Product Creators: Where Do You Find Your Product Ideas?

Not sure I qualify to answer this as I have not yet finished mine and have only created one IM related product to date, well one directed at the IM niche that is.

I paid attention to what this forum and a few others were asking for in my chosen niche. I also later accidentally found a few related Yahoo answers so I think that might be a good source as well.

Good luck with your hunt and Merry Christmas!

Hi scrofford!
Generally i look at trends and use valuable sources like:

- http://pulse.ebay.com
- http://www.trendhunter.com

Merry christmas!

I got my Traffic Report idea reading a thread here where people were complaining that they could not figure out how to get traffic.

I got an idea for a new service that is under development by reading a series of threads here at WF asking the same question, and the people answering not really knowing how to advise, except in generalities.

I got another service idea by reading someone's WSO. I figured out how to integrate his ideas to go in a direction I have wanted to go for more than a year.

1. I think until my brain starts to sweat - inside-the-box and out-of-the-box thinking.

3. I look at my world, the virtual and real, the rich and poor...

2. I ask my friends some subtle questions concerning their needs.

3. I check the WSOs with the highest number of views and positive replies

4. I search different niche forums to check the frequently asked questions, especially the questions asked by members but the answers are either not satisfactory or the question was asked by many members in different ways.

For example, Member A asks, "What is backlink?", Member B asks, "How do I create 50 backlinks in 7 days?" I will tell myself, "There's a product."

I typically begin by reverse engineering something that is already selling (pattern of magagzine topics, existing books, seminars, courses, ebooks) that I know are selling well, then I pull out the underlying desired outcome (always an attempt to overcome frustration, pain or to achieve an unfulfilled desire) - then I turn that into my "target" and come up with a different/better way to tackle that topic usually paying more attention to providing the solution as a set of steps, tips or methods that can be 1) Applied and 2) Tested & Verified so that I can go up-market to sell the material as a course and can develop a set of verifiable proof points to help sell the course, ebook, book or program.

What this means is that we spend most of our time studying what is selling and why -- then once we have nailed that, we target the same desire in a unique way.

Jeff

Patterns and holes.

As you go around in your chosen niche, you'll see patterns. And those patterns will tell you "lots of people want to buy this."

As you find these patterns, you go look around in the marketplace, and check out the different things people can buy for that.

Usually, you'll find a whole bunch of products across the entire range of pricing, and there will be a number of good ones that people strongly recommend.

But sometimes you find a big, gaping hole in the market.

Perhaps there's an inferior $20 product and a well-respected $80 product. You can make a bunch of money by simply producing a $50 product that doesn't suck.

I don't do this as much as I should. I take too long to create products. That's something I need to fix.

Wow, great ideas coming in! Thanks everyone! I think it's good to get others perspectives on how they figure out product ideas...I've learned a few things! Btw Merry Christmas everyone!

For most of my products I simply think back to when I was at the same stage as my target market and ask myself: what did i need to know back then? What information would I have gladly given cold hard cash in exchange for? What would have helped me get to where I wanted to get to quicker.

Out of those answers I'll get two or three good ideas - or variations of the same idea.

Then i email 4 or 5 people who have bought from me before and ask them what they think of the idea. If they get excited, so do I. If they don't - I go back to the drawing board.

My product ideas always come from what I've already done, and what I'm currently doing.

I've spent 30 years as a writer, so documenting what I'm doing by writing comes naturally.

This is the fastest method of product creation I know; I teach it to my students.

For example, recently I created a 100 Day Writing Challenge for them. The aim of the Challenge was setting a goal, and achieving it within 100 days.

Here's what Challenge members had to do each day...

The Challenge took place over three months. Now, here's what I didn't tell them until the Challenge was almost over: their goal was immaterial.

I wanted them to learn the method: completing tasks and documenting their processes.

I know that once they made that a habit, they could achieve anything they set their minds to. :-)

From the feedback, it worked. :-)

I encourage you to try this method if you want to create products:

* Set a goal

* Create tasks related to the goal

* Document everything you do...

Hey presto, just like magic, you have a product. Lather, rinse, repeat...

It's a simple, and easy method, and you'll create original, and valuable products for others.

Hope this helps.

Happy holidays to you and yours. :-)

I simply write e-books that solve my own problems and the ones of the people around me.

Amazon.com

Typically what sells offline, sells online.

If you're in the IM niche, especially if you are looking to sell in the WSO or Classified Section here on the WF, check out Michael Oksa's WSO - Warrior Forum Goldmine...

The thread title starts "Big CASH Now" - I don't want to link to it here so the thread isn't whacked, but search for posts started by Michael in the WSO section if you need to.

It's a really simple, but eye-opening product on using the forum to deliver what people are asking for.

Yes, I'm a buyer, no this is not a paid review. I just think it's a good product!

All success!

Gary

When I first got started, I would come up with my ideas by basing them on what other people were already selling. I'd either come up with an addition/complementary product or I'd compete directly with the market.

Once I built a customer base (although, it's still small), most of "my" product ideas come from customers asking if I also do XX, or from support questions or whatever.