What Do Newbies really, really want...

Ha ha nice one, I guess many of them do.

I always think its sad when folks fall for the sales pitch where it's made out to be so easy as many of them are often down to their last dollar

Hi Peter it is funny you are saying that because that is what i have in development right now. A source that helps you discover what it is you want to ultimately do online through a personal analysis. Then giving you the tools to implement your business. Most newcomers don't quite know what they are going to market. They start like 4 or 5 different businesses when they need to focus on one.

The place where I started was at ChrisFarrellMembership. Chris' membership is a site designed for the newbie. He goes through every step of the process of creating a website, getting your autoresponder, every technical aspect you can think of, and then teaching you how to market your business. He also teaches you how to create a product and his forum is an awesome tool for general questions. He also has free hosting available for unlimited websites. This is the kind of membership site that is designed for the newbie. One should model off of this site if they want to attract the beginners in the business.

One or two simple tips a day per topic, not tonnes of free stuff, the information is too overwhelming. Keep it straight forward and simple. Also the more from your personal experience the better.

Great post! That's exactly what I've tried to do with my product because it's pretty much how I felt when I started too! I wanted to give newbies that great starter package so that for once they would finally feel the satisfaction of being able actually FEEL that success was actually achievable for them...

You know, it's really kind of amazing how no matter what our incomes are now - when we all start, we all start from pretty much the same place wanting the same thing.

The only problem is that about 90% of the newbie population have no idea what they really want other than to "make tons of cash"... And often times they settle on the first smooth talking sales pitch that looks cool...

(Which is why some of the best info products out there are often under-rated.)

And it's really sad because most of these people are just everyday people that are honestly just looking for a better life and are willing to do what it takes - but in the end just get taken for a ride on a hyped up sales pitch simple because it toys with their emotions by making huge promised of great wealth.

Then when they get the product they're disappointed because all along it was just some cheap re-hash info from collected free articles all put together by some guy for $5 an hour.

And the cycle starts over...

The IM Dictionary no affiliation...

Newbies want something that simply does not exist. They want fast, cheap, and easy.

It reminds me of a sign a saw in a mechanic shop once:

"Fast, cheap, and fixed right. Choose two". "Fast is not going to be cheap and cheap is not going to be fast"

The same is true for IM. If you choose cheap it's not going to be fast or easy. And if you want fast it's no going to be cheap.

When the money doesn't coming flying in from doing nothing. Newbies will often label a product a 'scam'. The truth is there a very few IM products that I've seen that are actual 'scams'.

Maybe the information isn't exactly what they wanted or expected but it's usually all good info. The big thing is they'll say this isn't easy as it sounded or I've heard this all before.

But that doesn't make it a 'scam'. Warning when you see headline that says, "Make $XX in XX time".

It doesn't mean it's not true. But always assume there is some work to get to that point. Information is helpful but it only get's you so far. Hard work and commitment gets you to your dream.

Good point. That's why I included sample websites with my eCourse. That way, they have something they can take a look at and dig into. On top of that, I tried to make some of the sites as easy as possible for them to edit with their own info and put to use. Dreamweaver not required; they can use any text editor.

If they're comfortable "getting their hands dirty", they don't need stuff like Dreamweaver, at least not until they're at the point they can afford it. Until then, they can get by with a text editor, like Notepad, and edit straight HTML code.

The hard part, I think, is figuring out what people don't know. For example, when I look at the WordPress installation instructions, they're so easy. Just go through step by step and you're done. Yet, that's an area where people still have problems.

I think they get stuck at FTP...

Hi Kim

You make a very valid point, I class myself as a "Newbie" in terms of marketing but have been around the Internet for a while as a web designer. So whilst I don't need help with design, domains, hosting etc there are other areas such as SEO, linking mastering wordpress and relevant plugins that leave me stranded.

However all that said, whilst some newbies are looking for quick bucks fast a lot more of us are realistic enough to know any worthwhile business needs to be built up and developed. What I personally would like is someone to layout a simple blueprint of steps to follow to get started plus the order to do them in, and I don't mean in video format because no matter how popular they are theres only so much hype and false simplification I can watch, I like something I can print out and follow.

In regard to your forum it would be nice to have moderators who were tolerant enough to answer simple questions such as for example how to do social bookmarking. Whilst the bigger plan is often explained the details on how to do the smaller things are often left out, and the tools to do them with are not explained very well. Its no good telling me xy & z tool will do this all automatically I want to know what it is doing?

Sorry got a bit carried away but tis a topic close to heart at the moment, and I am so over buying programs that promise step by step detail and deliver rubbish or methodology that even I know is out of date and has been exhausted.

The question is impossible to answer and here's why. I am speaking from
over 7 years experience of dealing almost primarily with people either new to
the Internet and/or making money online.

I have found you can classify new people into the following groups.

Group 1 - The new person who doesn't know anything and has no
expectations. This person would be thrilled to make a couple of hundred
dollars a month to pay a few bills. They are willing to work and do whatever
it takes. This person just wants a system that will give them this income
or at least a process to follow.

Group 2 - Same as group 1 but with this difference. Person has no time
or patience to do a ton of work. Has a full time job and just wants to come
home and type a few things into his computer and make a few bucks.
This person wants a plug and play system...period. No work involved.

