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How to create products that ALWAYS sell?

by WillR
23 replies
I often see people asking how proper niche research is done. There are a lot of ways to do it but nothing beats doing LIVE research on the same people you plan to sell to. I never create a product unless I know people are going to buy it - and you shouldn't either. It's a complete waste of time.

1. Pick your niche.

2. Setup a simple squeeze page offering a free report. You can create this free report by simply putting together a bunch of useful articles from sites like ezinearticles. The trick here is NOT to spend much time on this UNTIL you have a 'proven' niche. This way you can test a number of different niches very easily.

3. Instead of offering the free report on the squeeze page in return for just their email address, you will invite people to leave their biggest questions and concerns about the topic. Just give them a nice big box and ask them to tell you what problems they are having achieving outcome x. They get the free bribe in return for their feedback. These people are also added to your email list.

4. Drive targeted traffic to the squeeze page. If you end up getting very few responses or a lot of very short, one word or one sentence responses then this is probably not a niche that warrants having a product created.

We are looking for those niches where you are able to get a lot of very detailed responses. You want to see people who are genuinely passionate about the niche and are desperately looking for solutions to specific problems.

More often than not you will see the same old questions being asked over and over again. This is good. These questions are exactly what you will use to put your product together. Take away the guesswork and create a product that answers the exact questions the audience has been asking.

Once the product is created you can then go back and sell it to the list you have already built and continue to drive more targeted traffic to your salespage.

How do you go about picking your niches? Do you take a stab in the dark or is there some method behind your madness?
#101 #creation #guesswork #product #remove
  • Profile picture of the author DianaHeuser
    Originally Posted by WillR View Post

    2. Setup a simple squeeze page offering a free report. You can create this free report by simply putting together a bunch of useful articles from sites like ezinearticles. The trick here is NOT to spend much time on this UNTIL we have a 'proven' niche. This way you can test a number of different niches very easily.
    Will, that is a brilliant idea. I never thought of that. I love the idea of collecting feedback on what people actually want before you do a huge portion of the work.

    Di
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  • Profile picture of the author MattVit
    Originally Posted by WillR View Post

    2. Setup a simple squeeze page offering a free report. You can create this free report by simply putting together a bunch of useful articles from sites like ezinearticles. The trick here is NOT to spend much time on this UNTIL we have a 'proven' niche. This way you can test a number of different niches very easily.
    Isn't that copyright theft?
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    • Profile picture of the author Jon Patrick
      I don't think so, Matt. As long as you keep the attribution in place, you should be fine.
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    • Profile picture of the author timpears
      Originally Posted by MattVit View Post

      Isn't that copyright theft?
      Not if you include the resource box, which is what one report I read a long time ago suggested.

      Or, take those articles and use them as research material to write your own longer report to give away.
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  • Profile picture of the author HeySal
    I'm concerned about that part, too - while I know that if you keep the author's bio intact in the freebie it's a legal use, but if your freebie isn't all that good, what will make these people want to pay for something of yours?
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    Sal
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    • Profile picture of the author WillR
      Originally Posted by MattVit View Post

      Isn't that copyright theft?
      Not at all. Majority of articles sites let you reprint their articles so long as you keep the author info intact.

      Originally Posted by HeySal View Post

      I'm concerned about that part, too - while I know that if you keep the author's bio intact in the freebie it's a legal use, but if your freebie isn't all that good, what will make these people want to pay for something of yours?
      How you come up with your freebie is not what's important - not spending too much time on creating the freebie is the important part. Sometimes I will send some articles to a ghost writer and have them create a short report from those articles.

      For those just starting out I suggest using the articles because it's the quickest way to put something together when you have limited knowledge on the subject. You might think just because they are free articles they have no real value - it's NOT the case. There is a lot of value in collecting free information and putting it together for people in one place. In fact a large proportion of information products online are just that - information that can be found elsewhere for free but people are happy to pay for the convenience.

      I run several Facebook fanpages that have thousands and thousands of members and I do nothing more than post popular Youtube videos that are of interest to the audience. When I post a video the comments I receive are always thanking ME for sharing the video - not the person who actually created the video.

      I am not talking about putting a couple of crappy articles together. You will obviously want to find information or tutorials that are actually useful and of interest to the audience. Visiting a couple of the most popular forums in that niche will easily uncover those topics that are hot and worth including in your freebie. You could even include some links to popular Youtube videos.

      Being able to sell to those who have left responses is just a by-product of the method. The most important part is the information you will get out of those people and the product you are then able to create and sell to future prospects.
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  • Profile picture of the author sal64
    Hey, I'm gonna poo poo on your party, Will.

    Went down that road a while back and gotta say it didn't work out too well.

    Don't get me wrong, I agree 100% about researching your market - it's tested, tried and proven to work.

