How Can You SURVIVE Online in This Overly Saturated Market
By now you should understand that in order to become
EXTREMELY successful online, you need to have a specific
business strategy. If “NOT”, I strongly encourage you to
read my other posts at:
“How Marketers DESTROY Their Competitors“
The questions is, if all your competitors are using this
business strategy:
How can you SURVIVE online?
How can you make sure you are at top of the game?
How can you survive (or better than) your competitors?
How can you have a business that can sustain the changes
in technology?
You need to have a UNIQUE strategy.
You need to build your business based on a solid foundation.
You need to have a “Bullet-Proof” system, where your
competitors can’t see through it.
Well… Even if they do, they will have to pay $25,000 or
more to buy ALL your products. By that time, it will either
be too late or too hard for them to change their business
model completely.
Let’s talk about this…
I am NOT sure how many of you do this. However, when I was
giving a presentations in Los Angeles, one of the guys
were talking about building your business based on your
passion. It should work all the time.
The truth is… “It does NOT work that way!“
Building the products for your business are NOT supposed
to be based on passion. Instead, it has to be based on
the same product category.
Think about this. Just say you have a unique idea about
selling online. You’ve created a good looking mouse. You
sold thousands of them in a very short period of time.
Now, what are you going to sell NEXT?
Just say you ALL OF SUDDEN have a passion of selling
Mexican recipes online. You’ve created a complete e-book
full of Mexican cuisine’ recipes. You sell thousands
of them. What are you going to sell NEXT?
WAIT….
What if competitors see the same opportunity, like you have?
What if they create the same good looking mouse?
What if they create a complete e-book full of Mexican
cuisine?
Will you start to LOSE your market share?
Will this lead to HEATED UP price competition?
Will this lead you to close down your business?
ABSOLUTELY!
The key in here is…
“Do NOT Build Your Business Based on Passion“
Instead, build your business based on the right planning.
How does that work?
Answer these questions carefully:
* Why do you want to sell the mouse?
* Why do you want to sell recipes?
* Can you cross promote the mouse and the recipes?
* Is the mouse and the recipes in the same industry?
If you can NOT see clearly the relation between selling
the mouse and the recipes in here, it means that you are
diversify your target, correctly. In other words, you are
NOT building your business based on strategy.
It also means… “You are OPEN For Attack“.
I know I have been HARSH in here, but I would like to ASK
you to THINK HARD on how your competitors can ATTACK you
from many different directions. This way you can
figure out EASILY how to SURVIVE in this web 2.0 era.
Give me your thoughts and comment below. I would love to hear
from you.
Success is YOURS,
Henry Gold
HenryGold.com
TheSuperGifts.com
If you enjoy this post, subscribe to the Free Henry Gold Newsletter
Related Posts:
Do you know your Digg saturation?
Introductions and other fun stuff
The Power of Podcasting To Get Targetted Traffic
Using Overture/Yahoo To Get Website Traffic
What's a Traffic Light Up There For at Your Intersection.....
Chantal said,
May 23, 2007 @ 4:33 pm
I am hoping to get the best program and the best selection of programs and traffic to be able to sell it to others.
Valentin said,
May 23, 2007 @ 5:45 pm
Hi Henry,
1. My (pet) mouse love to eat mexican food.
2. Mexican food recipies are based on mouse meat.
3. Mexican food is hot and my brand new mouse design looks hot.
4. On my new-revolutionary-design mouse`s pads are printed mexican food recipies.
and so on ..
“Maybe”
is a good idea to have this in mind before start selling first mice … 
Planning connections between products you`re about to sell as a natural sequence for your regular (and new) costumers.
I like to call that ‘long term planning’, you named strategy. It`s matter the name if results are espected ones ?
:-)
Ray said,
May 23, 2007 @ 6:27 pm
Niche Topic:
For Women Who Hate Mouses - Learn A Mexican Trick That Mouses Hate Badly!
Regards
Ray (Belfast)
Ken Rolling said,
May 23, 2007 @ 8:14 pm
That’s An Amazing Story You Have There. I have Seen So Many Products Copied Online, It’s Crazy, It Scares Me.
