Am At A Bit Of A Loss

by Tommyg123

Posted: 9 years ago 12 replies

INTERNET MARKETING

Hi,

I would really appreciate your input, I will try not to go on for too long but this is my journey so far...

I have (with the kind help of a lot of people on here) managed to develop my own website selling an on-line course in Day Trading futures contracts. This isn't just a "what niche can I exploit" type project its the real deal.

I have been a futures trader for nearly 10 years and I reveal exactly how I made money and have videos showing strategies etc, its a genuinely good product and I have shown it to industry people as well that are actually calling me crazy for giving up such good info. The only criticism I have had back is it might go over the heads of some total newbies... but all my competition just tailors to the most basic nonsense so I don't see it as a bad thing.

I learned how to get the site up myself with a mixture of a lot of man hours and a successful freelance hire to build the site. I even made my first sale last week to someone on a trading forum that could tell I was the real deal by how I spoke on there, which felt pretty good.

However, the forum posting isn't a strategy that is going to lead to big gains as you aren't allowed to promote products on the forum, its just the occasional private message I receive I can convert,

I tried to run a facebook ppc campaign, got people looking at my site but no sales. I just don't know what the "secret sauce" is that experts have in IM and am willing to give experts a cut to work with me on this.

But i think I have been ripped off. I started working with someone that claims to have a great track record in internet marketing. He was going to help me put together a real hardcore sales pitch for my homepage, redesign sales video and then set up professional internet marketer standard PPC campaign. I have given him money and now just get fobbed off with excuses why no work has come back to me yet. I don't know if he is a con man or just got a lot on his plate. I don't want to get too much on his case in case he is just busy and I end up losing a potentially great contact. But its been dragging on for a while now and i'm just sat here not knowing what to do.

I know I have a great product because I know every other product out there. Mine may not be as flashy as some, but the information is the real deal which nobody else can give. I know it could be a huge seller. But i'm running out of ideas and feel like I can't trust anyone's offer of help any more.

There is a lot to be said for figuring it out from scratch through trial and error, but I have been involved in teaching and nurturing trading talent and I know that yes you pick up info stumbling around in the dark, but the only way to learn properly is from someone that has been there and done it and then put your own spin on it. But i really don't know which way to turn

#bit #loss

2pat 9 years ago

Too many elements to give you my answer.
I don't know your sale page, your product.
But do you know exactly your buyer profile? what Keywords they use it?
You've said you get a lot of visitors but no sale ! wrong target, wrong keywords in your campaign? wrong price of your course ?
Well you have to test every steps, marketing is testing testing, see also your competitors sites to learn.
Marketing is based on the psychology of the human being. It's very subtle.
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Frank Donovan

9 years ago

Originally Posted by Tommyg123

I have been a futures trader for nearly 10 years and I reveal exactly how I made money and have videos showing strategies etc, its a genuinely good product and I have shown it to industry people as well that are actually calling me crazy for giving up such good info. The only criticism I have had back is it might go over the heads of some total newbies... but all my competition just tailors to the most basic nonsense so I don't see it as a bad thing.

Tommy, who's your target market? It seems your product is a bit more complex than those of your competitors. Are you pitching at a market that's looking for simple, easily understood methods? Maybe your unsuccesful PPC campaigns have been targeting the wrong buyers.

If you're convinced there's a market for a more advanced trading course - which would alienate most of the MMO crowd - your best bet is probably to seek out a JV with an existing, perhaps more specialist course provider who can offer access to targeted prospects. Or you could approach a potential partner who's successful in the more general area of MMO (where most of your competitors are probably situated) and take their advice about how to tweak your product for wider appeal.

Frank

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Tommyg123 9 years ago

Thanks 2Pat. Yeah sorry probably was more of a rant than something for you to work with... Bad day I guess.

I do know the industry inside out. I could lists upon lists of words people that are interested in trading will use to search for these people.... However I have no idea how they rank in terms of what process you use to find which ones convert.

I ran a Facebook campaign for about a week but didn't have a clue what I was doing. Had a click through rate of about 7% but no purchases. I only had about 300 people look at the site then just pulled it figuring it wasn't showing a good return.

