31 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}
31 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}

The truth about WSO marketplace

by BigVirtualPlanet
25 replies
Let's take an "average" WSO priced somewhere between $5-$20.

Obviously, there are some very helpful WSO's and some not so great.

If you have been reading the WSO section no doubt that you have encountered type of WSO's in the mentioned price range which promise complete newbies with no skills big passive income within next 30 days.

Most of us here know that an average inexperienced starter doesn't have the capabilities or resources to pull that off with using just the system he bought in an average WSO. Yet,looking just at the reviews, one could conclude that 99% of such WSO's are the real deal.

The truth is, someone who is starting from scratch can use a product like that to get the basic concepts. It is a good starting point.

The thing is, much more than that is usually promised in the sales letter. Some of the more experienced marketers have said "Well what do you expect for $7?". I completely agree, I just think it is important that what is promised in the sales letter equals what the buyer actually gets when he buys.

Your thoughts?
#marketplace #truth #wso
  • Profile picture of the author travlinguy
    There are hundreds of threads just like this one discussing the feasibility, likelihood, etc., of newbies or anyone else having success with WSOs and other online business plans. Eventually they move into the realm of how the forum should "protect" members from buying hypey junk and all the rest of it.

    Here's my take. Virtually everyone buys unrealistic claims at some point in their lives. They may not learn any sound business or marketing strategies though the experience should be the first lesson in their BS detection education. After two or three times they should be smart enough to know that many of the promises made in these offers are bogus. If they don't, they they have no one to blame but themselves.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9428264].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Steve B
    Two thoughts.

    Most importantly . . . results will always vary as no two people bring the same background, education, experience, discipline, persistence, and marketing skills to the table. One person may do just fine with minimal instructions - another has to be led step by step all the way.

    No one can promise or guarantee any level of income or even success because they don't know who the buyer may be.

    Second, often the WSO is a view of the process from 25,000 feet. It is exactly what the seller has done to make money himself, start to finish. He isn't lying or deceiving.

    The stumbling block is the fact that online business success typically depends upon the fine details of daily execution. There are many things that experienced marketers do every day that they take for granted. Newbies often don't understand how to implement the fine details because they have no clue about those details.

    There are other reasons why WSOs don't work . . . but sometimes the whole marketplace suffers by association. And sometimes, the WSO is just plain worthless. The buyer has to figure that out.

    Steve
    Signature

    Steve Browne, online business strategies, tips, guidance, and resources
    SteveBrowneDirect

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9428265].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author des gabriel
    [DELETED]
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9428305].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author cborgrx
      After having bought a few dozen WSOs that promised me the world, I can say from experience that every single one, while different, was a bit of learning experience. I never considered having wasted any money as each one added to my bank of information. The only unfortunate thing for newbies is the belief that for ten bucks or so, they will be equipped to produce an income that many college graduates don't earn. While some may argue that it is a case of let the buyer beware, the buyers have no one to blame but themselves if they don't do the requisite background info check.
      Signature
      FREE! Your own copy of the greatest financial book ever written!
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9428349].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Melody
    I love this comment from the OP:
    "I just think it is important that what is promised in the sales letter equals what the buyer actually gets when he buys"

    This isn't something just to be applied to WSOs but anything purchased in the IM space, which seems particularly susceptible to over-hyped 45 page sales letters.

    I tend to be a lot more lenient when buying a WSO, simply because they do tend to be lower priced, and with software - we are often seeing the early version and the trade-off for that 80% discount off the future price the public may (or may not) pay is that we are also the beta testers and de-buggers.

    Have I picked up some real stinkers that never did work as promised here? Without a doubt!

    But have I also gotten some amazing tools and tips for pennies that I made dollars from? YOU BET!!!

    No matter where or what you buy, it's always buyer beware, but a discerning buyer can still find a lot of gems in the WSO marketplace - just don't expect to become a millionaire overnight with zero effort

    Melody
    Signature
    Our first "Digital Yard Sale"! A massive PLR Blowout Sale to help a friend pay medical expenses.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9428333].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Brent Stangel
    just don't expect to become a millionaire overnight with zero effort
    There's the real problem. It's not with WSOs or any other marketplace.

    People make it too easy, so many are tempted. If the place was crawling with discerning consumers, most WSOs wouldn't exist.
    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[9428350].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author professorrosado
    [QUOTE=BigVirtualPlanet;9428180
    The truth is, someone who is starting from scratch can use a product like that to get the basic concepts. It is a good starting point.

