Recently, I got a question from a Publishize reader. He said that he is willing to put “110%” into creating a great Web site, but he wanted to know how you can tell if an idea will be interesting to other people.
The key to creating a useful product or service is to know your target audience. If it’s possible, simply ask them what they want. A Web site can make money, but you need to provide information your target audience wants and (just as important) is willing to pay for. If you can get that combination nailed down, a Web site can be lucrative.
When you are working on a Web site or any other product, such as a book or audio program, it helps a lot if you have an interest or passion for the subject matter. It’s a lot easier to understand your target market if you are a member of the market. For example, I have written many articles and two books about caring for pets adopted from animal shelters. I’m interested in the topic because I have critters of my own, but also because I volunteered at an animal shelter and saw the problems people had. I met many members of my target market and spent a lot of time talking with them.
Many people are stumped by this concept of marketing to a specific specialized market or “niche.” Usually their mental block stems from the worry that by narrowing down their business offerings, they will exclude too many people and never sell anything at all. In general, the opposite is true. When you focus in on one group’s particular problems, your Web site and products will resonate with the people in that marketplace.
For example, if you are a graphic designer, technically speaking you could do design work for anyone. But then you don’t stand out from the other seven gazillion designers out there. On the other hand, if you entered the design field after working for years as a manicurist, you might niche yourself as a graphic artist who specializes in marketing for nail salons. Because you understand the salon marketplace, your materials and your background will appeal to that group.
People buy products or services to solve problems. Once you have identified a target market you are interested in serving, think about their biggest problems. Are they problems you are equipped to help these people solve, given your background and experience?
Identifying needs is particularly important if you are selling online because people use search engines to find answers to their problems. A manicurist who needs a newsletter to promote her shop might use search terms like “manicurist newsletter.” If you’re the designer who specializes in marketing for nail salons, you might have a page about newsletters on your Web site. The nail technician does a search, finds your site, and contacts you because it looks like you are uniquely qualified to solve her marketing problem.
Of course, when you are choosing a target market, you also need to determine if that group is willing to pay for the products or services you offer. Not all niche markets have money. A number of years ago, I met the author of a book for unemployed job seekers. He belatedly realized that his market had no job, no money, and ready access to countless other free sources of employment information and services.
Once you understand the needs of your particular niche group, you also can expand your potential income because you can sell additional related products and services to your existing customers. After all, it’s always easier to sell to your existing customers who already know you.