Why Have YOU Not Created A product yet?

by mkusua
49 replies
If you have been online for a while and want to make money , you may already know...you have to sell something.

A product or service.

For those who know this and have not created something to sell yet...why?

Whats holding you back?

Fear of failure?

Donno how to do it?

Don't know to how sell?

Donno what to sell?

What exactly.

let's discuss.
#created #online business #product #product creation
  • Profile picture of the author PerformanceMan
    I'd rather be an affiliate and not have to worry about creating or maintaining products.

    Things change fast online so I'm ready to change with the trends.
    Signature
    Free Special Report on Mindset - Level Up with Positive Thinking
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9774205].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author mkusua
      Originally Posted by PerformanceMan View Post

      I'd rather be an affiliate and not have to worry about creating or maintaining products.

      Things change fast online so I'm ready to change with the trends.
      Nice point...but doesn't that limit your income in a way?

      Some products are evergreen. Take for example ...dog training . So a product like that is evergreen.
      Signature

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9774227].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author jasondinner
        Originally Posted by mkusua View Post

        Nice point...but doesn't that limit your income in a way?
        Being an affiliate vs creating and selling your own product does not limit your income in any way.

        It's all about putting systems in place and net profit.

        Just as much can be made selling other people's products as can be made selling your own.

        I've sold my own products in the past successfully but loved the freedom being an affiliate gives you.

        I make far more as an affiliate than I've ever made selling my own stuff.

        No one is better than the other. Both have pros and cons.

        Some people just prefer to not deal with everything that comes with owning your own product and it has nothing to do with most of the reasons suggested by the OP
        Signature

        "Human thoughts have the tendency to transform themselves into their physical equivalent." Earl Nightingale

        Super Affiliates Hang Out Here

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9774772].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author The Niche Man
          The benefit of the times we live in now is you can "get in where you fit in," so to speak. No more excuses. As others have stated, affiliate marketing is blessed with many benefits and creative people to lead you by the hand, take most of the risk and do a lot of your thinking for you. Much like a pseudo employer, without having to punch a time clock.

          When it comes to product creation, you have tons of information now, plus companies, Guru's, experts, and even software at the finger tips of anyone with the guts to take the risk. Personally speaking, no affiliate product can give you the "feeling or pride" of creating your own product and watching it succeed. It's almost like watching your child succeed - as opposed to somebody else's, but that's just me.

          Although it's less risky now (because of the above reasons) it's still riskier than most people are willing to swallow. But that's O.K, I started with affiliate marketing (best marketing education I ever had) while I learned how to create niche products and services for myself. So, I know both worlds.

          To me it's just something about putting your name on a product or service that forces you to focus, work harder and give a little extra. I call it the "Donald Trump" factor. He puts his name on everything, sure most likely out of ego. But I'm sure it forces him to deliver more too. When you put your name on a product (or business) you naturally work harder and focus stronger, for obvious reasons. That's my take.

          The key is to get in (take decisive action) where you're most comfortable.
          Signature
          Download "Free 80 Page E-Book"
          "201 Ways To Live Better On Less Money".
          "Because The Easiest Way To Make Money is ... ... By Saving Some First!"
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9774838].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Beatinest
      Originally Posted by PerformanceMan View Post

      I'd rather be an affiliate and not have to worry about creating or maintaining products.

      Things change fast online so I'm ready to change with the trends.
      As an affiliate people still have to create and maintain sources of traffic/lists/followings/etc. in order to be a successful affiliate so it all comes down to preference I think more than the difficulty of maintenance.
      Signature
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9908085].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Eliza Marzanna
    I don't know what to make the product about and then if I do create it I also need other skills like selling and getting traffic, which I am not a master at.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9774220].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author mkusua
      Originally Posted by Eliza Marzanna View Post

      I don't know what to make the product about and then if I do create it I also need other skills like selling and getting traffic, which I am not a master at.
      All these skills can be learnt dear. You won't become a master at it from day one...and definitely wont be one by not starting.

      Just make plans to launch one. Even a WSO. The mistakes and actions you make will HELP you go a long way.

      Just commit to doing just 1 , then take action.

      I have created a WSO on getting product ideas , you can go take a look. Traffic is already on Warrior forum here. Just do some study and take action.
      Signature

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9774248].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Eliza Marzanna
        Originally Posted by mkusua View Post

        All these skills can be learnt dear. You won't become a master at it from day one...and definitely wont be one by not starting.

        Just make plans to launch one. Even a WSO. The mistakes and actions you make will HELP you go a long way.

        Just commit to doing just 1 , then take action.

        I have created a WSO on getting product ideas , you can go take a look. Traffic is already on Warrior forum here. Just do some study and take action.
        but how would I do a WSO since I don't have any internet marketing skills to teach
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9775510].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author SK123
          Originally Posted by Eliza Marzanna View Post

          but how would I do a WSO since I don't have any internet marketing skills to teach
          The idea isn't to have a WSO from day one or to have an all-in-one set of IM skills. What you need to do is to pick an area of interest among the numerous sub-sections of IM. It could be SEO, list building, copy writing, social media marketing, and a host of others. Pick an area of interest, learn as much as you can about it (no one was born an IM expert), devote your time to know that subsection of interest (sub-niche) and pretty soon, you'll understand the success tips for that area and could then be in a postion to share or create a product about it.

          So, back to the OP's issue, yes, for many its the Fear Of Failure... as it may appear relatively easier to switch from one affiliate product to another if that product isn't doing well whereas the flexibility of easily switching over to something else may not be there if you were the vendor and owner of a failed product...

