by kenzik
17 replies
Hello everyone, I will create another newbie thread. I considered hijacking another one, but I think we are in different places so I'll start here.

I started an online business years ago without really knowing much about IM. In spite of my ignorance, I managed to create a profitable business that brings me a steady monthly income.

At some point the business plateaued and I started exploring online to try and figure out how to get more traffic and of course inevitably started learning more about SEO, IM and what not.

I am now ready to take the plunge and start learning as much as possible to do two things:
1) Apply the new knowledge to my current business to bring in more customers
2) Start creating new revenue streams online

I am a technology geek in real life, so I'm not worried about the technical stuff. It is the marketing stuff that is difficult for me.

So a few questions:
1) How to find a good niche? The material I've found/read to date does a really poor job of demonstrating a framework for this.

2) Driving traffic to a site seems easy. Driving targeted traffic to a site seems difficult (especially if you don't already have relationships/lists).

3) Best courses for a newbie (but a technically savvy newbie)?

4) Let's pretend I have a budget of $500/month to work with. What approach would you take to creating profitable business? How many? How often?

Thanks for any and all help!
#newbie
  • Profile picture of the author loi77
    In regards to niche research, there are 3 things that most people want in life and they will spend a lot of money to get them.

    They are anything that make people:

    1) Healthy (Weight loss, natural health remedies etc)
    2) Wealthy ( Make money online, forex, investment, retirement planning etc)
    3) Happy (Relationship, self improvement, beauty products, pets etc)


    All the best!
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  • Profile picture of the author tpw
    Originally Posted by kenzik View Post

    So a few questions:
    1) How to find a good niche? The material I've found/read to date does a really poor job of demonstrating a framework for this.

    2) Driving traffic to a site seems easy. Driving targeted traffic to a site seems difficult (especially if you don't already have relationships/lists).

    3) Best courses for a newbie (but a technically savvy newbie)?

    4) Let's pretend I have a budget of $500/month to work with. What approach would you take to creating profitable business? How many? How often?

    1. A good niche is one where there is interest and people have already shown a willingness to spend money.

    There are literally millions of niches to choose from if you want to be honest about it. Finding the niche that works for you is the secret for your success.

    One method for uncovering a good niche is to pick your vertical, then look at forums in that vertical. Look for questions that are asked all of the time, then create a product based on that proven need.



    2. Driving targeted traffic is simply putting your ads in front of the people most likely to buy what you are selling.

    It will take a lot of research to figure out where your target audience spends their time online, then it is simply a matter of working out how to get those folks into your sales funnel.

    A bad ad in a good spot will still do poorly. So once you have found where to advertise, you must decide how to advertise in a way that is most effective for your offer.



    3. It depends on what you need actually. The best courses focus on something that you need to learn, whether your need is product creation, list building, writing copy, etc.



    4. First things first. Build your "business model", with a focus on having an offer that people will be willing to spend money to acquire.

    Find a need, then offer a solution.

    You need to set up your systems first, then test them against small traffic bursts. Don't blow your marketing budget until first you have a proven sales process.

    Instead, purchase traffic in bursts from newsletters, websites, etc.

    Use those small traffic bursts to test your systems, and more importantly, your Return On Investment (ROI).

    Once you have polished your system, then and only then should you be spending large dollars to promote your website or sales funnel.

    Don't try to rush the process. People who are impatient go broke quickly.
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    Bill Platt, Oklahoma USA, PlattPublishing.com
    Publish Coloring Books for Profit (WSOTD 7-30-2015)
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  • Profile picture of the author JKflipflop
    Well, the easiest method I keep in mind while deciding whether or not a niche is actually a niche is to see if there are either (1) Problems in the niche such as those of obesity in the weight loss niche, acne in the skin care niche etc. OR (2) Triggers like passion and enthusiasm for a particular sport or hobby like golf etc.

    As far as traffic goes, when you are just beginning to build, SOLO ADS. Period. This is targeted traffic - then can come PPC methods and other paid advertising methods.

    And as far as your budget goes, that is more than enough to start building a list once you have identified your niche playground.

    Cheers and All the best
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    • Profile picture of the author kenzik
      Originally Posted by JKflipflop View Post

      As far as traffic goes, when you are just beginning to build, SOLO ADS. Period. This is targeted traffic - then can come PPC methods and other paid advertising methods.