Group 3 - Same as group 1 but wants a large income.

Group 4 - Same as group 2 but wants a large income. These are the
laziest and the most unrealistic of the bunch. I don't even bother with
these folks when they write to me and tell me that they want to make
about $5,000 a month but don't want to do too much work.

Group 5 - This group wants you to hold them by the hand and tell them
every little thing what to do. They'll do the work but they don't want to
think on their own. They are willing to pay for your services. Will settle
for a small income

Group 6 - Same as group 5 but they want this for free. Come to think of
it, this group is even lazier than group 4 in some respects.

Group 7 - Same as group 5 but wants a large income.

Group 8 - Same as group 6 but wants a large income.

Group 9 - These are the minorities. The people who are new but somehow
know enough that they actually have specific things that they feel they
need to learn because they are having trouble with those things, such as
web design, FTP, WordPress, SEO, Article Writing and so on. These people,
as a sub group, can also fall into any of the first 8 groups initially, but
they've gone beyond that point and have made it to a place where they
are more focused. Income desires and work ethic willingness vary greatly
in this group, which greatly affects how well you're going to do with them.

For example, one may want to learn Dreamweaver but won't be willing to
put the time into doing it while another will dive headlong into it until they
master it.

I'd break down the percentages of each group, as I have run into them
over the years, but to do that, I'd have to go back into my file for each
person I ever worked with or communicated with (yes, I keep all my back
data and notes to refer to for the purpose of product creation) but I
just don't have the time or desire to do this at this time.

Point is, newbie is such a vast term that there is just no way to answer
your question because the truth is, if you take all the new people who are
still struggling to earn a living online and surveyed them, you would find
that they fall into one of those 9 groups somewhere...which ultimately
means, newbies in general want everything.

Anyway, hope this helps.

Certainly brought me back to a lot of good and not so good times over
the past 7 years.

Well, in my case, I'm not looking to get rich quick, or frankly to get rich at all. Not looking for a no-work approach either. I currently have a good job and a few bucks to invest in this (and I do mean a few), but I'm preparing for my retirement from IT so I can live overseas and be with my daughter who is being taken away from me in a divorce. Since I'm a US citizen it's extremely difficult for me to get a visa to emmigrate unless I have my own means of support. So in my case, my motivation is not solely monetary, it's out of a desire to be able to see my child, and frankly I have no other agenda.

Having said that, I'm looking at it as a full time job that I will be doing, and like any business I'll be very surprised if I spend less than 12 hours a day working at it. So what group do I fall into? I don't know.

But to answer the original thread question, my greatest need is accurate information about the surprising details that can often spring up like getting sandboxed or whether you are penalized for certain kinds of SEO techniques. SEO related technicalities. I think that's the stuff I usually need assistance with.

Ahh this was the sort of thing I had in mind. the really basic stuff, its what I sucked at too when I first started and I think it's a stumbling block for many


I agree with you up to a point, but in my experience I've found people not only want the fish, they want it battering and frying as well

It's why so many biz in a box models do so well.

Kim

Kay I didn't touch FTP for a couple of years. (It was far too hard) I think it was Martin Avis who made me get off my ass and sort it out, I was gobsmacked that it was so easy

Ooops!! I think I'm in ALL NINE of Steve W.'s groups!
(or have been at one time or another!)
I seem to be sticking on to group 9, however....
Feels like I've been in it for years, though. :rolleyes:

Seriously, this is a great thread, and I'm really impressed by the conciseness of so many of the answers --- very useful for future product creators.

The main lesson here: Information alone is not enough! I have always found that too many product authors lack the ability (or the willingness!) to really put themselves in place of the reader. You've got to make the journey with them, ensuring that each step is clear. This is SO important, and it's true for all levels of teaching/training, not just the newbie level.

I think this is why video demos are so popular, because it's much harder to leave something out if you have to actually do it onscreen.

For myself I have always preferred too much information to too little.
I have no problem with skipping over the stuff I already know, but if some vital piece of procedure, terminology or reference isn't there, I can't make make it appear out of thin air. That can be extremely frustrating, especially if you can't procede further without it.

Ken

But what you NEED is to get your hands dirty. Learn to search and dig to find what you want. Learn the techniques of building a site or blog and keeping it up. Learn to ftp, to do keyword research.

I understand what you are saying but it's self defeating. There's a risk of following one person after another and then being disappointed every time but is that because the information is bad? Or because you don't think you can do it so you don't give it a full out try?

So many of the tasks to learn are simple - but many new marketers either want to be led or want to watch others do things.

It's like swimming. You can understand the theory and learn the motions but until you hit the water you don't know what you are capable of. You may sink but come up for air and and start swimming. You can't learn it all by watching others - only by hitting the water yourself.

The first advice I give a new marketer is "stop reading sales pages" - second is "stop buying stuff". Learn enough first to know what you need and what you want to do. Then buy or join what you need for YOUR plan.

If you try to do something online and fail - what's the worst that can happen?

kay

Much as I hate to admit it - I agree with Rob Puddy :0

This. x10. You win at internet.