REVEALED: Make Money Online With Free Business Names

Most people who want to make money online go straight to Fiverr and list a gig helping businesses come up with names. That path is crowded, the rates are low, and there is almost no room to grow. There is a better approach: build your own business name generator website, drive targeted traffic to it, and collect affiliate commissions from every product and service a new business owner will eventually need.

In this video, Alston Godbolt walks through the entire process from buying a domain to stacking multiple income streams from one simple site. This post expands every step with the specifics you need to actually execute it, including which plugins to install, which affiliate programs to join, and which traffic channels work best for this model.

What You’ll Walk Out With

A clear understanding of why a business name generator site outperforms a Fiverr gig on the same topic
The exact domain naming strategy that attracts search traffic from new entrepreneurs
The WordPress theme and plugin setup that powers this type of site without writing code
More than ten distinct ways to monetize one business name generator site through affiliate programs and services
A list of specific affiliate programs to apply to, including domain registrars, LLC formation services, and design tools
Free traffic strategies using TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook groups that cost nothing but your time
An email sequence framework that keeps earning commissions from every subscriber you add, and a link to finder.platformproof.com to figure out which online business model fits you best before you build anything

Why This Beats Listing a Gig on Fiverr

When Alston first looked at this opportunity, the obvious move seemed to be creating a Fiverr gig offering business name brainstorming. The problem: that category is saturated. Too many people already know about naming as a side hustle, and they have driven the going rate down to almost nothing. Competing there means racing to the bottom on price and burning hours for a few dollars per gig.

Building your own website changes the math entirely. Instead of trading your time directly for payment, your site works around the clock. Someone searches “business name generator for clothing brands” at 2 a.m., lands on your site, generates a few name ideas, clicks a domain registrar link, and buys a domain. You earn a commission while you sleep. The customer got value, the registrar made a sale, and you got paid as the connector.

The other big difference is range. A Fiverr gig earns money exactly once per client, on exactly one task. A business name generator site can earn from a domain purchase, then from a hosting upsell, then from a WordPress theme recommendation, then from an LLC formation service, and then from a logo design tool, all from the same visitor in the same session or across a short email sequence. That compounding effect is what makes this model genuinely interesting.

Step 1: Choose the Right Domain Name and Get Hosting

Your domain name for this business should match exactly what people type when they need help naming a business. Alston recommends phrases like “business name generator,” “business name maker,” or “business name ideas” incorporated into your domain. The reasoning is simple: someone who sees your domain in a search result or on social media immediately understands what the site does. There is no mystery and no extra selling required.

Once you have a domain name in mind, you need web hosting to go with it. For this type of site, shared hosting from a reputable provider is more than enough to start. You do not need a dedicated server or a complex cloud setup. A standard shared hosting plan supports WordPress, handles moderate traffic comfortably, and costs around five to fifteen dollars per month depending on the provider.

Keep in mind that the hosting provider you choose here also becomes one of your first affiliate income opportunities. When visitors to your site eventually want to build their own websites, you can recommend the same host you use and earn a referral commission. Providers like Bluehost, Hostinger, and NameHero all have affiliate programs that pay between fifty and a couple hundred dollars per new signup. Choosing a host with a strong affiliate program makes your own site more profitable from day one.

Step 2: Install the Right WordPress Theme

The site Alston used as an example during the video is built on WordPress, and he tracked down the specific theme by running the domain through a free tool called What WP Theme Is That (whatwpthemeisthat.com). You enter a URL and it identifies the theme and plugins the site is running. This trick lets you copy what is already working without starting from scratch.

If the theme from that site is no longer available or is too expensive, you have a few practical options. First, you can search the WordPress theme directory for free name generator or business tool themes. Second, you can hire a WordPress developer on a freelance platform to build a custom version; this costs more upfront but gives you a unique design. Third, you can ask ChatGPT to write custom Python or PHP code that handles the name generation logic, and then embed it into a standard WordPress theme.

The design does not need to be complex. Most business name generator sites have a simple layout: a headline, a text input box, a button that generates names, and a list of results with availability checks. Clean and fast beats elaborate and slow every time for this kind of tool site. Users come to get an answer quickly, not to admire your design.

Step 3: Add a Domain Checker Plugin

The most important feature after name generation is domain availability checking. When someone sees a business name they like, the immediate next question is “can I get that domain?” Your site should answer that question instantly, right on the same page.

Alston points to two specific plugins for this: Business Word Manager and Domain Checker. Business Word Manager helps generate the name combinations, while Domain Checker queries registrar APIs to show whether a given domain is available. Together they recreate the core experience of paid tools like Namelix or Looka without requiring you to build anything custom.

