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What would make you pull the trigger on purchasing information versus using free information?

by pheonix44
33 replies
These days you can say that information comes cheap. You can use Google to look up anything you want. We have YouTube and even libraries to get access to certain types of information. With this being the case what would make you decide to pay good money for an info product online.

For example just a few days ago I was trying to find information on how to build a following using certain social media platforms. I found all sorts of free information just using certain search tags. One of my favorites is the extension filetype:pdf search in Google. I got all sorts of information free.

Then I came up on some websites selling information on this and the prices ranges from a few dollars to well over a hundred. I'm wondering what could be in those products that would warrant that price. It's the same when it comes to a lot of information a user might want.

My question is if you have a problem or want to learn something, what would it take for you to pull the trigger on spending money for it versus getting free information?

Some people want to be entertained by the sales letter.
Some people want an exciting headline that makes them stir.
Some want guarantees of results with little risk and little effort involved.
Others want a seller who they know has a good reputation.

I want feedback so I can use it moving forward so I can have a better understanding. Getting people to purchase info products these days is tough with so much free stuff being available. Thanks.
#info #make #physical #product #pull #purchasing #trigger
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  • Profile picture of the author GordonJ
    Originally Posted by pheonix44 View Post

    These days you can say that information comes cheap. You can use Google to look up anything you want. We have YouTube and even libraries to get access to certain types of information. With this being the case what would make you decide to pay good money for an info product online.

    For example just a few days ago I was trying to find information on how to build a following using certain social media platforms. I found all sorts of free information just using certain search tags. One of my favorites is the extension filetype:pdf search in Google. I got all sorts of information free.

    Then I came up on some websites selling information on this and the prices ranges from a few dollars to well over a hundred. I'm wondering what could be in those products that would warrant that price. It's the same when it comes to a lot of information a user might want.

    My question is if you have a problem or want to learn something, what would it take for you to pull the trigger on spending money for it versus getting free information?

    Some people want to be entertained by the sales letter.
    Some people want an exciting headline that makes them stir.
    Some want guarantees of results with little risk and little effort involved.
    Others want a seller who they know has a good reputation.

    I want feedback so I can use it moving forward so I can have a better understanding. Getting people to purchasing info products these days is tough with so much free stuff being available. Thanks.
    Buy from DOERS. People who have done it, either blazed a trail or carved out their own path. If it isn't personality based, then the information could act as a template for my objectives.

    What evidence is there their information comes from being in the trenches?

    GordonJ
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  • Profile picture of the author Nina De la Cruz
    I second the buying from DOERS idea. It's right to the point.
    As an avid follower of several seo and marketing bloggers, I'd say here is a great formula many of them use to show the value of their content.
    1) They talk numbers and show the real numbers from their analytics accounts, payment transactions - depends on the topic.
    2) They give away a portion of their valuable content for free - so you could implement that piece of information and see they aren't cheating and really know the drill.
    3) They aren't being really persistent. Facts and numbers do it for them when it comes to CTA.
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  • Profile picture of the author Randall Magwood
    If free information is available on the topic, i'm game, i'm going to request/sign up for the free info.

    If the free info is good, and the tips actually work... AND there's a full length info-course with more good info that i want to know about... then i'm pulling the trigger on the paid course too.
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  • Profile picture of the author pheonix44
    If the free info is good, and the tips actually work... AND there's a full length info-course with more good info that i want to know about... then i'm pulling the trigger on the paid course too.
    That's the thing. If the free info is good, then what's the point of purchasing additional info? What if the paid info is fairly expensive?
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    • Profile picture of the author GordonJ
      Originally Posted by pheonix44 View Post

      That's the thing. If the free info is good, then what's the point of purchasing additional info? What if the paid info is fairly expensive?
      Wow. I once paid 500 dollars for 4 sheets of paper, even though the information, the how to, was readily available. Why? Because it came from the proverbial "horse's mouth". Was it worth it? It let me build a $1,000.00 A DAY business in less than 90 days.

      I doubt I would have reached that in a year from free info. Or CHEAP info, or from a reporter, researcher. It came from a doer.

      Thousand dollar financial newsletters are not uncommon or even unique and most are OPINION, and the info is freely available about stocks, bonds, investments of all kinds.