          Anyway, having said that, in all, overcoming this apparent fear is essential in attaining higher levels of success as life is all about overcoming your real or baseless fears and challenges.

          So, anyone that has the knowledge, skills and know-how in product creation but is tirelessly held back by this FOF should take a word from the Nike guys, move ahead and ..."Just Do It."
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9777602].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
    Banned
    Originally Posted by mkusua View Post

    If you have been online for a while and want to make money , you may already know...you have to sell something.
    Correct. But it doesn't have to be your own product or service.

    And for many people, their chances of success are far better through being an affiliate.

    Originally Posted by mkusua View Post

    For those who know this and have not created something to sell yet...why?

    Whats holding you back?
    The knowledge that for most people, most of the time, it's far better, safer, easier, more reliable and better-paid to be an affiliate and not to get involved with product-creation.

    I think being an affiliate has many advantages, and being a vendor has many disadvantages and risks (some obvious and some very much less obvious). I don't agree at all with people who imagine (and sometimes say) that becoming a vendor is the only way to start earning "big money".

    I think there's a huge number of reasons for affiliate marketing being better, overall, for many people, anyway. Here are just ten of them ...
    • Affiliates have almost complete flexibility of products to promote: we can add, remove and change products whenever the need arises and for whatever reason, without needing to create a new one
    • When you're an affiliate, you get the chance to build up an asset-based business based on genuine residual income without your fortunes being tied in to the longevity, success and demand for any specific, individual product at all
    • Affiliates don't have to do (or outsource) the market research necessary to determine exactly which type of product's going to be a success - not to anything like the same extent as vendors, anyway
    • Statistically, just among the people I know really well (this point is clearly subjective and I don't pretend otherwise) the long-term successful affiliates I know are mostly earning far more from internet marketing than the long-term successful vendors I know, and their businesses are far more stable for the long-term
    • Affiliates don't have all the potential legal liability, compliance and enforcement problems (which incur time, effort, energy, worry and sometimes money to resolve) that vendors typically have
    • Affiliates don't generally have most of the customer service/support problems that vendors tend to have to deal with all the time
    • Affiliates have far greater flexibility of income-sources than vendors do: once I've built up my lists in a few different niches, covering a large range of products, if any one supplier gets into trouble, I can fairly easily promote things from other income-sources instead, so the sudden demise of a retail outlet (or even a payment processing method) doesn't affect me nearly as adversely as it would typically affect a vendor
    • As an affiliate, it's far easier to offer a range of promotions at very different price-points than it typically is as a vendor
    • Affiliates don't have to do (or outsource) the actual product creation-process and "put it all together"
    • Affiliates have to pre-sell rather than sell (it's much easier and it doesn't involve sales copywriting, which vendors either need to be really professionally good at, or pay quite a bit to outsource)
    I could easily go on ... those are just a few of the more obvious advantages that spring immediately to mind.

    You might want to bear them in mind if anyone tells you, mistakenly, that "all the real money is always in having your own products".


    .
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9774266].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author mkusua
      Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

      Correct. But it doesn't have to be your own product or service.

      And for many people, their chances of success are far better through being an affiliate.



      The knowledge that for most people, most of the time, it's far better, safer, easier, more reliable and better-paid to be an affiliate and not to get involved with product-creation.

      I think being an affiliate has many advantages, and being a vendor has many disadvantages and risks (some obvious and some very much less obvious). I don't agree at all with people who imagine (and sometimes say) that becoming a vendor is the only way to start earning "big money".

      I think there's a huge number of reasons for affiliate marketing being better, overall, for many people, anyway. Here are just ten of them ...
      • Affiliates have almost complete flexibility of products to promote: we can add, remove and change products whenever the need arises and for whatever reason, without needing to create a new one
      • When you're an affiliate, you get the chance to build up an asset-based business based on genuine residual income without your fortunes being tied in to the longevity, success and demand for any specific, individual product at all
      • Affiliates don't have to do (or outsource) the market research necessary to determine exactly which type of product's going to be a success - not to anything like the same extent as vendors, anyway
      • Statistically, just among the people I know really well (this point is clearly subjective and I don't pretend otherwise) the long-term successful affiliates I know are mostly earning far more from internet marketing than the long-term successful vendors I know, and their businesses are far more stable for the long-term
      • Affiliates don't have all the potential legal liability, compliance and enforcement problems (which incur time, effort, energy, worry and sometimes money to resolve) that vendors typically have
      • Affiliates don't generally have most of the customer service/support problems that vendors tend to have to deal with all the time
      • Affiliates have far greater flexibility of income-sources than vendors do: once I've built up my lists in a few different niches, covering a large range of products, if any one supplier gets into trouble, I can fairly easily promote things from other income-sources instead, so the sudden demise of a retail outlet (or even a payment processing method) doesn't affect me nearly as adversely as it would typically affect a vendor
      • As an affiliate, it's far easier to offer a range of promotions at very different price-points than it typically is as a vendor
      • Affiliates don't have to do (or outsource) the actual product creation-process and "put it all together"
      • Affiliates have to pre-sell rather than sell (it's much easier and it doesn't involve sales copywriting, which vendors either need to be really professionally good at, or pay quite a bit to outsource)
      I could easily go on ... those are just a few of the more obvious advantages that spring immediately to mind.

      You might want to bear them in mind if anyone tells you, mistakenly, that "all the real money is always in having your own products".


      .
      You are right...The basic thing is sell something. (your's or as an affiliate).No ...i didnt mean selling your own product is the only way...but selling your own product comes highly recommended.

