Before you spend a lot of money setting up in your chosen niche, you’ll want to research it thoroughly and test it out, to see what traffic you get and the quality of this traffic – are they ‘hot buyers’ or just browsers?

Hot Tip: One of the ways that you test a niche, before you get started, is to send some traffic to an affiliate site (you sign up as an Affiliate to sell someone else’s product – they’ll generally set up a website for you). If you are getting sales as an affiliate, then you could make sales with your own product.

Hot Tip: Another way to test your niche is to sign up as an affiliate to Amazon and send people to your Amazon affiliate site, using Google Adwords.

John Thornely
© John Thornely www.johnthornely.com 2008

To learn more about how YOU can
Profit From The Internet – Fast, visit
www.Internet-Tycoons.com

A great way to find new niches is to use Google searches and Keyword tools to do all the hard work for you!

Hot Tip: Go to one of the keyword tools and type in short phrases like “How to”, “Where to”, “Make”, “Do It Yourself”, “Discount”, etc – you’ll get a list of the most searched items – and some ready-made ‘hot niche’ suggestions!

Most marketers recommend looking for markets where the total searches per month (the numbers on the left hand side) equal 15 to 20 thousand or higher.

But some people do really well in smaller markets (more than about 5,000 searches per month) – it depends on the niche and you can dominate in a small market.

When you work in niches with at least 20,000 searches a month, you can make yourself a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, on a weekly basis.

John Thornely
© John Thornely www.johnthornely.com 2008

To learn more about how YOU can
Profit From The Internet – Fast, visit
www.Internet-Tycoons.com

Selecting a hot niche is all about finding Customers.

I like the fishing simile. In order to be able to catch fish, you have to work out where the fish (customers) are biting, what bait they’re going for (your ‘offer’) and what tackle to use (your website, marketing methods, etc).

But it’s no good just going and sitting by any old pond and using the wrong bait and tackle… if there are no fish, or you’ve got the wrong equipment, you won’t even get a bite!

One way to make sure you’re fishing in the right place is to look at the water and see where the fish are. But that can be a bit hit-and miss if you’re not sure where to look.

Better to watch those who know – by finding out where the other fishermen (your competitors) are and see what they’re catching and what bait and tackle they’re using.

So, you need to search the market to find where there are lots of ‘fish’ and see where they’re biting.

And don’t try to ’fish’ in a market where there are no other ‘fishermen’ – there’s probably a good reason why, and you’ll need to know exactly what you’re doing if you are to succeed!

This all sounds ‘old hat’ stuff, but it’s amazing just how few people do it right! I find I have to keep reminding myself!

Hot Tip: If you want to short-cut your own learning curve and minimize your costs, watch to see who is successful and what ‘bait and tackle’ they’re using. Then copy them!

Hot Tip: And if you talk to real fishermen, they’ll always speak about how to catch fish by describing what the fish do – where they swim, what they like to eat, what tackle works, etc. So, if you’re going fishing, you need to understand the fish and think like they do!

John Thornely
© John Thornely www.johnthornely.com 2008

To learn more about how YOU can
Profit From The Internet – Fast, visit
www.Internet-Tycoons.com

Your Business

Which comes first… …the product? …the web site? …the customers? …the marketing?

Many people put the cart before the horse. They have a product they want to sell and they’re looking for people to buy it. But that’s all the wrong way round! And just how hard can that be?

Do you know how easy it is if you start with the people who want to buy something first…and then offer them a product they WANT?

A Hungry Market…

Pick a ‘hungry’ targeted niche market first. Then build a site…build traffic…and then you can either find a product they already want, sell advertising space or sell the leads on to others. All you have to do is target a niche market with a specific subject and a good number of customers.

Hot Tip: We often try to make things so complicated. The simple truth of how to make money on the web, in one short sentence:

“Build a Site That Gives People What They Want!”

Burn that into your mind. I like to remind myself of this every time I want to go dashing off down some ‘rabbit hole’, chasing something more exotic!

Keep It Simple – Keep It Focussed

And KEEP IT SIMPLE! Complicated won’t work for you in this business and can be very expensive!