    These days, I have founbd it far easier to find a hot market which contains small niches within that market. I have built a great business around it.

    Not sure if I've missed the mark, and the 2 aren't mutually exclusive. However, i found the alternative to be quicker, as well as adding the research aspect to it as you explained.

    Cheers, time for more Cider in the sun.

    Sal
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    • Profile picture of the author WillR
      Originally Posted by sal64 View Post

      Hey, I'm gonna poo poo on your party, Will.

      Went down that road a while back and gotta say it didn't work out too well.

      Don't get me wrong, I agree 100% about researching your market - it's tested, tried and proven to work.

      These days, I have founbd it far easier to find a hot market which contains small niches within that market. I have built a great business around it.

      Not sure if I've missed the mark, and the 2 aren't mutually exclusive. However, i found the alternative to be quicker, as well as adding the research aspect to it as you explained.

      Cheers, time for more Cider in the sun.

      Sal
      Sal,

      No problems.

      Everyone has their own way of doing things. This is something I have been doing for a long time and has always worked very well for me. I can't even remember who I learnt this one from, I think maybe Eben Pagan.

      This is not JUST about finding which markets are hot and which are not. The other reason for using this method is to find out exactly what those people want to know. There is no surer way to create a hot selling product.

      Most people make the mistake of spending a whole heap of time on their niche research and then they go and bang together a product they THINK the audience wants - it's not the way to do things. This method also gives you an insight into how your target audience thinks, speaks, and the types of words and jargon used. This is crucial for good sales copy. If you can talk to them in their own language then your message becomes a whole lot more believable.
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      • Profile picture of the author sal64
        Absolutely my friend.

        It's hot down here today, and those Toohey's 5 Seeds ciders are going down far too easily.

        Originally Posted by WillR View Post

        Sal,

        No problems.

        Everyone has their own way of doing things. This is something I have been doing for a long time and has always worked very well for me. I can't even remember who I learnt this one from, I think maybe Eben Pagan.

        This is not JUST about finding which markets are hot and which are not. The other reason for using this method is to find out exactly what those people want to know. There is no surer way to create a hot selling product.

        Most people make the mistake of spending a whole heap of time on their niche research and then they go and bang together a product they THINK the audience wants - it's not the way to do things. This method also gives you an insight into how your target audience thinks, speaks, and the types of words and jargon used. This is crucial for good sales copy. If you can talk to them in their own language then your message becomes a whole lot more believable.
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  • Profile picture of the author John Romaine
    Will this is a method that was being pushed by Brett McFall, the Grants, and god knows how many other internet marketers from stage since about 2002. Instead they suggested using PPC. For beginners, this is simply dangerous, as it can be very costly. I learnt the hard way. Infact I blew $15,000 in 3 months following this method.

    The typical spiel is ....

    Put up a simple one page website, direct them to a survey. Ask them questions, gather feedback, throw together a bunch of articles, republish and sell.

    My thoughts on this method?

    It sucks.

    You're just recycling garbage. You know it, and as soon as the buyer pays for it, and downloads it, they know it too.

    Sure you might be answering a few of their questions, but honestly, is there any REAL value in doing this? I certainly dont think so.

    In addition to this, most products of this nature typically sell from anywhere between $7-$27 depending on the niche, and many of them have high refund rates.

    Its just not worth the hassle.

    Having said that...you're probably wondering..."Well how do YOU pick a niche?"

    The answer is simple.

    I USE COMMON SENSE.

    Heres a few rules that I apply EVERY TIME before I even THINK about entering a niche.

    1. Go where the money is.

    Im not interested in selling $7 ebooks on how to help people with terminal dandruff. Products at this pricing point attract whingers. People that haggle over $7 aren't worth my time. Id much rather put together a comprehensive educational study course, or video training course at $397-$497 and deal with people that want to do business. Which brings me to my next point.

    2. Understanding your buyer.

    Whose got the money? A stay at home unemployed parent whos interested in breeding goldfish or a real estate agent who wants to learn email marketing and customer relationship management? This is something I never gave any thought to when I first started, and I wasted a LOT of time, trying to sell to the wrong buyer.

    2. Go where there is healthy competition.

    James Schramko said once .."Dont try and sell something where there's no competition....dont do it, you'll be sorry" At the time, I thought this was quite funny. But now, knowing what I do, he is 100% correct. And heres why. If there is NO competition, then what does that tell you? The MARKET SUCKS! Trying to create something that isnt proven, that probably no-one wants, is ridiculous and will only waste your time. You need to read that again!

    How do I measure healthy competition?

    Easy.

