A common mistake made by new affiliate marketers is choosing a product without determining if there is a hungry market. Why is this bad? Because the product might not cater to enough demand to be profitable. Without a demand, no one will buy the product, and that would not be profitable for their business.

So the first lesson in any internet marketing course should be about finding profitable markets.

It’s actually quite easy to do. All you need is an idea. Yes, like one of those eureka moments. This idea can come to you at any time…while watching a movie, reading the morning papers, or while viewing the billboards on the side of the road. This idea may also be inspired by your current or previous profession, or a passion you have had about something your whole life.

You should make it a habit to carry a small notebook with you, so that whenever any of these ideas pop up, you can write them down.

So how will you know if the idea that enters your mind is the right one to build a business for?

This is not to difficult to find out. An idea will bring various thoughts of other possibilities you can do with the them. An idea about dog grooming can make you think of a dog grooming service, for example. Or an idea about pest control can make you think of a do-it-yourself pest control eBook.

Once you have an idea, it’s time to determine if it will be profitable.

For this, you will need a tool like one of these:

http://freekeywords.wordtracker.com/

www.nichebot.com

Type in the idea you have in mind, and press the submit button. This will supply you with a list of keywords and key phrases that are related to the subject you have entered. Each keyword or key phrase will show you the number of searches that they have gathered from internet users. The number of searches made for a particular keyword or key phrase is a good indication of the demand for the same.

Naturally, you would want a keyword or key phrase that has gathered many searches, right?

Maybe, but demand is just half the battle. You will also need to determine how much competition you will have for that particular market. To do this, you will have to run a search on Google or whichever search engine you perfer using the particular keyword or key phrase enclosed in quotes marks - "keyword" - you have selected. Look at the number of web pages pertaining to your keywork or phrase. If this number is less than the number of searches made for the same, then you have a profitable idea indeed!

Here is an example:

Your idea is about dog grooming. So you use the tools mentioned above, and type in the phrase “dog grooming.” You’d immediately get some keywords or key phrases like “shih tzu dog grooming” or “dog grooming cases.” The searches for these terms are greater in number than the web pages catering to them. As such, you could consider them as profitable markets. These markets are what many people call niches. Finding a niche is the first integral step in making money online.

Once you have decided on a niche, focus on it. If you’re not familiar with the subject, do some research. Build a website that would provide accurate and educational information about the topic. Employ marketing strategies to give it the exposure it deserves.

It all starts with finding a niche. The sooner you discover one, the sooner you can start making money online with affiliate marketing.