Research Is The Way To Go.
By Rik Tairea

Over the last few months (at the time of writing this article), I've been reading on various webmaster boards and newsletters numerous posts about how it's best to create sites based on what you know and what you're interested in. Of course I agree with this statement, but I also disagree with it as well.

Yes, you read that correctly.

Even if you're creating a website solely dedicated to selling products you're not exactly familiar with, you should still do it. Now some might say that's not the best piece of advice to be flinging around and I'd have to agree, this is because if you know pretty much nothing about the product then how do you expect to sell it to people.

The answer? Research the products and markets.

The first couple of sites I made around 1998/1999 were dedicated to subjects I was into, I had no interest in selling anything and I didn't even display any banners or ads (and this was during the CPC/CPM gold rush).

I found it very easy to create the content because I had first hand knowledge about the subject matter. The interesting spin off in creating my first few webpages was that I was gaining a lot of experience in creating, promoting and maintaining websites and this lead to the creation of Groundzero a couple of years later (which of course is a webmaster resource website).

A few months ago I created a wine products and accessories website that is dedicated to selling said products. Here's the kicker, I'm no wine expert, I've had about three glasses of wine in my lifetime and I don't even have a stray bottle of wine laying around the house.

What business do I have selling anything wine related.

This is where research comes in. Before launching this site I had to study up on what wine products (not the actual liquid itself) were in demand on the Internet, and then look into the actual products.

For example, do you know what a rabbit corkscrew is?

It's a corkscrew wine bottle opener that has a metal gear mechanism designed to pull a cork out of a bottle in only three seconds. It's called a rabbit corkscrew because it's handles look like rabbit ears and their ergonomic design makes feels very comfortable in your hands.

I'm still not a wine drinker but I know what a rabbit corkscrew is now and, how it works. Not only that but I also know how a estate wine opener works what a wine preservation kit is as well.

It's amazing what a little research can do.

Like I said earlier in this article, I do somewhat agree with the old cliché of focusing on what you know and/or what you're interested in, but I'm a firm believer in branching out. Through research, you can open doors to niche markets that you wouldn't usually touch because your lack of knowledge and preparation would produce no results.

Knowledge is power, arm yourself with research.

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The above article was written solely for Groundzero and may not be reproduced in anyway on print or other media. This article was written by the webmaster, creator and owner of this site.
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