Are you ready to become an Internet Research Specialist yet? Part 1 of this 2-part series talked a little about how I became an Internet research specialist. As well as what it is, who qualifies to become an Internet researcher. And what exactly do you do as a researcher.

Today let's get into the nitty gritty of becoming an Internet Research Specialist.

As I stated in part 1, this field is very wide open. Every possible market and niche needs some type of research done for them, whether they know it or not. The key is figuring out where your experience and interests lie. That's where you will want to start first.

But let me give you some ideal of the type of research businesses are looking for. This list is not all inclusive. But it should help to get your wheels turning to figure out how you want to position yourself in the research niche.

What type of internet research can I do for businesses?

There is a variety of types of research that can be done for individuals and businesses. Here is a list of examples:

• market research
• keyword research
• content/information research
• fact checking
• background checking
• copywriting research
• competitive analysis
• business research
• product research
• medical research
• image/audio research
• social media research

You can choose to specialize in only one of these areas. Or combine 2 or 3 to increase your chances of finding clients. But like I stated earlier, whatever niche you are in, there are clients that will need research. You just have to get your name out there and start marketing your business.

How do I market my internet research business?

Well, you must start by setting up a website. WordPress.org is the perfered chioce. WordPress is simple to setup and use. You don't need a webmaster to figure it out.

Purchase a hosting account from hostgator.com. And a domain name (ex. yourbiz.com) from godaddy.com. Install WordPress. Choose a theme to customize your site. Thesis is highly recommended for it's ease of customization and SEO benefits. Now you are ready to go.

The easiest and least expensive way to start marketing your business is to start a blog. Start writing about you, your journey to starting your business. Offer research tips & how-tos. Share research strategies. Or ways to help organize all the information after the research is done. You want to show your expertise by offerring relevant and useful content for free.

Offer a free small report or checklist showing them how to do one step of the process in exchange for their name and email address. You will start to build a list. The power of your business is in your list. This will be the list of people you build a relationship with and market to over time.

Make sure you offer your services on your website. This might seem obvious but I want to make sure I cover everything. Next you should setup your social media profiles. But before you dive in and start posting. Take some time to just LISTEN.

Listen to what your ideal clients are saying on social media. What are their wants. Listen to what your competitors are saying and doing as well. How are they serving your ideal clients? What can you borrow from them and make better?

Now you're ready to begin networking and building relationships online. Post links to your blog posts, tips, motivational quotes, offer words of encouragement. Ask questions. Anything that will engage your followers. 

Put your research skills to work for your business too. And research your ideal client. Find out what their pain point are. Why do they need your services? Also, conduct keyword research to find out what your ideal clients are searching for. You should write blog post using some of these keywords to help your potential clients find your busness on Google.

When first starting your online research business, free marketing methods are good. Like social media marketing & guest blogging. But eventially you will have to purchase some banner ads & advertising to start bring more traffic to your site.

One other method to start getting clients, is to sign up for a few of the freelance sites. Such as Elance or Guru. Business owners post there projects on these sites. You submit your proposals for the projects that interest you. I have gotten many clients from Elance. Some that have turned into long-term clients.

One of my clients, after our initial consultation, got the first job she applied for on Elance. So if you do nothing else when first starting, setup your profile on Elance and start submitting proposals. Now to the big question…

How much can I make as an Internet Research Specialist?

The rates researchers charge vary. It depends on your experience. As well as what industry you are in. And the type of clients you serve. Researchers can start charging anywhere from $15-$30 per hour. But this amount can go up to $100 or more per hour. These higher rates are common for "Independent Information Professionals". You can get more information about this niche from the Association of Independent Information Professionals.

I hope this information has answered your burning question of "How to become an Internet Research Specialist" This is not meant to be an all inclusive guide. But it should give you enough information to decide if this is a good online business idea for you to research further.

**The Power of Research in Action**

I mentioned in part 1 about the reason I decided to write this article series. I had been getting updates showing me that people where finding my site for keyword phrases related to becoming an internet researcher. But my site was not optimized for such phrases.

So I wrote part 1, 6 days before the date of this writing. I optimized the article for the keyword phrase "how to start online internet researcher business". This was one of the phrases that was finding my site. But pulling up my Internet Research services page.

And guess what? I received an email on yesterday (just 5 days after publishing part 1) showing the home page of my site on the first page of Google for that keyword phrase now. How exciting is that?

Here are my final tips:

• start where you have experience or interest
• conduct your own research first
• learn to give yourself grace, it will take time to build your business
• treat your business like a business
• set goals
• set business hours
• ask and seek help when needed.

If becoming an Internet Research Specialist is for you, I hope you enjoy it as mush as I do.

If you have any further questions, ask them in the comments section below or on my Facebook page

If you are ready to get started researching, check out my special report 7 Free Google Tools to Hear What the Marketplace is Saying.

Related articles

• Online Business Ideas – How to Become an Internet Research Specialist (start-upsuccessnow.com)
• 5 Types of Internet Research Every Online Business Must Do for Long Term Success, Part 2 (start-upsuccessnow.com)
• 5 Types of Online Research Every Online Business Must Do for Long Term Success, Part 5 (start-upsuccessnow.com)
• 5 Types of Internet Research Every Online Business Must Do for Long Term Success, Part 4 (start-upsuccessnow.com)
• 5 Types of Internet Research Every Online Business Must Do for Long Term Success, Part 1 (start-upsuccessnow.com)
• 5 Types of Internet Research Every Online Business Must Do for Long Term Success, Part 3 (start-upsuccessnow.com)