After listening to a few webinars from Robert Plank and Paul Counts, I’m realizing that finding a niche is truly the first step to building an online business. Developing my reputation as an expert in a specific area isn’t difficult. Since my niche is where I’ll reside for awhile, I want it to be something that I’m passionate about. No point in becoming an expert or developing a niche in an area I don’t thorough enjoy. Folks can TELL. Folks can sense if you don’t love what you do.
What are some ways to narrow down a niche? Mine is pretty broad as I have been running a website design and development business for almost 15 years. As a one man show, I’ve learned from the ground up everything from HTML to customer service to bookkeeping. Maybe a way to start is to list the things I am NOT passionate about. Bookkeeping is the first thing that comes to mind. I could live without bookkeeping. Invoicing clients and following up to make sure they pay me is another niche I could live without. Mind you I do like to get paid, just not having to hassle folks to make it happen.
What I enjoy is the design process. Starting a brand new client and asking them questions about their business. Learning what drives them and their business to success. Digging to determine what their expectations are from a website. Developing a website concept that pleases them and meets their website needs. Training them on how to use the site. And I’d like to add teaching them how to best market their site. Phew . . . that’s still broad, but a little more narrow than before. So the big question now is to find out what OTHER question folks out there have and see if I can offer them solutions.
Next step will being finding avenues to find those questions . . .stay tuned
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