      Thanks for your insights.
      Signature

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9774291].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author seoboyz01
    Some people like writing ebooks and offering advice via articles, or selling things on eBay.

    Being a service provider is my product and has worked out very well for me. Selling a service is not residual income and requires daily work. This is not something that can be done AFK or 'set it and forget it'. It's not like I can put up a blog and still earn money from affiliate links and reviews, even a year later. Maybe the service provider life is not for everyone. Affiliate sales would certainly suit some more. I'm doing what I'm doing, because this is what I like and what I'm good at.

    You pick the path that is right for you and go with it.
    Signature
    Google DOMINATION SEO service - Take your site 1st page of Google.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9774309].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Brent Stangel
    but selling your own product comes highly recommended.
    When you identify a need or desire and have the expertise to create said product.

    Also, there has never been an easier, better time to be an affiliate. When I started, you might find vendors who offered some banners for their affiliates use. Now you can get entire sales funnels via Wordpress plugins. Vendors are providing things like videos and ebooks you can re-brand, bonus templates complete with bonuses, and killer affiliate contests.
    Signature
    Get Off The Warrior Forum Now & Don't Come Back If You Want To Succeed!
    All The Real Marketers Are Gone. There's Nothing Left But Weak, Sniveling Wanna-Bees!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9774311].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Randy McLean
      I have tried both paths and have made much more as an affiliate, but that's just me

      It's a lot more hands off and I can concentrate more on promotion. Marketing and content creation are activities that make money.

      And the commissions can be quite high too. Sometimes I get $60 commissions (including upsells) which is not too bad.

      It would take a lot for me to justify charging that much for a product of my own which is why I only promote products that I truly believe in. Most of the people I market for are among the best at what they do and the quality shines through in their products.

      But I do see your point. If you have the skills and work ethic to pull it off, product creation can be huge. Especially if you have an army of affiliates selling for you.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9774383].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Richard Britton
    To answer the OP's question, it appears the consensus is most people prefer the affiliate route because it’s less risky, easier to make money without the hard work involved in creating a product to sell such as doing market research, creating the content, building the website, getting traffic etc. To some extent this makes sense however I think the OP has identified the "real" base reasons why most don't create their own products...

    The Fear of failure? Certainly true for some, if not for the majority of people but most won't admit it.

    Dunno how to do it? A quick search in the WSO section will reveal plenty products on which show you how to create products so I don't think this too big a obstacle to overcome.

    Don't know to how sell? This is something lots of people new to IM and in general have a problem with but selling it easy when you know how. I recommend anyone interested in sales and persuasion read the book The Secret of Selling Anything by Harry Browne, The Ultimate Sales Letter by Dan Kennedy, Triggers by Joe Sugarman other copywriting books you can get your hands on. I would also recommend you listen John Carlton and Kevin Rogers podcast, Psych Insights for Modern Marketers (PI4MM). These resources and others will will give you good grounding in the key principles of the psychology of sales and the real reasons behind buying decisions. Also I suggest you watch and study informercials. This is good way to learn sales because TV ads crafted by the some of the best marketing minds and are expensive to produce. if you see an informercial consistently runs then you know its making money, then you

    Dunno what to sell? This comes down to your interests, the talents you possess and market research. The first rule of marketing is to listen to your market. Sales success does not come from convincing people to buy things they don't want; The market will tell you what they want and pay for what they want therefore sales success can only be achieved if you are providing people with solutions with products what they want.

    With that I have I wouldn't saying being a vendor is the only way to go, certainly there are plenty of people making good money being an affiliate however I think in the long run its probably better to be a vendor as you are more in control of your potential profits and can pivot and supply products for your market. You can also joint venture with other product creators and be an affiliate for their products for extra revenue. Where as when you are only an affiliate your income is determined by other peoples efforts to create products and the limits they set for you to paid a commission. The other advantage with being vendor is you can build your own list and no one can take that way from you. What happens if The FTC shut down the WF, JvZoo, Clickbank and the like?Then the affiliate route is no longer sustainable business option.

    That's my two cents on this topic, it would be interesting to hear your thoughts on the reasons why people would rather not create products.
    Signature

    'A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step'

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9774450].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Kay King
      Take for example ...dog training .
      For some reason - that is a niche people love to use as an example.

      It's a high competition niche and much of the competition are expert trainers and breeders. If you don't KNOW the field of dog training - you will not do well in that niche. It's not a niche where you can fake-it-till-you-make-it or make a product and then start learning about dogs.

      All these skills can be learnt dear. You won't become a master at it from day one...and definitely wont be one by not starting.
      You can learn the marketing skills, SEO stuff, market targeting, etc....but you need to KNOW your niche before you start or you won't need the rest of the knowledge! I would add if you wouldn't address a man here as "dear" - you shouldn't address a woman that way.

      What happens if The FTC shut down the WF, JvZoo, Clickbank and the like?Then the affiliate route is no longer sustainable business option.
      Many top affiliate marketers have no idea what WF, JvZoo or Clickbank are....not all affiliates are in the "info-marketing" area, thank goodness.

      Expand your thinking....MOST affiliate marketing online today has nothing to do with those small venues.
      Signature
      Saving one dog will not change the world - but the world changes forever for that one dog
      ***
      One secret to happiness is to let every situation be
      what it is instead of what you think it should be.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9774480].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Richard Britton
        Originally Posted by Kay King View Post


        Many top affiliate marketers have no idea what WF, JvZoo or Clickbank are....not all affiliates are in the "info-marketing" area, thank goodness.

