3 Reasons To Create A Continuity Program For Your Business

Welcome back!

A few months ago, we discussed how you can make money with membership sites. It’s important to point out that membership sites fall under the broader umbrella of continuity programs. Most online marketers think of them in the context of delivering content. That is, you create exclusive articles, videos, special reports, and other information products for which a subscriber base pays a monthly fee to access. There is a lot of potential there, but it is only scraping the surface.

You’ll find continuity programs everywhere you look and many of them have little to do with content. For example, the savvy owners behind Aweber, Wordtracker, and similar tools have built small online empires based on delivering valuable tools for a monthly fee. You can do the same. Regardless of your niche, here are three reasons to create and profit from a continuity program.

#1 – Predictable Revenue Base

Suppose you write an information product and sell it for $97. During the first month, you sell 100 copies and gross $9,700. It’s a good month. During the following month, suppose you sell 60 copies. In the third month after your product’s launch, you sell 50 copies. The income generated from your information product is falling. Soon, you’ll need to brainstorm ways to boost sales or develop another product.

A continuity program helps to solve this problem by providing long-term, stable revenue. You won’t need to create a continuous stream of products and motivate people to buy them. Instead, you can upload those products to a membership site and charge subscribers a monthly fee to access them. It is far easier to encourage paying members to continue their membership than it is to persuade people to make a new purchase decision.

#2 – Larger Audience Through A Lower Price

Here’s an advantage that is often overlooked, even by those who operate continuity programs. Because the monthly subscription fees are recurring, you can charge less for your content and tools. In doing so, you’ll reach a much larger audience and make more money in the process.

For example, suppose you develop a new online tool each month for twelve months. If you were to release them individually, it’s unlikely that your audience will purchase every product; a few might, but most won’t. In effect, you’re limiting your exposure because most people won’t be able to afford the entire collection.

Now, imagine uploading your tools to a private site and charging members a small monthly $10 fee in order to access them. The lower price will attract a much larger audience. Rather than a few customers buying your products sporadically, a larger number of people will be motivated to become members and pay monthly. Assuming each person maintains their membership for at least a few months, you’ll make far more money in the long run. What’s more, some people will remain members for years.

Click here to create your own Continuity program!

#3 – Platform From Which To Promote Related Products

You’ve heard it is easier to sell to customers than it is to those who have never purchased a product from you. As ongoing customers, the members of your continuity program are more likely to buy products from you than anyone else on your list. But, the potential to generate recurring income goes further than their individual sales.

For example, suppose one of the online tools you have created for your continuity program uses an API to collect keywords used in Twitter’s search facility. Your members will have access to this tool. But, suppose you were to create a separate info-product that describes – in detail – the steps involved with using your “Twitter tool” to make money. Your program members are perfectly targeted for this info-product. As ongoing customers, their trust will not only lead to sales, but it will also encourage them to become affiliates.

Even better, you can “reward” members by giving them a discount from the price non-members will pay, thereby encouraging them to maintain their membership.

There’s an enormous opportunity to develop a continuity program in nearly every market imaginable. Whether you’re offering search engine optimization strategies, dating tips for the divorced crowd, or automotive repair advice, this type of program can represent a major profit center. Start thinking of ways to add a continuity program to your online business. In a few months, you might discover it’s your largest income generator.

Click here to create your own Continuity program!

Build A Bigger Online Business By Going Niche

Bigger Online Business By Going Niche

Online marketers are driven by the thought of generating large amounts of money with their businesses. The problem is that their vision is often too broad. For example, they may be tempted to create a general site about “health,” “cars,” or “sports.” A decade ago, that would have worked. Today, large brands are dominating their space and they have the war chest to beat back their competitors.

You must focus on niches. By doing so, you can carve out your territory more easily, speak directly to your audience, and gradually build your business to dominate small sectors. So, unless private investors have given you $10 million with which to build the next About.com, let’s talk about “going niche.”

Carving Out Your Territory

It is far easier to compete in smaller verticals than vying for attention as a general site. First, Google likes focused properties. Their algorithms – both organic and paid search – take the focus of your site into account when ranking your pages or determining your minimum bids.

For example, let’s suppose that you want to build a site about cars. The most potent search engine optimization strategies will not lift your pages to the top organic spots without your domain having significant age and authority. A good example of such a site is Edmunds.com.

On the other hand, let’s suppose you’re building a site about car parts for Honda sedans (a niche). You’ll fare much better in Google’s organic and paid listings. Their algorithms will note the tight focus of your site and rank your pages accordingly. While you’ll never be number one for “cars,” (without a hefty war chest), you can quickly carve out your territory by ranking for niche keywords.