      You cold get tons of info about commodities for free, or pay hundreds of dollars a month for a guy's opinion who has made his wealth from DOING the thing.

      My wow is about your mindset. I would hope you would want people to pay top dollar for information, being a writer and all.

      The difference between good info which is free vs. expensive information presented in a consumable way which saves time, money, effort...could be the difference between a job and a business of freedom.

      If I'm wrong about your mindset, apologies. But free info and the TIME to find it has oft been the thing which has delayed many people's success.

      GordonJ
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    • Profile picture of the author Randall Magwood
      Originally Posted by pheonix44 View Post

      That's the thing. If the free info is good, then what's the point of purchasing additional info? What if the paid info is fairly expensive?
      Here's an example:

      You sign up to a free course on Joint Venture marketing. The free ebook is good.

      Then you discover that there's a paid course, AND the paid course gives you all the tools, documents, contracts templates, conversation templates, company contacts, equipment, etc needed to make each JV deal a cinch.

      This would make me buy the paid course - even if it's priced at $200.
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  • Profile picture of the author R0b328
    Gordon absolutely KILLED it with his answer, I couldn't agree more. It's exactly what I was going to say, a lot of info that's freely available on google and other places isn't always high quality or practical info that is useful.

    Buying from a DOER as Gordon says allows you to go straight to what's working and focus on only that, instead of attempting to drink free water from the google firehose so to speak. Not saying at all that google isn't a goldmine,

    But take this for example, all the stuff that's needed to make online business work is freely available info, like how to build a website, how to build an effective funnel, how to deal with hosting, how to navigate your hosting cpanel, how to use FTP for data storage/transfer, how to copywrite effectively, how to sell on social media, how to build relationships, how to sell via email, and on and on.

    But here's the thing: Can most people put all those components together to make it work? If so, that's awesome, more power to them.

    If not, there's MASSIVE value in an info product that can show you.
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  • Profile picture of the author pauloadaoag
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    Here is what can make me fork out my $$ instead of just relying on just googling non-stop.

    STRUCTURE

    If I want to learn about X and google gives me thousands upon thousands of results presented in a haphazard function, I may just fork over money to buy an ebook or course if its properly structured taking into consideration
    - my starting level (am I a complete newbie, someone with *some* experience or someone trying to venture out into more advanced topics)
    - what my goals are in learning X. Is it something I'm just doing for fun or something for my career/professional advancement.

    Apart from that, some things I check before buying are.
    - Quality of the product. Sample chapters really help a lot. If the seller has put in the time and effort to make the product presentable that's a good sign
    - Reviews and feedback
    - Reputation of the seller
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  • Profile picture of the author pheonix44
    I think it's different when it comes to purchasing something in the hopes of making money. Then it becomes an investment. It would be like purchasing stock picks from someone. Yes I would want it to be from someone who was successful, assuming they could verify it in some way. If this were the case I'd see it as an investment and would likely still want some sort of trial period to test out the strength of information.The trial could be free or at a reduced price.
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  • Profile picture of the author Rose Anderson
    I agree with everything Gordon said.

    For me it's often time. I could search all over the internet trying to piece all the information together -- or I can buy a product from someone who's had success and put it all together in a concise product.

    At one time, I had more time than money so I did a lot of the research on my own. Now the opposite is true and I'm happy to pay for someone else doing the work of taking action and compiling it for me.

    Rose
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  • Profile picture of the author pheonix44
    At one time, I had more time than money so I did a lot of the research on my own.
    Now this is something I can focus on. This single point can be very important in helping me or others determine what direction to go in.
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  • Profile picture of the author girlwonder
    My question is if you have a problem or want to learn something, what would it take for you to pull the trigger on spending money for it...

    Some people want to be entertained by the sales letter.
    Some people want an exciting headline that makes them stir.
    Some want guarantees of results with little risk and little effort involved.
    Others want a seller who they know has a good reputation.
    I don't think anyone wants any of that. I have paid big money before knowing next to nothing about the seller. We all want the same 3 things... make more money, look and feel better, find lasting love.

