Are You Turned Off by Bonuses?

15 years ago

If you look at television offers, certainly bonuses play a big role. In those examples, they usually stay focused on what the person is interested in buying, and don't offer bonuses that are unrelated. For example, if you act now you will get 2 widgets for the price of one.

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Neil Morgan

15 years ago

I agree that it really helps if the bonus is directly related to the product being sold.

I once increased monthly sales by 100(ish)% of a $200 product by offering a directly related bonus (which cost me nothing) that the customer could have bought for $37 if they wanted it.

Cheers,

Neil

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TheCren

15 years ago

What about complementary products? You can't add value by offering two of the same ebook for the price of one - the second one is worthless. On the other hand, if you offer a free "jelly" and/or free "bread" with every order of "peanut butter," it seems to me that you should get a great response.

Edit: Thanks, Neil! You answered the question in this reply as I was typing it.

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jacktackett

15 years ago

As Neil and Cren stated, bonus do not impact my decisions that much as long as they are complimentary. If they're there just to add 'bulk' that may make me wonder about the quality of the main product. But if I want the main product, the addition or lack of bonuses does not play that big a deal in my decisions.

The correct answer is of course to test! Do at least a split test of bonus vs no bonus and then test which bonuses increase sells. An exit survey would not hurt either.

Paul Hancox has some excellent material on testing if you're interested.

best,
--Jack

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Tsnyder

15 years ago

If the bonus is relevant to the product I'm purchasing
it makes sense... but, let's be serious for a moment...

Does anyone really think that a marketer is giving
away a bonus package that's legitimately worth $2000
for the purchase of a $37 ebook?

I don't... I think it looks ridiculous and cheapens the offer.

The analogy to infomercials isn't really on point. What I see
most of them doing is doubling the amount of product for the
same price... that makes the offer demonstrably more valuable.
I don't really need two of the same ebook.

Tsnyder

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Shakul

15 years ago

Hello,

Some people adds huge bonuses, Like "Free Money making reports", "Articles", and tons of reports, etc -> This made some people into thinking (including me) why people are giving me bonus...and it doesnt give positive impression...

But, Suppose, the seller is selling a domain name and offer free hosting as a bonus, then it really make sense...

But if you selling say "How to make money ebook" and offer other 10 PLR ebooks related how to make money..Then it doesnt make sense at many time...

So, in short, bonus and the main product should be complementary to each other...

Regards
Shakul

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Dana Forsythe

15 years ago

Bonuses with affiliate products drive me nuts. I feel like if you have to add in a ton of bonuses then the product must not be good enough to sell itself. And I think an Ebook is the worst bonus ever. Ebooks seem to annoy people more than anything these days.

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CurtisN

15 years ago

Originally Posted by mrsforex

Bonuses with affiliate products drive me nuts. I feel like if you have to add in a ton of bonuses then the product must not be good enough to sell itself. And I think an Ebook is the worst bonus ever. Ebooks seem to annoy people more than anything these days.

This is a misconception. The point of offering a bonus is to get someone to buy through your link, not to get someone to buy the product. People offer bonuses because they know that there is already a demand for a product and want to capitalize on that demand.

Hypothetical situation: imagine if bonuses weren't allowed so nobody offered them. There would be a million shmoes out there promoting a product. How would an affiliate distinguish him or herself from the others?

And why do you think ebooks are terrible bonuses? Are you implying that there aren't any good ebooks out there? I have a ton of really bad ebooks, that's for sure, but to say that ebooks are the worst bonuses ever is overgeneralizing, isn't it?

Curtis

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JohnMcCabe

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Tsnyder

The analogy to infomercials isn't really on point. What I see most of them doing is doubling the amount of product for the same price... that makes the offer demonstrably more valuable.

I don't really need two of the same ebook.

Tsnyder

If you have enough material, you can split the ebook into two (or more) volumes. Buy Volume 1 right now, and get Volume 2 free...

Or, buy the ebook and get the mp3 free - if you order right now.

Of course, depending on the niche, you might have to script the sales page to enforce the 'buy now' part.

Originally Posted by mrsforex

Bonuses with affiliate products drive me nuts. I feel like if you have to add in a ton of bonuses then the product must not be good enough to sell itself. And I think an Ebook is the worst bonus ever. Ebooks seem to annoy people more than anything these days.

My opinion? Worthless ebooks probably annoy people more than anything else. Piling up a bunch of unrelated public domain ebooks and freeware, then tagging it with silly values just to create a bigger thud turns me off.

There have been products I've been ready to buy until the affiliate tells me I can get a free copy of "Think and Grow Rich" (worth $97) or some such nonsense. I might still buy the product, but not from that affiliate.

On the other hand, I bought a product (an ebook) not long ago. The main offering taught me how to do something. The bonus ebook was a reference book with links to suppliers, more resources, useful blogs on the subject, and so on. The bonus suited the main offer perfectly and made it more valuable. That affiliate earned their commission.

Of course, unless I'm the whole market, what works or does not on me, plus $2 will get you a cup of Starbucks. Each marketer has to look for the evidence in their own bottom line.

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Jillian Slack 15 years ago

In the last year or so, I've had two or three emails about launches that included an INSANE amount of bonuses.

Very strange.

I like a good bonus that's related to whatever I'm buying.

However, when I buy an ebook or CD for $20 - $50 and they tell me I'm getting $16,000 in free bonuses PLUS many of them have absolutely nothing to do with the main product, it just seems strange.
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TheCren

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Tsnyder

If the bonus is relevant to the product I'm purchasing
it makes sense... but, let's be serious for a moment...

Does anyone really think that a marketer is giving
away a bonus package that's legitimately worth $2000
for the purchase of a $37 ebook?

