I can see how that would make managing multiple tasks so much easier. For someone starting out, would you recommend focusing on the computer setup first, or should they prioritize getting the right software in place, like backup and security programs? Your insights are really helpful!
Hi Your comment is appreciated. You can’t wrong with a second hand Dell. They last forever. Good idea is to go on the Dell site and look what is current and then see if its available second hand. Good Luck
I would get the right computer first. I had enough of peering through a keyhole
Interesting and well laid out post on “Affiliate Marketing Equipment and Programs Needed”. I specially enjoy the personal touch with your experiences with the materials.
I still have a dell computer from way back around the same time, many techs told me not to get rid of it, that it is a very good computer. I don’t use it often anymore, but it still works.
Overall, a very well written and informative article, a pleasure to read.
Well done.
MB
Thanks Melanie your comment is appreciated