How To Choose A Niche (Quick Exercise)

I've often said there are 3 good ways to choose a niche for an online business.

But in this post I'm going to give you another idea - a 4th way, that will get you past your niche-discovery hurdle for good!

The most popular advice is to "do what you love", or go with a niche you are passionate about. This most likely includes a hobby or lifestyle choice.

This is a great idea because you are already knowledgeable and experienced on the topic. You're also less likely to get bored with it than niches where you don't have a personal interest.

The second suggestion is to choose a niche where you have professional experience or expertise. Another great approach, except that most people are already burned out on their chosen profession, or still doing it as a day job, and can't get excited about spending their nights and weekends at it as well...

The third way to select a niche, and one that I recommend a lot, is to choose something you'd like to start doing. A new hobby or lifestyle, or something you'd like to collect or get into.

Since you are just getting started at it yourself, you actually are your target market. This puts you in an ideal position, and gives you insight and empathy with your market - you can easily connect with them on their level.

You're in research phase, finding resources and discovering what works and what doesn't - or the best way to do this or that. Sharing all of that information becomes your "content". And it's very easy to generate since you're already actively collecting information on the topic.

Of those top 3 ways to choose a niche, the last one would be my favorite. I have often started a new online business based on new personal interests. I find that it makes work fun, and that fresh enthusiasm for a topic will take you a long way.

With all 3 of these viable niche-selection methods, you are limited to choosing from what you already know or feel comfortable with...

4: What would you do if there were no limits?

Life is full of limits: physical, financial, situations & circumstances, you name it. Often we'll dream big only to remind ourselves of all the reasons those dreams can never become a reality.

But just for a moment, let's imagine that there are no limits. Maybe you've always dreamed of spending your winters in New Zealand, owning a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes, going on an Alaskan Cruise, or backpacking across Europe.

This is what they mean when they say "think outside the box".

They are talking about your box.

Your box is your current frame of reference. It includes your personal experience, things you've experienced by association, and all of the elements you draw from to make choices and decisions.

Your box is not the same as mine, or anyone else. It's also not real. We are all drawing from a unique combination of circumstances and experiences. So it's basically just perception. And perception is not reality.

Let's do a quick exercise...

Step outside of your frame of reference for a second, and consider everything that the world has to offer. What appeals to you most?

Dismiss any negative thoughts that appear, and allow yourself to just imagine your ideal life. How would you spend your time? How would you spend money if you had an unlimited amount at your disposal? Jot down everything that comes to mind.

(don't think or hesitate, just jot it down)

Your next step is keyword and market research. Find out if there is interest in that niche, and whether it is a buying market.

This exercise will open up a lot of new options for you, new niches you may not have considered before. And just imagine getting to wake up every day to work on something you can really get excited about!

You may just be amazed at the things that present themselves along the way when you start thinking and working outside of your current frame of reference. Things that were once outside your reach may quickly become real possibilities - and even options.

We'll go back to the example of New Zealand vacations. You may be a single mother that lives in a small town in Tennessee. You have a work schedule, your children have a school schedule, and New Zealand is just a fantasy place in your mind that you realize you'll probably only ever see on tv or on the internet...

You do this exercise, your market research, and you start an online business around New Zealand Travel and Vacations (over 57,000 combined searches each month). You see that it's sort of competitive, hesitate for a second, and then decide to just go for it. This is what you want, and you're willing to put in the work to grow this business into an online authority.

And you do.

Now you're in a position to take that trip to New Zealand, and it's no longer a personal expense. It's a tax deductible business trip. You meet people, take photos and videos, blog about your experiences. And before you know it, you're getting VIP invites from airlines, hotels, restaurants etc that would love to be reviewed and featured on your popular travel & vacation website...

See how that works? 

Dream big. Choose your niche... and make it happen!

Top 5 Affiliate Program Marketing Tips

Congratulations on making the decision to become involved in affiliate marketing!

The most difficult part of the home based business process if finding out what type of work you want to do, and affiliate marketing has proven itself to be a viable option for thousands of people across the globe.

You may feel overwhelmed with information in the beginning, but there are a few main things you should focus on as you're preparing to launch your first campaign. Here are the 5 tips that helped me the most as I launched my first affiliate marketing project.

Choose a product or subject you are familiar with. While a product may be popular and successful, the less familiar you are with the subject matter the less likely you are to make money within that niche. You'll end up spending more time on research than you'll spend marketing. Stick with what you know and the rest will come easily.

Build a strong content site. One of the most popular phrases online is "content is king," and it's the truth. Building a website full of articles about the product you are trying to promote will make you appear as though you are a knowledgeable authority. People will trust you more and, as a result, will be more likely to make a purchase from you.

Avoid overusing banners. Banners may seem like a great advertising tool, but they're not. Banners scream "advertisement" and most people try to avoid advertisements at all costs. If you must advertise, you're better off with a small text ad or blurb on another website or blog. Besides, most banners look ugly and unprofessional - you don't want to attach that sort of stigma to your business.

