| If you're thinking that this is the title for a series of | | | | there is an existing demand for your idea. If you're |
| books, and not just a single article you're absolutely | | | | going to fill a need, you had better be sure that it is a |
| right. Even if I narrow the subject down to "How to | | | | need that people are trying to fill. These conditions |
| start a small online business," it could never be covered | | | | have to pre-exist before you launch your business, |
| adequately in one article. But, there is one step that I | | | | because unlike what you might have seen in other |
| can talk about and sadly, it is a step that many people | | | | marketing arenas, online- you can't create demand. It |
| ignore when starting up their online line business and | | | | will take everything you can do to position yourself in a |
| unless they happen to be extraordinarily lucky - it's a | | | | way that the demand will find you. |
| killer. | | | | The tool that you need to use to determine the |
| To put it into context, consider for a minute that any | | | | existence of demand is keyword research and there |
| new small online business will grow from an idea. It | | | | are several free tools available (some better than |
| might be for a product or service that you believe you | | | | others) that you can use to help you in this critical |
| can offer (profitably). It might be your solution to a | | | | research. One such tool is at Wordtracker. Read the |
| problem that you perceive in the market or a way to | | | | information on the site so that you have an idea of the |
| meet a need that has not been met. Whatever your | | | | information you are getting, but basically, enter as |
| idea is based on, I'm sure that you'll be quite | | | | many search terms you can think of that you would |
| enthusiastic about it and if it's important to you, you'll | | | | use if you were looking for "your business" on the |
| probably feel that it will be important to other people. | | | | internet. If you cannot find fairly specific buying terms |
| And that is all that many people who start their online | | | | that indicate that there is any existing search volume |
| small business have to go on when they start putting | | | | for what you want to sell, you had better reconsider. |
| their money and time and sweat into making that idea | | | | I realize I haven't given you nearly enough detail to do |
| a reality. They think everybody will love their idea and | | | | any kind of decent job on searching for an existing |
| want it and be willing to pay for it and that just isn't so. | | | | demand, but if anything I've said will point you into doing |
| It's not enough. | | | | some demand research that you would not have |
| If you want to know how to start your small business, | | | | already known to do, then this article has been as |
| the first step that you cannot ignore is to determine if | | | | useful as I hoped it would be. |