If those plugins do not fit your setup, CodeCanyon (codecanyon.net) is a reliable marketplace for purchasing pre-built domain checker scripts and business name generator code. Search “domain availability checker” or “business name generator script” and you will find ready-to-install options that range from around fifteen to a hundred dollars. That one-time purchase can save you many hours of development work.

For developers or technically comfortable users, you can also connect the OpenAI ChatGPT API to generate creative name suggestions in real time. This is more technical and requires API keys and some coding, but it gives your site a genuine AI-powered differentiator that most small competitor sites do not have.

Every Way to Monetize a Business Name Generator Site

This is where the model gets genuinely interesting. Most side hustle guides stop at one income stream. Alston identifies more than ten distinct ways to earn from a single business name generator site, all serving the same audience at different stages of starting a business. Here is every stream he covers, with enough detail to actually act on each one.

1. Domain registrar affiliate commissions. When your site suggests a business name and shows domain availability, a natural next step is offering an affiliate link to purchase that domain. GoDaddy, Namecheap, NameHero, and Bluehost all pay commissions when new customers register domains through your referral link. GoDaddy’s affiliate program, for example, pays a percentage of the domain purchase and any bundled products like privacy protection or email.

2. Web hosting affiliate commissions. Every new business owner who registers a domain will need hosting for a website. After the domain checker suggests a name, a simple prompt asking “ready to build your website?” leads naturally to a hosting recommendation. Bluehost, NameHero, Namecheap, and Hostinger all run affiliate programs, and hosting commissions are typically among the highest in the affiliate space.

3. LLC formation services. In the United States, most people starting a real business will need to form an LLC. The moment someone names their business, the next practical step is making it legal. Services like ZenBusiness, Northwest Registered Agent, and Incfile all offer affiliate programs. A well-placed recommendation after name selection can earn you a commission on LLC filings that often range from twenty to a hundred dollars per referral.

4. Logo design tools. Canva has an affiliate program, and new business owners consistently need to create a logo. After someone settles on a name, recommending Canva Pro for creating their brand identity is a natural, helpful upsell. You can also link to freelance logo designers on Fiverr or 99designs if the visitor wants professional design rather than DIY.

5. WordPress themes. If you recommend WordPress for building their new business website, which is a smart recommendation, you can earn affiliate commissions from premium theme marketplaces like ThemeForest or specific theme companies. Many premium WordPress themes have affiliate programs paying between thirty and sixty percent of the sale price.

6. Fiverr affiliate program. Fiverr pays commissions when new users sign up and complete their first purchase. You can earn by recommending Fiverr for tasks the business owner cannot do themselves, including logo design, video intros, copywriting, or business card design. The Fiverr affiliate program pays a fixed bounty per new buyer referral.

7. Invoicing and accounting software. Once someone has a business name and a legal entity, they need tools to run the actual business. Recommending invoicing software like FreshBooks or Wave, or accounting tools like QuickBooks, fits naturally into the new-business setup journey. Most of these have affiliate programs with recurring commissions.

8. Point-of-sale systems. For businesses selling physical products or running retail operations, a point-of-sale system is a near-immediate need. Square and Shopify both have affiliate or referral programs. If your site serves entrepreneurs starting product-based businesses, a recommendation to the right POS system can earn a meaningful commission.

9. AI writing tools. New business owners who are also starting a blog or writing website content will need help producing consistent copy. Recommending AI writing tools like Jasper, Copy.ai, or Writesonic can earn you recurring affiliate commissions since most of these tools charge monthly subscriptions.

10. Business funding resources. Some visitors to your site will be looking for ways to fund the business they are naming. Recommending business credit resources, small business loan guides, or cash-back business credit cards opens another income stream through financial affiliate programs.

11. Social media management tools. Every new business needs a social media presence. Tools like Buffer, Later, or Hootsuite have affiliate programs and are natural recommendations for someone who just finished naming their business and is thinking about marketing.

12. Done-for-you services. Beyond affiliate commissions, Alston points out you can also sell services directly. Building a WordPress website for a new business owner runs between three hundred and a thousand dollars as a one-time project. You can also offer logo design, social media management, or basic bookkeeping as ongoing services. These are higher-ticket items that require your time, but they convert well with visitors who are already trusting your site to help them get started.

The Affiliate Programs to Apply to First

Not every affiliate program will approve your application immediately, especially before your site has traffic. Alston’s practical advice: apply to all of them and let the approvals come in as your site grows.

For domain names and hosting, apply to Bluehost, GoDaddy, NameHero, and Namecheap. If one rejects you early on, the others will likely approve you, and you can cycle back to re-apply once you have more visitors. All four are established programs with reliable tracking and timely payouts.

For LLC formation, look at ZenBusiness, Northwest Registered Agent, and Incfile. These programs are generally more welcoming to smaller sites because LLC filings are a high-intent purchase and even a few referrals per month represent meaningful revenue for them.