    The thing is, much more than that is usually promised in the sales letter. Some of the more experienced marketers have said "Well what do you expect for $7?". I completely agree, I just think it is important that what is promised in the sales letter equals what the buyer actually gets when he buys.[/QUOTE]

    The "more promised" may be "the more" the inexperienced marketer may not know how to do or is even willing to make happen for themselves. All of these ponderings are relative. WSOs are not cushions to protect your tush when you fail once again. The first WSO everyone should get is: How to work at making something work for you! Any buyers?
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9428394].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author JensSteyaert
    It's not just a matter of buying Wso's and following the exact steps that are exlained, it's also a matter of thinking outside the box when you learn something new and add your own twist.

    If you can do that there are very few Wso's who don't deliver for the price they are sold...
    Signature

    Join ADZbuzz Here:

    ADZbuzz Social Network And Content Discovery Platform

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9428437].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Melody
      Originally Posted by JensSteyaert View Post

      It's not just a matter of buying Wso's and following the exact steps that are exlained, it's also a matter of thinking outside the box when you learn something new and add your own twist.

      If you can do that there are very few Wso's who don't deliver for the price they are sold...
      Well put!

      If you think about what a college education costs vs the price of getting a new idea, approach, strategy or simply something that sparks that new twist in your own approach - anything you learn from a WSO is a complete bargain.

      it's the cost of learning the business - and getting the result of another person's 6 months of testing for $12?? Priceless!

      Melody
      Signature
      Our first "Digital Yard Sale"! A massive PLR Blowout Sale to help a friend pay medical expenses.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9428447].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author internetmarketer1
        Originally Posted by Melody View Post

        Well put!

        If you think about what a college education costs vs the price of getting a new idea, approach, strategy or simply something that sparks that new twist in your own approach - anything you learn from a WSO is a complete bargain.

        it's the cost of learning the business - and getting the result of another person's 6 months of testing for $12?? Priceless!

        Melody
        In a sense. Yes. I do agree on this. I have made countless WSOs with people who have bought every single thing I have sold. Through the testing I have done, they don't have to test because I've done it for them.

        I have bought WSOs in the past that were very much obviously garbage and horribly made, but I found that there were still some that worked really well for me and got me results. I was able to learn from their experiences, see what it was that helped them find that "golden nugget", and use it to my own business.
        Signature
        Tired of Google?! Exhausted from all the rehashed trash?!
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9433415].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Angshuman Dutta
    A WSO can NEVER be wrong. The problem is in some of them important information is not laid properly (communication gap) and that aside the biggest problem is we always tend to put our own spin to them and expect them to work out of the box. As a buyer I have been disappointed too sometimes, but frankly the information was NEVER incorrect.

    Yes, sometime the hype is just too much, but that's marketing and I don't blame sellers for that. What really matters is how much we are willing to bring to the table and whether or not we are willing to use a WSO as a tool rather than a business in a box.

    Yes, a WSO is supposed to be tool - not the business itself. That's how I look at it.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9428462].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author ForumGuru
      Banned
      Originally Posted by Angshuman Dutta View Post

      A WSO can NEVER be wrong.
      Sure they can! I have seen (and purchased) WSOs that have included incorrect information regarding the use of images, copyrights, licenses, releases, websites, website terms of service, the law etc. etc. etc.

      Cheers

      -don
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9428473].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author BigVirtualPlanet
      Originally Posted by Angshuman Dutta View Post

      A WSO can NEVER be wrong. The problem is in some of them important information is not laid properly (communication gap) and that aside the biggest problem is we always tend to put our own spin to them and expect them to work out of the box. As a buyer I have been disappointed too sometimes, but frankly the information was NEVER incorrect.

      Yes, sometime the hype is just too much, but that's marketing and I don't blame sellers for that. What really matters is how much we are willing to bring to the table and whether or not we are willing to use a WSO as a tool rather than a business in a box.

      Yes, a WSO is supposed to be tool - not the business itself. That's how I look at it.
      I pretty much agree with this. About the hype, it's everywhere nowdays, not just in IM or this forum and there will always be products which live up to it and the ones which don't.

      Can we blame the sellers? That's open for debate, but I do think being as honest as possible is important from both the ethics and business standpoint, as those who are trustworthy will eventually enjoy the benefits of that.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9430262].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
        The truth about WSO marketplace?

        One of my wife's cousins is a retired cop. He always says that in any dispute there are three versions of what happened - the plaintiff's, the defendant's, and what really happened.

        That's the case here.