And KEEP IT FOCUSSED! The tighter your niche, the easier it is to dominate it. Once you’re king or queen of your niche, you can expand.

But you can’t just put up a sales letter and expect to profit. You’ll need to:

1. Find a market. There are many ways to do this. But as a starter, look at your local magazine rack. No matter what your hobbies, passions or interests are, there are going to be others with similar interests – you’ll be amazed at the selection!

2. Find out what they want. You do this by asking them. Look at magazines, message boards or newsgroups which already cover your subject or similar subjects. Do a search for your subject on Google^TM, or Google Groups^TM at www.groups.google.com.

Go and read the articles and posts and ask what people want or what they think is lacking in your market online. Don’t be shy – people love to discuss things they want!

Or set up a free on-line survey questionnaire using any of the free online survey sites, such as http://freeonlinesurveys.com or www.surveymonkey.com.

3. Give it to them. Once you figure out what people want, give it to them. Design a site which is exactly what they are looking for. Send out press releases, mention it in the newsgroups, write articles, trade links with other sites, and start growing – none of this is difficult and we can show you how to do it all!

OK, so how do I find a Niche that’s not already overcrowded? Enter ‘Mindset Marketing’… and we’ll look at that in a future blog post.

Until then—happy researching!

John Thornely
© John Thornely www.johnthornely.com 2008

To learn more about how YOU can
Profit From The Internet – Fast, visit
www.Internet-Tycoons.com

To maximise the profitability of your web business, you need to find a lucrative niche. Here are some suggestions from seasoned marketer Larry Dotson on the key factors to consider:

Why Am I Here?

OK, so here I am at your website — now give me what I’m looking for!

Your business — and your website need to invite visitors from your targeted niche in and give them exactly what they’re looking for.

And just what is it that they’re looking for?

Well, that depends on your niche, of course. But there are some basic human needs that are common across any business.

So here are some ideas to stimulate your thoughts and provide some niche ideas…

People want to save money.

They may want to invest for the future or save for a big purchase. This will make them feel more secure.

On your web site you could publish articles on how to save or invest money or give them free money-management software.

People want to save time.

They may want to work less and spend time enjoying life’s pleasures. This will make them feel more relaxed.

You could install a time-saving bit of software or a navigation bar on your web site that saves them time when they are browsing or searching through your web site.

People want to look better.

They may want to lose weight, tone their body, or improve their facial features. This will make them feel more attractive.

Give away a free e-book on losing weight – it really doesn’t matter who your target audience is - they are all human.

People want to learn something new.

They may want to learn how to change their car oil or build a patio deck. This will make them feel more intelligent.

You could publish a lot of how-to articles on your web site about things your target audience wants to learn.

People want to live longer.

They may want to get in shape, eat better or gain extra energy. This will make them feel healthier.

Publish some exercise and nutrition strategies and checklists on your web site – it really doesn’t matter who your target audience is as most people want to improve their lifestyle.

People want to be comfortable.

They may want to relieve aches and pains or want to sleep in a more comfortable bed. This will make them feel rested.

You could give away a free report on how to naturally relieve aches and pains for certain parts of the body.

People want to be loved.

They may not want to be lonely any more or they might want to start dating again. This will make them feel wanted.

For example, you could provide some singles, dating and relationship chat rooms on your web site. People will be able to meet new people or find out how to improve their current relationship.

People want to be popular.

They may want to be a famous celebrity or be more popular in school. This will make them feel praised and admired.

You could allow people to submit articles or comments to your web site that you would publish for the world to see.

You could also publish profiles or interviews with your web site visitors.

Be Popular—Give Them What They Want

The most effective way to make sure your website is popular is to give people what they want — and in a way that makes them want to tell their friends, so that your site becomes ‘viral’.

There is no more effective form of marketing than word of mouth and personal recommendation. So give them what they want and they’ll tell their friends about it!

Happy hunting!