    That's the thing. If the free info is good, then what's the point of purchasing additional info?
    I don't buy info...If I believe there is something I'm missing that you have that will help me get one of those three things, I'm in. I buy that. We all do, if the pain of not having it is strong enough. Even if you study marketing tactics for 20 years and you understand exactly how you're being sold, you're in once that belief is activated. And the higher the price the more likely it is to activate that belief, btw.
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  • Profile picture of the author Steve B
    Phoenix44,

    Here's why I pay for information that I could find myself online:
    1. It is organized in a particular way so that I can consume it in an easy and time-saving manner;
    2. It is filtered by the creator so that the fluff is removed and I am exposed to the heart of what I'm after;
    3. It includes the analysis, opinions, commentary, or advice of someone who is an expert or who I believe is an authority on the subject;
    4. I don't have the time to hunt all over the Internet until I find what I need - I would rather pay someone who has already done the digging to unearth the "gold";
    5. A large portion of the advice given online is not accurate or helpful; hence, I want the version I study to be "the real deal" and not the imposter or fake;
    6. Sometimes I buy so that I have follow-up access to the information creator - it's call reciprocity. I buy from him ... he is more willing to help me when I need it.
    There are probably other reasons I could give ... the point is ... getting the best information possible, quickly, accurately, and with some added bonuses is worth the money to me.

    Here's a simple analogy: I can go to the grocery store and buy all the ingredients necessary for a fabulous steak dinner. Why in the world would I spend 4-6 times that amount of money to buy a steak dinner in a great restaurant? There are benefits to having a expert save you time and hassle.

    Good luck,

    Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author pheonix44
    Why in the world would I spend 4-6 times that amount of money to buy a steak dinner in a great restaurant?
    I think the experience is what most people would be paying for and not just the quality of the steak. In addition to the quality of the steak and experience of the restaurant, the presentation of the food would create value for some.
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  • Profile picture of the author Earl Lewis
    You most likely going to find 90% - 95% of the information out there but the problem is structure and perception.

    By gathering free information you are running the risk of not aligning the pieces the right way. And you end up getting a wrong interpretation of the new piece of information you just found. This happen a lot in the Poker community. You have the Good players(people who know a lot of theory) and the winning players(people who knows how apply theory)

    As other people say go with the DOERS if you have the money to do so. You can also screen or research somebody(Example watching a youtube channel for several days), in order to tell if guy/gal worth your money.
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  • Profile picture of the author pheonix44
    Go with the doers is a good way to think of it. My only concern would be what if you yourself aren't a doer, but the goal is to promote someone who is?
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    • Profile picture of the author GordonJ
      Originally Posted by pheonix44 View Post

      Go with the doers is a good way to think of it. My only concern would be what if you yourself aren't a doer, but the goal is to promote someone who is?
      Getting people to purchasing info products these days is tough with so much free stuff being available. Thanks.

      This was your original concern, and it is inaccurate. More accurate would be: It is tough for ME to sell info products. It is easier today than it ever was.

      You want to promote someone, maybe as an affiliate.

      The real task for you is to:

      Learn better targeting, and learn how to appeal to that market via giving them something they want and or need.

      IF you can't sell information, it is all on you. Start there and examine what you are doing wrong.

      Maybe you need a course on selling/copywriting?

      GordonJ

      PS. At this point, you are delaying, almost to a whine, you have enough answers to act.
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  • Profile picture of the author Frank Donovan
    The problem with a question like this, even in a marketing forum, is that you'll tend to get answers that analyse a transaction in logical terms. I'm not referring to the valid points made by Gordon and Steve; I'm sure their experience would come into play in any buying decision.

    But the mistake made by many information sellers is thinking they're in the business of selling information. By and large, people don't buy "information". What they actually spend money on are solutions to problems, boosts to egos, stoking of aspirations, and confirmations or affirmations of perceived status. As girlwonder put it succinctly upthread, people buy information that promises to help them "make more money, look and feel better, find lasting love".

    Like the vast majority of transactions, buying an info product is an emotional decision. In fact, it's the marketer's job to make it so. If presented correctly, to the right market, at the right time, and in the appropriate manner, the fact that some or all of the info contained in the product might be obtained elsewhere at no cost shouldn't enter the minds of prospects.

