If you are new to idea of starting your own online business, this issue is for you. Even if you are a seasoned expert, I still think there are some original tricks and techniques you may not have known about or thought of before.

WHY DOES INFORMATION SELL?

People are shocked when they ask my wife and I what we do and what we sell on internet. I can think of dialogue now:

Jack: So what do you guys do in your business? Marc & Terry: We sell information on internet. Jack: What do you mean information? Isn't that free?

Marc & Terry: Some of it. However, a lot of it is highly specialized information that only a select group of people are interested in. Furthermore, many people do not even know that such information is available online and those who do know, are unaware of how to go about accessing it easily. Jack: But how can you make money doing that? Marc & Terry: We can because people want this information and in order to obtain it, many will pay for it. Jack: I don't understand.

You know what, most people do not understand business of selling information. A lot of people who are already reselling various information products for others do not even understand what it is they are selling or how they manage to make sales.

If a market is interested in something, they will want information on it and they will want it immediately (if not sooner). Those who can tap into information wants of a market and can provide them instant (or very quick) access to that information are on their way to a successful career as an infopreneur.

Why do so many people subscribe to our newsletter? Because of targeted information with which it provides them. Many want to know about Direct Marketing and in particular Internet Marketing and we are providing them with that information for free. Why FREE? Because of intense competition that exists online for marketing information.

The point I want you to get from last paragraph is that when strong competition exists that is offering similar information for free, it would be suicidal to try to charge for that information.

So what you need to do is find information that a targeted market desires, and produce it in a format that they can obtain easily and instantaneously, and you have a formula for your first or next information product.

Please note that we are not saying to stop reselling other people's products or to stop participating in affiliate programs. On contrary, these can create very nice income streams by themselves and some can be simple turnkey businesses that can bring in lots of money. I am simply describing possibilities that exist for creating and marketing your own info products which can also be very lucrative.

Here is what I suggest you do to begin your process:

1. Research a market and find out what they want to buy:

Ideally, this is a market that you have an intimate knowledge of, either through your participation (i.e. being an expert in a field or having an intense passion for that field) or through learning as much as you can about a field that interests you. The key here is that you must at least have an interest or else product will sit on shelf forever.

Take stock of your own interests and what you want to learn about in general or in this field in particular and come up with at least 10 ideas that you have for an info product.

Get a few people in your area of interest and find out at least five things that they would like to know more about.

Now, that you have your list of 15 possible topics, you should find a way to survey your target market. Obviously, you are not going to reach everyone. It is important, however, that you do reach a fraction of that audience. This is what market researchers call a "focus group".

Find a way to reach your focus group. You can participate in forums or newsgroups. Do not just go on and announce your survey. Create your survey, post it on a web site and then hang around these places for a while. After you have established a reputation for yourself, ask participants to fill out your survey and offer them something free in return for their help.

Your survey should concentrate on 15 or so products that you are considering creating. The product that receives best response (i.e. people indicate that they are interested in such a product and would purchase it) is product that you should concentrate on creating.

You can create unlimited amounts of surveys using The Ultimate Marketers Resource Survey Creator available only to members of The Ultimate Marketers Resource. Find out how to join by visiting link in resource box below this article.

Another great way to find out what people in your target market want to buy is to go to Google Groups (a search engine for newsgroups) and search for WTB, this acronym stands for "want to buy". This is people telling you exactly what they are looking for and that they will pay for it. How much easier than this can it get?

2. Now that you have found out what your target market wants, you must develop it and offer it to them:

1. Make sure potential customers can find you on search engines. Most businesses don't take advantage of search engine optimization, but few things on Internet can be as beneficial. A recent Forrester Research report showed that 80% of web surfers discover new sites that they visit through search engines. According to iProspect, 85% of web users use search engines to find solutions and vendors. A properly executed search engine optimization campaign can drive numerous, highly targeted visitors to your site, typically at a fraction of cost of traditional advertising. Without high search engine rankings, you will only get visitors that find your web address through word of mouth, regular advertising, or other limited means.

2. Use content to get repeat visitors to your site, not flashiness. Rich media, such as flashy graphics and audio, may impress your visitors first time they see your site, but they are unlikely to come back for it (or recommend your site to others because of it). If repeat visitors (meaning potential customers) are your goal, you are much more likely to get them to return if your site offers content that they find valuable (and with any luck, indispensable). This helps to establish your company as an expert in your field while building a level of trust with your visitors.