      Cheers and All the best
      I may be mixing terminology, but SOLO ADS require a list swap, yes? (this is nothing more than a JV with someone else and asking them to send their list your product offer?).
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      • Profile picture of the author tpw
        Originally Posted by kenzik View Post

        I may be mixing terminology, but SOLO ADS require a list swap, yes? (this is nothing more than a JV with someone else and asking them to send their list your product offer?).

        No.

        Solo Ads are paid ads. You buy the right to send your advertisement to someone else's list.

        List Swaps are different. Both of you have a list, and you agree to advertise for them, if they will advertise for you.

        Smart people try to capture email opt-in's from their ad, rather than directly promoting a product.
        Signature
        Bill Platt, Oklahoma USA, PlattPublishing.com
        Publish Coloring Books for Profit (WSOTD 7-30-2015)
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      • Profile picture of the author JKflipflop
        Originally Posted by kenzik View Post

        I may be mixing terminology, but SOLO ADS require a list swap, yes? (this is nothing more than a JV with someone else and asking them to send their list your product offer?).
        Not exactly.

        A list swap (better known as an Ad Swap) is an exchange of sorts - when you and another IM'er, promote your respective products to the opposite person's list.

        An Ad Swap is usually effected between two people of similar sized lists and hence the initial option is Solos.

        Solos are done by paying a certain amount of money to another guy with a list, in return for "clicks" from his list. This means there is no exchange - only your Ad gets mailed in return of the amount you pay. People who start out usually go with solos.

        Safe-Swaps.com is the best place to join for Ad Swaps and Solo Ads.
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  • Profile picture of the author loi77
    Don't try to rush the process. People who are impatient go broke quickly.
    Good point. Thanks!
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  • Profile picture of the author Exel
    1) All the niches fall into three big markets - Health, Wealth and Lifestyle.
    There is an infinite number of niches in those markets. You should choose
    one that you are somewhat interesting in, that is not too specific or too
    general and that can be profitable.

    2) The million dollar question. You have traffic - you have business. Simple
    answer would be place your offer in front of your target audience. Think
    about where do people interested in what you have to offer hang out.
    Think forums, blogs, social media, of course. See how you can present
    them your offer in the best way. Take into account paid traffic also, like
    PPC, Facebook ads, banner ads and such.

    3) Here I always suggest WF and blogs. There's heaps of information and
    it's all free. You might also want to consider joining the War Room. Just find
    out the question, then search for the answer.

    4) This is really complicated question that only you can answer. As Bill said,
    set up your business model first, your system. Then think about how you can
    spend money to improve it.

    Best of luck
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  • Profile picture of the author nagidr
    A good method to find profitable niches is by going to flippa.com
    where profitable sites are being sold daily and thus find a good niche to start with as wel as moneitization method for that niche.
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  • Profile picture of the author retsced
    Take a look at a reply I left on this thread last week. This is how I approach online marketing. I recommend you learn as much about effective marketing asap.

    http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...ml#post6090461
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    Strong Men and Women put themselves in harms way
    for the freedoms weak people give away for safety
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  • Profile picture of the author marketwarrior06
    Banned
    For me the best niche is the niche of your interest. But before starting you should research it very well. You should select the keyword for that you have love and also which is effective
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  • Profile picture of the author Monetize INTL
    hey bud -- whatever u do -- please don't waste your money buying fake traffic from most of the sites you'll find on google proclaiming packages that look like this: 100,000 clicks for $X, 1,000,000 clicks for $X

    I'd hate to see you waste your money on that
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  • Profile picture of the author Essex Accountant
    Anything to do with making money is always popular ... maybe the latest trends ... but my advise is to find some young people ... anything from 10-20 and find what the latest thing is with them and then try to find a way to ride the wave.
    Only problem is, they are the most fickle and find a better wave to ride very often,. good luck
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  • Profile picture of the author AC21DJ
    The best way to find a niche is very simple.

    1) Find a problem and offer a way to solve that problem.
    2) Make sure that it is something that you are interested in. If you are not interested in it you will not work diligently on it.
    3) Driving traffic is very difficult but there are many different ways to do so. Some examples would be article marketing, forum posting, and classified adds.
    4) As far as a good newbie course, I would recommend Chris Farrell membership site. Some of the information is not for the technically savvy but the main content is very solid and will answer all of your questions very thoroughly.

    Hope this helps.
    Aaron
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