Downtime…what to do with it?!?!

Ok, so far Mark has covered some of the basic “foundation work” of BANS and getting started.  Choosing a niche is a very important part, so hopefully you’ve used some/all of the techniques outlined and have uncovered a potental money-maker!

And, hopefully you’ve already got your CJ.com account in order and set up with eBay’s affiliate program.  That would pretty much bring us up to speed with the 12 Week Series…wouldn’t you say?

So, if you’re like many of us…you’re axiously awaiting the next step being careful not to get too far ahead.  But, there are a couple things that you can be doing right now instead of sitting there “refreshing” The Niche Store Builder homepage.   Here are a couple tasks that you can get started one while waiting for the 12 Week program to press on…..

Start Writing Content!  Content is KING!…and having a website with a lot of content will help you rank better in the eyes of Google, Yahoo and MSN.  BANS is no different.  You know all those BANS sites you see that have nothing but products on them?  They’re referred to as “cookie cutter” or “out of the box” BANS sites.  Yeah, that’s what we’re trying to avoid!  Getting good, RELEVANT content up on your BANS sites is how you will set yourself apart, all while targeting more traffic!

So how much are we talkin’ here?  Well, for me a minimum of five, 300-600 word articles about your niche is a great start!  Ugh, I can hear you all now…”I suck at writing!…how am I going to get a good article for my site?”  There are many ways, but you definately want the article to be original!  Don’t go ripping off another site’s content and pasting it on yours.  You will be PENALIZED for it and your site will suffer! 

If you’re having trouble, or just don’t know your niche well enough to write an article, try going over to Ezinearticles.com and searching for an article or two about your niche.  Take that article, modify it so that it’s in your words and use it on your site.  It’s very important not to plagerize, so be certain that the article is re-written so that it reflects you’re words!

On the other hand, if you’ve chosen a niche that you are familiar with and are somewhat knowledgeable about, it won’t be too difficult to come up with a few articles!  I’m to the point now where I’ll write a couple articles for my sites, but then I’ll outsource (or pay someone else) the rest of them!  It’s a very efficient way, once you’re earning money, to get good content written while you research other potential niches.  It takes time to write articles, but I’d rather be spending my time on niche and keyword research rather than writing.  More on this in a minute!…

Research Other Niches!  As I said before, hopefully you have your first niche idea ready to go.  But, do you have your second, third, fifth?  Well, why not?  Many BANS veterans will tell you that they are constantly thinking about their next niche.  It’s true that niches present themselves to you on a daily/hourly basis in most cases!  While you’re waiting for the program to get into the next step, start researching a few more niches.

I have a pad of paper sitting right next to my keyboard LOADED with ideas that need to be researched.  Use Mark’s tools that he outlined in the “niche research” section to find out if your ideas are potential winners, or losers. 

Also, don’t be afraid to cross off niches that are saturated, or don’t have enough eBay products available.  This was a hard thing for me to do at first.  My ego got in the way and I would say, “no, no…this is a good niche, I know it is!”  Just because YOU thought of it, doesn’t mean it’s a good niche or that there isn’t competition.  Getting “emotionally” attached to a product or niche isn’t a good thing.  This is a business, and you have to make business-like decisions.  Think of it this way, if you owned a business that sold bags of ice and you were really good at it, would you try and open up a business in the North Pole just because you’re good at it?  No, I thought not.  The point is, don’t try and force a niche to work…you’ll know when you’ve uncovered a good one!  Trust me!

Ok, about the outsourcing that I got!  I’m a member at a site called Wealthy Affiliate University and they have a section where you can get quality work done for you at a great price!  I got 10 (400 – 600 word) keyword targeted article written for me for under $50!  I mean, you just can’t beat that!  If you haven’t made much money yet, I wouldn’t start outsourcing right off the bat.  But, once you’re pulling in a BANS income, it’s wise to outsource you’re “grunt” work while you research!

I hope this has helped those of you looking for something to do until we move on.  Get going on that content, and start exploring possible niches so that you’re ready to go when it’s time to start your second, third and tenth BANS store!

Eric

P.S. If you’re interested in Wealthy Affiliate University, send me a PM on the BANS forum (Dornz87) and I can answer any questions for ya!

Previously Published Articles You May Like to Read:

• Check Your Hard Drive!
• Hello From Cindy
• Looking for Niches

Rate This Post

(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading ...