by mreed
16 replies
I'm someone that tends to be overly organized and likes to map out processes, etc. I prefer a guided approach rather than a scattered (bouncing all over the place) approach to starting something.

I've reviewed plenty of online marketing businesses (affiliate marketing) over the years and honestly, I'll be the first to admit I haven't followed thru with the time needed to invest for success. "Life" has always seemed to get in the way - whether that was getting married, starting new careers, having kids, etc. I'm not upset because I've done well, but I've always had something in the back of my mind about creating some type of income online - they call it a "side-hustle' these days. Perhaps a fantasy/dream of having a little more flexibility, a little more freedom, but nonetheless; always just a little bug there whispering in my ear.

I'm been around long enough to remember reading:
Jim Daniels
Ed Dale
Rosalind Gardner
Mike Filsaime
Lyn Terry
...and the list goes on.

I always believed what they had to say. But as the saying goes, you need to take action and work the systems to achieve any success. I guess the point of this post is more of a question for anyone listening. As time has ticked on, I'm sure that the methods or 'step by step' guides from all those I use to listen to are 'dated'.

I hear stuff about eBay, Amazon, Kindle, Etsy, etc. these days. In the past, I was always just thinking websites and affiliate products. Probably limiting myself, but I guess that's what I was comfortable with at the time.

Even on this website, the different forums are so broken down into specifics. That's great for those likely earning incomes and trying to gain more market share, etc. But how does someone break into that arena?

"Do these steps for 60 days and you're almost guaranteed to earn $100."
(I know that's kinda cliche, but it's the jest of what I'm seeking.)

Is there anyone out there sharing a proven online business process worth listening too?
(...and by proven process I mean - good/clear steps coupled with hard work)
#guide #step
  • Profile picture of the author Kay King
    I hear stuff about eBay, Amazon, Kindle, Etsy, etc. these days. In the past, I was always just thinking websites and affiliate products. Probably limiting myself, but I guess that's what I was comfortable with at the time.
    Sounds like you were a 'newbie' and affiliate products appeal because you don't have to create a product - you just need to point people to it and collect the money. Too bad it's not quite that easy ... but it does appeal to new marketers.

    Even on this website, the different forums are so broken down into specifics. That's great for those likely earning incomes and trying to gain more market share, etc. But how does someone break into that arena?
    There are many threads here about how to get started - what you need to know etc. For one that is pretty much guaranteed to work IF YOU WORK IT...go to this link.

    https://www.warriorforum.com/warrior...days-ebay.html

    "Do these steps for 60 days and you're almost guaranteed to earn $100." (I know that's kinda cliche, but it's the jest of what I'm seeking.)
    That's what the ads said - and they were trying to SELL your something. It didn't work back then and it doesn't work now. You can learn to choose a niche, to built a site/blog, to use ads effectively to get traffic, etc etc....YOU have to put it together. There are so many more free helpful sites online now than there were 10 years ago...but too much competition to just drop links and wait for the cash.

    Read enough on this forum to get an idea for which members are posting from experience/knowledge and which are posting for 'exposure'. In other words - choose who to follow, who to listen to....when you get stuck asked questions IN DETAIL and chances are someone here can help.
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    • Profile picture of the author mreed
      I appreciate that King Kay...

      Yes, affiliate marketing definitely appeals to me because I don't have a product. I can create a website, content and learn all the other pieces fairly easily. Again, I just need to put in the time - then ask detailed questions (good advice).

      I think that's one of the reasons I'm searching for "steps". I hate wasting time going down rabbit holes that don't work and/or will never work. I understand that it's not as easy as everyone claims. I understand there is keyword research, seo optimization, social media links, etc.

      I did read that post by saridge4 about eBay. It was packed with great information. I guess I'm just not sure that purchasing and reselling items is a comfortable fit for me. Still, I should probably try a $50 self challenge and see what happens. Could be a fun learning experience.

      saridge4 had another post about starting IM with nothing. I was much more interested in that post (it was almost exactly about what I'm talking about and/or seeking) but he/she seemed to abandon that project. It might have something to do with COVID because the timeline matched up... I'd love to see that project resurrected because I believe it was everything I'm curious about.
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  • Profile picture of the author GordonJ
    Just one way, and this for INFORMATION products. Although I have sold 'real' physical products, and even services...information is always in high demand and can be created or acquired easily.

    The PROCESS. Create a ONE page HOTSHEET on a subject (any subject). Put it up for sale, I have my people use GUMROAD because it is a complete platform.