It Is Very Difficult to Keep Up, Especially When The Top Ten Biggest Marketers eat up all the Shares! They Sell so Many Copies, in the Launch Phase of a Product, You have to Spend A Fortune in PPC, just to Find someone That is Actively Looking for that Product.! Then when You Finally Do Make a Sale, it rarely covers what you spent in your PPC Campagne! It Is Difficult to Keep up with the Super Affiliate’s their list’s are soo big. It’s Unfair to all the Newbies that they sell too.
That Is Why I Love Offline Marketing, So Much. We Off Line Marketer’s are Making a Mint with PostCards ! and Direct Mail.!
With Every One Going online to make Money, it;s left a Gaping hole that needs to be filled offline.
lol !
Michelle Hmelevksy said,
May 23, 2007 @ 8:23 pm
I don’t see how they’re connected at all.
Len said,
May 23, 2007 @ 10:04 pm
Food for thought there Henry
Its worth sticking to something related together i have always felt and selling online personally, unless you have individual websites for your products so they do not conflict over one another.
Lorenzo Rothery said,
May 23, 2007 @ 10:18 pm
Henry, you are so right about what you are talking about here. It took me a while to get this & now that I have business is going to be better.
By the comments made you can see that people still do not understand the wisdom that you are laying out for us.
The strategy that you are suggesting us to use IS going to be one of the major reasons we survive online &/or offline.
As was mentioned in another important report I read by a leader, stated that business is going to get more competative because more people are going to be entering the market.
If you DO NOT build your business right & take care of your customers, you will be dead before you get started good.
People open your eyes.
Terrance Charles said,
May 24, 2007 @ 5:52 am
The internet is in it’s new era, so as it always
is, only the strong survive, find a plan that’s
working for you that will keep you afloat,
because without it, there’s too much
competition. It’s all a game, you just have
to figure out your best strategy to win.
Marianne McEachern said,
May 24, 2007 @ 6:14 am
I think a good business plan AND passion are a real winning combination. Passion helps you maintain your motivation to see the plan through.
Heri said,
May 24, 2007 @ 6:20 am
Okay… I agree that we should not build our business just based on passion.
But passion sometimes helps on the process based on my experience.
Solid strategy and plan we all need in a long term!
Heri
FREE Solution to Overcome Your Frustration In Business:
http://www.EntrepreneurMindSoftware.com
Renee Baxter said,
May 24, 2007 @ 7:34 am
Hi Henry
Boy, are you on the money! Glad to see a marketer honest enough to say it. No, it’s not too harsh. It’s candid and REAL!
I am a newbie and my initial foray into marketing was with a lot of popular programs. It took me some time (and lots of money - sob!) for me to get the wakeup call. I would never gain the credibility (and knowledge) for which I yearned if I did not try to devise my own unique strategy.
I’ve been in the process of writing content for my first info. site for the past 4 months. The topic is premature babies and I needed to do lots of research to make the information sound.
Well, as time has gone on, my head is bursting with completely new (well, as new as “new” ever really gets. We usually are reinventing the wheel somewhat…)
Of course, I need the strategy, capital and partners to achieve some of these. What does this require? A clear business strategy and goal setting, analysis of the competition and forward-thinking.
The main players in internet marketing may have diverse products but they have one thing in common; the mindset of an entrepreneur. This is what sorts out the sheep from the goats. They are usually (calcuated) risk-takers as well.
I have a lot to learn and a long way to go. However, you are so right about cross-promoting products, keeping focus and nurturing your client base.
Thanks for your words of wisdom. I will not give up, no matter what. However, I know that I have much knowledge to acquire. I have never been so driven in my life. However, you are right about passion being a poor decision-maker. You have to base your strategies on cold, hard facts. What works, what doesn’t and always be open to change (particularly and IM is such a dynamic field. What works this year, won’t work the next).
Thanks for your candor - you’re a star!
Renee
Curt Graham said,
May 24, 2007 @ 7:06 pm
Hello Henry,
I believe in telling it straight, no BS, plug-ins or add-ons. You do it much better than most. Your credo, “Don’t build your business on passion,” is not only the smartest principle ever stated, but also the one I now have painted on my wall.
You see, I went to the big seminar, got excited, bought into their “do everything for and with you” program because of their focus on passion chosen Web business.
