If you're completely fed up with all the mind-numbing,overly-complicated [I wanna pull my hair out and toss my computer out the window] "market research methods" the so-called gurus teach, then you're going to find this article extremely refreshing...

BOTTOM LINE:

When researching a market, all you need to do is answer YES to these questions and you've found a profitable niche...

Question #1 - Is there a "market"?

Meaning, are there lots of people with similar, related problems looking for solutions on the Internet? Common sense should tell you this one, but a sure-fire method for finding out is to simply visit: http://wordtracker.com and see how many people search for your keywords each month. This will be a clear indication as to whether or not a market exists.

Question #2 - Can you target smaller "segments" of the overall market?

Health & Fitness is a "market", while "nutrition for expectant mothers" is a "sub-niche" within that market. You'll find that THE best, and MOST profitable markets, are those with numerous sub-niches you can "target" and "cross-sell" to the others.

Question #3 - Are there "plenty" of products within the marketplace currently serving the niche?

This information can be gathered by searching around at http://clickbank.com or http://amazon.com The more products you find the better, as this is a good sign people are buying. Also be sure to look over the websites to learn the "hot buttons" of the market, as well as to get ideas for your own products and promotions.

Question #4 - Is there "competition" within the marketplace?

One way to determine - FOR SURE - if a niche is profitable or not is to see if other marketers (like you) are actively marketing in it. Contrary to popular belief, the more competition the better - as this means other people are most likely making money! Just do a search on Google for your keywords and see what turns up. Plain and simple.

Question #5 - Is this market "within your reach"?

In other words, how easy is it going to be for you to get your ads in front of this market - WITHOUT resorting to expensive methods like TV and radio?... Are there ezine publishers you can buy ads from and submit articles to? Are there online forums and message boards related to your niche that you can participate in? How about websites you can place ads and banners on? A little time spent on Google should answer these questions for you.

Now, if you answered YES to all the above, then STOP RESEARCHING and START DOING - you've found a profitable niche market, now it's time to put a game plan together and TAKE ACTION!

Most marketers get so bogged down in research they never seem to get started. Don't YOU make the same mistake!

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