    Remember - information is a mere feature. Marketing is all about the benefits.
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  • Profile picture of the author extrememan
    Free information is available freely. Yes, your right there. But if it's something you want to learn in particular it can be hard to find. Copywriting is key. You need to address the persons pains points. I would recommend studying successful video sales pages, or sales pages from other marketers to get a grasp on how they do things.
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  • Profile picture of the author pheonix44
    As girlwonder put it succinctly upthread, people buy information that promises to help them "make more money, look and feel better, find lasting love".
    I know this is a little off topic, but how would you put a price on something like the above three? What would be some specifics you'd use to determine if such a product should be $7 or $197?
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    • Profile picture of the author girlwonder
      If the product activated a bit of hope for reaching one of those three - $7.

      If it activated complete belief in your ability to achieve one of those three - $tens of thousands.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jonathan 2.0
    Banned
    It could take me weeks going through all the SERPs on a particular subject that wouldn't even come close to a well put together eBook on the same subject.

    2C.
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    "Each problem has hidden in it an opportunity so powerful that it literally dwarfs the problem. The greatest success stories were created by people who recognized a problem and turned it into an opportunity."―Joseph Sugarman
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  • Profile picture of the author ChrisBa
    You need to look at how your paid product can be better than the free information. Is it better information? Can you delivery it faster? Does it solve a larger problem? Does your paid product make things easier than the free one?

    If you're competing with a paid product against a free one, you need to help outline the benefits and why your product is better than just the free one. This is likely something only you can answer.
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  • Profile picture of the author pheonix44
    If the product activated a bit of hope for reaching one of those three - $7.

    If it activated complete belief in your ability to achieve one of those three - of thousands.
    I think you could create a product on the two sentences above by themselves. How about it?
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  • Profile picture of the author FreedomBlogger
    Originally Posted by pheonix44 View Post

    These days you can say that information comes cheap. You can use Google to look up anything you want. We have YouTube and even libraries to get access to certain types of information. With this being the case what would make you decide to pay good money for an info product online.

    For example just a few days ago I was trying to find information on how to build a following using certain social media platforms. I found all sorts of free information just using certain search tags. One of my favorites is the extension filetype:pdf search in Google. I got all sorts of information free.

    Then I came up on some websites selling information on this and the prices ranges from a few dollars to well over a hundred. I'm wondering what could be in those products that would warrant that price. It's the same when it comes to a lot of information a user might want.

    My question is if you have a problem or want to learn something, what would it take for you to pull the trigger on spending money for it versus getting free information?

    Some people want to be entertained by the sales letter.
    Some people want an exciting headline that makes them stir.
    Some want guarantees of results with little risk and little effort involved.
    Others want a seller who they know has a good reputation.

    I want feedback so I can use it moving forward so I can have a better understanding. Getting people to purchase info products these days is tough with so much free stuff being available. Thanks.
    You are overlooking one simple fact.

    Time is Money.

    This is the reason why most people would rather pay someone else for information than find it themselves.

    Yes, you can find a lof of information and education online, but that will take a lot of time and guessing to put all of the information together in the right way so you can benefit from what you are learning.

    In a product or course, you have someone who will walk through the information you need to learn from start to finish. You will save so much time and know exactly what to do.

    Most people don't want to spend hours or even days researching and trying to put all of the pieces together in order. If they have the money to invest in the right education, they will.

    Not everyone is very resourceful. And not everyone is quick-witted like that. A lot of people just want to know the steps from start to finsih from someone who is experienced. Also, there is the psychology of what you value more, something that is free or something that you paid. Which one would you take more seriously? You will always take the paid information a lot more serious than the free.

    Just my 2cents on this discussion!
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  • Profile picture of the author pheonix44
    Also, there is the psychology of what you value more, something that is free or something that you paid. Which one would you take more seriously? You will always take the paid information a lot more serious than the free.
    I think this is true, especially if you spend a nice chunk of money on a product. The most I ever spend was $200 on an info product and I absorbed every ounce of it. There was plenty of free information available, but something about the way the $200 product was presented made it seem like more of an investment than a cost.
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  • Profile picture of the author ShayB
    I'll give a specific example in a non-MMO niche.

    I want to learn more about Excel. I've gone through numerous free videos and other resources and have learned a lot.

    However, I am going to take a course this summer (paid $299) because of the following reasons:

    1. Structured material
    2. In-depth material
    3. The ability to ask specific questions if I need help

    Of those, #3 is probably the most important (for me, in this particular case). Having the ability to ask questions is a huge difference from just finding free info on the Internet.
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  • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
    Did you ever hear the expression "like trying to drink from a fire hose?"