With their help I created the site around my passion for camping, set up the retail dropship program, and even wrote articles. Six months later my “passion” business became dried and wrinkled. Of the only three people who ordered from me, I actually lost $50 over all.
It was clear that “passion” didn’t cut it. What I learned:
1. First, learn to use computers to maximum.
2. Educate yourself about doing Internet business, marketing, and all the rest from every source you can find.
3. Research the heck out of who is buying what today, and then choose the hot niche.
4. One person can only go so far alone. You have to be smart enough to know when to get good help and who to ask.
5. Plan on working hard, long hours, and adapting to fast changes in the market.
Everyone seems to preach it, now I know it.
Why is it that we all can’t be lucky? Maybe we should just get by simply be being smart.
wayne said,
May 24, 2007 @ 10:29 pm
yes, you are damn right..
strategy , uniqueness, brillinat planning is a must in Internet world.
thanks mate
take care
www.sumitkar.org
Diana said,
May 25, 2007 @ 7:36 pm
I had to start at square one when an unfortunate, life changing circumstance led me to the internet in an effort to survive.
Over the years I’ve seen a pattern - everyone claims to have the answer - and and they will sell it to you for a price. I have paid and paid many times only to discover that the information told me WHAT I should do, but not HOW to do it.
So, long story short, I’ve partnered with a company modeled after giants - “Find a company that makes a billion a month and do what they do” - that’s just one valuable lesson I’ve learned, and it goes well with a popular tactic, start by giving away something of value at no cost.
Diana
http://lewisvoip.com
Ricardo A. said,
May 25, 2007 @ 9:12 pm
Hello Henry,
Reading your post, I can’t help but feel a creeping alarm going on. You talk about conditions that will endanger the businesses of marketeers already established online.
If that’s the case, what hope is there for the newbie — for those who’re looking to augment their income online?
Although things don’t look too promising for newbies right now, I’m thankful that you pointed out the problem. Now that it has been identified, I’m sure a creative solution will be found somewhere.
And this will give hope — not just for the newbies — but for all of us.
Thanks again for your post!
Sincerely,
Ricardo
Power to the newbie!
http://www.ad-alyzer.com/727/newbiecash
Joshua said,
May 26, 2007 @ 8:56 am
Henry.
Strategy , uniqueness, brilliant planning are not something new, it has been around since mankind started doing business.
Online Business is not saturated yet as I can still see many newbies are able to make good income online in our program. Besides only 20% of world population are online, the cake is still big enough to be shared by all.
Anyway thanks for a great insight.
Take Care
Sincerely
Joshua
http://www.dailycashclub.net
Brian Ankner said,
May 26, 2007 @ 10:03 am
Hey Henry, just 4 words: vertical and horizontal integration.
Guess that sums it up.
For those of you that do not understand what I just wrote…..FIND OUT or fail.
That’s as simple as it gets.
Henry Gold said,
May 26, 2007 @ 1:38 pm
Zee Sales,
Keep your eye open until what ground?
Until you fail miserably and lose all the
sleeep?
Be realistics. This whole world of business
is no longer based on service or quality itself.
Henry,
Codrut Turcanu said,
May 26, 2007 @ 3:32 pm
Ok, Henry… what’s the SECRET…
How we build our business STRATEGY based on the right planning?
Tell us how, and cut the chase
Cheers,
Codrut Turcanu.
http://www.HowToMakeMoneyViaBlogs.com
Jammer - audiobookgiftshop.com said,
May 26, 2007 @ 7:33 pm
Well, my math and spelling aint too good but all ya gots to do is bring in more new customers. Compel customers to come back more often. Consistently increase the amount of money each customer is willing to spend with you on each purchase, and keep each customer with you longer, that’s all folks!
wong cho kin said,
May 26, 2007 @ 10:54 pm
Thank you for your helps offer to me , I appreciated most. Thank you.
Gary said,
May 27, 2007 @ 4:09 am
Henry,
I’ve had 9 years of misinformation, near financial bankruptcy, all negative cash flow, with all the so-called experts and gurus contradicting each other. How does one determine if you are any more legit than any of the others? Must I fork over another $1000 or more to find out? How can I know you are really wanting to help people succeed?
Walter said,
May 27, 2007 @ 9:47 am
Hi Henry!
