If we used one piece of software to rapidly build SIMILAR sites in the SAME market, we might achieve some short term success but what happens when Google 'slaps' that piece of software or our target market becomes overcrowded or even worse, dead? You get the idea, that is why we must diversify.

You of course will choose your eventual target markets but to begin with, please follow me with your first EIGHT. I would like you to choose a target market from EACH of the following categories. Best to go with your first instinct, something you’re interested in or an area where you think there is potential. Just to whet your appetite, these are the average fees paid PER CLICK by the top advertisers for the following keywords:

Cheap flight $ 4.00
Credit Card $15.45
Holiday $15.53
Mobile ring tone $ 5.15
Smoked fish $ 0.20
Vegetable delivery $ 0.05

Source: Sunday Times August 2006

There are many sites where you can find the top paying keywords but we are not going to go down that route because we will follow the ‘road less travelled’.

One other important point:

When a surfer uses 1 to 2 words they are generally just doing research i.e. gifts. When they use 2, 3 or more words the surfer is generally looking to buy something i.e. traditional anniversary gift.

So ideally, we will be looking for business segments that we can wrap up in two or three words.

I will show you how to refine your ideas further but it’s time for less reading and more action:

Jot down on a piece of paper three potential web-site subject ideas from each of the following eight categories i.e. you will have a total of at least 24 ideas for your web-sites.

CATEGORY 1. Your Passion – What are you passionate about? What is your favourite hobby or pastime? What are you knowledgeable about?

Potential web-site subjects: knitting, cooking, gardening etc.

CATEGORY 2. Maslow’s Needs - A guy called Abraham Maslow figured out that humans are pretty simple creatures really. They all have, you and me included, a fundamental hierarchy of needs. This is what motivates people on a daily basis. Your web-site from this category will need to satisfy at least one of these needs. They are, working from the bottom up:

a) Physiological needs, for example, the need to eat, sleep, have sex, exercise etc. Potential web-sites: Diet, dating, relationship advice, exercise plans etc.

b) Safety needs, for example, security of employment, physical safety Potential web-sites: Computer safety, virus protection, home security, judo, health

c) Love/Belonging needs, for example, to be loved Potential web-sites: How to {insert phrase here}, relationship sites, intimacy, family themes, loneliness, social anxiety and depression etc.

d) Status (Esteem needs), for example, gaining respect and recognition Potential web-sites: How to {insert phrase here, for example, gain respect and recognition, fit in, be the life of the party etc.}

e) Being needs, for example, growth of the individual towards purpose or spirituality

Potential web-sites: Religion, spirituality, self improvement, philosophy, creativity

CATEGORY 3. Emerging – What’s hot? What’s new? Let’s get on at the front of the wave

Potential web-sites: bebo, skype, ipod, youtube

Warning: Using registered trademarks such as Bebo or Skype may lead to your site being closed down. You could try and use something like ‘voice over internet protocol’ or VOIP as your target word (or try and create a really useful site for bebo i.e. bebo useful tips and hope they look kindly on you)

CATEGORY 4. Self Help – We want to help and do some good, here’s another chance

Potential web-sites: time management, stress management, health, self improvement

CATEGORY 5. Out There – Here’s your chance to speculate. Go on create something really wacky. Finish this sentence, wouldn’t it be a good idea if there was a site that ………………..

Don’t worry about how you’re going to build it or do it. You just want the name at this moment. For example, the inventors of bebo had the idea and just picked the name because ‘it was available and memorable’. Estimates now value their site at around £1B. The important thing here is to have the idea, we’ll worry about the detail later.

CATEGORY 6. Expensive – This speaks for itself, big ticket, expensive items. There are some big dollars to be won here but be warned, the competition is fierce…

Potential web-sites: digital cameras, plasma TVs, jewellery, computers, software, mortgages, debt, credit, plastic surgery, diamonds, cars, travel etc.

CATEGORY 7. Teenagers – Yes, they are turning off their TVs and tuning onto the Internet, in their droves. This is where tomorrow’s market is going to be. You need to speak to a teenager and between the grunts see what they are into:

Potential web-sites: computer games, teenage dating, chat, music, CDs, DVDs

CATEGORY 8. Internet Marketers – Along the way we will uncover a lot of secrets and tools that other Internet marketers will want to know about. I think it will be a good idea for you to tell them and show them these (for a fee). In this category we may also include those people who are looking for money making ideas and ‘get rich quick’ schemes. So in short we will be creating a web-site that is specifically aimed at other webmasters or people looking to make money.

Potential web-sites: internet marketing, make money online, get rich quick, affiliate schemes

Okay, you should now have a decent list of ideas and a minimum of 24 potential subjects. Now, we need to sort the wheat from the chaff and I will cover that in the next article in this series.