Explore different affiliate networks. Just because someone you know is experiencing success with a certain affiliate network or merchant program does not mean you will. As a matter of fact, in most cases your success has nothing to do with the reputation of the affiliate network, but has everything to do with the amount of effort you put forth. Explore a handful of different networks and incorporate products from each into your campaigns. Ignore those who complain that they're not getting paid enough - they're probably not working very hard.

Conduct thorough research and educate yourself. Don't just choose a niche or product because it sounds interesting. Take some time to do a little bit of keyword research and determine what is popular and what is not. Look at other affiliate sites and determine what is making them successful. Try to determine if there is a niche that is yet untapped that you can take advantage of.

Remember, affiliate marketing is not easy, but it can be incredibly lucrative if you're willing to put some time and effort into your campaign right from the start. Feel free to leave comments with questions or to share your most recent affiliate marketing experiences. I'd love to hear from you!

Happy Affiliate Marketing

Top 10 list of the best home based business ideas, 2012

If you are looking to start up a home business then look no further than this top 10 list of the best ways to make money online, from home.
I hope you’ll find something to inspire you to startup today. There’s no time like the present (and don’t forget about me when you’re sipping pina-coladas off the deck of your yacht ;)

1. Specialist consulting

If you have experience or skills then one of the best ways to make money is by providing niche industry wisdom and expert advice. It doesn’t matter what industry you are in.
Start blogging about what you know. Offer to help people by providing knowledge. Answer questions other sites, blogs and forums.
Once people recognize you as an expert they will trust you, and you can start leveraging that trust to make money by offering services and consulting in your niche.

2. Boutique online store

Do you have a passion for designing cushions? Do you love making gourmet cupcakes? If there is something you love doing, then do it online.
Set up an eCommerce store. Blog about what you do. Make your content exciting and visual so that your passion transfers to visitors who just have to buy.

3. eLearning content

If there is a subject you are knowledgeable in, or know plenty of people who are knowledgeable about something, then use that to make money.
Set up a subscription based service to train people. Offer them courses, complete with exercises and marked online quizzes. Award them with certificates upon completion.

4. Specialty reviews

Do you love fine dining? How about wine tasting? Does staying in luxury hotels appeal to you?
Start up a blog and begin reviewing local products and services. Do a good job and local merchants and retailers will quickly catch on to the value of being reviewed by you. Leverage that demand to make money, as well as using ads and affiliate links to generate additional cash from readers.

5. Innovative local services

There are a million and one things that get in people’s way each day. If you have a smart idea about how to help, then set it up.
idea: If you have a pickup you could offer to pick up people’s old furtniture for free. It saves them time and money taking it to the dump. You can then resell it via your website.
idea: People hate queuing at local grocery stores after work. Why not let them pre-order from your website and have it waiting for them. They don’t have to pay for parking, fight with crowds or wait in queues. Well worth the small amount you charge for the service.
With limited resources, you’ll have to start local. But franchising to different towns and cities is a great option for growth later down the line.

6. Online real-time tutorials and lessons

Google+ offers incredible resources for video conferencing and online hangouts. Why not offer one hour lessons by video online? People can sign up on your website and access live tutorials and lesson, possibly followed by some Q and A for added interactivity.
You don’t have to charge much, and as the word spreads you could end up with thousands of students attending each lesson.

7. Niche blogging

Blogging is a great way to make a residual income. It’s definitely a medium term investment though, so it’s only viable if you are passionate about your niche topic.
Use social media, SEO and Internet marketing to build up traffic volumes, engage with readers and earn their trust. Make money from advertising and affiliate links.

8. Remote PA

If you’re planning on working from home full-time, then why not offer to help people who can’t find enough hours in the day to do everything they need.
Preferably offer services that you can perform online such as research, administration, writing, editing, and so on. Otherwise, focus on the local market… especially if you need to run errands.
The more you can work online, the more scope there is to hire low maintenance virtual office workers to expand your business.

9. Discounts & deals

Times are tough. People appreciate finding high quality services and products at low prices. Scour the web for the top deals and pass them on to your readers. Make sure you do it in an exciting, interesting and unique way – there is a lot of competition in this industry.
Alternatively, start local. Approach local merchants and retailers and get them to run specials which you promote. As you build up a following, the tables will turn and it will be merchants who approach you to write about their specials. Leverage that demand to make money.

10. IT

Do you know how to build mobile apps? How about games? Are you a guru in a forgotten programming language? Are you an incredible graphic designer?
Hardcore IT and technical skills are well suited to online home based business. All the coolest companies were started in garages, bedrooms or dorm rooms by IT nerds.
Use your website to show off your abilities. Convincing clients to take you on is difficult at first, but, providing you do a good job, referrals will keep new clients coming in.

Google Plus Tips- 13 Ways to Get Increased Google Plus Followers

Google plus has entered in the social media as a competition to different social networking sites. It has given direct competition to Facebook which is a social media giant. Many analysts are predicting that in coming months Google Plus will gain more popularity than Facebook. It has given a nice opportunity to internet users and online marketers to increase their presence.

