SiteSell Blog

Find the Right Spot on the Narrow-to-Broad Niche Spectrum

Niche Selection

Identifying the best niche for your business is a challenge. It boils down to a judgement call on your part.

Generally, the broader and/or more competitive a certain niche is, the more effort you will need to expend and the longer it will take for your keywords to win the Search Engine wars.

Although the tougher niches also raise the risk level (your new entry into an already crowded field may or may not gain a strong foothold), the rewards are also greater, if you decide to go that route.

This begs the question... Is it worth even considering a broader niche?

How Do You Recognize A Good Niche?

Niche Selection

The rest of your business rides on your choice of a niche or theme. SBI! calls this a "Site Concept."

A Site Concept is a keyword (ex., "Anguilla" or "Anguilla villas"). You use it as a focus for writing the information or content of your home page.

It is also the central theme, the niche, upon which you will base all of your site's content. That's how you create a "Theme-Based Content Site." Every page that you write will be about a topic that is related to your Site Concept. Each one of those topical pages focuses on a "Specific Keyword."

So what makes a great niche or Site Concept? Consider the following factors.  The niche must...

An "Early Stage" Niche Requires Hard Thinking and Time

Niche Selection

A niche that is slightly ahead of the curve (or an "early stage" concept) requires some dedicated brain work AND time to develop a just-right Site Concept. So there is nothing to worry about if researching and analyzing several potential keywords in DAY 2 takes you a month or so.

SBI! Case Study Elad (www.coolest-kid-birthday-parties.com) is a great example. It took him 3 months to identify his best niche. And look where that hard work took him... he has one of the "coolest" brands on the Web!

So how and where do you start with an idea that you suspect is ahead of its time? Begin with a question. Actually, begin with these three "big picture" questions...

The 2010 Holiday Buy-1 Get-1-Free Special

Ken's Blog

The Holiday Season is nearly upon us and that means it's time for The 2010 Holiday Buy-1 Get-1-Free Special!

Ho! Ho! Ho!

First, if you've been waiting for this before starting a new SBI! and a new e-business, now's the time. Buy one and give one, free, to a friend or family member who really needs a lift in this economy.

If you alone want one, put out the word on your Facebook page, asking if anyone wants to split the price. You buy one and give a friend your free copy, for $150.

What better gift than to give the one thing that can deliver income and financial independence?

The Buy-1 Get-1 (Free) Holiday Special ends at midnight (Eastern Time) on Christmas, Saturday, December 25th, 2010.

All the best,

Social Media Tips - Become The Butterfly That Stings Like a Bee

Social Media

When reading social media tips, you might have heard the term "social media butterfly." But a butterfly that stings like a bee? Where does this originate, and - more importantly - how do you become one?

Do you remember prize-fighting boxer Muhammad Ali's slogan to "float like a butterfly and sting like a bee"? This slogan has become what many business people aspire to in terms of marketing. Precise expertise with a bit of flair is a one-two punch combination that moves beyond boxing and straight into the realm of online marketing.

What's more is that you don't even have to fight! Phew!

While Ali's marketing style was considered too brash and assertive by many, social media marketing requires you to be outgoing but with a much calmer approach.

Social media is an approach that lets groups create content they're interested in together and then share it with others. Social media marketing is about leveraging those sites for finding and keeping in touch with your customers and prospects.

How To Turn Apprehensive Visitors Into Raving Fans

PREselling

Your long-term online reputation begins the moment a visitor arrives at your site. Take some time to do an objective review of your site. Are you doing the best you can to please your visitors and establish credibility?

Convert apprehensive visitors into trusting raving fans by paying close attention to this e-business building advice...

Do You Still Believe That Privacy Exists? Is It Dead?

Ken's Blog

I just read an interesting post in a thread in the SBI! Forums, worrying about Facebook privacy.

Let's widen it to privacy in general.

I'd love to hear your take on privacy. Here's mine...

Talk to your kids. They don't care. As that generation takes over, they still won't care. It's their world and they are used to it.

What's the bottom line?...

Facebook Advertising: Is It Money Well Spent?

Ken's Blog

My daughter Nori and I have started experimenting with Facebook ads on her SBI!-built site, anguilla-beaches.com, to get the feel of how to best use Facebook advertising for SBIers.

It's something to consider once you have at least 30 content pages (you need to show a site that is substantial enough to hold interest and generate credibility). But here's a key point to remember about this Social Media Marketing strategy...

A 16-Point Checklist for Product Development

Digital & Hard Goods

Part 2 - Checklist Points #9-16

(Missed the first set of points? Click here for Part 1.)

Let's continue with the remaining factors to consider when you are developing a product to sell on the Web...

9) Sizzle Factor

Does the product lend itself well to some marketing “sizzle.” Can you build some romance into the picture?

10) Support Required?

Is the product basically “plug and play”? If your consumer can use it immediately with no special help, this is a big plus. Otherwise, either make your product more user-friendly or prepare for tech support expenses and/or returns. Factor this in.

A 16-Point Checklist for Product Development

Digital & Hard Goods

Part 1 - Checklist Points #1-8

When considering a product (digital or hard goods) for Web sales, weigh these 16 factors, listed in approximate order of importance...

1) Product Quality

Does your product solve someone’s problem, or deliver a benefit, in a high-quality way? If not, STOP. Kill this product. If yes, read on...

Two extremely effective sales techniques are the free trial download (software) and the money-back guarantee. But if your product is of poor quality, these techniques will actually kill sales.

Great on-site consumer testimonials are another super way to sell your product. But guess what? Bad product = zero testimonials.

Everything becomes a lot easier if you are selling a great product.