Researching and Developing Your Product Ideas - Part 2

There are also some other things you can do toother people in would help to increase your
check out the competition and then optimize yourchances of success right off the bat. By being
site so that you can compete well. It's a goodable to be excited and passionate about
idea, though, to also search for your terms insomething, you are allowing others that right as
Google (since most searches are done on Google)well.
without the quotation marks, and then take aUse Mind Mapping to Expand on Product Ideas:
look at the sites in the top 5. If they're all huge -Now that you have your first product, you will
for example, in a travel niche, if the top five sitesnow soon know if people want more. If you did a
were ones like Orbitz and Travelocity - then Igreat job and you sold enough units, you have
wouldn't count on my page competing well. Ienough of a clientele base to keep things going.
would look at all possible versions of my term,These days, experts are recommending a
though, before writing it off or narrowing thetechnique called mind mapping to expand upon
niche (as in the list above).product ideas and come up with ways to better
So, take some time to research your areas ofthe business.
interest. Once you find a keyword term or termsFor more specific help with mind mapping, check
related to the topic that shows 1. There is aout The Mind Map Book, by Tony and Barry
good-sized market, and 2. You can compete inBuzan. It is filled with ideas for people who want
this market; you're ready to move on to theto learn how to expand their product lines through
next chapter where we'll talk about creating yourmind mapping. For the short term, though, we can
first product.go over a few ways to do some mind mapping
Organizing and Developing Your Products is Keywithout having to get the book.
to Strong Beginnings:Mind mapping is a type of outlining. Think about all
Now that you have some idea of what theof the outlines and bubble diagrams that you
market is for your particular niche of ideas, youmade as a kid. You probably used them in lessons
have to come up with your first product. Of all ofthat involved writing short stories. You may have
the product ideas that you complied, you shouldused them in science lessons. Logic lessons and
at least have some idea of what your firstreading lessons are other popular spots for the
product is going to be. Start out simple, and thenmind mapping technique.
work up from there. Look toward the results thatNeedless to say, diagramming and charting things
you came up with as far as popularity when itis not too difficult to get used to as a child. If a
comes to keyword searches, and put those ideaschild's brain can draw bubble diagrams, you can
to work together to create one amazing product.conquer mind mapping. It works like this:
Even though this is only your first product, you doWrite your central first product idea on a sheet
want it to go as successfully and smoothly asof paper turned the long way. Poster paper
possible. In the example, we began with the dogworks well for mind mapping too, as does
training e-book to get things started as a way ofcomputer software if you have it.
funding the project's beginnings. This fundedDraw a circle around your main product idea and
proposal idea works well for many differentdraw a line. Come up with the next basic idea that
niches. For the sake of the example, look backyou think of when you hear your initial product
over the keyword research results that came up.idea in your head. This does not have to be a
The two top entries were:new product idea, just a thought that you came
28 Labrador Retriever training 14 training Labradorup with as a result. This is a spur of the moment
Retriever puppies Obviously, this indicates thattactic, so whatever you think of, write it down.
people have both an interest in training Labs andDo that a few more times. Go as many as four
training Lab puppies. Using this to brainstorm, arounds with this if you can. If your initial product
logical conclusion for a first product would be aidea doesn't really lead to anything else, you might
DVD or training video for lab owners to takewant to consider expanding into a different niche.
them through the developmental stages of labs. ItUsing the example of the Labrador retriever
could be a series that grows as your dog does ortraining e-book, consider what the next logical
one training video for the time being.sequence would be if you were mind mapping it.
Use this same policy to go about coming up withWe already came up with training videos, so draw
ideas for creating your first product. If you don'ta line from the e-book idea to training videos.
have an initial product to go off of as I previouslyFrom that idea, you might move on to training
mentioned, then you may make a firm decisioncollars as another central theme. More training
as to where to start and begin your keywordvideos would come after the training videos
research from there. As long as there is abubble on your map.
market for your idea, your product should go offThat is the beginning of what the mind mapping
very well with the consumers.exercise would look like for our Labrador retriever
It is important to note that those networktraining product niche. Your mind map does not
marketers who start out in the business byhave to be as specific, but it saves you some
striving to provide information to people are goingtime if you put serious thought into your product
to be the most successful. Information is a luxurylines from the beginning. This gives you a more
that many people refuse to give up, and if theyreasonable expectation of how things are going to
think that some information or training can help tobe, what you are up against, and an opportunity
solve a problem and make their lives easier orto monitor the competition.
contribute to success, they will at least give it aWhen you are creating a mind map, draw what
try. A great product will keep the clientele wantingyou want, and don't worry about the details until
more, and that is how a successful business isyou are done. This is a great way to get all of
born.your instinctive, creative ideas to the paper.
Bring Passion to Your Product: It is important toLetting them out without fear of retribution or
inject here that being passionate about what yourejection or without concern about having to
are doing with your network marketing companyimplement them may let hoards of brilliant product
in terms of products does help in the salesideas come flowing out of that brain of yours,
process. It is a proven fact that affiliates whowithout you even realizing it at first.
wholly believe in their product have more successThere are several computer programs you can
than other people do. While passion is not requireduse to finalize your mind map once you have
by any means, even for success, it iscreated it. If you want to save your ideas, there
recommended for those who are susceptible tois a computer program called Inspiration that you
such things.can employ for that purpose. Mind Manager is also
It works kind of like this: go with what you love.a popular software program, and both of these
If you love animals and contribute to the Wildlifeserve the same purpose and can help you to
Fund, cruelty free products may be the rightorganize your mind map. This way you can save
product niche for you.it, frame it, use it in a presentation or do
If you are a former supermodel, beauty productswhatever else you like.
and cosmetics may be a great product niche forMind mapping is a great way to organize your
you.thinking into creating something useful for those
Suppose you always wanted to go to culinarywho will be your first customers. You want
school and never did. Cookware and kitchenwarecustomers to be satisfied-amazed, even. Mind
are great product niches for a person with thosemapping can take you from square one to the
interests.final step in creating the perfect product line for
The moral of this little discussion is that if you likeyour new business.
something in particular, try to create a networkCreating products is about bringing a good idea
marketing product niche where you can do well.into formation and playing it out into something
Why? Passion is what people want to see. Whenthat brings you profits. Whether it is an invention,
it comes to recruiting affiliates and to bringing ina system, or a source of information, product
potential clients, having a product in place that youcreation works the same way and must be
know a lot about and you think you could involveplayed out to the end for it to be of any use.