Hi,

Ideas aren't useful if they aren't coming from your customer- Andi's idea will at least allow you to determine consumer interest within a given context. Search results aren't very good at this.

There are very few things that aren't already being sold on the internet that can be sold. If you do come up with something new and really successful, you'll have a competitor soon enough. Frankly speaking, if you aren't creative enough to come up with what to sell on your own, you'll likely buckle in the face of serious competition for lack of good creative ideas to compete. If search results are the only way you know your customer, you'll have a rough time because you won't know how to tailor your ideas, your products, or your advertising to better compete.

If you are looking for a more scientific approach, consider something similar to a straight forward marketing approach:

Talk to the people you intend to sell to and ask them what they want or need. This is the first step in marketing- determine what your customer needs ("I wish I didn't have to apply hemorrhoid cream every day") within the scope of what you can offer (medicines over the internet). Your customers' need helps define your "niche". Second step is to come up with a solution to fill that identified need (provide a cream that the customer only has to apply every 3 months). Third step is to find out from your target consumer (people with hemorrhoids) whether your solution is of interest, and how much they are willing to pay (and lots of other extraneous information about your customer for use later). (Your customer doesn't want a cream- repeat step 2 with a hemorrhoid pill this time). Step four- determine whether you can bring your product to the consumer for a price that also allows you to make a profit. (you find out you can). Step five, create a website targeted to your specific demographic, selling your product, using the information you gathered about them before, and using that information to advertise in sites they typically look at (mostly old - webmd, etc.) in ways they can identify with.

You can hire market research companies to help with this. If you are determined to do it yourself or money is tight, you could use a small group and start with a pre-defined demographic (host a party for parents of local middle school kids, for example).

Note that this isn't quick, but if you don't invest time in the research for your business, you aren't minimizing your risk and are doing little more than taking a gamble. Further, if you don't have time to get to know your customer, then how can you hope meet their growing or changing needs. Andi's solution sounds quick, simple, and straight forward, and is a bare-bones way to determine what your customer wants. It may not be scientific to you, but it is a method that worked for him and seems pretty sound. If you are simply looking to get rich quick and don't mind taking a gamble, try Las Vegas :-)

Since you are asking for ideas- I should at least offer one: Sell a successful locally produced product that doesn't see great exposure (only sold in a boutique, art gallery, etc.) and isn't overly tied to its community. Don't pay full retail price for the product, but negotiate something as you are providing an internet storefront.

Mickle von Tickle (B.R.)