Is December a bad time to launch?

Ryan_Taylor · 10-23-2008, 10:42 AM

Hey Warriors,

I have a product in development that I'm trying to get pushed out before Thanksgiving. As expected though, it probably won't be ready in time if I want to do it right.

That said, I'm concerned about launching after Thanksgiving and into December, just because people travel and spend less time online, and they are working on a tight holiday budget.

Is that a good assumption to make? I'm thinking I should wait until mid-Janurary... but even then people are recovering from a holiday spending hangover.

Anyone have any experiences or pointers on this?

radhika · 10-23-2008, 10:48 AM

I had same doubt once two years back with my product.

What I did was I collected email addresses from visitors who are interested in discount price well before the product launch (3 months before). And I sent a promo email with 50% discount to the list in December. (I emailed them about the progress of the product in midway between in november) I ended up in good sales percentage.

.

Ryan_Taylor · 10-23-2008, 10:50 AM

That's not a bad idea, and could help with getting testimonials, finding out the objections, etc. for the official launch.

Careygee · 10-23-2008, 11:22 AM

Timing could be a factor in some launches in a brick and mortar
business, especially now.

As to an internet business, if it is a good quality site and is either affiliate
driven or a site which helps others make money, IMO it makes no difference.

My only priority would be: Do I want to deal with taxes and reporting for the last two months of the year?

I am personally holding a launch for the tax reason and will launch early 2009 instead.
Hope this helps.

mbealmear · 10-23-2008, 11:50 AM

With marketing it could go either way depending on your sales letter and what they product is. If it is internet marketing then I would not worry to much about it being December. If people want to buy your product then they will find a way to pay for it or atleast bookmark the site and come back to it when they do find the spare money. Money in general has become a big gift for Christmas for you might be suprised how many people have the extra cash because it was given to them as a gift.

Ryan_Taylor · 10-23-2008, 11:53 AM

Good point, Carygee - this was something I thought of and escaped my mind.

It's not internet marketing related, and will be a limited time offer, so the timing is a critical piece. At least the timing of the pre-launch and launch sequence.

Ken Preuss · 10-23-2008, 01:19 PM

Personally I think a lot of people over-analyze this. While the type of product, nature of the market and price point all play a factor, here's my take based on experience.

If you have a phenomenal offer for a target market that makes them clamor for it, you can launch on Christmas Day and do well.

Example: I mentioned this on another thread, but I used to market another trainer's $50K real estate seminar (yes, fifty-thousand dollars). Guess which month it was where we sold the most? Yep. December.

You wanna know why? Very simple. We decided December wasn't a bad month to sell a $50K training....and we decided were going to play big and go for 15 sales. We ended up with 12. You can do the math....that was a really good month.

The point is that there are all sorts of reasons to do or not do things according to the "science" of product launches. While I respect the experience and authority behind these nuances, nothing has more power than a ridiculously compelling offer that is perfectly matched to a target market who is desperate for it.

Best regards,
Ken

Michael Motley · 10-23-2008, 01:22 PM

I would say collecting emails then launching after the first of the year when people are looking to find ways to pay off those christmas bills would be a better plan

GeorgR. · 10-23-2008, 01:27 PM

we get this question every year

While some say it's bad, others say that december is their best sales month. You decide...
Personally i think every time is a good time, with the exception of "right after christmas", january.
But then, market is global, and not all holidays are the same around the globe.

Ryan_Taylor · 10-23-2008, 02:05 PM

All good points.

To be more specific... the product falls would be considered "financial literacy," and is a program that discusses how to protect your money and ways to profit in this economy. The price range will be in the $150 range with 65% commission.

I suppose the only/best solution is to try and see what happens for myself. If it doesn't go as planned, then try again at a later date.

Ken, I hear ya' on the offer. I agree that it has to be irresistible, and am trying to get creative to come up with ideas or partner with people who can help put more icing on the cake so to speak.

10-23-2008, 10:42 AM	#1
Ryan_Taylor Advanced Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 660 Thanks: 10 Thanked 17 Times in 9 Posts	Is December a bad time to launch? Hey Warriors, I have a product in development that I'm trying to get pushed out before Thanksgiving. As expected though, it probably won't be ready in time if I want to do it right. That said, I'm concerned about launching after Thanksgiving and into December, just because people travel and spend less time online, and they are working on a tight holiday budget. Is that a good assumption to make? I'm thinking I should wait until mid-Janurary... but even then people are recovering from a holiday spending hangover. Anyone have any experiences or pointers on this?

