Comments on: Big fish in little pond or little fish in big pond? http://www.here.org.uk/2009/01/big-fish-in-little-pond-or-little-fish-in-big-pond.html Welcome to Kieron's blog - the life and times of an Internet Marketeer Fri, 10 Sep 2010 16:49:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Dazza http://www.here.org.uk/2009/01/big-fish-in-little-pond-or-little-fish-in-big-pond.html/comment-page-1#comment-11014 Dazza Fri, 09 Jan 2009 10:30:02 +0000 http://www.here.org.uk/?p=1322#comment-11014 Last year we had a glut of new affiliates just reinventing the wheel, all set on cracking existing sectors that in some cases had been established for years. The PR companies were happy to take their press releases of course, no matter how unfounded their claims of uniqueness. Perhaps they were fooled by the plethora of user testimonials these brand new, unranked sites published, all written in a remarkably similar style. The majority of these sites claimed to have a USP, but the USP was more of an afterthought and it was hard to see how they added any value over and above what was already out there. As Kieron says, what is the point in building another price comparison site for insurance? If a new well funded price comparison site springs up and takes a chunk of the insurance market share, who would benefit most? The new site owners of course. People searching for insurance deals could just have well used the existing price comparison sites. If the primary goal of a site is to make money for the owner, then the service the sites provides for their visitors is always going to be second to that at best. Last year we had a glut of new affiliates just reinventing the wheel, all set on cracking existing sectors that in some cases had been established for years. The PR companies were happy to take their press releases of course, no matter how unfounded their claims of uniqueness. Perhaps they were fooled by the plethora of user testimonials these brand new, unranked sites published, all written in a remarkably similar style.

The majority of these sites claimed to have a USP, but the USP was more of an afterthought and it was hard to see how they added any value over and above what was already out there.

As Kieron says, what is the point in building another price comparison site for insurance? If a new well funded price comparison site springs up and takes a chunk of the insurance market share, who would benefit most? The new site owners of course. People searching for insurance deals could just have well used the existing price comparison sites.

If the primary goal of a site is to make money for the owner, then the service the sites provides for their visitors is always going to be second to that at best.

]]> By: Joe Connor http://www.here.org.uk/2009/01/big-fish-in-little-pond-or-little-fish-in-big-pond.html/comment-page-1#comment-10995 Joe Connor Thu, 08 Jan 2009 02:11:44 +0000 http://www.here.org.uk/?p=1322#comment-10995 Spot on Kieron and HNY to you while I'm here. OTOH I quite like people chasing the impossible dream, especially if it keeps them off my patch(es). Spot on Kieron and HNY to you while I’m here. OTOH I quite like people chasing the impossible dream, especially if it keeps them off my patch(es).

]]> By: Zac Zheng http://www.here.org.uk/2009/01/big-fish-in-little-pond-or-little-fish-in-big-pond.html/comment-page-1#comment-10983 Zac Zheng Wed, 07 Jan 2009 15:46:14 +0000 http://www.here.org.uk/?p=1322#comment-10983 Agreed. I'm programmer turned affiliate marketer. I've been attacking affiliate marketing thing firmly with my Unique Selling Positioning in mind. How I can be different. I have been coding a slick PPC tool which I believe will make me a huge profit. Once this has worked, I hope to get into Facebook/iPhone once I have staff to leverage. Nice post Kieron. So what are you working on at the moment? Zac Agreed.

I’m programmer turned affiliate marketer. I’ve been attacking affiliate marketing thing firmly with my Unique Selling Positioning in mind. How I can be different.

I have been coding a slick PPC tool which I believe will make me a huge profit. Once this has worked, I hope to get into Facebook/iPhone once I have staff to leverage.

Nice post Kieron. So what are you working on at the moment?

Zac

]]> By: Bob http://www.here.org.uk/2009/01/big-fish-in-little-pond-or-little-fish-in-big-pond.html/comment-page-1#comment-10979 Bob Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:30:01 +0000 http://www.here.org.uk/?p=1322#comment-10979 Woops, as the author of the 'have a go at the insurance market' post I thought I'd better chip in. Actually I started the post in a sceptical mindset looking at how many gift days etc. you would have to sell to get to £100,000 a month profit a month. Looking at CD's was even more off-putting, or for that matter most other things. I was going along the same vein with the insurance numbers - they impress a lot of folks I guess - a piece of that sounds nice until you see how much competition there is. Unfortunately my 'easy-peasy' comment was subtley sarcastic - actually so subtle that now I've re-read it, its not sarcastic at all !! Never mind. Interesting debate anyway. I've never had any urge to try the insurance market, although oddly enough, after thinking about the 0.1%, I've got some vague curiosity about whether a small enough niche would make it possible. However, imo the key thing is now that the public have been 'trained' to do price comparison using one of the main sites, so you might not ever get a single commission. They'd look at your site and then head off to give the cookie to a PC site. Nice thing about affiliate marketing is that it is actually possible to get a small slice of a very big market, which turns out not to be that small after all. (By the way, I think it is possible to compete with ebay as long as you don't do an auction site. There are plenty of folks who can't stand ebay. Even if thats only 5% of the population, that's a lot of people who want to buy and sell stuff). Bob. Woops, as the author of the ‘have a go at the insurance market’ post I thought I’d better chip in. Actually I started the post in a sceptical mindset looking at how many gift days etc. you would have to sell to get to £100,000 a month profit a month. Looking at CD’s was even more off-putting, or for that matter most other things.