    I look to see whats already selling in the marketplace. Then I think, how can I make my product....

    a) better (provide more value etc)
    b) cheaper (if possible, or necessary)
    c) out compete the competition in the serps

    If I find the top 3 competitors in my niche of interest are selling red widgets, here's what I do.

    a) competitor 1 - selling red widgets for $397
    b) competitor 2 - selling red widgets with some kind of wanky free bonus and maybe some blue widgets as well for $497
    c) competitor 3 - selling red widgets, blue widgets and a free caramel latte for $497

    ....I then do this

    I sell....

    red widgets, with a free wanky bonus, along with blue widgets and a free caramel latte at $297.

    Make sense?

    Ive just outperformed all of them on product, price AND value.

    All I need to do now is position myself in the SERPS, test and gather feedback.

    These are just 3 thoughts off the top of my head. Im sure there are more, but this is something that works well for me, and takes no longer than 30 minutes or so to figure out.
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  • Profile picture of the author Alex Hilton
    Personally, I'd check to see if there are any competition before I decide to make or promote a product. Competition isn't always a bad thing, it can be an indication that there's money to be made in a niche.
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  • Profile picture of the author sal64
    Have to agree with you Johnny. That model is based on Ed Dale's underachiever... when PPC was 2.5c per click.
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  • Profile picture of the author barbling
    Love the idea of submitting questions in return for getting a freebie...very cool.

    About making a freebie, time is money, you know...you can always create a 1 or 2 page cheat-sheet and market it that way (ie, "Your time is valuable and you don't want to waste it reading dozens of pages! So I've pulled together this 1 one page cheat-sheet that will show you just how to XYZ...." etc.etc.etc.).

    Then you simply structure a problem like so:

    1.) Your goal.

    2.) What's needed to achieve your goal.

    3.) How to pull the pieces together.

    4.) Make it so!

    and under the 4 sub-categories, write what works. It doesn't have to be rocket science, it simply has to be *helpful*.

    People remember help far longer than just plain words.

    Hope that (dare I say it) helps!
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    • Profile picture of the author sal64
      Now this is a fantastic idea.

      Make it useful but incomplete.

      This is another aspect about free stuff... make it easily digestible. Personally I don't like giving free stuff which totally distracts them from the sale.

      Any free report should be useful, but mainly a presell tool.

      One of my faves is the Top 10 Things You Must Do report.

      It basically goes from 10 to 1... with #1 always being to buy my product.

      Then I just insert my product content in the right places.

      Originally Posted by barbling View Post

      Love the idea of submitting questions in return for getting a freebie...very cool.

      About making a freebie, time is money, you know...you can always create a 1 or 2 page cheat-sheet and market it that way (ie, "Your time is valuable and you don't want to waste it reading dozens of pages! So I've pulled together this 1 one page cheat-sheet that will show you just how to XYZ...." etc.etc.etc.).

      Then you simply structure a problem like so:

      1.) Your goal.

      2.) What's needed to achieve your goal.

      3.) How to pull the pieces together.

      4.) Make it so!

      and under the 4 sub-categories, write what works. It doesn't have to be rocket science, it simply has to be *helpful*.

      People remember help far longer than just plain words.

      Hope that (dare I say it) helps!
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  • Profile picture of the author bizzie73
    How to create products that always sell? Experience and ample research.
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  • Profile picture of the author kursat
    I do like the part when you ask if your readers have any questions. I think that's the best way to create a website, solutions to problems.

    I also have a few micro niche websites and I have to say they were more hard work then creating my authority sites.

    For the hassle of finding a small niche that is going to make a few sales each month, I am now concentrating more on the biggies. Like healt, relationships and of course IM.

    Yes, it does take time and probably more difficult to rank on Google but the returns are much more profitable.
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  • Profile picture of the author Audrey Harvey
    You can make a freebie by using the "create a book" feature on Wikipedia

    Help:Books - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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  • Profile picture of the author Big Al
    3. Instead of offering the free report on the squeeze page in return for just their email address, you will invite people to leave their biggest questions and concerns about the topic. Just give them a nice big box and ask them to tell you what problems they are having achieving outcome x. They get the free bribe in return for their feedback. These people are also added to your email list.
    That's a great idea or (worth trying) adding a section to ask questions and comments on the Thank You page instead of just pitching a OTO or asking them to confirm their email address.

    Thanks
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  • Profile picture of the author donkhan
    That's a great idea Thanks
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    • Profile picture of the author Rick88
      The different methods do indeed work for different folks. I gues the old adage of different strokes for different folks is true. I know for me I go for large niches I can build on and sell related items. I do a small PPC test first to a competitors sight without building anything. If I can drive the traffic then I can make it profitable. I look at competition and feel comfortable competing. I tend to be more authority type sites. I also look at ROI on work and maintenance of my sites.

      Sure I have failures but the ones that stick are real money makers. If it were easy to pick only winners I think bigger marketers would hog it all. I try to put as many odds in my favor as possible. If I am going to fail, I fail quickly and fall forward. Gee, where have we heard that before?
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