Market research is a crucial starting point for any business, but its especially important for online businesses that seek to target a particular niche market. The equation is pretty simple: if the interest in your product is low, you wont make enough sales to keep afloat. The key to online success is to plan ahead seek out a ready and willing market that will buy your product, before launching a marketing campaign.
The Internet offers the start-up business a lot of tools for market research, so theres no excuse for not taking advantage of the available information. It gives you access to a wider range of consumers than you would normally be able to reach. Your target market doesnt have to be defined by geographical location instead, you will likely be targeting a group of people who share a similar interest.
Most online market research is conducted through three avenues: the Web, email and newsgroups. The first is perfect for checking out the competition (or lack thereof). It pays to be informed about your potential market niche ahead of time, so you can figure out if creating a new business in that area will be a profitable venture, worth your time and initial...