        Expand your thinking....MOST affiliate marketing online today has nothing to do with those small venues.
        Please tell me where I asserted that "all" affiliates are in the "info-marketing" arena. I was simply replying to a post of the WF, the OP is invited to correct me if i'm wrong but it would make sense to presume the OP was referring to digital products and services as opposed to physical products and services, so lets keep things in context please.

        Also, I think you will find most WF affiliate marketers are fully aware of WF WSO's, JvZoo and Clickbank etc. In fact, Clickbank is the biggest most performance marketing platform online and have helped sell more then 2 billions worth of digital products and services.. small affiliate venue indeed...SHM..

        I'm always looking for ways to expand my mind so can I suggest you help me with that as opposed to making baseless statements without proof - with the exception of Amazon, please enlighten me on any better known and bigger affiliate marketing platforms than Clickbank?

        Thanks in advance for your response.
        Signature

        'A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step'

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9774518].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author kilgore
          Originally Posted by Ricky Britton View Post

          I'm always looking for ways to expand my mind so can I suggest you help me with that as opposed to making baseless statements without proof - with the exception of Amazon, please enlighten me on any better known and bigger affiliate marketing platforms than Clickbank?
          Not sure how you define or quantify "better known" or "bigger" but CJ Affiliate (formerly Commission Junction), Rakuten Linkshare, Share-a-sale all come to mind...
          Originally Posted by mkusua View Post

          Nice point...but doesn't that limit your income in a way?
          I suppose you'd also say that the Coca-Cola company limits their income because they don't drill for oil -- but of course it doesn't really work like that. Smart businesses stick to their competitive advantage. For me at least, I do a lot better selling high-quality, professional, top-reviewed products made by others than I would creating shoddy products of my own.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9774699].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Richard Britton
            Originally Posted by kilgore View Post

            Not sure how you define or quantify "better known" or "bigger" but CJ Affiliate (formerly Commission Junction), Rakuten Linkshare, Share-a-sale all come to mind...
            At the risk of hijacking the OP's intended discussion, I define "better known" or "bigger" their ability to generate sales and revenue for product owners and affiliates, obviously Clickbank have more product vendors and affiliates than most other digital ecommerce platforms - that's includes the ones you mentioned of which I am aware. Sorry, I thought it was clear my post was in reply Kay King who suggested Clickbank was a "small" affiliate venue..
            Signature

            'A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step'

            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9774759].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Vault Boy
    Banned
    It takes a lot more resources to create a product (digital or tangible) than it does to simply sell one as an affiliate. With that being said, I'd have to say that based on my experience, and by many successful businessmen I know, that the producer always makes more than the salesman.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9774786].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author jasondinner
      Originally Posted by Vault Boy View Post

      It takes a lot more resources to create a product (digital or tangible) than it does to simply sell one as an affiliate. With that being said, I'd have to say that based on my experience, and by many successful businessmen I know, that the producer always makes more than the salesman.
      I would bet my house on it that there are hundreds (maybe thousands) of super affiliates you will never hear about who make more in a week (or dare I say day) than your successful businessmen friends do in a month.

      You just don't hear about them because they like to fly under the radar and are the major reason why many successful online business men are successful in the first place.

      They both are great and both have pros and cons. It boils down to the individual's preference.

      Owning systems and assets as an affiliate where products and services can be interchangeable is just as good as owning your own product.
      Signature

      "Human thoughts have the tendency to transform themselves into their physical equivalent." Earl Nightingale

      Super Affiliates Hang Out Here

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9774900].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Vault Boy
        Banned
        Originally Posted by jasondinner View Post

        I would bet my house on it that there are hundreds (maybe thousands) of super affiliates you will never hear about who make more in a week (or dare I say day) than your successful businessmen friends do in a month.

        You just don't hear about them because they like to fly under the radar and are the major reason why many successful online business men are successful in the first place.

        Owning systems and assets as an affiliate where products and services can be interchangeable is just as good as owning your own product.
        Looks like you owe me your house (or your mom's). I know more millionaires than you do and most of them have nothing to do with IM. Hedge funds, construction companies, rubber sole factories, real estate management companies, and tech startups to name a few. They also make much more than your underground IMers.

        In my experience, the only reason why anyone would fly under the "radar" is because they don't make any money. The handful of internet millionaires I know all have investor backed companies in silicon valley or silicon beach, or they're well known product creators. They have skills, connections, resources, etc.

        Your idea or perpetuated notion of a "hidden/invisible millionaire" is an misnomer at best and an ugly lie at worst to keep the leads fresh.

        And do tell of these "systems" and "assets" that are interchangeable...this promises to be amusing.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9775174].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author jasondinner
          Originally Posted by Vault Boy View Post

          Looks like you owe me your house (or your mom's). I know more millionaires than you do and most of them have nothing to do with IM. Hedge funds, construction companies, rubber sole factories, real estate management companies, and tech startups to name a few. They also make much more than your underground IMers.

          In my experience, the only reason why anyone would fly under the "radar" is because they don't make any money. The handful of internet millionaires I know all have investor backed companies in silicon valley or silicon beach, or they're well known product creators. They have skills, connections, resources, etc.

          Your idea or perpetuated notion of a "hidden/invisible millionaire" is an misnomer at best and an ugly lie at worst to keep the leads fresh.

          And do tell of these "systems" and "assets" that are interchangeable...this promises to be amusing.
          When you put it that way you make a good point.

          I didn't know we were talking about hedge funds, real estate management companies, tech startups and investor backed companies in silicon valley or beach.

