When I first started in niche marketing about 3 years ago I was “sold” the idea that the grand plan to riches was to build a website in a certain niche, and get the profits rolling in … Then duplicate the system again and again in different niches until you have 5, 10, 15 or 50 different cash-pulling websites. The “go wide” theory of internet marketing.

Now I tried this approach in several niches with good results but then found that it’s actually a lot harder than you think; to be able to be “expert enough” in loads of different niches to sell products. Particularly if you’re a lone marketer like me.

The other part of the problem is the sheer volume of work that you can quickly make for yourself in answering emails, keeping on top of new developments in your niche, and trouble shooting problems that you get in your mini-site empire etc.

Someone actually asked the other day me how many websites I have - and I genuinely didn’t know! I think it’s about 9 or 10 which is a whole lot to think about and keep on top of. And to be honest I’ve been honing that number down from more like around 15 previously.

So my marketing is now much more focused on drilling down within a niche rather than chasing niche after niche like some crazed website collector! What this means is that I largely my spend my time in just 2 arenas - my main niche topic (let’s just call it X!) and the internet marketing niche.

And that’s what I would advise you to do in your online business - drill down and don’t go too wide. So instead of going for a parrot site, a hobby craft site, a magic side and a vintage cars site - take just ONE of those topics, such as parrots. Then start off with a basic digital information product (like an ebook/MP3).

After you’ve tweaked and tested that site to make regular profits and started to build a list then look at another related product. Maybe another eBook or a physical product this time like a DVD, CD Rom or Home Study Course (such as DVD’s and Printed Workbook). Then consider a membership site for a regular monthly subscription fee.

By keeping to just one niche you’ll keep the work down and become established as an “expert” in your niche much quicker. And it also helps you to be much more laser-focused too. I wish I’d done this several years ago as I know my income would be much higher, and my work load much lower, if I’d stuck with just one or two niche topics.

Have a great day and remember to go deep and not wide in your marketing.

John Hillage

PS There’s been a slight change of plan in the free eBook that I’ve been promising to give you in response to the questions you’ve sent in. That’s because so many people had general “how do I make money online” questions. So I’m just working on a product that I was actually going to sell, that teaches a very specific way of making money online.

So I’m going to give that product away to all you faithful readers on my list. PLUS I’m going to give you complete Master Resell Rights with it too. Which means that you’ll get the eBook and a sales letter so that you’ll be able to sell it for profits! So watch out in the next 7 days as I’ll be sending you an email with all the details on this great FREE offer.

As a reader of my blog/newsletter you will probably know that I am busy working away on my latest Internet Marketing project, to be ready for the end of this month.

So on Sunday night I began brainstorming domain names. Then I picked one, looked to see if it was available and then registered it. And this whole process took about 5 minutes from start to finish.

How cool is that - to have your next business venture registered and ready to work on in less than 5 minutes?

Now I’m sure that none of this is astounding at all for people in the online marketing world as it’s a quick and easy process when you know how. But I for one am guilty of taking this simplicity for granted.

I remember registering my own offline company in the UK when I had the idea of selling Ipods on Ebay a couple of years ago. I had to request a form through the post, book an appointment with a solicitor, visit the solicitor and fill in some paperwork.

And pay both the solicitor and the government quite a bit of money for the privilege!

It took a whole lot more than 5 minutes - and so I am so grateful for the instant world of Internet marketing! But it gets better …

After the domain registration I decided that I had better get some graphics for the site.

I remembered a guy on the Warrior Forum offering such a service out in Romania. So I skyped him and he replied instantly.

We had a quick chat about what I wanted and then he was off designing my graphics for me - hundreds of miles away in Eastern Europe.

After sitting down to eat some dinner and watching a little crap TV (some extreme dieting show from Australia - the joys of cable!) - I clicked back on my pc and my new found friend from Romania had completed the graphics and sent them to me.

I checked them out and was pleased with the results so paid him instantly by paypal.

Job done in a couple of hours (most of which I wasn’t even working) with the few clicks of a button on a Sunday night from the comfort of my own home.

Now what other business in the world (except maybe online trading) can you get so much done, in so little time, at very low cost from your own home?

So if you’re fairly new to Internet marketing; welcome to this amazing ride and you have truly found a “make money opportunity” that can fit in with your lifestyle.

And if you are a more experienced marketer then occasionally takes 2 minutes of your time to be grateful.

Yes your ftp may not work one day, your blog my go down or the code on your site may go a little weird for no explicable reason - but hey you’re working from home and using technology that allows you to do more effective, efficient and profitable work than you could ever imagine in the more “traditional” business world.

So keep smiling!

John

PS – If you need some good quality web graphics creating at a reasonable price just drop me an email and I’ll pass on the guy’s name and contact details.

I wanted to share with you my own recent painful tax experience and why you should treat your online marketing ventures as a serious business; no matter what you’re currently earning. Because I recently got back from my summer holidays to find a tax bill that was around $14,000 more than I was anticipating – ouch!

Now after a fair amount of swearing and cussing and then some financial juggling, all is fine again in my business (well except the CRAZY amounts I have to actually pay the damned tax man)! But the point that I want to share is this - that I have spent a lot of time ignoring the basic fundamentals of any good profitable business, much to my peril.

For example I’ve not been ensuring that every last penny is accounted for, that I am on the best tax deals possible, or that I cut costs wherever appropriate. Mainly because to be honest I find this side of my business as dull as dishwater, but now I am suddenly finding it more exciting…

Because my real passion is doing the creative things like producing new products, writing sales letters, putting emails together and planning promotions. As a result I have left myself exposed to serious amounts of money flooding out of my business.

Now I’ve had this breakthrough that I’m actually losing money unnecessarily each month; suddenly I’m finding the idea of filing receipts correctly, going to see my accountant, and seeking the best deals on stuff as much more exciting!

Obviously I still need to do my creative stuff to keep new streams of income coming in each month, but there is also a “secret river” of money flowing out of my business that I never even thought too much about before.

And when you look at it this way it’s crazy to work so hard on making extra money when you are dropping so much unnecessary money behind you on the pavement (sidewalk for my American friends!) behind you.

So the idea of this blog post is to check if YOU are doing all you can do to maximise the profits of your business with those little “behind the scenes” activities that may be leaking money.

Are you subscribed to expensive membership sites that you no longer use?

Do you have a big bundle of receipts somewhere in a bag that need filing?

Are you putting off that appointment that you need to make with the bank or your accountant?

Are you shopping around properly for the software, hardware and other stuff that you need to purchase for your business? (An example this week in my business was that I had my printer’s ink cartridge re-filled in a local store for $16 - for the past year I’ve been buying new cartridges of the shelf for $30!)

So look you don’t need to become Ebenezer Scrooge obsessing over every last penny - but think about where you could tighten up on your business, and plug that “secret river” of cash. Whatever you do can only add to your overall profits.

Until next time….

Happy Marketing.

John Hillage

PS – Things are going well on my new website project which will take marketers just like you on to bigger and better online profits. So keep looking out for more updates and a release date which should be late September.

PPS - Thanks to all those who submitted marketing questions to me last week on email, only 1 person used the blog! I am about to start the report now but if you have 1 last little question - drop me an email or a blog comment and I’ll try and answer it too.