Niche research can take you down many roads. Some are dead-ends; others cul-de-sacs which take you to the end, whip you around 180 degrees and spit you out again.

Finding the precise area in which you wish to spend time can be maddening, aggravating, frustrating and, sometimes, almost futile. Did I mention aggravating?

Any number of capable, respected marketers have proven research methods and systems. Many of which are somewhat similar.

One useful, effective tip involves looking online for book or magazine titles to attempt to determine popularity of an idea. Or, to assist in coming up with ideas. Another suggests looking in bookstores for “special interest” books and magazines.

Both are valid suggestions—as far as they go…

The online route is easy. You’re already in front of your computer. Book and magazine sites are only a few characters and a click away. Some of the major sites list comparative popularity and reader reviews.

But, as useful as this is, it doesn’t give you the “look and feel” of the magazine or book. A trip to your local big box bookstore of newsstand will.

As I live in a semi-major metropolitan area a couple large bookstores are but a short drive away.

One of the things I like to do is wander up, down and through the magazine aisles and glance at titles. Particularly of special interest publications. If one strikes my fancy I pick it up, and after reading the table of contents, thumb through and pay particular attention to the ads.

Large bookstores don’t seem to mind if you take the magazine to a table in the cafe and read while sipping a hot cup of coffee or tea. (One of the best parts of “research”)

If it’s really intriguing I may actually buy it. (It’s easier to read the printed URL’s than to read my handwritten notes for my initial research.) Not going to go into research procedures here. I’ll assume–which I know better than to do–you know how.

Looking at magazine titles on the rack is going to tell you, as is a website, what is available. To a point it’s safe to think, as they’re there, people buy them. You’d probably be surprised to see how many magazines have their covers ripped off and returned to distributors for credit as “unsold”.

By dropping by the store two, three, four or more times a month you’ll be able to get a handle on which issues are actually selling. The more you know about the particular store you go to, the better able you’ll be to judge what’s hot and what’s not.

Another useful observation you can make is to see what magazines other customers are actually reading, either while standing by the rack or in the cafe. Many customers leave the mags they’ve been reading on the table in the cafe when they’re finished. Walk by empty tables and take a look.

What have you to lose? Worst case scenario is an hour or so away from the computer and a cup of coffee. Best case: a new, un-thought of previously, profitable niche.

BTW, if you see me there I take my coffee black.

Snipe signs. You’ve seen them. Typically they consist of a 18″ x 24″ corrugated plastic panel, affixed to a wire stake, and driven into the ground on the shoulder of a road. They have advertising messages applied to them, usually, by self adhesive vinyl lettering or screen printing. Sometimes the really cheap one’s are handwritten with a permanent marker.

Many political jurisdictions in the United States have ordinances prohibiting them.  These laws have been enacted for several reasons. Chiefly because they’re placed on property not belonging to the sign owner. Other justifications include safety and aesthetics.

Imagine for a minute you’re the owner of a fast food restaurant located at a busy intersection. You have your legal signage–perhaps a large yellow arch–and the guy who owns a competing burger stand down the street comes by and plants a dozen or so signs adjacent to your property featuring a regal personage wearing a crown. You’re unlikely to be thrilled.

Let’s switch gears for a moment. You own one, two or a hundred websites. Virtual real estate. Over time you’ve worked your butt off to buy domain names and pay for hosting. In addition you’ve spent considerable time and effort, and possibly money, to design, build and upload content to your sites. You have things working well. You’re in control of your property and you’re looking for a return on your investment.

When people pull up in front of your restaurant or see your site you don’t want them distracted. It doesn’t matter what the distraction is. It may be a competitors sign or a notice of a local carnival that catches their eye. If it takes their focus off your hamburgers it’s not good. Online if it distracts people or changes their focus from your site’s message it’s not good.

I wonder what Google’s reaction would be to several hundred snipe signs appearing overnight in Santa Clara County, CA? Particularly if they read Bing or Yahoo!

The Google Sidewiki is a virtual snipe sign!

The shoulder of the road does not belong to your competition.

The side of your site does not belong to Google.

PS. For a more in depth treatment of the Google Sidewiki debate read this from Paul Myers:

Google steals the web

PPS. For the record: I do not hate Google. On this issue I think they are flat out wrong!