I was going along the same vein with the insurance numbers - they impress a lot of folks I guess - a piece of that sounds nice until you see how much competition there is.

Unfortunately my ‘easy-peasy’ comment was subtley sarcastic - actually so subtle that now I’ve re-read it, its not sarcastic at all !! Never mind. Interesting debate anyway.

I’ve never had any urge to try the insurance market, although oddly enough, after thinking about the 0.1%, I’ve got some vague curiosity about whether a small enough niche would make it possible. However, imo the key thing is now that the public have been ‘trained’ to do price comparison using one of the main sites, so you might not ever get a single commission. They’d look at your site and then head off to give the cookie to a PC site.

Nice thing about affiliate marketing is that it is actually possible to get a small slice of a very big market, which turns out not to be that small after all.

(By the way, I think it is possible to compete with ebay as long as you don’t do an auction site. There are plenty of folks who can’t stand ebay. Even if thats only 5% of the population, that’s a lot of people who want to buy and sell stuff).

Bob.

]]> By: UKOffer.com redesign http://www.here.org.uk/2009/01/big-fish-in-little-pond-or-little-fish-in-big-pond.html/comment-page-1#comment-10972 UKOffer.com redesign Wed, 07 Jan 2009 11:22:41 +0000 http://www.here.org.uk/?p=1322#comment-10972 [...] then I decided to take a step back, take some of my own advice and really think about what I wanted from UKOffer.com. Was it really worth building another [...] [...] then I decided to take a step back, take some of my own advice and really think about what I wanted from UKOffer.com. Was it really worth building another [...]

]]> By: Kieron http://www.here.org.uk/2009/01/big-fish-in-little-pond-or-little-fish-in-big-pond.html/comment-page-1#comment-10964 Kieron Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:46:35 +0000 http://www.here.org.uk/?p=1322#comment-10964 Lol Doug (free discount code sites) you never miss an opportunity do you? Lol Doug (free discount code sites) you never miss an opportunity do you?

]]> By: free discount code sites http://www.here.org.uk/2009/01/big-fish-in-little-pond-or-little-fish-in-big-pond.html/comment-page-1#comment-10963 free discount code sites Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:40:08 +0000 http://www.here.org.uk/?p=1322#comment-10963 It's not only what type of site you make, for example a discount code site, just doesnt have to be another discount code site. It's how you market it... what about a discount code site marketed to students? You could have flyers put in the universities and colleges and do a lot of offline guerella style advertizing... what about a discount code site aimed at pensioners...women... If you've got ideas, promotions will allow you, or anyone to create a discount code site, for free :) It’s not only what type of site you make, for example a discount code site, just doesnt have to be another discount code site.

It’s how you market it… what about a discount code site marketed to students? You could have flyers put in the universities and colleges and do a lot of offline guerella style advertizing…

what about a discount code site aimed at pensioners…women…

If you’ve got ideas, promotions will allow you, or anyone to create a discount code site, for free :)

]]> By: 10 predictions for 2009 http://www.here.org.uk/2009/01/big-fish-in-little-pond-or-little-fish-in-big-pond.html/comment-page-1#comment-10940 10 predictions for 2009 Mon, 05 Jan 2009 11:10:48 +0000 http://www.here.org.uk/?p=1322#comment-10940 [...] Despite my advice we will see loads more affiliate discount codes and cashback sites in 2009. [...] [...] Despite my advice we will see loads more affiliate discount codes and cashback sites in 2009. [...]

]]> By: gadget http://www.here.org.uk/2009/01/big-fish-in-little-pond-or-little-fish-in-big-pond.html/comment-page-1#comment-10938 gadget Mon, 05 Jan 2009 08:57:12 +0000 http://www.here.org.uk/?p=1322#comment-10938 I agree. Too many people that are entering the affiliate market for the first time make the same mistake of thinking that they are the first to have the idea. Taking time to research who is already doing those sites will save them hours of time and perhaps tons of money. The first thing I do before I even buy a domain is to search for the keyword in G and see who comes up for both natural and PCC. This gives me a very quick and superficial view. If I see some big names, I think 'are they beatable?' on this term. Sometimes they are. I agree. Too many people that are entering the affiliate market for the first time make the same mistake of thinking that they are the first to have the idea. Taking time to research who is already doing those sites will save them hours of time and perhaps tons of money. The first thing I do before I even buy a domain is to search for the keyword in G and see who comes up for both natural and PCC. This gives me a very quick and superficial view. If I see some big names, I think ‘are they beatable?’ on this term. Sometimes they are.

]]> By: Live Bingo http://www.here.org.uk/2009/01/big-fish-in-little-pond-or-little-fish-in-big-pond.html/comment-page-1#comment-10937 Live Bingo Mon, 05 Jan 2009 03:57:05 +0000 http://www.here.org.uk/?p=1322#comment-10937 Putting the efforts to less saturated markets is also not easy. there is lots of competition in the market from car insurance to social networking deals. No one is quite easy to chase. Putting the efforts to less saturated markets is also not easy. there is lots of competition in the market from car insurance to social networking deals. No one is quite easy to chase.

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