Many entrepreneurs, when first looking at how to attract and convert their ideal customers online, run into Internet Marketing “gurus” that suggest using techniques such as creating information products, membership sites and more.
For many these paths lead straight to failure. Here’s why…
What Do You Think?
Let’s talk about it in the comments below.
About Robert DempseyCEO & Founder of Dempsey Marketing, web developer, avid reader, proud father and husband. I get a lot of stuff done.
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27 Comments
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This is partly why most offline businesses do better hiring a consultant instead of following an ebook because a live consultant can advise them on adaptable implementations in the moments of each unique arising circumstance while an ebook or infoproduct cannot adjust itself to the specific needs of a business.
Infoproducts can serve as viable guidelines but ultimately a business’s model and nature of its services must be taken into account.
Boom, there you go, a much needed bit of honesty. It is frustrating, the “Gurus” while good at what they do I’m sure, all neglect to include Time. It takes time to cultivate a following and an online presence, and Time is something a business owner has very little of.
Very true, which makes it all the more important for us to spend it very wisely.
Hey Robert,
It’s great that you put out this video. made me think for a while.
I’m in the service industry and I do provide services to clients. However what you are talking isn’t necessarily applicable for the majority of the audience.
Info products are mainly put out for people who don’t have the money to hire consultants and also to learn new things. When people decide to create info products, or membership sites, it’s aimed at people who are not busy all the time running their business.
Even people who run businesses do actively use communities and join discussions. I am a member of a popular UK based forum and there I see many entrepreneurs share a lot of time helping each others out, asking questions and so on. So definitely, people spend time on these things.
Now, coming to whether you should put out a info product or membership site. If I am about to put out a SEO ebook, my target would change from small business owners to probably people looking to learn SEO and would like to take it up as a career.
You just cant say that it’s not working. A lot of people make six figure income making info products and selling them. So there is definitely a market for this.
Hi Adarsh – thanks for your comments on the video.
First I didn’t say that these methods don’t work or that there isn’t a market for it. What I’m suggesting is that it takes a lot of work to:
1. Do all the research on the market – keywords, demographics, etc.
2. Build the community so you have attention before launching the product
3. Create the product
4. And finally sell it
Because of that my suggestion is to not start off selling these types of products. I have yet to see someone brand new to business create a membership site and do well. It typically takes many months if it ever takes off.
However if you are a service provider and already have a community around your business, know what they want, and the opportunity arises, I say go for it.
Yes, that’s true. It’s certainly hard for anyone to get started these days with product creation as the #1 obstacle is community creation (which takes a lot of work).
In my opinion, it would be better for service providers to have a product which your target audience can use in case they cannot afford your consulting fees. This will also act as a second source of income for us.
I’m planning to test this out in the coming months.
Thanks for responding quickly and also great video.
Cheers- Adarsh Thampy
Great advice Adarsh. Please continue coming back and adding your opinion, and let us know how your product release goes.
Sure thing.
P.S: My name is Adarsh and not Ardash.
(A lot of people make the same mistake!!!)
Fail on me Adarsh I’ve updated my comments. My apologies for completely messing up the spelling of your name. It won’t happen again.
That’s completely ok… I guess my name is a little difficult to pick up quickly.
P.S: I just submitted a guest post by joining this site. Hope you like it.
It’s my fault as your name is right here in front of me. I read it to fast. So that won’t happen again.
Looking forward to reading and publishing your post Adarsh. Rock on!
Hi Robert
One of the problems when starting out is limited budget and also getting overwhelmed with all the information out there!
Have been meeting some newbies lately who are where I was at awhile ago and they are sharing the same things as I was when starting out.
I’ve offered skype session to global peeps and locally it is meetups and then follow-ups with information they need. Don’t want them wasting their time or money (as I did) on what they don’t need for their startups.
And cos I have networked so much in the past, know a lot of people I can now recommend them to who will be able to help them. Of course Dempsey Marketing is on the list
And I am not in the service business as you know, but if I can help others, then that’s okay. Cos I have had some very generous peeps help me.
