I am currently in Cyprus at the villa and while discussing how I go about selling rental weeks through my website with my mother-in-law, we got to talking about deal making information and why it is important to optimize accordingly.

Imagine that moment, when a person (or a couple) is looking at the choices available for them online and wonder - what is the deal breaking information they need to book yours above and beyond one of the competition?

And, this thought could relate to any business. So many times, we sell to people what we think is important (the benefits) when really; it’s about what they see as the benefits. For example, satellite TV on holiday is not at all important for me, but has proved important for two different families. For one, it was a deal clincher when I told that that I was installing it.

Of course, now, when I sell that benefit online, will it put off the people that don’t want it? I know I will need to phrase it accordingly.

With so many people having so many different things that flick their switch, optimizing how you sell and what you focus on as the benefits is very important.

And, this is doubly important when you see that they have so much choice - especially online. My villa is on a complex of 27. Within 2km I can imagine there are approximately 2,000 other private villas. Take the whole island and you probably end up in the millions.

Hence, the need to niche and the need to make the deal before someone else does by appealing to your customer with the right ‘deal making’ information.

Of course, this goes back to my point the other day: The more you niche your sales offering, the more chance you have to appeal. So, with a private pool, large enclosed area and now satellite TV, I know that I just need to keep pushing the young family aspect.

One last thought: They are building a golf course near the villa. How much effort vs. reward would there be in building a completely different website that focussed the villa on golf?
How much further can you niche and focus your sales offering?

I have been thinking a lot recently about vertical markets and niche marketing and get the feeling I have not been niche enough. More and more, the websites I am seeing success with are the ones with complete focus.

It’s almost as if I have been saying this is the way to do it, but not practicing what I preach. But the good stuff is very good:

• This website is doing amazing for our Escape client  - Magic Mitre - one product.
• As has Projector Lamp Experts with pay-per click - a niche market.
• Then there is the villa in Pervolia website - finally taking hold after two years offering a specific vacation destination.
• Finally, there is Basingstoke Business News, a personal project that is getting local (and global) attention for the right reasons.

Basingstoke Business News takes minimal effort to maintain, but the medium-to-long term value will show growth, especially if I can develop the site. Of course, I have the luxury of not having to make money from it, but that is a point in itself.  I offer what many local people want in terms of what I do in my day job (I build websites). Is it the fact that I offer business news for free (people can get that diluted from anywhere on the web), or that if I bring it together and add value, I get attention. Oh, by the way, I can help you market your business online.

The point is, the more the web gets diluted, the more people will want specifics, hence the popularity of The Long Tail I guess. It used to be that you could get attention on-line - and you still can. But, is it for the right thing and is there any gold at the end of that particular rainbow?