For design and tools, Canva’s affiliate program is available through Impact Radius and is worth adding early. For Fiverr, sign up through their direct affiliate portal at affiliates.fiverr.com.

The key is to have your links in place before traffic arrives, not after. Building affiliate links into your site from the start means every visitor who takes action earns you a commission, even when you have just a handful of daily visitors in the early weeks.

Not sure which online business model fits your actual skills and schedule?

Answer a few quick questions at finder.platformproof.com and get a personalized recommendation based on where you are right now.

How to Drive Traffic Without Paying for Ads

Alston ran a quick Google search for “business name generator” while filming this video and noticed three paid ads sitting above the organic results, with at least one more at the bottom. Companies are spending money on paid search for this keyword because the visitors convert. That tells you the audience has real intent. It also tells you paid ads will be expensive for a beginner, so organic traffic is the smarter starting point.

TikTok is Alston’s top recommendation for free traffic to this kind of site. The format that works best is step-by-step “how to start a business” content: how to start a clothing business, how to start a Shopify store, how to start a freelance service. You walk through the setup steps in a short video, and at the point where the viewer needs a business name, you direct them to your site. TikTok already shows hundreds of thousands of views on business startup content, which means the audience is there and actively watching.

YouTube works the same way with longer-form content. A ten-minute video on starting a specific type of business can rank in YouTube search and drive consistent traffic for years. Include your business name generator site in the video description and mention it at the natural moment in the video when viewers would be ready to name their idea. YouTube also opens up a separate revenue stream through the YouTube Partner Program once your channel meets the requirements.

Facebook groups are a third traffic channel that does not require you to build a following from scratch. Start a group around a topic like starting an online business or launching a side hustle, grow it by providing consistent value, and pin a post linking to your business name generator at the top of the group. New members see that pinned post immediately when they join, which gives your site steady exposure with every new member.

Instagram, LinkedIn, and even Pinterest can also drive traffic to this type of tool site, especially with content that targets specific niches like starting an Etsy shop, launching a food business, or building a service company. The platform matters less than the consistency of your posting and the specificity of the niche you are helping.

Email Marketing Sequences That Stack Commissions

One of the highest-value things you can add to a business name generator site is an email opt-in. Visitors who give you their email address are signaling they want to go further than just generating a name. They are actively working on starting a business, which makes them one of the most receptive audiences you can build a list from.

Alston outlines a simple sequence structure that stacks commissions across multiple products. The first three days of emails focus on getting a domain name and hosting. You share the affiliate link, explain the importance of owning your business domain early, and give practical guidance on what to look for in a hosting plan. This is the most time-sensitive recommendation because visitors often act quickly on domain purchases before a good name disappears.

Days three through five shift to WordPress themes. Now that the subscriber has hosting, they need to build their site. You walk them through choosing a theme for their business type, recommend a premium option that earns you a commission, and link to tutorials that help them get set up.

The following emails cover LLC formation, logo design, and then the business tools that support ongoing operations. Each email solves the next problem the business owner will face, and each recommendation includes an affiliate link. Because you are solving real problems in a logical order rather than pitching randomly, open rates and click rates stay much higher than typical promotional emails.

The beauty of this model is that you earn more from a smaller list than most newsletter operators with twice the subscribers, because every email leads to a high-intent recommendation rather than generic content. A subscriber who came to you looking for a business name is already in action mode, and your sequence meets them exactly where they are.

Honest Drawbacks of This Business Model

This model has real potential, but there are things worth being clear about before you invest time and money into it.

First, building the site takes upfront effort. Installing WordPress, finding the right theme, setting up a domain checker plugin, and applying to affiliate programs all require time before you earn your first dollar. If you underestimate the setup phase, you may get discouraged before you ever see results.

Second, traffic takes time. Organic traffic from TikTok, YouTube, or Facebook groups is free, but it is not instant. You can expect to spend weeks or months producing content before you see consistent visitors hitting your site. Anyone expecting immediate income from free traffic will be disappointed.

Third, paid traffic is expensive in this niche. As Alston shows in the video, companies with established budgets are already buying search ads for “business name generator.” Competing with paid ads against funded competitors without a strong conversion rate is a way to lose money fast. Start with free traffic channels and shift to paid ads only after you know your site converts.

Fourth, affiliate commissions for domains and hosting, while real, are usually one-time payments. You earn when someone buys, but not on renewals unless the program specifically covers renewals. The recurring income in this model comes from tools with monthly subscriptions, services you sell directly, and your email list, not domain commissions alone.