    Then write a 4 page mini report on the same subject, put it up for sale.

    Then a 10-15 page mini report, with graphics/pics and put it up for sale.

    Pause. Ask questions. Any sales from organic traffic (those buyers on Gumroad).

    Who is the market, where are they, how can I get them the link? If I do and nothing happens, I look at the copy, maybe the promotion isn't good enough.

    The objective is to spend a month, CREATING products, writing copy for them, trying to sell them, getting feedback and fleshing out the concept/idea while identifying problems.

    A hotsheet can sell for a buck, to about 3.95, a mini report for 5 to 7 and a bigger report for 10 dollars. The first month is used to get to know what you can and can not do, what time you really have to devote to it, your understanding of copywriting/promotions and then your areas of weakness.

    Some folk don't like to sell information, and if you choose a product, you'd be hard pressed to find better advice than in the eBay thread in the Path forum.
    https://www.warriorforum.com/warrior...days-ebay.html

    GordonJ


    Originally Posted by mreed View Post

    I'm someone that tends to be overly organized and likes to map out processes, etc. I prefer a guided approach rather than a scattered (bouncing all over the place) approach to starting something.

    I've reviewed plenty of online marketing businesses (affiliate marketing) over the years and honestly, I'll be the first to admit I haven't followed thru with the time needed to invest for success. "Life" has always seemed to get in the way - whether that was getting married, starting new careers, having kids, etc. I'm not upset because I've done well, but I've always had something in the back of my mind about creating some type of income online - they call it a "side-hustle' these days. Perhaps a fantasy/dream of having a little more flexibility, a little more freedom, but nonetheless; always just a little bug there whispering in my ear.

    I'm been around long enough to remember reading:
    Jim Daniels
    Ed Dale
    Rosalind Gardner
    Mike Filsaime
    Lyn Terry
    ...and the list goes on.

    I always believed what they had to say. But as the saying goes, you need to take action and work the systems to achieve any success. I guess the point of this post is more of a question for anyone listening. As time has ticked on, I'm sure that the methods or 'step by step' guides from all those I use to listen to are 'dated'.

    I hear stuff about eBay, Amazon, Kindle, Etsy, etc. these days. In the past, I was always just thinking websites and affiliate products. Probably limiting myself, but I guess that's what I was comfortable with at the time.

    Even on this website, the different forums are so broken down into specifics. That's great for those likely earning incomes and trying to gain more market share, etc. But how does someone break into that arena?

    "Do these steps for 60 days and you're almost guaranteed to earn $100."
    (I know that's kinda cliche, but it's the jest of what I'm seeking.)

    Is there anyone out there sharing a proven online business process worth listening too?
    (...and by proven process I mean - good/clear steps coupled with hard work)
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    • Profile picture of the author mreed
      GordonJ,
      Thanks. That's very interesting...and the first I've heard of GumRoad.

      I've never created "products", but what you're describing is basically content formatted and presented as a product. (I think that's what you're describing) That seems like a very doable trial/error system of finding something that works...and could generate income - and go from there.
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      • Profile picture of the author GordonJ
        Originally Posted by mreed View Post

        GordonJ,
        Thanks. That's very interesting...and the first I've heard of GumRoad.

        I've never created "products", but what you're describing is basically content formatted and presented as a product. (I think that's what you're describing) That seems like a very doable trial/error system of finding something that works...and could generate income - and go from there.
        The good news about the Warrior Forum is, it has one of the best archives of how to information online...the bad...time consuming and hard to find. So, to save you some time from trudging through the years and years of quality posts...we'll just start anew.

        I have to think most content is either information or entertainment, is it not? Anyhow, I will give you THREE very specific examples. And one of these folks, Warrior Barb Ling, has written a nice how to guide on Gumroad (along with her biz partner Dennis Becker). It may still be available at Warriorplus (nothing to do with Warrior Forum).

        These are LOW cost info products which I have paid for:

        HOLIDAY MARKETING CHEATSHEET $3.77 from Barb Ling. It was a one page list of links, with a bonus page of other things. Great buy. She reported selling several hundred of these, you can do the math.

        MIRACLE OF SEED MARKETING $3.47 A 29 page PDF file from the Amazing Marlon Sanders. A steal at this price, one of the Masters.

        KEVIN'S PRODUCTIVITY HACKS $4.95 All sort of goodies, most Google docs, Google sheets, PDF. All good stuff from Warrior Kevin Fahey, one of most successful Affiliate Marketers among us

        So these are just a few of thousands of examples of low cost CONTENT/information products which are easy to create and begin to sell.