Patricia Perth Australia
Thanks, Robert, for putting this forth. Like a few others who have commented, I wonder, “how can I learn all this for myself and at the same time, deliver the services my clients expect.” A simple, yet very powerful consideration as I continue to get myself organized to serve them well.
Barb,
You are absolutely on the right track and you will see the growth that you desire soon.
The good news is. you weren’t afraid to seek out help. Good job.
One thing that has taken me a long to learn is that I really can’t do it all myself; sometimes it is imperative to hire someone else rather than spending time (word choice was intentional there) learning all about a new marketing technique, sales market, website development, etc. I have more than enough to keep me busy trying to stay in touch with my customers and making my artwork.
An entrepreneur needs to be able to say “NO” to some things. And that is OK!
I’m so happy to hear you say that. You’ve been using this advice and your business is booming because of it. Way to go, Josie.
Hi Robert,
You have made a very important point here. It’s one that I talk with my clients on almost a daily basis. It is, “Do you have the time to learn what it takes to become proficient at that task and still run your business?” The answer is almost always, “NO.”
I recommend sticking with what you do best and paying people to do the rest.
This is a bit of a challenge for many cash strapped entrepreneurs but they must bite the bullet and get the very best help they can afford. That will pay off much more quickly then the, “I’ll try to do everything myself method” which frequently costs people their business.
So the motto here at Saltar Solutions is, “Stick with what you know and concentrate on selling more, so you can afford to pay for expert help.” Amazingly that advice has helped my clients achieve great things and frequently triple their company’s growth.
Thank you, Robert.
It’s almost a chicken and an egg problem when you’re running a lean business. You need the services but don’t necessarily have the cash to put it out. Sometimes you can get yourself pretty far and then use a consultant for the “last mile.” However if things aren’t set up well from the start it may all have to be redone.
Personally I’m on the side of having it done right. It is an investment in the business.
I am able to save my clients lots of money, usually more than my services, by helping them avoid costly mistakes. I also introduce them to people they need to know and help them with a pricing strategy that is higher then their current one.
My clients frequently report a 300% increase in their business. There are very few business owners that can do that for themselves as quickly as I can do it for them.
I say pay the best professional you can find and you’ll be further ahead.
I can attest to the advice Lauri and Robert have given me – and I can be a real pain-in-the-ass when it comes to details and everything else. I like knowing how things work, so even if I am not the one creating the website, I want to know why “X” and not “Y”, and many other aspects I try to “do it all” and it has been a long road to the realization that I am a lot more porductive if I actaully let go of some the details and let someone help me.
Thanks for the help!!!
I am so with you, Josephine! We could be sisters, in that, I only want to know so much about the structure and then leave those itty bitty details to someone else.
Great Video….
One way we have become more effective in “helping” our clients is ongoing webinars and talks shows offering detail regarding the systems and tools we provide.
These are always available 24/7 so the busy client can access when time allows.
Of course there are clients who are willing to have all the tasks provided for them, allowing them to focus on what they DO BEST
Educating clients is always a good strategy Chuck so I’m with you there 100%.
I had a pleasant surprise when I checked my emails this morning. A blogging buddy has asked me to teach them some specifics for their business and wants to pay me
And I don’t sell services but they had recognised some skills that I had learnt and now they want me to teach them.
Maybe I need to diversify even more and have a site for newbies lol
Patricia Perth Australia
Congrats Patricia. I spoke with a business owner this morning who told me that the light bulb for him didn’t go off the first time someone asked for something he didn’t normally provide, but the second time it did.
Thank you! Ive been thinking about this myself. My company does business exclusively with busy service business owners and ive been WONDERING why we get almost no traction with social media and blogging. Your post helps.me understand why! Now if i could just figure out the solution!!!
And therein lies the challenge Tyler. We’ll keep trying to figure it out.