OTO's (One-Time Offers) and what you should know...

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Okay here's my thoughts on OTO's... Not everyone is going to agree with me and that's okay but maybe you should test this for yourself. I have tested it and I got a much better conversion.

Getting a better conversion has to do with were you put the OTO in the process. Everyone will say "Put the OTO immediately after the signup" others will say "Put the OTO after they have confirmed their email address".

What I say is "They are both wrong!"

OTO's are useful and very powerful... if used correctly. Trouble is, in my opinion everyone is using them in the wrong places. (When I say everyone I mean everyone who isn't as well known as Mike Filsaime or Frank Kern)

Here's my school of thought.

1. To get the greatest response to an offer they (your subscribers) must know - like and trust you. That is a given and everyone knows this.

2. When a person subscribes to your list for the first time they DO NOT know, or trust you... They may like you but that's besides the point.

3. Instead of putting a OTO after someone first subscribes to your list that will result in low conversions 9 times out of 10... why not use that valuable space for a quick 4 question survey?

This survey will ask their biggest problem and how they best like to learn (Audio, video, written report, etc...)

This information can be used to bring your list members what they want, solve their specific problem and create a product they will buy and present it the way they like.

Personally I only use OTO's to my existing list, when I release a new product or give them a gift. After they make their purchase or download the gift then I present a OTO... because they already know - like and trust me.

I find my conversions are much better when using OTO's in this manner. Not to mention all the valuable information I gather at the survey when they first subscribe.

Mike Hill
#main internet marketing discussion forum #offers #onetime #oto
  • That's good advice. The popularity of OTO's has led to overuse of them and I would think that has to lead to OTO blindness.

    I recently got a product that had TWO OTO's three times in the purchase/download process. I took a quick look at the first one and wasn't interested but just clicked out of the other without reading them at all.

    It reminded me of McDonald's asking "do you fries with that?" six times.

    kay
    • [1] reply
    • Could it have been a Mike Filsaime product? *LOL*

      Martin
  • I have noticed a lot of clickbank products using that process where they OTO you before you even pay. I was also recently checking out a site that had 2 OTO's before I even purchased their first product.

    You want to know what I did... I hit the little red "x" in the top of my browser.

    I still get decent conversions on my one niche product with the OTO right after payment has been made to paypal.
    • [1] reply
    • If you use Clickbank you really don't have a choice. They require you to present any OTO's, upsells, downsells, or any other type of secondary product offering before the payment process. Their policy is the customer should only pay once.

      • [3] replies
  • I agree - I find that it's best to give give give give THEN ask for something in return. I don't hit the OTO until at least the 5th or so email in the sequence after I've been slapping them with awesome free stuff for a while. It's all about that Cialdini "Influence" stuff - reciprocation, consistency, and commitment.
    • [1] reply

    • You obviously did nt read the Cialdini book properly...

      He tells you to ask for something (the sale) right after giving something... the feeling of reciprocation lose their effectiveness with time.

      Robert
  • Well, unless the survey is used right away to "customize" a sales letter, it makes no sense to have it running permanently if you're going to have a big list.
    Because the first 2,000 people to answer should already give you a pretty good picture.
    • [3] replies
    • It's wise to offer your OTO only after the payment page, some may get annoyed by it.
    • Tony...

      Once you get good data then change the survey questions. It's important to keep the survey going because over time your industry and the people coming into the industry at different points in time over the long term will have shifted focus not to mention new problems will exist.

      use the information to continue to provide content and information your changing list wants...

      Mike Hill
    • To get 2000 to answer you might need to have 10,000 or more visit that page. Hope you aren't assuming everyone will answer the survey, because they won't, even if it's one question.
      • [2] replies
  • Hi Mike

    Just recently I stopped using an OTO immediately following the sign-up to test another idea.

    I like your idea. It makes perfect sense to me so I will be incorporating it into my mix.

    thanks

    Will
  • If your free offer is for people to "subscribe to your list"- than you're right. That doesn't sound sexy, doesn't sound like value, and there's nothing they should love your for. But if your free offer is something that is obviously valuable (and especially 'niched enough') that's a very different situation.
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    OTO's (One-Time Offers) and what you should know...

    Okay here's my thoughts on OTO's... Not everyone is going to agree with me and that's okay but maybe you should test this for yourself. I have tested it and I got a much better conversion. Getting a better conversion has to do with were you put the OTO in the process. Everyone will say "Put the OTO immediately after the signup" others will say "Put the OTO after they have confirmed their email address".