Niche Marketing: A Veteran’s Key Strategies

“I got a check from [ClickBank] for $7,” says Miles Baker of his first online payday.

“Even though it wasn’t a lot, it was really life changing for me,” he says. “It kind of got my mind thinking, wow… what if I really put my effort into this, and make money by having a website out there.”

Baker, who is arguably one of the few true veterans of affiliate marketing, was at that time a hot tub salesman with prior experience working in tech support call centers for Apple and HP. “I had actually dabbled a little bit online back in about ’97 – ’98 and I had done some posting on some classified ads websites.”

That “dabbling” has since netted Baker a consistent (and handsome) six-figure annual income as a vendor and affiliate. His sites focus on multiple niches, selling information products on everything from resume building and software repair to entertainment. “Currently, I’m dabbling in work-at-home [information products],” he adds.

All told, Baker’s sites attract millions of visitors each year. “I do a lot of search engine optimization to get my websites traffic, I don’t really do pay-per-click anymore… I find that just focusing on getting that natural organic traffic that’s free from Google and Yahoo! and the other search engines is enough.”

Baker’s advice for those looking to start or grow their online business is as straightforward as he is. “Be organized,” he begins. “You can move so much faster when you can find the file you need.”

He attributes much of his own success to a similar type of discipline, one he applies to his marketing strategy. Split testing, he says, is something “a lot of people don’t do, they neglect to do … I hear it all the time that people are like, oh, I’ll get to that [later], or I don’t get enough traffic to do that.”

According to Baker, it’s never too soon to start split testing because it shows you what does (and doesn’t) work for your specific sites, your specific audiences. “Split test everything, anything you can think of,” he advises. “You have that information and you’re better off for it,” he explains. “When you win, you win big sometimes.” At other times, “you just win a little, but all those little split tests add up over time.”

For his own split testing campaigns, Baker relies on Google Website Optimizer to track and analyze the results data. “If you’re in this and you know a little bit, it’s only going to take you maybe half-an-hour or an hour to set up,” he adds.

Another key to achieving online success is staying focused. “For people just getting started,” he says, it’s important “not to get scattered.” Find niches that work, and build on them. “If you find something that is even mildly successful… or you know other people are doing it successfully, I would say stick with that, and just try to focus on one, two things tops.”

It’s a business strategy that has allowed him to live life on his own terms. “For me,” he explains, “it’s not just about the dollar figure, it’s about the lifestyle. It’s about the flexibility and the time to do what you want,” he says, adding, “I probably work 20 to 30 hours a week.”

In fact, the most important benefit of his success is distinctly personal. “I have a 4-year-old son,” he shares, “and I tell you what… I’m on the board at his pre-school, I get to go attend classes with him… I mean, you can’t put a price on that.”

Be confident and be patient. Remember, it was the tortoise who won the race. Good luck with your internet business!

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I'll be in touch very soon,

Luis

www.internet-home-business-builder.com

P.S.