          I was speaking from the scope of what this forum represents and my interpretation of the context this thread was written in.

          I fly under the radar and I make pretty good money. Probably not as much as you but my kids are far from starving. I'm not a millionaire yet, but I will be in due time without creating my own products.

          EDIT: This thread popped up on the first page and I just noticed Vault Boy (who got himself banned while posting on here in HIS mom's basement) said I'll owe him my mom's house as if I still live at home hahaha. That was funny. Haven't lived at home in 11 years.
          Signature

          "Human thoughts have the tendency to transform themselves into their physical equivalent." Earl Nightingale

          Super Affiliates Hang Out Here

          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9775203].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author discrat
        Originally Posted by jasondinner View Post

        I would bet my house on it that there are hundreds (maybe thousands) of super affiliates you will never hear about who make more in a week (or dare I say day) than your successful businessmen friends do in a month.

        You just don't hear about them because they like to fly under the radar and are the major reason why many successful online business men are successful in the first place.

        They both are great and both have pros and cons. It boils down to the individual's preference.

        Owning systems and assets as an affiliate where products and services can be interchangeable is just as good as owning your own product.
        I know Matt Bacak does both, very intensely. He pulled in over $2 million in 9 moths with strictly doing affiliate marketing.

        I think it is all relative. Yes, you can make well over 5 digit a month income with Affiliate Marketing.
        Possibly much more with Product creation.

        But to many , it is just not worth the extra hassle of creating a product when there is no guarantee you will make more than being an affiliate.

        Remember, freedom and time is money



        - Robert Andrew
        Signature

        Nothing to see here including a Sig so just move on :)

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9777683].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author seoboyz01
      Originally Posted by Vault Boy View Post

      It takes a lot more resources to create a product (digital or tangible) than it does to simply sell one as an affiliate.
      An affiliate marketer might not have the responsibility of creating a product or service, but that does not mean they don't work just as hard. A successful affiliate marketer will need to build a thriving and responsive email list and establish trust with the people on the list to convert those people to willing buyers. They warm up the list and send them to a site that closes the sale. In effect, it's a good partnership between the affiliate and the product owner.

      That requires a long term commitment. And, most times, affiliate marketers use the same or similar methods of promotion to get traffic to a product site, including email list building, article marketing, SEO and Pinterest that a product or service creator would.
      Signature
      Google DOMINATION SEO service - Take your site 1st page of Google.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9776721].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author JensSteyaert
    I think if you don't want to create your own product and become an affiliate, it's best to promote affiliate programs with recurring commissions.

    This way you can promote once and earn years from now if it's a product with high retention rate.

    I would prefer this over creating my own products, or combine both...
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9774795].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Leon Zykos
    I believe it has got to do with the technical know-how. I mean, when you starting out, it can quite overwhelming and it takes time to sieve out the wheat from the chaff.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9774807].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author IMToThePoint
    My main concern as you may know from my other thread was 'Fear Of Failure'.

    I got myself far to wound about about the 'What If's', like what if it bombs, what if nobody buys.. Then I was concerned about it not being perfect, forgetting to add stuff to it etc.

    No I am in the mindset that it doesnt have to be total perfection to start with, you can create a great product put it out there and then get feedback from your customers what you missed out on and then add that to your product and then send an updated version for free to your list or even create a 2nd Version of your product.

    If you aim to being perfect all of the time then you will never get nothing out there, this is probably the main reason why others fail to make any money online they never get anything done in order to move forward.

    I wanted to launch my first WSO and provide value with my product but kept putting it off for fear of failure but I have taken steps, though they may be baby steps like getting domain, hosting, creating product, getting cover created they are probably more steps than most other people out there.

    Many people can dream the dream of becoming successful but very few will ever take action or have a plan in place in order to progress to the end goal.

    Goals and a Plan are essential in everything, by showing you where you are going and how you are going to get there will lead you to the end faster than before.

    My Goal was simple:

    1. Create a product
    2. Build an email list

    Next I had to think of the steps in between so for the first 'Create A Product' consists of many smaller bite size goals.

    1. Research
    2. Product Outline
    3. Product Creation
    4. Package Product
    5. Graphics

    The same with building the email list it was broken down into smaller chunks, I wont go into it but you get the idea.

    Now for my Fear Of Failure, I see many WSO's hitting 1000+ sales etc but those guys have probably been at it for a while and have a host of affiliates on demand so I set another goal of just hitting 10 sales and getting 10 subscribers on to my list.

    I know this may not sound like a huge amount but Im taking baby steps at the moment as its all about the learning experience so the next time that I come to do it I know a little more about the process and how to make it better each and every time.

    I wish everyone success and hope you got some use of this post, I welcome you to hit the 'Thank's button.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9774861].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Kay King
      The assertion made was

      What happens if The FTC shut down the WF, JvZoo, Clickbank and the like?Then the affiliate route is no longer sustainable business option.
      If you are an IMer selling info products - that would hurt your business. My point was - and is - the INFO market is a small part of the online affiliate business.

      Without info products - the affiliate route IS sustainable for many marketers who don't work in the "digital info" niches. Those sites could shut down and the marketers who are affiliates for physical products would not be affected.