        They could also be given away to get names on a list, one of the standard operating procedures of all IM. A list of prospects with some familiarity with you, not as good as a buyer, but still a LIST of potential.

        I like for beginner's to use Gumroad because it has about a half hour learning curve, if that, on getting your product listed. It also has the basic tools one needs to learn before moving on to their own sites. Plus it is a marketplace with thousands of users.

        Here is a step by step example. I start with a simple HOTSHEET HOW TO ADD 20 TO 40 YARDS TO YOUR DRIVES WITH ONE SIMPLE MOVE. I sell it for $3.

        OR, give it away in an exchange for an email address. In the short little report of only a page or two, I link to another golf program; THINK AND REACH PAR, How to Master the Four Shots of Golf. That could sell for 7-14 dollars, depending on how much work I do on the copy or promotion.

        In that report, I may have a complete GOLF evaluation program to offer for $99 with a down sell to 59 and an upsell to 149...some bonuses thrown in.

        The END, is to have a list of GOLF INFORMATION buyers, SEGMENTED by $$$ spent and an ongoing auto responder series to keep them interested, possibly a blog, forum or private Facebook site to continue to give them value and to accept their generosity they show for my kindness. See?

        That is about as step by step as it gets.

        I teach and believe that we all have STORED VALUE in our heads, today, ready to be extracted and turned into product. Once you get it out of your head, then you need to find the audience, and testing and good old fashioned Remote Direct Marketing knowledge comes into play.

        As stated, it is just ONE WAY to get a step by step activity in motion, and with information, it has the least amount of slop and mess and whether or not you want to have an affiliate program with it, is something that can be easily added on.

        I also like the idea of using ChatGPT or Bard to give you a checklist, or steps if you prefer.

        My way; HOTSHEET, Mini Report, 10 pager...more and more has been tested and proven over the decades and is about as simple as anything I have found.

        Any questions?

        GordonJ
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        • Profile picture of the author mreed
          This is GREAT info Gordon. I've probably purchased things in the past that didn't lay it out as clear.

          I can think of numerous topics that I could creat that type of content. Heck, my neighbors hit me up for advice...might as well sell it! lol

          I think my "roadblock" in the past has been trying to detail everything out before starting. I particularly noticed that the time/effort (in your example) isn't put into a final book/program...until the hot sheet and mini-book is performing. THAT makes a lot of sense to me.

          Very encouraging.
          (btw...not to start too many projects...but I did venture out to Goodwill and purchase about $50 worth of stuff to resell on eBay - following savidge4 advice. Just wanted to say I've tried that. ;-)
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  • Profile picture of the author Monetize
    Originally Posted by mreed View Post

    I'm someone that tends to be overly organized and likes to map out processes, etc. I prefer a guided approach rather than a scattered (bouncing all over the place) approach to starting something.


    I am this way so I can relate. I cannot begin a project
    unless I know exactly what needs to be done through
    completion.

    If you require step-by-step instructions for things that
    you plan to develop, I recommend using ChatGPT as
    it is perfect for this. You just describe whatever project
    you want to do, and ChatGPT will give you a detailed
    plan with complete instructions.

    Setting up some of these online ventures can take
    several weeks, so you will need to schedule the time
    to work on them on a consistent basis.
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    • Profile picture of the author mreed
      Oh my word that's a great idea! lol. I can have my own personal assistant telling me what to do!

      (i.e. I got buried today with the "real" job. It would be nice to understand what to spend an hour on tonight - best use of my time.)
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  • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
    Originally Posted by mreed View Post

    I'm someone that tends to be overly organized and likes to map out processes, etc. I prefer a guided approach rather than a scattered (bouncing all over the place) approach to starting something.

    I've reviewed plenty of online marketing businesses (affiliate marketing) over the years and honestly, I'll be the first to admit I haven't followed thru with the time needed to invest for success. "Life" has always seemed to get in the way - whether that was getting married, starting new careers, having kids, etc. I'm not upset because I've done well, but I've always had something in the back of my mind about creating some type of income online - they call it a "side-hustle' these days. Perhaps a fantasy/dream of having a little more flexibility, a little more freedom, but nonetheless; always just a little bug there whispering in my ear.

    I'm been around long enough to remember reading:
    Jim Daniels
    Ed Dale
    Rosalind Gardner
    Mike Filsaime
    Lyn Terry
    ...and the list goes on.

