This is a topic I’m exploring constantly. What is the model for making money online for your business? As I’ve mentioned you need to start with the keywords that relate to your business. Once you start digging into keyword research you likely will find niche markets for your business that you didn’t know existed.
Once you find those terms, you need to start looking at how much online competition there is for each keyword phrase. If the competition is too steep then it’s going to a tough uphill climb. Highly competitive keyword phrases are not only tough to get, they are tough to keep. So what is your strategy and can it become profitable?
I’m still trying to figure out how to make money with affiliate marketing. I read stories about affiliate marketers making millions promoting products online. I wonder how many are really true. If you are selling small ticket items you need lots of traffic and a site with high conversion to sales.
Where I’ve discovered tremendous success and what has become my niche is in the local real estate and construction markets. That includes a lot of niche markets. One of my favorites is the decorative concrete market. Projects can easily be in the $3,000 – $10,000 range with high margins. Some of my clients have picked up projects that range from $10,000 to over $500,000.
The beauty of this market is that everyone is searching online before they make a decision and because of the versatility of the products there are thousands of keyword phrases. This is a niche market that is ripe for local SEO and Social networking if its done right. Other great markets are local real estate investing, mortgage brokerage and all kinds of contracting.
To be effective you need a plan. You will have a difficult time if you start without aligning your business with an online plan. A quick and easy start is with a pay per click strategy. You’ll get visitors to your site and maybe even a few calls. If you haven’t built an educational site around the keywords that your visitor is looking for, then the kind of client you get may not be profitable.
If you build your online presence correctly one step at a time, you will get exactly the kind of clients you want. If your site educates and defines what you do, you will not get clients that waste your time. Do the keyword research first. Choose the terms that directly relate to your target market. Define the geographic area that will support your business, then start creating the content that educates and converts to sales.
Some local niche business only need a a town or two to be profitable. Others might need to work an entire county, state or region. Be careful what you go after. Large markets sound exciting and highly profitable. Having worked with and taught many niche businesses, I have found large markets lead to lack of productivity and small niche markets to be extremely profitable.
In many cases, success is a direct result of your plan, not your skills.
Edward Winslow
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