What do You Need to be a Successful Internet Marketer?

To be a successful internet marketer you need three things:

1. a product

2. a website that tells people about your product, and that can accept orders

3. and a method of getting people to that website

And when we start out, that sounds fairly simple. Most of us find out, though, that it’s a lot harder than we thought. I was reading an interview the other day with a chap called Mike Geary. It took him two months to make his first sale and two years to start making a profit. However, within about five years his online business was bringing in about $4,000,000 a year. But for the first three years he was working something like 15 hours a day on the computer. So let’s add another couple of things to the list of what’s needed:

5. hard work

6. determination to achieve your goals

So is that everything? Well . . . no. Because, if your product’s no good, no one will buy it (or, if they do, they’ll ask for a refund). And if your website’s no good, no one will buy your product, even if it’s the greatest thing since sliced bread. And if your method of getting people to your website is ineffective or expensive, you may be dead in the water before you’ve made your first sale.

So it’s vital to enure that your product is not only worth having but worth what you’re asking for it. And we need to remember that this is all about perceived value. Our sales blurb has got to stress the benefits of the product (not the features, because that’s not what makes people buy). It’s got to tell people why they can’t possibly do without whatever it is we’re selling. And it’s got to be not only at a price they’re prepared to pay but at a price that appears to be excellent value. If you give somebody more than they’re expecting and better value than they’re expecting then the chances are they’ll stay your customer for life. That’s how the top internet marketers build up a huge customer base . . . people trust them to deliver.

So your product has to be good and it has to be sensibly priced. But because this is about perceived value, it’s a good idea to trial it with different prices - and to do it early on. One very well known marketer was quite shocked to find that a product of his, which had been selling steadily for six months, sold much better when he raised the price by $50. Because, yes, sometimes people won’t buy because it looks too cheap - “how can it be any good if he’s only asking $xx?”

And in the sales blurb, too, we’ve got to get into the mind of the prospective customers. What is it that they’re looking for? Why do they need a product like ours? More important, why would they want a product like ours? Because wanting something can be a stronger urge than needing something. We’re always being told that people buy with their hearts and not their heads.

But, once again, it’s not just about the sales blurb. It’s also about the look of your website. And, since I’ve got quite a bit to say about that, I’ll leave it until the next post. See you later!