      There are merchants that run affiliate programs through sites like Commission Junction and Share-a-Sale and bigger corps that run their own affiliate programs.
      Signature
      Saving one dog will not change the world - but the world changes forever for that one dog
      ***
      One secret to happiness is to let every situation be
      what it is instead of what you think it should be.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9774896].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Lightlysalted
    Selling your own product is always more lucrative but I agree that I'm happy being an affiliate as making your own product and marketing it takes a lot of time and investment.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9774903].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author discrat
      Originally Posted by Lightlysalted View Post

      Selling your own product is ALWAYS more lucrative but I agree that I'm happy being an affiliate as making your own product and marketing it takes a lot of time and investment.
      Careful when you use this word



      - Robert Andrew
      Signature

      Nothing to see here including a Sig so just move on :)

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9777686].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author kilgore
        Originally Posted by SK123 View Post

        Originally Posted by Eliza Marzanna View Post

        but how would I do a WSO since I don't have any internet marketing skills to teach
        The idea isn't to have a WSO from day one or to have an all-in-one set of IM skills. What you need to do is to pick an area of interest among the numerous sub-sections of IM. It could be SEO, list building, copy writing, social media marketing, and a host of others. Pick an area of interest, learn as much as you can about it (no one was born an IM expert), devote your time to know that subsection of interest (sub-niche) and pretty soon, you'll understand the success tips for that area and could then be in a postion to share or create a product about it.
        This is exactly what is wrong with so much of the advice on the WF. Over and over again people are told to learn IM skills not to actually put them into practice, but so that you can "teach" those skills to others. And the original post, which presupposes that creating your own products (and if you read carefully, you'll see by "products" what he really means is MMO-oriented information products) is the best way to earn revenue for your online business.

        The problem with this sort of thinking is that it's just plain wrong. Creating and selling MMO information products may be a lucrative model for some people; but it's hardly the best model for everyone. In fact, I'd argue that for most people -- especially new entrepreneurs -- it's a model that should be avoided.

        So Eliza, it's perfectly OK if you never, ever create a WSO or any other product. In fact, you'll probably be better off not doing so if instead you concentrate your efforts on areas where you already do have some skills, talents and expertise.

        As to the OP, we do actually create products but (1) they aren't crappy MMO information products and (2) we only did so because it was a natural extension of our existing, working business model and (3) the revenue we get from them only represents about 5% of our total revenue. In other words, it's a nice revenue source, but it's certainly not going to make or break our company.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9777930].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Easy eBay
      Originally Posted by Lightlysalted View Post

      Selling your own product is always more lucrative but I agree that I'm happy being an affiliate as making your own product and marketing it takes a lot of time and investment.
      Not really,

      In fact if you choose the right niche for your product it can be very easy.

      ... A couple of years ago I was making $20 a day selling a 2 page guide showing people how to get a refund from a problematic online electronics store.

      People were paying for high priced items and either receiving faulty ones or having to wait months to receive it.

      It also in some cases took over 6 months to receive a refund.

      I know it happened to me, however I started looking at all of the things successfully refunded people were doing and created a mega system incorpoating 9 different pieces and it worked perfectly.

      Anyway I registered an exact match domain e.g electronicssiterefund.com

      And within 2 weeks it was top listing on google.

      I was stupid really, charging only $5 for it... But it was making 4 or 5 sales a day.

      So just take note of this post. You don't have to spend hours upon hours creating a product and promoting it.

      If you find a niche, even a small one people will find you... Especially if it is something they desparately need.

      I'm sure $20 a day doesn't sound like much. But there are probably hundreds of thousands of tiny little niches like this.

      Imagine having 10 set up.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9907571].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Javisito
    I run a coaching program where I literally force my students to create their own products and the reason is simple.

    Who would you like to be?

    1 out of thousands promoting someone else's product or having thousands promoting your product?

    Besides as far as my experience goes the most successful marketers are those who do both.

    Having their own product in the front end while being an affiliate marketer to their lists :-)
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9775011].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Edwin Torres
    Personally, when I started out online I didn't make a product because I had no clue what to make. The whole process scared me, and I didn't know if I was qualified to charge someone for my knowledge on a topic.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9775067].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author ChrisMill21
    Find the courage mostly.

    We live in a society shackled by time constraints, money and the latest celebrity gossip.

    I myself, was often distracted and concerned myself with the issues at present and my job. But I've learned to focus on your dreams and goals, in the end that's what counts most.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9775551].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Altered State
    In my niche (science) creating a good quality product is extremely difficult. You need to consult resources, make other people review your product, make sure it's good, etc. And that's if we are talking about products like books. Other kind of actual "physical products" are even harder to create and require industrial level investment.

    I considered the possibility of creating something, but I don't see how it could be done if you don't have huge amounts of money, time and resources to invest. So I'll stick to affiliate marketing.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9776671].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author SK123
      Originally Posted by Altered State View Post

      In my niche (science) creating a good quality product is extremely difficult. You need to consult resources, make other people review your product, make sure it's good, etc. And that's if we are talking about products like books. Other kind of actual "physical products" are even harder to create and require industrial level investment.

      I considered the possibility of creating something, but I don't see how it could be done if you don't have huge amounts of money, time and resources to invest. So I'll stick to affiliate marketing.
      I think you may need to redefine what you consider as a "product" in your niche. It may be much more simpler than you think.

      A science tutorial video can be your product- sharing your knowledge of a segment of the science that you know about.

      A study guide (in an ebook format) can be a product -and many other product options do exist. So , do not only think about inventing a new thing or undertaking a multi-million science research before you can have a product in your niche.
      It may be much within your reach--if you want to do it.
      Just my thoughts...
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9777520].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Joe Ray
    I would have to say that it's possible to make good money with both product creation and affiliate marketing.

