Why a Shaky Economy is Really Good for Your Online Business

That title can’t seem right, can it?  With all the stories on TV about an economic slowdown - or worse, a recession, now can’t possibly be the best time to start an online business!

…Or can it?

Here’s the truth about starting an online business in a down economy - and the difference it can make for your bottom line.

The truth is that online business is thriving - even when the economy isn’t.  That’s because e-businesses started during leaner times are better equipped to survive than those started when there’s a surplus of money to spend. 

Leaner companies realize that to be successful, they have to budget accordingly and not waste money.  This helps ensure they’ll stay around when their bloated competitors fall short in hard times.

The most important and valuable thing you can do to help your online business thrive in a down economy is to focus on niche marketing.

Niche marketing is narrowing your focus down to one very specific subject.  So instead of just “weight loss” or even “natural weight loss”, your niche subject might be “natural weight loss using garlic”.  Now I’m not going to tell you that you’ll lose a pound a day eating garlic (though you might lose friends!) but it gives you a good example of a niche subject. 

You can then focus your efforts to tying in products related to using garlic for weight loss - for example, garlic caplets that lower cholesterol naturally and help lessen the “bad fats” in your body.  

You can then broaden your product line to include an e-book or report about garlic and cholesterol, garlic for heart disease and so on.  Write articles to help promote your new niche and solidify yourself as the garlic weight loss expert and watch your sales climb!  Get yourself a vanity domain name that ties in with your niche too - like garlicforweightloss.com

The great thing about niche marketing is that you can create as many of these little “mini sites” as you want to help drive more sales when business is slow.

Since most mini sites only consist of a few pages, you can get one made for under $100 (check out www.ecoverartist.com for some incredible mini site design)

What’s more, beyond writing articles about your niche and building ties with affiliate products that match your needs (and pay well on each sale), you can also experiment with social bookmarking and networking using free services such as stumbleupon.com, linkedin.com and even myspace.com.

Use these popular sites as a springboard to share your experiences with products you may have tried - and don’t forget to promote yourself everywhere you can without overdoing it.  Other people who may be looking for information on “losing weight naturally” could find your new garlic site to be just the answer they were looking for!

With these tips in mind, you can build several targeted niche sites and start an online business affordably - even when the economy is in a slump.  Good luck!

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