Your Step-by-Step Action Plan

Choose a domain name using phrases like “business name generator,” “business name maker,” or “business name ideas” and purchase it along with hosting from a provider that has an affiliate program (Bluehost, NameHero, Namecheap, GoDaddy).
Identify the WordPress theme you want to use. Search whatwpthemeisthat.com with a competitor’s URL to see what they are running, or find a theme in the WordPress directory. Install it on your new site.
Install the Business Word Manager and Domain Checker plugins. If those are unavailable, search CodeCanyon for domain availability checker scripts as an alternative.
Apply to affiliate programs: domain registrars (Bluehost, GoDaddy, NameHero, Namecheap), LLC formation services (ZenBusiness, Incfile, Northwest), Canva, Fiverr, and at least one invoicing tool.
Set up an email opt-in on your site using a free or low-cost email marketing tool. Write a five-to-seven-email welcome sequence covering domain, hosting, theme, LLC, and logo design in that order.
Choose one free traffic channel, either TikTok, YouTube, or a Facebook group, and commit to producing content consistently. Aim for content that teaches a specific audience how to start a specific type of business, with your business name generator as the tool they use to get going.
Track which affiliate links are getting clicks and which emails in your sequence are converting. Double down on what works and cut what does not.

Find Your X

A business name generator site is one concrete way to earn online, but it requires building an asset from scratch. If you are still figuring out which path fits your skills and schedule best, the fastest shortcut is an honest assessment of where you actually are.

At finder.platformproof.com, you answer a short set of questions and get a specific recommendation for your first online income stream. No generic “try affiliate marketing” advice. A real answer based on your situation, so you can stop researching and start building.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to know how to code to build a business name generator site?

No. The setup Alston describes uses WordPress, an existing theme, and a domain checker plugin. None of those require writing code. If you want more custom functionality, ChatGPT can generate Python or PHP snippets for specific features, and CodeCanyon sells ready-to-install scripts. You can also hire a freelance developer for a one-time build if you want something more complex.

How much does it cost to get started?

The minimum setup is a domain name (around ten to fifteen dollars per year) and shared hosting (five to fifteen dollars per month). Add a premium WordPress theme if you go that route, anywhere from thirty to a hundred dollars as a one-time purchase. You can start for under fifty dollars total if you use a free theme and free plugins, then scale up as you earn commissions.

How long before I start earning money?

Alston is direct about this in the video: do not expect to make a million dollars in the next three days. Free traffic from social media takes weeks to build. The first commissions are likely a few weeks to a few months away depending on how consistently you produce content and how targeted that content is. Treat this as a part-time project you build in your spare time, and the timeline becomes much more manageable.

What if the affiliate program I apply to rejects me?

Apply to all of them. Alston specifically names Bluehost, GoDaddy, NameHero, and Namecheap as alternatives in the same category. If one rejects you, another will likely approve you. Many programs require only that you have a functioning website with some content; having your site live before you apply improves your approval odds significantly.

Which social media platform should I focus on for traffic?

TikTok and YouTube are both strong choices because short-form and long-form content about starting a business already gets hundreds of thousands of views on both platforms. TikTok is faster to get initial views but offers less long-term search traffic. YouTube content can rank for years in search results, giving you compounding traffic over time. Facebook groups work well if you prefer a community-building approach rather than content creation. Pick one and stay consistent before adding a second channel.

Can I do this alongside a full-time job?

Yes, and Alston frames it exactly this way in the video. Setting up the website is a one-time project that can be done over a weekend or two. After that, the ongoing work is producing content on your chosen traffic channel, which can be done in evenings or on weekends. The email sequences work automatically once they are written. This is the kind of part-time build that can grow gradually without requiring you to quit your day job first.

Is there a risk that AI tools will make this model obsolete?

AI name generation tools are already common, but they have not killed the market for business name generator sites. In fact, ChatGPT integration is one of the enhancements Alston mentions adding to make your site stronger. The real value of your site is not purely the name generation; it is being the first touchpoint when a new entrepreneur starts thinking about their business. The affiliate commissions come from guiding that person through the entire setup process, and that journey is not going away.

What is the biggest mistake beginners make with this model?

Pigeonholing into one income stream. Alston makes this point explicitly: one of the main problems with making money online is not seeing all the opportunities available from a single audience. A business name generator site can earn from domains, hosting, LLC services, logo tools, theme affiliates, and direct services. Beginners often set up one affiliate link and wonder why income is slow. Set up every relevant affiliate link from the start so every visitor action earns you something.

Sources

Alston Godbolt, “REVEALED: Make Money Online With Free Business Names,” YouTube, youtu.be/EeVnhooyPj0
What WP Theme Is That, whatwpthemeisthat.com
CodeCanyon domain checker and business name generator scripts, codecanyon.net
GoDaddy affiliate program, godaddy.com/affiliate-programs
Fiverr affiliate program, affiliates.fiverr.com
Canva affiliate program, canva.com/affiliates