It's hard to NOT make money if you...

Hi all - after 8-years of growing businesses online, largely through a combination of information product marketing (both my own and affiliate marketing), I have tackled 4 niche markets (very different) using this same process and have never failed to make money - here's the step-by-step process:

1. Find a market where there are already products selling - I like to mainly look at Clickbank/marketplace, Amazon, magazines and on occasion - other affiliate directories like Commission Junction or Linkshare for evidence of products that show strong sales rank over a period of months (not just a flash in the pan).

2. I narrow the markets down to 3 that I have identified multiple strong-selling infoproducts and start with 1 that interests me (note** I do not start with my interests, I start with what is selling and then align with my interests later).

3. Next, pickup at least 5 of the leading books, courses, workshops, magazines, etc... on your chosen market - I then spend about 1-hour reviewing each one looking for....

a) The BIG question that the infoproduct answers -- what is it helping people to do, be or have - that they don't have today.
b) The main steps, tips or methods outlined by the infoproduct - these are often easily identified by chapter headings or main modules of a course
c) Main characteristics of the infoproduct - format, price, how it is packaged, length, pages, good points and possible bad points
d) Gaps - this is important! I look for gaps in the information delivered in the infoproduct. Gaps could be missing information, information that is only touched on, that could be enhanced, information that is wrong or partially wrong, information that is too general and can be made more specific by adding to it or explaining it in a different way, lack of practical application, etc...

4. From the review of 5 products I will have developed a good idea of why customers are buying the information sold, what desires they have and what they hope to achieve with the information, and what potential gaps that stand in their way even after having these products.

5. I pick one or more of the gaps and turn that into the main focus of my own infoproduct. I then put together the main steps ( some of which may certainly overlap with other infoproducts), but make sure to embed a strong differentiator by focusing on removing the obstacle for my customer due to gaps in the existing top products.

Now I have a topic with build-in demand, a proven set of criteria I can rely on to make sure it will sell, strong understanding of the buying triggers (which will be used in marketing) and a unique value proposition by adding information that is missing or deficient in competitive products.

All of this can take less than a day's work if you follow this approach systematically.

I can also share that when you know with certainty your topic, objective of the infoproduct, outline and where you need to focus on the gap - development is SO much faster and simpler.

You can then move on to developing the product yourself, outsourcing the development or a comobination of the two.

Finally, how well your market the product - in the end - will dictate how much in sales you make, but at the very least you know that given the right positioning, you have a product that will surely sell.

Jeff