        As for the over-hyped garbage present in almost any marketplace, the only way some people learn to keep their guard up is to get their nose bloodied a few times. So even the crap has a useful function.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9430302].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author MrCreative
    At the end of the day, you need to be selling something to make money in business. You want to be a seller and not a buyer to become successful.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9430605].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Boonqueesha
    There's a lot of good information and helpful users on this forum, but it should be understood that it's basically a place for people to make money off the "make money online" niche. That's why a lot of times you see "FREE WSO" but it's behind an email wall. The content of the WSO doesn't matter because it's free. The poster just wants your email to put you on a list and make money off you in the future.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9430611].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author NobleSavage
    I'm going to write a WSO on how to make money with WSO's. Recursion at it's finest.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9431543].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author WillR
    The truth about the WSO marketplace...

    There is more money being made there by the vendors selling products than the methods being taught in those products.

    What does that tell you? Which side of the equation do you want to be on?

    Are you a consumer or a marketer?
    Signature

    .


    .

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9431546].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author MrCreative
    We will never know the exact numbers, but I would guess that a large percentage of WSO sellers are making much more on their WSO sales than they are with the implementation of the product they are selling.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9433089].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author NobleSavage
      Originally Posted by MrCreative View Post

      We will never know the exact numbers, but I would guess that a large percentage of WSO sellers are making much more on their WSO sales than they are with the implementation of the product they are selling.
      Yes, guaranteed.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9433323].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author celente
      Originally Posted by MrCreative View Post

      We will never know the exact numbers, but I would guess that a large percentage of WSO sellers are making much more on their WSO sales than they are with the implementation of the product they are selling.
      actaully this is not correct. I know two wso sellers personally killing it, and only teach others because they like teaching.

      There are some that make their entire income from WSO and do not care about their products. They are just email marketing, and doing this, but this is a marketing forum, so what do you expect really?
      Signature
      Create a $5000 USD a month Business. 1-on-1 Coaching. By 6 figure marketer! - CLICK HERE
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9434747].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author jross07
    WSO's are so up and down. But I think WillR hit it on head.Which side of the equation do you want to be on?

    IM is all about selling IM products/concepts /ideas to other IM'ers, at least mostly in the digital sense of things. We're seeing a bigger move to ecommerce and physical products and real online businesses now though. And I find those WSO's to be the most fulfilling ones. Other than that, it's products teaching you how to achieve the same results from multiple angles. Most things that sell really well usually have a short life line to success (ID scraping Teespring for example)

    If you're new to IM, WSO's are great, even some of the bad ones. You'll find some info in there you would have never thought to search for on Google. At some point users have to decide when they'll stop investing in the broken promises though, as there are many in there.
    Signature

    Internet enthusiast, learning every day!

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9433441].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Kay King
      I'm going to write a WSO on how to make money with WSO's.
      You'd be joining the crowd - there have been a couple dozen of those
      Signature
      Saving one dog will not change the world - but the world changes forever for that one dog
      ***
      2024 Patriot's Award for Service to Veterans
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9433467].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author TrafficExpert
    Most WSOs are a teaching tool. Something to learn from and better yourself. A lot of people who buy WSOs expect everything to be done for them and are afraid of real work (which is why they chase WSOs in the first place). They have unrealistic expectations most of the time. Part of that can be due to over-hyped sales letters, but ultimately it comes back to the buyer. They decide whether to buy something or not.

    Ultimately people like to complain about bad WSOs, but I think the bigger problem is all the self entitled people who buy them with unrealistic expectations and demand everything handed to them or they complain. You should be smart enough to know that a $7 ebook probably isn't going to change your life for you. So don't look at WSOs as that magic pill that's going to make you rich overnight. Look at them as a very cheap way to learn from someones experiences.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9434476].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author BrianMcLeod
    Originally Posted by BigVirtualPlanet View Post

    Your thoughts?
    Net results +/- a few dozen sig link views and maybe 10 new subscribers.
    Signature
    Brian McLeod
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9434487].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author BigVirtualPlanet
      Originally Posted by WillR View Post

      The truth about the WSO marketplace...

      There is more money being made there by the vendors selling products than the methods being taught in those products.

      What does that tell you? Which side of the equation do you want to be on?

      Are you a consumer or a marketer?
      The best option is to sell quality products from which customers get more value compared to the price of the product. Multiple benefits from that.

      Originally Posted by BrianMcLeod View Post

      Net results +/- a few dozen sig link views and maybe 10 new subscribers.
      Sorry?
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9438948].message }}

Trending Topics