    I always believed what they had to say. But as the saying goes, you need to take action and work the systems to achieve any success. I guess the point of this post is more of a question for anyone listening. As time has ticked on, I'm sure that the methods or 'step by step' guides from all those I use to listen to are 'dated'.

    I hear stuff about eBay, Amazon, Kindle, Etsy, etc. these days. In the past, I was always just thinking websites and affiliate products. Probably limiting myself, but I guess that's what I was comfortable with at the time.

    Even on this website, the different forums are so broken down into specifics. That's great for those likely earning incomes and trying to gain more market share, etc. But how does someone break into that arena?

    "Do these steps for 60 days and you're almost guaranteed to earn $100."
    (I know that's kinda cliche, but it's the jest of what I'm seeking.)

    Is there anyone out there sharing a proven online business process worth listening too?
    (...and by proven process I mean - good/clear steps coupled with hard work)
    This business, as with any other, is primarily about answering certain questions.

    WHO is your target customer?

    WHERE will you find them? You must get their interest, and bring them from wherever that is to your turf. Example: run facebook ads for residential roofers who are looking for more jobs. You take them by a click in the ad from fb to your website (more details below).

    HOW will you get them to show their interest, and begin consuming content from you? This is a step most often made into a dog's breakfast. Newbies keep trying to smuch Traffic (generation of the lead) and Conversion (turning that lead into a buyer) into a single step. Eg. they arrive at your website, a landing page that sells the idea of a free mini course on lead generation of roofing jobs.

    If this was a simple affiliate offer, what most newbies would do is send the lead directly to the sales page (this is called a hop). They would not capture the lead's name and email address...pre sell them...or give them more than one opportunity to buy.

    When someone joins your email list, you have the potential of sending them to that sales page several times.

    Let's stop there for now.

    What you have gotten confused about, I believe, is the number of * platforms * your customer could be found upon.

    ebay is a platform.
    facebook is a platform.
    amazon is a platform.
    so is etsy.

    It is best to specialize, at least at first, in a single platform. Why? Because you must find out its rules and processes so that you can use it. Otherwise, you risk getting banned and losing the real estate you've been building your business upon.

    This is why developing your own email list is so important: it gets your potential customers off the platform, which you don't own, and onto your list, which you do own.

    Platforms have compliance issues, arbitrary rules, and other complicated elements that can be changed on you at any time. Getting familiar with one becomes "the devil you know".

    So, * somewhere *, you need an ongoing supply of potential customers.

    Where you get this is up to you. Which platform you choose to become familiar with is up to you. You could even do joint ventures, where you access someone else's buyers list in exchange for a % of the sales dollars. That's yet another kind of platform. You don't own it, either, but you do have a little more control.

    Then you need a way of capturing those leads.

    And then you need a way of converting some of those leads into buyers.

    Conversion can be a sales letter with a buy button at the end...a video sales letter with a buy button... a live call with a salesperson... any number of other methods.

    Now I know from your post that you are looking for "The One Right Way". There is none. Sure, sellers will try to leverage this search for confidence and certainty, but you must still develop the skills yourself. You need certain competencies. And you can't read them out of a book and then suddenly have them. You must do them for awhile, and see it all for yourself.

    There is no "One Right Way". Additionally, something that works well for me might be absolutely terrible for you. Your personality type just might not be a match for it. There are many things that aren't a match for me: for instance, SEO has never been something I've felt comfortable with. But direct outreach, calling or messaging someone? Sure, I can do that.

    So beware of someone trying to sell you the "One Right Way". They have only their expertise, their knowledge of platform syntax, their personal alignment with a particular method. They can give you the map. You still have to walk through the mud of the territory. If business success was paint by number, a whole lot more people would be rich.

    Compare what I've said to Gordon's post, and match up the specifics of what he said with the general cases of what I discussed.
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    • Profile picture of the author mreed
      Thanks Jason.

      What I'm pulling from your post is THE LIST and my OWN process. I think a few things are starting to click in my head - it doesn't have to be perfect. BUT...I appreciate the starting points and examples.

      I think often "newbies" and OLD "newbies" start to stare at the screen and find ourselves buried in forum threads overwhelmed by everything. There's a shiny new penny everywhere you turn.

      I think @Monetize helped me with focus using ChatGPT and hopefully a little self discipline.

      This again is GREAT advice. I'm very impressed with the Warrior Forum. It didn't look at first like there was a lot of movement on this site...but the quality is exceptional.

