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Home::Online Promotion
Targeting A Niche Market
Author : Ivan Kelly
Targeting a niche provides focus for your website and has great
appeal to search engines as it gives them a better idea of the
sort of traffic they should send you. Try to determine where
your market is. Are they parents? Retirees? Home owners? Pet
lovers? If you are selling art supplies you may find hobby sites
will cater to your audience. If you sell information for
do-it-yourself projects you could show up in home decorating as
well as financial sites ('Save Money on Home Building Projects!'
for example).
Targeting a niche also means that your visitors will be aware
that you are able to provide the sort of information they are
looking for, hence they will bookmark your site for future
reference and think of your site when looking for products that
are related. As well, if the content of your site impresses
visitors, not only are they likely to return but they may well
recommend your address to their friends.
With a targeted niche, you can have more confidence when
contacting your customers about new products, industry news or
specials - and this is without postage costs or time consuming
envelope stuffing.
There are a number of tools that will help you to find a niche
that is likely to be profitable. WordTracker is a top grade tool
that requires a subscription but there are a number of keyword
analyzers for sale that will assist. A useful free one is Good
Keywords. These tools are especially useful for identifying
keywords that are attracting traffic. In other words, they
indicate the level of interest from the public. Some of the
commercially available tools will also give an idea of the level
of competition that will be facing you. Search in Google under
"keyword tools" for details of programs currently available.
Invite your subscribers to recommend the site to friends who are
interested in the topic. Even better, have a place on your
website to 'tell a friend'. Your visitor will enter their own
name and email address as the sender of the message to avoid
spam complaints. However, a warning - do not start emailing the
invitee unless they sign up personally for your newsletter.
Niche sites will really benefit from a newsletter. Create an
appealing free gift, such as a special report or how-to manual,
that they will receive with their subscription. By providing
valuable information related to your topic you will gain the
trust of subscribers. By contacting them at least several times
a year - up to once a week if possible - they will be reminded
of your website when looking for information or products in your
niche.
Be sure to create a website that has informative content.
Incorporate the keywords (words or phrases visitors type into
their search engines) into the content to improve your place in
the search engines.
Also, if you write articles about your particular niche, that
will help to set you up as an 'industry expert'. If you don't
feel capable of writing them yourself you can hire a
ghostwriter. End the article with your name, a comment about
your business and a link to your website. Submit your article to
relevant article directories or ask if website owners would like
to use your contribution. Be sure they agree to keep your name
and website link intact.
You may find discussion groups that cater to your market.
Involve yourself in their conversations and attach a signature
with your website address if the policies permit. Be careful not
to advertise on these forums; however you may be able to offer
your free items when the situation allows.
If you are expanding an existing off-line business by setting up
a webpage you may find your most valuable contacts right in your
store. Make some brochures or cards that announce your online
presence, or ask customers if they'd like to sign up for your
online newsletter.
Whether you are following the advice of top Internet Marketers
or if you just happened to have a business that caters to a very
specific target audience, you must be able to find them, and
they must be able to find YOU. If your website has focus, this
at least makes it easier for your audience to "hear your call".
Then you can consider the nooks and crannies where THEY abide!
One of the joys of niche marketing is the luxury of tapping into
a favorite hobby, occupation or expertise and building a
business around it. Focusing on a niche also makes it EASIER to
channel your energies and appeal to an enthusiastic audience.
And possibly make a profit.
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