John Thornely
© John Thornely www.johnthornely.com 2008

To learn more about how YOU can
Profit From The Internet – Fast, visit
www.Internet-Tycoons.com

Blogging can be the cheapest and one of the most effective ways to profit from the Internet. Here’s how…

What the blog…?

Web Logs – or ‘Blogs’ for short – started as a simple means for providing an online journal or diary, where an individual lets the world know how they think and feel about certain things. If you are a member of facebook.com, myspace.com, or any other social networking site, there’s a good chance you have been writing in a blog – and maybe didn’t even know it!

Blog marketing?

Blog marketing is the use of a blog or blogs to produce traffic for the purpose of monetizing that traffic. Using a blog to market a product or merely as a means of producing online income is much cheaper than using a website. This is because a number of free blog services are available that almost as good as having your own website that costs you plenty!

Because blog marketing has few barriers to entry, it is an excellent way for a beginner to get into the Internet Marketing business.

Due to both the human and Search Engine demand for quality content, it’s very possible to make serious money from creating, promoting, and maintaining blogs.

Turning a blog into a cash machine is relatively inexpensive and can be done by anyone who understands the basics of marketing and the Internet.

Monetise!

So how should you monetize your blog??

Well, that rather depends on what your objectives are and how you’re going to use your blog. The simplest system is to write blog articles that include an affiliate link for them to buy a range of other people’s products.

Or, if you’re looking to build a list of prospects, you can include a ‘name squeeze’ box, where you offer something of value (a free ebook report, software, etc) in return for the visitor’s contact details (name, email address, etc). You can then follow up with an offer that monetizes the list – or you can sell your list to appropriate traders (maintenance, double glazing, office equipment, holidays, property, etc), who pay you for each name supplied.

Topical Passion

Many marketers suggest starting a website on a topic that you are passionate about. But think about it… If you want to make a lot of money on-line you need to blog about profitable topics, ie those with a lot of potential traffic.

This means you need to do 4 things:

1. Identify topics or niches with a lot of traffic potential

2. Constantly add fresh quality content to your blog

3. Get lots of free traffic to your blog

4. Monetize that traffic

So what topics should you pick that will generate a lot of traffic??

There’s no point in starting a blog unless it is geared towards an in-demand, profitable topic. And remember that it’s fairly common for blogs to outrank other websites competing for the same keywords because your blog regularly delivers fresh, quality content.

Also, just because a topic has a lot of competition doesn’t necessarily mean it is not worth starting a blog about – you actually want to work in a busy topic area! See ‘Find Your Niche!’ and other articles in this issue of Web Biz Insider on how to do this.

Once you’ve determined your niche, you’ll need to derive some Keywords that people will search on to reach your blogsite – again see other articles in this issue for some ideas! Then you need to set up your blogsite!

Free Blogsite!

There are many free blog services available but the free Blogger service provided by Google (http://www.blogger.com) is perhaps the best for starters, for ease and simplicity, to create a content-rich blog. The other services available mostly either don’t allow affiliate links display adverts on your blog/website. Blogger allows you to advertise affiliate programs or whatever you want on your blog and places no ads of it’s own on there.

To create your blog, you’ll need a Google account – if you don’t have one go to: https://www.google.com/accounts/NewAccount, then go to Blogger and follow the instructions to create your blog.

Hot Tip: When you’re setting up your blog, make sure you use your Target Keywords within your URL of your niche blog and in the Title and Description. VERY Important!)

Join Up!

To be really successful at blogging, you’ll need help and support from a community of like-minded people, regardless of what specific Internet business model you decide to operate. So, sign up to one of the many online business forums to support your success. Some you might consider include:

www.bloggerforum.com – Free
www.warriorforum.com/forum – Free
http://forums.digitalpoint.com – Free
www.forumknowhow.com – $ monthly

If you choose a topic with good traffic and spend some time learning about your chosen topic, promoting your blog and adding great content, you should have no problems getting traffic to your blogsite. Then it’s up to you how you monetize your visitors.

John Thornely
© John Thornely www.johnthornely.com 2008

To learn more about how YOU can
Profit From The Internet – Fast, visit
www.Internet-Tycoons.com