Apr 25 2008

How to Dominate an Entire Market - Part 2

1to1million pic01This is part 2 in this series…

Throwing out the old approach to structuring websites.
Are YOU limiting the conversation around your business or niche.


The 6 Directions surrounding your Niche Market

I recently worked with a client with an existing website so familiar to the type of websites that most businesses still have.

I call it a ‘Closed House’, a term I used to use when I was directing stage shows. A closed house simply means that its not open to people off the main street. You can perform these types of shows successfully for years, making great money. Only problem is no one will know you exist and the show itself is not part of the long term publicity campaign of the company. But how does that relate to websites?

My client had a decent enough website that cost well over $1000, but it was simply a brochure site for everything contained with in the business. The business is a Guest House and the web site talked about the different rooms, the old 1920’s building, the dining room, the gardens, the rates and all to briefly, talked about the activities available outside of the property. The conversation primarily focused on all the things contained within the business.

So how is this a closed house, when its open to the public?

Quite simply, an open house becomes a closed house when it is:

  • Not marketed properly
  • Not in a position of high traffic

How can somebody walk in off the street when there is no street.

On the Internet and more importantly ‘Search Engines’ this translates to:

  • How many different ways can I find your website.
  • How broad a reach do the conversations on your website have.
  • The words and phrases you use (do they coincide with high traffic search queries).

If you want people to walk in off the street you need to include the street in your conversation.
If you want a lot of people to walk in you need to talk about many streets. You need to open many doors on to a lot of high traffic streets.
Fortunately in cyberspace it is quite possible to have 1 store with 1000 doors all opening up to different streets.

So lets look at a hypothetical business and website “JD’s Guest House”…

Step #1 in any business should be market research (often skipped), this asks the question where is your business positioned in the market place. This stage should come well before drafting a business plan.

I like to measure this in 3 dimensions - X, Y and Z

Z = The Vertical Market

  • Below your niche/business are the subjects contained within its theme.
  • Above your niche/business are the broader markets and industries that contain your theme.

Y = The Horizontal Market

  • Around your niche are other niches targeting similar but not identical themes.
    These niches are also contained within the same broader markets above you.
    The higher you travel vertically the more horizontal markets you will reveal around your self.

X = Time Line

This is the big picture that measures your business over time.
Is your website a static site? Or is your website engaging, interactive and giving people a reason to come back?

  • Whats your history and heritage?
  • How old is your business or website?
  • Is your domain name registered for 1 year or 10 years?
  • Are you in for the long haul or just catching some current fad?
  • Is something happening at your business or website?
  • How many new web-pages have been added to your website?
  • Can visitors do anything interesting or engaging?
  • Is there something happening tomorrow or next week?
  • Are there any deals if I spend now rather than later?
  • Is there a conversation happening right now or is everything old news.

My clients website (the one I mentioned earlier) only existed below and behind itself. It was missing any understanding of 4 out of 6 directions: Above, Left/Right and Forward.

It simply discussed:

  • Below - The subjects within itself. Its features, benefits, products and services.
  • Behind - It briefly touched on its history and the website was in itself still part of that history. Frozen in the time when it was first created, two years ago.

Rather than focus on my clients website I will continue to use the hypothetical “JD’s Guest House” as an example throughout this series and align it at the same position as my clients old website and business.

In Part 3, 4 and 5 of this series I will expand the vision of “JD’s Guest House” to uncover and include all 6 directions and accurately identify its position within the market place and the world wide web.


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