Researching Information for your new Product.

How To Research For Your Information Product Content

Research is the most important part of putting together a quality product. You will find a lot of information product creators slapping content together and selling it for high prices. When you take the time to research your topic, it shows. You can stand head and shoulders above those marketers that do the bare minimum and present a quality product that people will recommend to others.

I use the acronym S.I.T.E. to remind me of the major sites to visit when researching for new ideas…

S – SUPERCENTER.
I – INFORMATION hubs
T – TARGETED search
E - ENVIRONMENT

1. SUPERCENTER.

The first place most people look to find out information on a topic is Google.   It’s THE best place to search for information on virtually any topic on the planet.  If there is a “supercenter” of search, then Google has that distinction.  Begin your research at this giant.  In fact, you might never leave it.  Search for “how to” and “ways to” in addition to keywords and keyphrases associated with your topic of interest.

2. INFORMATION hubs.

By all means, use the first page of Google results to get a general idea of your topic. You can do the same with general information sites like Wikipedia, HowStuffWorks and eHow.  These are great information hubs that will provide you with numerous ideas to get your creative juices flowing.  These sites can help you get a snapshot view of the topic and give you some insight into the major concerns in the niche. But to make your product useful, you should dig a little deeper.

3. TARGETED search.

Look for information that is off the beaten path, but still relevant to your topic. Consider using some specialty search engines like Questia (http://www.questia.com/Index.jsp) to give depth to your topic. If you’re working on a health topic, you should look at medical journals and studies to make your product complete. By looking beyond the first page of results, you’ll be able to find information that the average searcher can’t find.

4. ENVIRONMENT.

In addition to using specialty search engines and looking deep within the search engine results, you can use forums on your topic for additional research. Forums offer the perfect community-style environment for picking up ideas. The people that visit forums in your niche often have specialized knowledge for resources and other sites that either don’t show up in the search engine results or aren’t easily found. By searching in forums you can give your product that insider’s view that is so important. If you aren’t an insider on your topic, you can fake it by researching in a forum.

BONUS:  Don’t forget the library!  If it’s applicable, you should hit the library or your local bookstore to get deeper knowledge on your topic. Some topics, like Internet marketing, change too quickly to be accurately represented in book stores. However perennial topics like baby care, gardening or finances can greatly be enhanced by research through books. Dust off your library card and spend an afternoon studying how other people have organized information on the topic.

These research ideas will help you make your information product a useful resource for the people in your niche. Although digging deep  into a topic may take more time than rewording a Wikipedia entry, it will definitely be well worth  it when you have satisfied customers!