Today I've been struggling to keep my WA membership.  Tomorrow (or tonight) at midnight, my membership officially goes nil.  I realize there is a grace period.  I've been through this before.  So I will still be here for a few days and hopefully come up with the rest of my subscription.

Ironically, I've been to Jay's WAbinar last evening.  Of course, I missed the live event because I'm out there trying to come up with my funding, I did view the recording.  Following this, I was on the Chatter.  It was this occasion that has burst my bubble about Internet marketing.

This Weekend Only...All Platinum Recordings $1!...

Become a Certified Hypnotherapist!  $7! 

These are two signs that should have told me long ago that I've been in the wrong niche...but I stubbornly pushed forward with it.  The above are very often offered by the renowned and celebrity hypnotherapist, Steve G. Jones.

For two years here, I confidently ignored the one important thing that has been keeping me out of the game...niche research.  I simply did not think that applied to me...having already "found" my niche.  For four years I have been working on a website for my landlord on alternative medicine.  It has been revised six times now.

I recognize that much of the problem stems from my own inability to stay focused and work around the issues that have been distracting me in this...but then, come to find out...the niche I'm in is "not an avid buyer."

Further elaboration on this reveals that due to the high research activity amidst the public on the subject, there are very few buyers in it...very much due to the fact that many of the things available in this niche are free.

Passion

I've seen this preached high and low.  We must have passion for the things we promote.  What about this?  I've been directed to the big sellers and high priced items...none of which I have any passion for.  Do I need to redefine what passion is in my life?

The things I have passion for...that is, alternative medicine and personal development seems to be bad niches to be in.  We have not really discussed personal development, but have alternative medicine.  When an Internet marketing consultant points out that, by experience, it has been shown that this...or that...is not a viable niche, in spite of how big it is, it's not something to ignore.

Evidently, I've been looking at Internet marketing totally the wrong way.  It has effectively kept me away from where the money is...and what people truly want...not need.  I have been going up the "needs" alley all these years.  I've known the need/want relationship for a long time...but stubbornly kept going with the niches I've chosen...only because they appeal to me.

I've been basing my marketing on what I need or want...not everybody else.

James F. Straw

It is highly unlikely most of you know this person.  He is an aged multi millionaire I've known about since about 2007.  His writings talk about lining people up with products and how he has sold just about everything under the sun.

I just could not relate to the second thing.  Promoting woman's apparel and vacuum cleaners just does not do anything for me.  I don't have passion for those things.  But then it comes to mind, Jay promotes baby carriages (or strollers) amongst other things.  I can't relate to promoting and talking about flat screen televisions because I don't use them myself.

What am I missing here?  I'm so out of touch with consumerism that I really need help with this in how to view things properly here.  I'm not a proponent to being called a "consumer" and have avoided that at all costs.  To me, being a consumer is no different than being a modern-day peasant.  Yet non-consumers are promoting consumer products.

I've been here two years now.  These lessons are coming at a very late time in this game for me.  I was given a simple set of instructions last evening.  I have been looking through Amazon and am now kind of lost there.  I will get over it as I find this falling squarely in line with things I've been overlooking...and one of those things...niche research.

The Good, The Bad...and the Ugly...

I'm serious about fixing the broken things in my life.  My writing here should be expressing this cause.  It's been a long series of ups and downs.  I try to be upbeat, but that doesn't come naturally to me.  It's one of the reasons why I am trying to remain here.  I recognize that losing WA means I lose an extremely valuable asset to my own personal development.

No, I realize this isn't a personal development site...but it has opened a lot of new doors in that arena for me.  I greatly appreciate the suggestions, critique, some of which are harsh.  I realize that I'm going nowhere unless I take the instruction and go with it.  There is nothing new under the sun concerning this.

It took two years to learn that the niches I've chosen are bad ones.  It's so sad to see so many people struggling in these niches.  I feel fortunate, however that someone has brought this to my attention.  It's not nice to hear, but nonetheless a good thing.

The bad thing about this is that it now brings on some unexpected challenges for me.  Four years of work is down the plug hole.  I don't know how I'm going to tell the owner of the website that we're going to continue having problems with it until we get out of that niche.

The ugly thing about this is that I'm so out of touch with the kind of things most people go for that I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to pull this off.  I'm not sure what perspective I should take on this.  It's quite obvious that I should not be basing my passions on the things I would be promoting because let's face it.  I'm not aligned with the average American due to the paths in life I've been on.