10-23-2008, 10:48 AM	#2
radhika Senior Warrior Member War Room Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Jamaica. Posts: 2,405 Blog Entries: 3 Thanks: 71 Thanked 135 Times in 109 Posts	Re: Is December a bad time to launch? I had same doubt once two years back with my product. What I did was I collected email addresses from visitors who are interested in discount price well before the product launch (3 months before). And I sent a promo email with 50% discount to the list in December. (I emailed them about the progress of the product in midway between in november) I ended up in good sales percentage. .
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10-23-2008, 10:50 AM	#3
Ryan_Taylor Advanced Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 660 Thanks: 10 Thanked 17 Times in 9 Posts	Re: Is December a bad time to launch? That's not a bad idea, and could help with getting testimonials, finding out the objections, etc. for the official launch.

10-23-2008, 11:22 AM	#4
Careygee Old Sarge Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: USA Posts: 136 Thanks: 5 Thanked 19 Times in 14 Posts	Re: Is December a bad time to launch? Timing could be a factor in some launches in a brick and mortar business, especially now. As to an internet business, if it is a good quality site and is either affiliate driven or a site which helps others make money, IMO it makes no difference. My only priority would be: Do I want to deal with taxes and reporting for the last two months of the year? I am personally holding a launch for the tax reason and will launch early 2009 instead. Hope this helps.

10-23-2008, 11:50 AM	#5
mbealmear Active Warrior Join Date: May 2008 Location: Hopkinsville,Ky , USA. Posts: 61 Thanks: 16 Thanked 8 Times in 6 Posts	Re: Is December a bad time to launch? With marketing it could go either way depending on your sales letter and what they product is. If it is internet marketing then I would not worry to much about it being December. If people want to buy your product then they will find a way to pay for it or atleast bookmark the site and come back to it when they do find the spare money. Money in general has become a big gift for Christmas for you might be suprised how many people have the extra cash because it was given to them as a gift.

10-23-2008, 11:53 AM	#6
Ryan_Taylor Advanced Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 660 Thanks: 10 Thanked 17 Times in 9 Posts	Re: Is December a bad time to launch? Good point, Carygee - this was something I thought of and escaped my mind. It's not internet marketing related, and will be a limited time offer, so the timing is a critical piece. At least the timing of the pre-launch and launch sequence.

10-23-2008, 01:19 PM	#7
Ken Preuss aka KRAZY KEN War Room Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 627 Thanks: 130 Thanked 577 Times in 101 Posts Social Networking	Re: Is December a bad time to launch? Personally I think a lot of people over-analyze this. While the type of product, nature of the market and price point all play a factor, here's my take based on experience. If you have a phenomenal offer for a target market that makes them clamor for it, you can launch on Christmas Day and do well. Example: I mentioned this on another thread, but I used to market another trainer's $50K real estate seminar (yes, fifty-thousand dollars). Guess which month it was where we sold the most? Yep. December. You wanna know why? Very simple. We decided December wasn't a bad month to sell a $50K training....and we decided were going to play big and go for 15 sales. We ended up with 12. You can do the math....that was a really good month. The point is that there are all sorts of reasons to do or not do things according to the "science" of product launches. While I respect the experience and authority behind these nuances, nothing has more power than a ridiculously compelling offer that is perfectly matched to a target market who is desperate for it. Best regards, Ken
	Coming soon for all you IM junkies... The Internet Daily Show A Secret to Success: Making serious money online or offline is not complex unto itself - we're the ones who complicate it. Simply sell them what they are already buying.

10-23-2008, 01:22 PM	#8
Michael Motley HyperActive Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: U.S. Posts: 385 Thanks: 31 Thanked 256 Times in 182 Posts Social Networking	Re: Is December a bad time to launch? I would say collecting emails then launching after the first of the year when people are looking to find ways to pay off those christmas bills would be a better plan

10-23-2008, 01:27 PM	#9
GeorgR. Senior Warrior Member War Room Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Earth Posts: 5,947 Blog Entries: 15 Thanks: 72 Thanked 871 Times in 579 Posts Social Networking	Re: Is December a bad time to launch? we get this question every year While some say it's bad, others say that december is their best sales month. You decide... Personally i think every time is a good time, with the exception of "right after christmas", january. But then, market is global, and not all holidays are the same around the globe.
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10-23-2008, 02:05 PM	#10
Ryan_Taylor Advanced Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 660 Thanks: 10 Thanked 17 Times in 9 Posts	Re: Is December a bad time to launch? All good points. To be more specific... the product falls would be considered "financial literacy," and is a program that discusses how to protect your money and ways to profit in this economy. The price range will be in the $150 range with 65% commission. I suppose the only/best solution is to try and see what happens for myself. If it doesn't go as planned, then try again at a later date. Ken, I hear ya' on the offer. I agree that it has to be irresistible, and am trying to get creative to come up with ideas or partner with people who can help put more icing on the cake so to speak.