    At the end of the day, it all comes down to getting traffic that converts. If you have that, you can sell your own product or other people's product or both.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9776676].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author amuro
    Fear of

    1. Being bashed by customers in Internet Marketing Product Reviews section,

    2. Customers asking for refund and

    3. Unable to pay affiliates when products not selling well.

    Last but not least, you need to have proof that you ARE earning what you promised the product will for customers.

    Not just screenshots which can be easily manipulated these days.

    But live videos of you logging into Amazon Clickbank and JVZoo earning accounts - just to name the main ones most marketers are already familar with - to justify your earning claims.


    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9776686].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author cooler1
      Originally Posted by amuro View Post

      Fear of

      1. Being bashed by customers in Internet Marketing Product Reviews section,

      2. Customers asking for refund and

      3. Unable to pay affiliates when products not selling well.


      1. It seems it's mostly products from well known marketers that get reviewed in that section. Besides, if people are giving intelligent, well thought out reviews of your product it can only give you good knowledge for improving your future products.

      2. That's no problem since you'd only need to refund money what you didn't have prior to releasing the product anyway.

      3. I don't know how this is an issue. You'd only need to pay affiliates if they made sales for you, so how well your product sells is irrelevant.
      Signature

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9777655].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Diana Lane
    Some people would not have a clue where to start in creating their own products, and some people just wouldn't want to, for all the reasons that have already been stated above. Yet some of these could prove to be skilled salespeople for the products of others, but if they're still at the stage where they take the stuff they read on here as gospel then they'll be denied any success by following a product creation path that they're not at all suited for.

    Just who is going to help spread the word about all these products anyway, if everyone is off somewhere trying to create products (possibly competing) rather than getting a fair cut from drawing on a natural talent for promoting yours?

    No one would dream of standing up to advise the offline business community that they should all be following the same path and it will always puzzle me why people would want to do it online. I have no idea how the likes of Sports Direct sucked me into buying from them when the only product amongst the Nikes and Adidas etc that they can call their own seems to be a one pint mug, but I'm sure they'll be absolutely massive once someone points them to this thread and tells them that they're doing it all wrong.

    Successful offline businesses are a mix of product creators, showrooms for other people's products, service providers and a mix of some or all. Online it's just the same. We don't all have the same skills and talents, we don't all have the same way of life and we won't all view what others see as advantages or disadvantages in the same way.

    You are much more likely to find the first step on the path to success by being guided by your own talents and experiences than by a blanket forum post addressed to everyone.
    Signature

    Plot short fiction, long fiction, even outline non-fiction * Edit the question prompts to suit your genre * Easily export text and image files for use with your word processor or Scrivener.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9776748].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author AuthorityRush
    I think most people on here aren't looking at the "argument" between which is better, being an affiliate or creating your own products correctly.

    First, why would you create a products? MY answer to this is to create a funnel and create a way to get 100% free traffic and build my list.

    It's free, because my products in my funnel make me enough money to pay for more traffic regardless of which traffic source I am using. I can do this because I have created a few products and have a sales funnel in place that I am constantly tweaking in order to get the best conversions I can.

    I also get people to become affiliates for my funnels. This gives me 100% free traffic as well. And there are a lot of ways to get free traffic if you have a proper sales funnel set up. (A sales funnel is just a few products stringed together).

    My products are pretty good, but are they the best in the industry? I like to think so, but I am guessing they're not. BUT, because I am the product creator, people are looking at me, getting to know like and trust ME.

    So, guess who they'll buy affiliate products I pitch them from easier? You with no authority, or me who looks like an authority?

    Now this whole debate is flawed for this reason...how many product creators do you know that are not affiliates? I'd guess 0.

    See, I didn't become a product creator only to sell my own products. I became one to build a list of buyers and then to sell them more stuff, mine or someone else's.

    Most product creators I know do it for the traffic and authority. NOT for their only income source. It's a way to get quality traffic. 100 WF buyers of your latest launch will make you far more money that 1000 freebie seekers if you treat your list well.

    There are a ton of reasons why I like being a product creator. BUT, I also like being an affiliate too. As is ANY other product creator.

    My point is being a product creator isn't about making money from your own products - to a point. And I am talking "Internet Marketing" products here.

    You create products to build a brand (you or a business) to get people to know like and trust you so that you can sell them affiliate produts as well and they're more likely to buy from you.

    YOU control your own products, so you never need to worry an affiliate will shut off their commissions. You can constantly tweak to make conversions better as you go. You control everything. And now you can leverage your products in a ton of ways.

    Okay, I think I bet this horse to death. So I'll stop here.

    Yes, being an affiliate "can" be easier. But not always. And to be strictly an affiliate, it still means you must master traffic, and know enough about sales to know what offer is going to convert to your list. So you still need some skills.

    And if you can master those and make money, then you do have a "product". Many actually. So why not go the extra distance and have your own products and be an affiliate. That's what the biggest marketers do.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9776756].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author grafx77
      Originally Posted by William C Allen View Post

      I think most people on here aren't looking at the "argument" between which is better, being an affiliate or creating your own products correctly.

      First, why would you create a products? MY answer to this is to create a funnel and create a way to get 100% free traffic and build my list.

      It's free, because my products in my funnel make me enough money to pay for more traffic regardless of which traffic source I am using. I can do this because I have created a few products and have a sales funnel in place that I am constantly tweaking in order to get the best conversions I can.

      I also get people to become affiliates for my funnels. This gives me 100% free traffic as well. And there are a lot of ways to get free traffic if you have a proper sales funnel set up. (A sales funnel is just a few products stringed together).

