A great business idea for a website would be to explore developing or already strongly developed trends that seem to have staying power and lots of future relevance and potential.
What is an example of this type of trend?
Well the whole move towards eco-friendly products, building, consuming, etc., while having been around for awhile now, is becoming firmly established as a strong trend with future staying power – the survival of our planet depends on it!
Another example of a strong trend is the development of anti-aging products and information.
With so many baby-boomers entering their golden years, this huge market of consumers of information and products is fanatically interested in anti-aging products, as are even younger people entering the middle years of their life.
Along with the anti-aging trend there would be numerous other trends to tap into for the growing senior population that would present a whole host of online business ideas.
Now using these examples, put on your thinking cap and see what you can identify as possible trends to explore that you would be interested in developing an online business around.
New technologies, new spirituality, and even current reactions to economic conditions can create new trends.
When economic conditions get rocky people go back to basics, saving money, spending less, being more responsible in their consumer choices.
This is a trend that has “began again” so to speak but could be tapped into with new ideas for financially fiscal and yet enjoyable living, debt and investment management.
Now it’s important if you are thinking of targeting a trend, that you are sure it’s a strong trend with future staying power, and not a fad idea or short lived reaction to something.
And perhaps you discover or are aware of a trend that is not well known, but you are sure will become a very strong trend in the future.
This can be risky, but if your gut tells you its right, then you are essentially “ahead of the curve” and will be well positioned when your niche catches on.
Just think of all the people who were “green” before being green became responsible and cool.
People that started building businesses incorporating and/or focusing on these principles years ago are well positioned today to take advantage of the growing awareness and desire to live in a more planet friendly way.
So how do you spot trends that might yield interesting internet business ideas and profitable niches to build a website about?
You will have to be astutely observant of things you see happening in the news, and be ready to spot forthcoming and even strongly developing trends.
And this quote by Thomas H. Hicks will tell you exactly where you should be looking.
“Four sectors of society tend to capture leading trend behaviour, products and personalities: music, fashion, sports and fitness.”
In these four areas, the place to look at what’s happening is usually by watching what celebrities do, wear, look like and stand for, because this strongly influences behavior and purchasing patterns among the public.
You should also pay attention to early adopters.
If you have friends or relatives who always buy the latest gizmo, or a teenager who leads the pack, observe what they get most excited about.
Another great place to spot trends is at your local bookstore and magazine rack.
If you see a new magazine popping up then there usually has to be enough of a market to support it, and within that magazine may be a niche or niches to explore for a new website.
The same is true with books, if you see a cavalcade of new books about a certain subject, this could point to a new trend or area of interest worth exploring, if you find the subject to your liking.
Famous futurists are also a good source of ideas and inspiration too.
Here are some observations about dominant trends from Watts Wacker, resident futurist at the Stanford Research Institute:
Dominant Physical Structure: Theme Parks • There are already 500 in the US today, and our desire to opt out of the stress everyday life for a “Truman Show” version of reality will increases exponentially.
Defining Activity: Turning Dreams to Reality • One example, commercializing space travel.
Dominant Resource: Intellectual Property • Knowledge is becoming more valuable than the product or service.
Dominant Metaphor: Fusion • We’ve seen it in cuisine. As geographical boundaries collapse, the world itself becomes one massive multicultural melting pot.
And here are some other well-known futurists and their websites so you can check out what they have to say about trends:
You should find plenty of fascinating info on trends and future possibilities on these websites, and I'm sure you'll find your mind expanding exponentially too.
So if you are interested in building an online business, and are exploring niches for your website, targeting a strong trend could be a great way to find just the right internet business idea for you.