I just shotgunned all the key words. Figured more the better and listed about 30 keywords and every English speaking Facebook user. All my clicks and likes came from one country that wasn't US UK which I thought would be my main audience. So even tho I ran a campaign I came away with no real data other than my landing page probably should be better.

I don't think price is an issue. At $45 for the ebook and $100 for ebook and videos and worksheets I'm well at the lower end my competition.

I'm thinking about hiring a freelancer to set up a campaign and try and learn a bit about the process from them
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- Alexa Smith Banned 9 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by Tommyg123
  
  I don't think price is an issue. At $45 for the ebook and $100 for ebook and videos and worksheets I'm well at the lower end my competition.
  
  Please excuse my mentioning that, to me, that sounds exactly like "an issue".
  
  I get what you're saying: you know you're not overpriced. In my opinion, a lot of people's products/services are underpriced, and that's also "an issue". Just saying ...
  
  How did you pay this person, Tommy? Was it in a way you can do a chargeback/reversal of some kind, if your fears turn out to be correct? It would perhaps be inadvisable to "go past the date for that", if that's a concern, at all?
  
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Tommyg123 9 years ago

Thanks Frank. Am totally up for a JV. But don't know how to go about it. I'm paranoid about getting ripped off. I thought I had lined up a JV with this guy that's gone quiet. I'm prepared to really make them part of my team and give them a vested interest in what I do
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Raydal 9 years ago

If you have a great product and trading is your thing then you need help
with the marketing as it seems that you are doing too many things at the
same time yourself. I'm sure that you realize that you need help, hence
this post, and if you have paid for that help and not getting it then that's
unfortunate.

You need someone who would help you with the marketing so you can
concentrate on delivering the great content. I'll say continue looking
until you find that type of help. And the JV ideas that Frank gave you
above is also golden.

You should always have an agreement from the person you hire. It
could be that he is busy, but an agreement will always have a schedule
in which your marketing materials should be delivered.

-Ray Edwards
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Mark Hess 9 years ago

Spend less time going after customers and more time going after affiliates/JV partners.... (even a JV broker may be an option for you)

They're the asset you're looking for as they can give you sales and some brand recognition. You're right to be paranoid to some extent about your product. It's never a good idea to work with just one individual person unless some type of non-disclosure agreements are in place.

This not being for newbies and containing some advanced strategies is a great hook.

When it comes to the "internet marketer" who is stalling your progress, either write it off, or find someway to get your money back ASAP so you can move on.

Spend money on a copywriter and a graphic designer as that is what you'll need in order to land affiliates/JV partners and not an 'all-in-one' guy who claims he can do everything. (one option is sending the guy above my post a PM, he knows his s**t when it comes to copy)
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Tommyg123 9 years ago

Thanks so much to everyone that has responded so far.

I will try and do the JV thing, my only slight hesitation is the whole "give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, but teach him to fish and he will never go hungry" I really want to learn this stuff so when I have a formula in place I can expand with new products. Would I really learn the industry by just getting someone else to sell it for me? I just started in this area because I know it but my plan is definitely to learn this stuff.
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- Alexa Smith Banned 9 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by Tommyg123
  
  Would I really learn the industry by just getting someone else to sell it for me?
  
  For example, very, very few internet marketers ever become professional copywriters, Tommy: you don't need to to learn to be able to do every aspect of the entire industry yourself, to a professional level? (I can hardly make websites at all, but it doesn't stop me from being successful at internet marketing ).
  
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unifiedac 9 years ago

This is why I am a huge proponent of work contracts or agreements before hiring. Clearly identify deliverables, deadlines and pay points ahead of time. If your partner agrees, they are on the hook for those timelines and deliverables. If they don't deliver, you may have a legal basis for no payment or partial payment.
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Tommyg123 9 years ago

I agree Unifiedac, I got a web designer to do a very reasonably priced job on Freelancer and all the payments were held until I was happy with the job. Would definitely do it again.

This marketer guy however, made out like he was a good guy and doing it to help me out. I offered to make it worth his while and still will by giving him a cut of what he does but wasn't contracted etc
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Tommyg123 9 years ago

I guess I will need to do this solo.

My first question is.. how do I get the best converting landing page? Are there any free templates to use/get ideas from? Also my website has the Total Theme installed, do all my pages have to use this theme? Can I build a landing page using other software and just put it on my site? Please help
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