They should not wait for the declaration of winner and start building their presence as Google Plus circles, friends and followers. Here we have brought a complete list for you with the help of which you can easily get increased followers on Google Plus.

Ways to increase followers on Google Plus
1. Build Google Plus Circle: First thing you need to do is to create a Google Plus Circle. It includes the people with whom you want to interact. Google Plus has a feature of grouping your circle on the basis of your priorities as friends, following, acquaintances, family, colleagues, customers etc. You can share your update with any particular circle or with particular people. Like some updates can be for your business purpose that you would like to share with your customers while others you would like to share with public.

2. Google Plus Page: Google Plus also gives you a feature of creating profile and business page where you can create separate profile and business page like Facebook. Business pages are good way of letting people know about your website, blog and business. You should immediately set up one. You can also add these Google plus Business pages into your Google Plus circles. Contact Sales Success Consulting, a leading Web Design Boston Agency for professional SMO services.

3. Ask Friends to add you Circle: As Google plus is still at starting stage, many people are still unaware of this. In order to make circles you can invite your friends to join you and add you in their Google+ circle. You can also ask your friends who are using other social media networks to add you to their G+ circles. You can also invite your Gmail contacts to join you on Google plus.

4. Share Interesting Stories on Google Plus: Make your Google plus account more interactive and share interesting stories on that. It allows you to share links, videos, images and other content. So you have option to share anything which you find interesting.
You can share your stories with people of your choice and can also mention them by using @ as you do on Facebook to tag people.

5. Locate More People: You can find out more and more people on your Google plus account. You just need to login in your account, clink on view all link option and then click on find people. This will show you options of people either who have same interest like you or who are friends of your friends. You may not even know them personally. So it's your choice who you want to add from the suggested list. You can also import contacts from your Gmail, Yahoo and Hotmail accounts by uploading your address book.

6. Send Your Updates through Email: There are chances that some of your friends are not logged into Google plus accounts or not using it and they may miss your latest updates and posts on Google plus. To cope up with this situation you have an option to send updates to your friends through email, a special feature offered by Google+. Google Plus is the only social media network providing you this facility of sharing your updates via Email.

7. Opt for Google Plus Mobile Version: Google plus has its own application using which users can use their mobile to get engaged with their community members and post new status updates as you do for other social media websites.

8. Follow Back Your Followers: You will get a notification from Google plus whenever someone adds you. You should also follow them back to give them a favor.
9. Add Google Plus Buttons to
Your Website: Don't forget to add Google Plus button on your site and blog at important positions. This will give you double benefits. First it will motivate your website readers to click on the plus button and second it will also help in enhancing Google Plus followers.

10. Comment on other's Updates: Make the conversation more interesting by commenting on the latest updates on Google plus. In this way you can also contact lots of new bloggers and targeted audience from your niche.

11. Interesting Stories from Other Users: Apart from commenting on other's updates, you can also click on plus one button to like stories and updates. Slowly and gradually it will benefit you by the returned favor of the people in the form of clicks on plus one button on your stories and the invitation to join their circles.

12. Make Your Google Plus Content Public: Be found by more people and that you can do by making your profile visible to public as done on LinkedIn account. Share your stories and content with public but it should be related to business only. Avoid sharing your personal stuff there.

13. Upload a High Resolution Pictures: If you have collection of nice pictures you can share it on you Google Plus profile. Always upload high resolution pictures to improve the look of your photos.

The Blueprint to Creating a Successful Online Home Business

Creating your online home business can be one of the most fulfilling things you will ever do. Making it successful would not only boost your self esteem, but would also put you in a strong position to take care of your family and help many other people. Successful online home business entails the following:

Develop a business plan

A business plan helps you have clear cut goals and strategies. It also helps you identify your strengths or weaknesses as well as provide you with an opportunity to analyze your competition.

Choose a niche

You need to specialize in your chosen field to be successful. Many people fail because they try handling too many products at once in the beginning. By concentrating on one particular product or a few products in one niche, your success rate is heightened immensely. Make sure that the niche you choose is profitable by doing a thorough research before you invest your time and money

Register your own domain name

A domain name costs less than $10 a year, but goes a long way in establishing your presence on the internet. Having your own domain name shows that you are serious and professional about your online home business. Don't be tempted to go for the free sub-domains that are always being peddled on the internet. The domain name that you choose should ideally have your keywords included. This will make it simpler to get a good ranking with the search engines once you start your SEO campaigns. A good starting point is the Google keyword selector tool. This will give you an indication of the popularity of your intended domain.

Set up a Hosting account

A good domain goes together with a good hosting account. Research on the available hosting companies and chose one that offers a guarantee on uptime. You might not need very complicated features in your hosting account to start with. Therefore you should be able to get a good hosting account in the $2 to $5 price range. A good example is HostGator which gives you an option to try out a month's hosting at $0.1

Marketing

There are plenty of marketing methods available on the internet. Try as many as possible initially and stick with the ones that work for you. Check out your competition to get more marketing ideas. If you have a small budget like many small business start-ups, you will need to consider the many free advertising resources like search engine optimization as well as good use of social media.