      My products are pretty good, but are they the best in the industry? I like to think so, but I am guessing they're not. BUT, because I am the product creator, people are looking at me, getting to know like and trust ME.

      So, guess who they'll buy affiliate products I pitch them from easier? You with no authority, or me who looks like an authority?

      Now this whole debate is flawed for this reason...how many product creators do you know that are not affiliates? I'd guess 0.

      See, I didn't become a product creator only to sell my own products. I became one to build a list of buyers and then to sell them more stuff, mine or someone else's.

      Most product creators I know do it for the traffic and authority. NOT for their only income source. It's a way to get quality traffic. 100 WF buyers of your latest launch will make you far more money that 1000 freebie seekers if you treat your list well.

      There are a ton of reasons why I like being a product creator. BUT, I also like being an affiliate too. As is ANY other product creator.

      My point is being a product creator isn't about making money from your own products - to a point. And I am talking "Internet Marketing" products here.

      You create products to build a brand (you or a business) to get people to know like and trust you so that you can sell them affiliate produts as well and they're more likely to buy from you.

      YOU control your own products, so you never need to worry an affiliate will shut off their commissions. You can constantly tweak to make conversions better as you go. You control everything. And now you can leverage your products in a ton of ways.

      Okay, I think I bet this horse to death. So I'll stop here.

      Yes, being an affiliate "can" be easier. But not always. And to be strictly an affiliate, it still means you must master traffic, and know enough about sales to know what offer is going to convert to your list. So you still need some skills.

      And if you can master those and make money, then you do have a "product". Many actually. So why not go the extra distance and have your own products and be an affiliate. That's what the biggest marketers do.
      Amen William! I completely agree with all your sentiments above.

      It's not like product creators are ONLY product creators, were also marketers as well. Most, if not all of us were affiliate marketers at some point in our career. We still are when we decide to promote other people's products, however we are building up an asset over time, which is our name, authority, product line, and buyer list. These are assets that most affiliate marketers are not able to produce........not because they suck at what they do, just because it isn't apart of the affiliate business model.

      Product creation actually makes affiliate marketing MUCH more easier, while still giving one the flexibility to advertise whatever product they choose, at any given time. Product creation is the only venue that allows you to LEVERAGE other peoples work and traffic for profit and in turn allows one to utilize that profit for your own marketing experiments, traffic, optimizations, funnel expansions, and so forth.

      Don't get me wrong, I love being an affiliate marketer as well, but I grew very tired of affiliate programs, CPA networks, CPA offers, and the like continuously changing their terms, restrictions on how I could market, sales that were not getting paid, vendor pages being down for 48 hrs while I drive paid traffic - thus losing money, and the list goes on and on and on.

      Simply put....limiting ones self to ONLY wearing the affiliate marketing hat just doesn't give one the freedom and control over various elements of a stable income.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9833594].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Life Naturally
    After many years in online marketing, 2014 was the first year I began to create my own products! I have always purchased products wholesale and re-sold them for profit. This year we began working on a vegetarian cook book that should be published within a few months. In November I finished my small eBook Top 5 Health Secrets to be a free gift for subscribers, but I'm working on a larger more complete health guide that I will sell as an online PDF book.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9776761].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Jeff Gilbert
    I'm on the side of the fence about creating your own products. You have a property that is yours, and you have customers that are now part of your list. And they come to you over time for other things as well.

    It's also the type of psyche that you have. Some people become affiliates because they don't know how to create a product and don't care, but they want to make money. That's fine.

    Other people like to create things and like to sell those creations. And there's a great satisfaction in that, if that's where your head is at. So we have to take aptitude into the equation as well.

    The great thing is product creators need affiliates to sell stuff. So, I'm glad that they're out there. And affiliates need something to sell. So, it all works out in the end...
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9907092].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author NootropicBrain
    I'm thinking of making a product that would work well/synergise with my affiliate product, and advertising it on my blog (that is not about my affiliate program, but about related topics and research, and contains links to my affiliate pages). Would this be a usable idea, and how would you suggest i implement it?
    Signature

    Clinically proven by over 400 papers and 130+ trials, improves your memory and cognitive function by 7.52%. Created by an Olympic champion- Apolo Ohno. Allysian Science - Mastermind
    PM me for Details. Free to register until March 2nd!

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9907423].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Fingertips
    I have only been IM for about 6 months. For me the light-bulb moment came when I realised that driving top-quality traffic to somebody else's high-converting sales funnel was only one option. In fact, driving traffic is actually the easy part. Converting traffic into sales is a different skill altogether. So you offer a high value free product to get people to opt in. Then you immediately show them your low-cost congruent product for $20. Upsell them with a great affiliate membership each month for $50. Then re-engage with those who have grown to trust your products over time and discuss your high back-end end $200 plus products.

    But to get to the $2000 back-end conversions needs special sales skills, and preferably one-to-one contact by phone. That's where sales skills start to kick in. After all it's much easier to sell 10 x $2000 than 1000 x $20 products a month!! That's where the real income comes from with the successful entrepreneurs. High price back end sales.So I am working up to my own congruent portfolio of products and making sure they are all in place before starting to drive traffic. Just my opinion
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9907443].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Richard Batt
    Banned
    Originally Posted by Lightlysalted View Post
    Selling your own product is always more lucrative but I agree that I'm happy being an affiliate as making your own product and marketing it takes a lot of time and investment.
    If you really want to help people creating a product is very easy. If you've got information that can help people or if you have an interest in solving a problem then you can put a good product together in a few hours.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9907704].message }}

Trending Topics