    Searching, sorting and sifting through free information is like that. You put in your query, and get back millions of results. Where do you start? Which information do you believe or trust, especially when you can find sources which say opposite things? How do you tell which sources know what they're talking about and which ones are better at SEO than the topic at hand?

    How do you separate the real deal from the medicine show?

    This whole phenomena has led to expressions like "information overload", "paralysis by analysis", and the aforementioned "Tring to drink from a fire hose."

    Add to that the common fears of being wrong, wasting time/money and looking foolish, and the idea of paying someone money to take those fears away seems like the smart move.

    This is even smarter if you follow Gordon's advice and find a verifiable Doer. Choosing the path less taken might have worked out well for Robert Frost, but it's definitely the hard way for information seekers.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jonathan 2.0
    Banned
    As a couple of other People mentioned, I think the way a Product/eBook/etc. is positioned (and sold) makes a difference.

    Many times if the Prospect believes they can't get the same advice for free (and many times they can't -- in a sense, everything considered) ... They will be more likely to buy.
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    "Each problem has hidden in it an opportunity so powerful that it literally dwarfs the problem. The greatest success stories were created by people who recognized a problem and turned it into an opportunity."―Joseph Sugarman
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  • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
    Originally Posted by pheonix44 View Post

    These days you can say that information comes cheap. You can use Google to look up anything you want. We have YouTube and even libraries to get access to certain types of information. With this being the case what would make you decide to pay good money for an info product online.

    For example just a few days ago I was trying to find information on how to build a following using certain social media platforms. I found all sorts of free information just using certain search tags. One of my favorites is the extension filetype:pdf search in Google. I got all sorts of information free.

    Then I came up on some websites selling information on this and the prices ranges from a few dollars to well over a hundred. I'm wondering what could be in those products that would warrant that price. It's the same when it comes to a lot of information a user might want.

    My question is if you have a problem or want to learn something, what would it take for you to pull the trigger on spending money for it versus getting free information?

    Some people want to be entertained by the sales letter.
    Some people want an exciting headline that makes them stir.
    Some want guarantees of results with little risk and little effort involved.
    Others want a seller who they know has a good reputation.

    I want feedback so I can use it moving forward so I can have a better understanding. Getting people to purchase info products these days is tough with so much free stuff being available. Thanks.
    People do this all the time...buy info they could gather pretty easily at no cost on their own.

    They buy because they're lazy...they buy because it's so much easier to get it all in the one place...they buy because they want the authority of the info being in a product rather than in random places all over the internet, and so who knows how valuable or accurate that stray info is.

    What could be in such products that warrant a $100 price tag?

    Give me a map to (a real) $200 and I'll buy it from you for $100.

    Give me a process that will save me $50 a month in my business and I will buy it from you for $100.

    Give me an outline for a task that saves me from having to invest $500 in a product, so I can do it myself for free instead, and I'll give you $100.

    These are just some examples.
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    • Profile picture of the author Jonathan 2.0
      Banned
      Originally Posted by Jason Kanigan View Post

      People do this all the time...buy info they could gather pretty easily at no cost on their own.
      There's something different from "info" and "advice."

      Sure, many People could find "info" online ... However "advice" is something different. As another Person mentioned ... It's investing in a Person that has expertise.

      They buy because they're lazy ...
      Maybe so. Personally I wouldn't call my Visitors/Prospects "lazy."
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  • Profile picture of the author giganut
    There seems to be a lot of new people that are coming into the marketing world and they just don't know how to do social media management correctly in 2018. They get on social media and start there software and just get themselves banned because they don't know how it works in 2018 compared to 2010 (Miss Thous days, lol ). I think they are all reading old guides and content on the web and forums about it.
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    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      Originally Posted by giganut View Post

      There seems to be a lot of new people that are coming into the marketing world and they just don't know how to do social media management correctly in 2018. They get on social media and start there software and just get themselves banned because they don't know how it works in 2018 compared to 2010 (Miss Thous days, lol ). I think they are all reading old guides and content on the web and forums about it.
      Does anyone else see the humor in this post from a member whose sig reads

      SoftwareAutomation.org - Pinterest Bot, Instagram Bot, Tumblr bot, Soundcloud bot,Twitter bot- more coming soon. Promote your business through on-line social media Automation software today
      ?
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