Long term plans

[Edwin]

Out of interest would you share any of the urls for your developed sites so we can take a peek? ;-)

EmailAddresses.com, EmailDiscussions.com, Cambridge.co.uk, TokyoConnections.com

 

[crabfoot]

The big search engines don't provide sites containing much information about anything, unless you use precise search commands. There are too many sites about that don't say much, or say the same things in different words. So there is an already-existing need for search that provides real info insights.
If you pay, you can get better searches and access to much more information -and there will be "pay as you go" search engines that will get you into sites that charge for access.

Retailing has undergone a dramatic change. It is now difficult to start up in retail, even as a car boot/market trader. The dollar has strengthened, the only wholesalers offering value for money are those offering direct imports - and they have to compete with retailers who are acting as their own wholesalers. You "want in", you have to buy large quantities.

Internet retailing will increase, because people have to buy wholesale quantities of goods to get into business, and it is the only way to reach enough customers to make selling worthwhile. That is why there are many more big sellers on eBay compared to ten years ago.

At the moment, the affiliate companies are analagous to real world "wholesalers", and the function of companies like Amazon and eBay are becoming analagous to real world "supermarkets", rather than "cash converters". Think about it, Amazon started as a "supermarket" and expanded into "cash conversion", while eBay started as a "cash converter" and is moving into the "supermarket" realm.

Now, in the real world, you go to a specialist shop because you get good advice, and the products may not be available elsewhere. Those shops survive because they offer a combination of high quality and good service. When you wanted to locate such a "store" on the web ten years ago, you could often search and find what you wanted. Nowadays, the plethora of crap sites swamps the relevant entry down to a low page because the site content does not change regularly and the site is not expanding exponentially.

To get high quality info from the current search engines, you need to think out of the box with your search terms and use advanced search commands.
Until the search engines change their site evaluation methods, there is a market for a tool that suggests search terms for locating high quality info. When you want that "needle in the haystack", it is often better to ask a knowledgable friend these days, rather than Google.

Unlike the real world, the aff site "web wholesalers" are less likely to go out of business, because they do not carry any stock warehousing overheads. But "becoming your own afffiliate", ie. selling your own physical goods whilst offering aff sales to pad out the range of goods you can offer, seems to me a positive long-term plan.

One stupid question - why do I knock out a 500 word post for here, when I could put it on a blog for profit?

 

[stender]

Just a hobby for me but I've decided to give up on minisites/adsense sites which i've wasted years on for a pittance of return. I'm looking to buy 2 or 3 decent names and turn them into quality sites or actual business.
I have money, I have site building ability, I have good marketing and business skills just can't come up with a bloody idea!!!

 

[JMOT]

I have money, I have site building ability, I have good marketing and business skills just can't come up with a bloody idea!!!

Why re-invent the wheel. Just enter any market that takes your fancy and do it bigger & better than the competition and put your users first!

If you have the skills to build and the money to market properly you shouldnt be having a problem