      I'm sure I'll be back with more questions!
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  • Profile picture of the author dave_hermansen
    Originally Posted by mreed View Post

    Is there anyone out there sharing a proven online business process worth listening too?
    (...and by proven process I mean - good/clear steps coupled with hard work)
    There are dozens of really good courses out there that work, utilizing a variety of eCommerce methods. What none of them tell you is that sometimes, you simply pick the wrong product and niche - even though the numbers look good in your initial research.

    I can definitely tell you that after building more than 200 eCommerce websites, we have had some huge successes that we did not anticipate were going to be all that great and others that we thought were going to be money-making dynamos that barely broke even.

    The key is to develop a list of possible product niches that look like they may be winners. Then, pick one and give it a shot. If it works, great. If after 3-6 months, it doesn't look like a winner, move on and start building the next one on your list.

    Bottom Line: After doing this for 20 years or so, I still have no "formula" for determining a "can't miss" website idea. All I know is what stands a chance of working out.

    We have tried everything - affiliate, stock and ship, dropshipping, arbitrage. All of them can work to some degree if you pick the right product at the right time and not only build your site correctly, but are wise with your marketing spend (and are a little bit lucky with your product niche selection).

    For us, dropshipping has always provided the best bang for the buck considering that it is a no-risk eCommerce model (you don't have to buy any inventory with dropshipping, after all). Still, time IS money, so no matter what method you choose, you are investing a lot - even if it is not actual money.

    Really, the key is to find a method that suits your own time commitment and to actually follow ALL of the steps that the many courses built around that eCommerce method lay out. Then, know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em and that some ideas will be make some money, some will make a ton and some won't make a cent. Then, it's just rinse and repeat until you get to where you want to be monetarily.
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    • Profile picture of the author mreed
      ...you may think you don't have a formula, but I think you do. You have a process for trying out a niche market to see if it's profitable. I'll assume that's with websites, lists, seo, affiliates, context, etc. what is that process? (...I think THATS the question many have.)

      THAT is the part that newbies can't see.

      We do drop-shipping, affiliates, stock and shop, etc. That all sounds impressive...but I can see myself and others saying, "is there a website that shows me how to drop ship? where do I find an affiliate product to sell on my Facebook page and make thousands." (dramatic example)

      Don't get me wrong, you offer great advice. But what I hear is that it has to almost be self taught with determination. There is no simple solution...BUT rest assured it's possible.
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      • Profile picture of the author dave_hermansen
        Originally Posted by mreed View Post

        ...you may think you don't have a formula, but I think you do. You have a process for trying out a niche market to see if it's profitable. I'll assume that's with websites, lists, seo, affiliates, context, etc. what is that process? (...I think THATS the question many have.)

        THAT is the part that newbies can't see.

        We do drop-shipping, affiliates, stock and shop, etc. That all sounds impressive...but I can see myself and others saying, "is there a website that shows me how to drop ship? where do I find an affiliate product to sell on my Facebook page and make thousands." (dramatic example)

        Don't get me wrong, you offer great advice. But what I hear is that it has to almost be self taught with determination. There is no simple solution...BUT rest assured it's possible.
        Well, nobody is allowed to promote their own product on this forum, so asking for the step by step guide we or others have created would get not only our post banned, but put us in jeopardy of permanent cancelation.

        You might want to look in the signatures of various people who post on the forum, many of which have guides, in order to find those step-by-step plans.
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        BizSellers.com - The #1 place to buy & sell websites!
        We help sellers get the MAXIMUM amount for their websites and all buyers know that these sites are 100% vetted.
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        • Profile picture of the author GordonJ
          Originally Posted by dave_hermansen View Post

          Well, nobody is allowed to promote their own product on this forum, so asking for the step by step guide we or others have created would get not only our post banned, but put us in jeopardy of permanent cancelation.

          You might want to look in the signatures of various people who post on the forum, many of which have guides, in order to find those step-by-step plans.
          For all:
          One of the best investments a Warrior can make is in paying for a signature file. And then, participate and share your experiences, even if it is just your journey at the beginning, and your sig file will pay for itself over and over again. Although it is rare I have one for more than a week at a time, over the decades it has been worth tens of thousands of dollars to me.

          So no matter what direction you take or what IM you choose to do, get a signature file and participate.

          GordonJ
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  • Profile picture of the author DABK
    https://www.warriorforum.com/warrior...days-ebay.html
    That's the link to a step-by-step guide to make money with ebay.


    Well, it has some good discussions and q and a parts between the steps. But it tells you what to do, in what order, and why.
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  • Profile picture of the author shwarzeneger
    your exchange helped me a lot
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