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Do you have to be niche specific?

by wolfe655
22 replies
What if you wanted to do a site that offered products from electronics to camping gear, like an online mall. Anyone had any success with a site like this?
#niche #specific
  • Profile picture of the author Tom Addams
    Tell you what...

    You can do that, certainly. If you do go ahead with this route, though, I recommend at least targeting a locality. It's a fine line between getting a local market just big enough to turn a high profit, but not too big to make it hard for your general eCommerce site to pentrate the market.

    And it's not a bad model. I can't say it's one of my bigger models, but it's a good one.

    The standard route, which you'll already know, is to corner the market. But, as they say, there's more than one way to skin a cat.

    Tom
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  • Profile picture of the author kilgore
    Originally Posted by wolfe655 View Post

    What if you wanted to do a site that offered products from electronics to camping gear, like an online mall. Anyone had any success with a site like this?
    There's a guy named Jeff Bezos who's had a small amount of success with a site like that. My guess -- and it's only a guess, mind you -- is that his company has more experience, more talent and more money than yours does. This doesn't mean that a model like you describe will necessarily fail, but it does stack the odds against you considerably.
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    • Profile picture of the author Enfusia
      It can be done. Amazon did it.

      But, the way you'd want to do it is by really making your categories stay within themselves.

      What I mean is, if the person went to your site to find a new tent for camping only show them related camping gear. If you show them lipstick as a related item etc you'll not have many 2nd or 3rd pages viewed.

      Then, pick pages with a great products such as the page with the tent and promote just that tent.

      Then in your camera section promote just that camera. You can do this for every product you have. But when you drive your traffic to just one product that they were looking for you'll have much better success.

      Patrick
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    • Profile picture of the author Jonathan Henson
      It can be done but you have to be prepared to dedicate a lot of time in setting up the website and getting social pages up such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, etc.

      If you are going to go that route, make sure your website is valuable and try your best to create some type of comunity so you can get repeat visitors/customers.

      You'll probably have to spend money on traffic to get it going because it's a broad niche (not niche-specific) and this means it will take a lot longer to place well in the search engines.
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  • Profile picture of the author wolfe655
    I think you could draw a general audience who are just looking around and may buy something and you could also target niche specific folks who are looking for maybe a big screen TV and while they are at my site they realize they need a wall mount for it or maybe a new pair of jeans.
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  • Profile picture of the author wolfe655
    Yes! I get that That is what I am thinking, one site full of different products and different categories but still promote to niches and also take advantage of general traffic that just happens upon my site and to also take advantage of the fact that niche specific visitors may decide that while they are there they need something else.
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    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      Originally Posted by wolfe655 View Post

      Yes! I get that That is what I am thinking, one site full of different products and different categories but still promote to niches and also take advantage of general traffic that just happens upon my site and to also take advantage of the fact that niche specific visitors may decide that while they are there they need something else.
      One thing to keep in mind is that Bezos sank millions of dollars and over four years of effort before he saw the first dollar of profit. Are your pockets that deep?

      One possible way around this is to use the method Ken Evoy advocated for several years ago. He advised creating a series of related niche sites. I believe he used the title "World's Best _________________ Outlet Malls". Once established, create an umbrella site, i.e. "World's Best Outlet Malls".

      I believe the ebook is still available for free on Evoy's SiteSell.com site if you hunt around a bit...
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      • Profile picture of the author kilgore
        Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

        One thing to keep in mind is that Bezos sank millions of dollars and over four years of effort before he saw the first dollar of profit. Are your pockets that deep?
        Good point. I'd also add that when Amazon.com started, they only sold books -- and there are lots of good reasons for that. Possibly the most important reason is that just focusing on books allowed Bezos to focus on what Steve Blank and Eric Ries call the minimum viable product. Only once Amazon had books figured out -- and everything that went along with selling books (including warehousing, shipping, marketing, and of course the necessary web technologies) -- did they branch into other areas.
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        • Profile picture of the author discrat
          Definitely drill down your Markets into clearly defined Niches. And concentrate on one niche at a time.

          This has been done over and over again in IM and it is your best bet.