Once you do, you’ll find the audience you attract is much easier to convert.

Speaking To Your Audience

The more targeted your niche, the easier it will be to speak directly to your audience. That results in a higher conversion rate. Whether you’re selling information products, blogging with an up-sell to a coaching program, or generating Adsense revenue, the more tightly segmented your audience, the better. Segmentation lets you directly address your customers’ needs. In effect, it allows you to continue the conversation that is already going on in their mind. There lies the path to higher conversions.

For example, let’s suppose you’re selling an ebook about weight loss. There are a lot of competing information products. If you cannot differentiate your ebook from the rest of the pack, your audience will have other options. Those options will lower your sales. But, let’s suppose your ebook is geared toward women who would like to lose weight immediately following childbirth. Your audience will be smaller, but they’ll have a specific need that you can address. As a result, your sales will naturally increase.

Building Your Online Empire

One of the advantages of “going niche” with your online business is that it perfectly builds the framework for expansion. By moving into related verticals, you can take advantage of your first niche’s momentum.

Let’s return to our “weight loss after childbirth” ebook example. Your customers will likely be interested in related topics. This is a perfect opportunity to expand your business. Ebooks about “nutrition after childbirth” and “fitness after childbirth” will probably sell well. Each ebook should be supported by its own site. By linking your growing portfolio of related sites, Google’s ranking algorithms will note their similar topics. As a result, each of your sites will enjoy an authority boost.

We’ve touched upon a number of marketing strategies and concepts in today’s post. Most are secondary to the main point: if you want to compete and build a bigger business, go niche. Your customers will thank you, Google will like you, and your bank account will show the results.

Below are a couple of more Resources to help you further with Niche Marketing:

Click here for The Power of a Focused Business

Click here for – Build A niche Store

Click here for – Niche Review Templates!

4 Secrets To Selling Information Products

Selling Information Products

Online business models come and go. Trends shift and people’s desires change. But, one of the most enduring businesses that you can develop from the ground up is selling information products. Not only does it fit perfectly within the tool chest of marketing strategies I’m teaching you, but there’s no limit to the size of your info-product empire.

Today, I’m going to give you 4 secrets to selling information products that will help you get started on the right foot. You’ll notice that 9 out of 10 info-product marketers are not leveraging the opportunity.

#1 – Build With Growth In Mind

How many times have you purchased an ebook from an info-product developer, yet never heard from that person again? It happens often. A marketer will create an ebook, develop a website from which to sell it, and automate the buying process (for example, using Clickbank). Then, the marketer never creates a follow-up info-product.

This business is uniquely designed to meet your customers’ insatiable desire for information. Before you create your first ebook, you should begin planning follow-up products with higher price points.

#2 – Get Them To Commit

In Dr. Robert Cialdini’s “Influence: The Psychology Of Persuasion,” he describes the power of
commitment. Specifically, once your customer has made the decision to commit, that customer will psychologically support their decision to do so. This is the reason why many websites charge a nominal amount (i.e. $1) for a product. The first product entices an initial commitment, leading to a long funnel of successive sales.

You can use this psychological tendency – and it is nearly universal – when building your information product business. For example, offer your first ebook for $7. Your next ebook might be priced at $27. Follow-up info-products might include DVDs, membership site subscriptions, and even seminars at much higher price points.

#3 – Create Your Affiliate Program

We’ve talked about creating your own affiliate program before, and it’s certainly beyond the scope of today’s post. I’m mentioning it here because any information product that you offer to your customers should be supported by an affiliate program. It is one of the most powerful free internet marketing tactics you can use to build a perpetual stream of sales.

Imagine having dozens of affiliates promoting your info-products to their email lists, through PPC, article marketing, or search engine optimization strategies. As their marketing efforts continue to gain traction, your info-products gain exposure and sales.

#4 – Use Email Sequences

Email sequences, if used properly, can have a snowball’s effect on your sales. Each time a customer purchases your first information product, have them join your customer’s email list. Two weeks later (once they have had time to digest your product), schedule an automated email that encourages your customer to join your affiliate program. Some will do so and begin to generate sales for you. Each one of those new customers goes through the exact same process with an automated email asking them to become an affiliate.

Can you imagine how this marketing system picks up steam and gains momentum? From a single intro ebook (or, any type of information product), you can build an empire of several products, each one promoted by your team of affiliates. As new customers come in, your team of affiliates expands.

Selling information products is a business model that will never go away. People will never tire of information. The key to building an empire is to approach the business with the right marketing system.