Interesting post. Your passion shows.
margaret b massawe said,
May 27, 2007 @ 1:11 pm
Hey Henry guide and open your eyes that lead you to success in your business. Your business will be awesome. This really give us the hope.
Margaret,
Henry Gold said,
May 28, 2007 @ 11:26 am
Hi Gary,
You are not alone. I was in that situation for 4 years before I reached my success.
Well… You can experience it yourself or wait until other people tell you about their experiences. Besides, this is HOW we got so many feedbacks from our last coaching program.
Read it yourself at:
http://www.thesupergifts.com/coaching/
It is your choice to make not mine.
Henry,
Hermas Haynes said,
May 30, 2007 @ 4:04 am
I agree that passion alone is not a strong enough foundation upon which to build a business, but it certainly is an important and critical component.
It serves as the flint that will help you ignite the fire after it has been doused a few times.
Anyone can be shown the necessary steps to build a business, but the challenge comes when they try to implement those steps and don’t get the anticipated outcome.
Some people will cave in after a few failed attempts; others will resort to their strategic plan, but what if that plan is flawed anyway? What do they do then?
A few will step back, study what went wrong, learn from it, and then go back to the drawing board to revise their strategy and try again. Those will be the people who have the passion and determination to fulfill their dream.
It’s misguided and naive to think that any business can be completely insulated from the competition. Commerce thrives on competition. Whatever “bullet proof” system you think you may have becomes vulnerable as soon as it is exposed to the marketplace.
Like it or not, it’s fair game for the astute and savvy business operator to decode, reverse engineer, snoop, and employ other measures to get a sense of what you’re up to…. and it doesn’t cost $25,000.
On the flip side, it’s also misguided, naive and irresponsible for any marketer NOT to have alternate plans in place so they can stay one step ahead of copy-cats, rip-off artists and the like.
The Internet is a real BIG pie and everyone wants their piece. Fortunately there’s more than enough to go around.
And if you use passion and persistence as the fuel to drive you, you’ll eventually arrive at your destination and enjoy your slice of the pie.
Henry Gold said,
May 30, 2007 @ 12:53 pm
I am sorry to say this Hermas. I think you
are being naived to think that copy-cats
others to survive in the long run.
Sure, they could reverse engineer what
I do or many of my friends do. However,
if they do not have a complete strategy
in place, there is ONLY one thing will
happen… “Out of cash flow”.
This is what the fun part in every business.
Henry,
Hermas Haynes said,
May 30, 2007 @ 5:56 pm
Hi Henry,
You’re correct. Most copy-cats would not survive very long. Why would they? They have no vision or creativity, so they must stoop to duplicating other people’s stuff. They are nothing more than parasitic nuisances. No real long-term threat.
Here’s the point I was trying to make regarding copy-cats:
Any successful product will attract buzz. Buzz attracts customers, competitors and what I call marketing hawks. These marketing hawks are smart, experienced and successful online operators. They have proven marketing systems and networks in place, as well as an eye for spotting winners.
And sometimes when they swoop in for a closer look at a successful product, it’s to see whether or not that product could be tweaked in some way, given a clever marketing twist, and then feed through their pipeline to take a giant bite out of that niche.
For that reason, I believe every serious marketer ought to factor such a possibility into their strategy, and always have contingency plans close at hand in order to stay alive and competitive. It seems to me to be the prudent thing to do.
Hermas
How Can You SURVIVE Online in This Overly Saturated Market : My Netrepreneur said,
June 23, 2007 @ 1:09 pm
[…] How Can You SURVIVE Online in This Overly Saturated Market By now you should understand that in order to becomeEXTREMELY successful online, you need to have a specificbusiness strategy. If “NOT”, I strongly encourage you toread my other posts at: “How Marketers DESTROY Their Competitors” The questions is, if all your competitors are using thisbusiness strategy: How can you SURVIVE online?How … […]
Empowering Success said,
December 18, 2007 @ 12:59 pm
I have to agree with Marianne, it takes a combination of both to keep you going. If you’re only in it for the money, after awhile you are going to start to get bored with your business and spending so much time online.
If you have a passion for what you are doing, know that it works and that it will help others, then you don’t have so much of a problem spending those hours online and putting yourself out there.