          - Robert Andrew
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  • Profile picture of the author newideamarketing
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    yeah theres lots of places like that, I have tried before and its does make some money if you are doing it right, Lots of long word keywords and seo is very important
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  • Profile picture of the author hilear
    Can it work? Sure! I would suggest that you try developing a marketplace in a small niche inside of these markets. become the go to guy for a certain type of camping enthusiast or a certain kind of electronics equipment. Provide valuable info directly to that niche.
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  • Profile picture of the author Francesco Iantorno
    That sounds like an interesting concept, do you mean something like a Costco? Costco is very profitable.
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  • Profile picture of the author blitz20
    Niche specific will help you get started and as you build the site up start to add other related products
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  • Profile picture of the author Randall Magwood
    The biggest problem i see with an income model/business like this is the issue of backend marketing. If you get 10 sales in one day, ranging from the following products:

    - camping
    - computers
    - cell phones
    - lingerie
    - CD's
    - DVD's
    - books
    - clothes
    - watches
    - TV's

    ...what would be your backend email marketing plan to directly sell to each and every customer within these markets? And directly sell recommending a similar product, instead of sending them to your broad "overall" home page?

    A one-man team wouldn't be enough. You'd need to hire staff (lots of them), and different departments. You'd need your own office space (or even building) to keep up with this backend marketing, and to house your employees during the day. You may have to pay to feed them too.
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  • Profile picture of the author Nirali
    I think you can start with specific niche , Especially as a sole trader you won’t be able to serve everybody, so it is important to focus on what you do best and for a group of people who will buy what you create specifically..
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  • Profile picture of the author JimsonWright
    Like the people above, yes, it can be done. Instead of niche you can focus on a location or something. Its also possible for you to do the targeting once they get to your website. Show them suggested products that they may want or need that is related to what they are searching for. Good luck!
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  • Profile picture of the author Slade556
    Of course it can be done, but it will be a lot more difficult to achieve success than if you only picked one niche. I don't mean to say 'quit now', what I meant to say is, yes, it can be done but prepare yourself for some hard work!
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  • Profile picture of the author JedGeorge
    If you are not niche specific you may spread yourself out too thin and end up not making any money.
    Why not start with one niche at a time and then add as you master each one. Pick your favourite to start with.
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  • Profile picture of the author shmeeko69
    Originally Posted by wolfe655 View Post

    What if you wanted to do a site that offered products from electronics to camping gear, like an online mall. Anyone had any success with a site like this?
    I think being niche specific is better, as you can concentrate on one area
    and put all of your energy in to it without bogging yourself down with 101
    different areas.

    When I promote Amazon products I tend to stick with two areas that I'm
    comfortable with, have a passion for and can easily write a 400+ word
    review on - Fitness and Technology products.
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  • Profile picture of the author wolfe655
    Wow! Thanks for all of the great answers. I want to affiliate market through Amazon. I wanted to have sort of an online store of several different Products. I am now thinking that several different niche specific sites is the way to go. Am also thinking about private labeling and marketing through Amazon FBA.
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  • Profile picture of the author DWaters
    Originally Posted by wolfe655 View Post

    What if you wanted to do a site that offered products from electronics to camping gear, like an online mall. Anyone had any success with a site like this?
    As I am sure you are aware there is a very successful "online mall" that gets HUGE amounts of buyer traffic. Of course I am referring to Amazon.

    IMO putting some of your inventory on FBA is a no-brainer. Having your own sites is OK but those niche sites will never get any where near as much traffic as Amazon already gets.

    Building sites and getting traffic to them will be a lot of work compared to using FBA.
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    • Profile picture of the author Steve B
      I'm not as optimistic about your idea as others on this thread. I believe you have the odds stacked very, very heavily against what you're proposing.

      Why? The competition is already in place and has a huge head start. You're going to be competing with the mega-brands doing the same thing as what you're proposing and they can get products way cheaper than you can. The amount of work necessary to sell "general market" items and carry a decent supply is huge.

      Think about it from the customer's viewpoint. Why would someone buy from you (an unknown and not proven) when they already have an account at Amazon or a Costco card? You can't compete on price. I wouldn't risk it.

      Yes, some have been successful, but the odds of you breaking into the market and also competing as a "generalist" are extremely remote.

      Stick with a mall in a very deep vertical market - a place where Amazon will never go.

      Steve
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