Mike Filsaime gave away a $1997 course in exchange for shipping and handling just to promote a $40 monthly newsletter. The hope, when marketers actually give away such value, is that most people will purchase the recurring billing product being offered on the backend.

Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim

Bonuses work if they're done right...at least that's my experience.

That seems to be the caveat - "... if they're done right."

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Andrew G Gowans

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Jillian Slack

In the last year or so, I've had two or three emails about launches that included an INSANE amount of bonuses.

Very strange.

I like a good bonus that's related to whatever I'm buying.

However, when I buy an ebook or CD for $20 - $50 and they tell me I'm getting $16,000 in free bonuses PLUS many of them have absolutely nothing to do with the main product, it just seems strange.

I feel it's not just strange, it can be a complete turn off. The ones I hate are - super affiliate A draws your attention to the big launch and "suggests" it makes the most sense to order through them because of their huge bonus package worth thousands.

But wait, super affiliate B has seen this, shouts across the room to get $2000 worth more bonuses added to their offer which will include anything from software, ebooks, free memberships worth thousands and the best of all - monster graphics packs with everything from a gazillion buttons to free templates, all of which have no direct relevance to the original item being sold.

Steve's right, bonuses work and are a tremendous marketing tool if it is done correctly.

For example if I were to buy an ebook or course on lets say an affiliate marketing method or system and the bonus was a set of "hold your hand how to videos" or one-on-one coaching at a genuinely reduced rate, I would be interested.

On the other hand, if the product is being sold as the one and only ebook I will ever ever ever need to buy to make my fortune on line, why is there a bonus of another ten ebooks to help me make money? Doh!

Andrew G.

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JohnMcCabe

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Andrew G Gowans

I feel it's not just strange, it can be a complete turn off. The ones I hate are - super affiliate A draws your attention to the big launch and "suggests" it makes the most sense to order through them because of their huge bonus package worth thousands.

But wait, super affiliate B has seen this, shouts across the room to get $2000 worth more bonuses added to their offer which will include anything from software, ebooks, free memberships worth thousands and the best of all - monster graphics packs with everything from a gazillion buttons to free templates, all of which have no direct relevance to the original item being sold.

Steve's right, bonuses work and are a tremendous marketing tool if it is done correctly.

Andrew G.

Andrew, some of what you've seen comes as the result of affiliate contests. Whichever affiliate brings in the most sales wins some outrageous prize. Now you have a bunch of skilled affiliates competing for the prize, and many times winning becomes more important than the actual prize.

Unless they have a favorite guru they always buy through, most of the folks who have been through the launch cycle a few times will wait until all the weewee-measuring is done and pick the bonus package that appeals to them most.

Like Napolean said, "men will fight and die for shiny bits of metal and ribbon."

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Steven Wagenheim

15 years ago

True story...take it for what it's worth to you.

When Dean Shainen launched his Ezine Articles Manifesto, I promoted it as
an affiliate and offered several bonuses that directly related to the product
itself.

I sold 50 copies and came in 2nd in the contest.

Bonuses work if they're done right...at least that's my experience.

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n00b

15 years ago

Bonuses in general don't turn me off. It does turn me off when I'm looking at a sales page for something like an ebook on weight loss and I'm being offered an adsense report or make $1,000 a week report as a bonus. For me, the bonuses have to be related, otherwise it hurts credibility.

The other thing that turns me off is "Buy my $19.99 ebook and you'll get this bonus package of 56 ebooks, reports, and software valued at $25,000." First of all, I don't want that much crap. Second of all, your $19.99 ebook must be pretty bad to have to bribe people like that to buy it. Third, if the bonuses are so great and worth so much, why are you selling a crappy $19.99 ebook?

I love bonuses, and they have been what's tipped me over the edge to buy in more than a few situations, but they have to be done right. I want bonuses that expound on what I'm getting and compliment it. I don't mean something that's just in the same niche. I like a bonus that enhances the value of the product I'm buying, otherwise it doesn't make a difference to me in my buying decision.

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JohnMcCabe

15 years ago

Originally Posted by ProductCreator

Bonuses need to be obviously worth a lot to the prospect to be worth including. They are far more powerful when used as a bribe by an affiliate. But for a product owner, think before you add one and ask yourself if it is worthy of adding.

If your primary product is already great then any bonus worthy of adding needs to be brilliant and nothing less.

I've heard multiple marketers whom I respect put it as 'the bonus should be good enough to stand on its own as a product.'

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Devon Brown

15 years ago

Bonuses help with what we like to call "The THUD Factor" In other words...you if you were to put the main product and all of the bonuses in a box and drop it on the ground; it would make a BIG THUD.

This often does help regarding PERCEIVED value. But, as stated so many other times...I would focus on adding bonuses that compliment the main product.

However, I will say that i have seen people speaking on stage who just keep offering bonuses and the crowd just starts to feel that they'd be stupid not to take advantage of the offer...

I guess you'll just have to test it ;-)

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TheCren 15 years ago

Originally Posted by Renegade Success

I guess you'll just have to test it ;-)

I was afraid of that
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- Hamida Harland 15 years ago
  
  Bonuses work great for me. The only time I offer a bonus is when I'm promoting a product launch - people have already decided to buy, they just want to find the person with the best bonus.
  
  I've tested promoting product launches without bonuses and earned less than $100 - with a great bonus I always make over $1500 if it's an average $77 product (and I don't have an IM list).
  
  Thanks
  
  1 reply
  
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  BlueStar Banned 15 years ago
  
  I love Bonuses ;-)
  
  I know for FACT that bonuses work, no if's and or butts.
  
  I especially like Bonuses that are delivered Post Sale that weren't mentioned at time of sale.
  
  Thanks
  
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Are You Turned Off by Bonuses?

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