My little formula for creating a successful website!

I'd like to share with you all a little formula that I personally always adhere to when creating a product. So anyway here goes...


Now, before I explain, I have only applied this formula to information products and also web based services, and so far it seems to be working for me. Let me explain.

Consolidation: Can you consolidate (i.e. compile, put together) information on the web that is all over the place? Sometimes Google shows information to be all over the place and people have to visit multiple sites, gain feedback from mutliple 'credible' sources etc. and this can sometimes be very confusing for a customer who just wants the info there and then.
A few years back I created a PS3 YLOD Repair website which provided instant access to repair guides for the PS3 when users experienced what was called the 'yellow light of death'. I am sure some of you may know this. What I did here was consolidate or put together all of the information across the web on repairing the PS3 into easy-to-follow guides and videos.

Simplicity: Once you have consolidated information for a niche on the web, you then need to simplify it. This means making it simple for the customer to follow your guides/videos/informational products/courses etc. There's no use consolidating information and making it difficult for your customer to follow. Not only will this result in refunds, but also make them very unhappy!

Marketing: Without this, the above would never occur. Marketing can also mean getting affiliates, getting traffic (VERY IMPORTANT) and also your sales letter (i.e. is it crafted professionally with your target market in mind). This also means establishing credibility with your customer.

To emphasize how important each part of the equation is, I launched a website a few months ago, and while I adhered to the consolidation and marketing factor, I failed to adhere to the simplicity factor. This in turn caused people to be confused and so they wouldn't use my service as much as I would've liked them to!

I hope this helps someone with their business plans (particularly if you're in the information product industry), though I am not too sure if this formula can be applied elsewhere. Let me know what you think!