16 creators who have been successful share their tips for making
Starting your first online business? Discover how to get the first sale with help from entrepreneurs who've had to go through this and now share their secrets.
The advice they offer has been compiled into six simple, digestible advice, so whether you're having trouble selling your first product or are an experienced creator seeking a boost of inspiration, here's what people who've been there and done that have to say.
1. Get to know your customers
"Sales come more easily when you are aware of who you're selling your product to.
The first time I published my book, The Swap I had the urge to address the needs of decluttering for every person with a closet, however, the terminology was vague, muddy, and for none of us.
When that customer became specific -- someone who conceptually loved KonMari but couldn't practically get on board -- I was able to surpass my secret, it'll-probably-never-happen goal.
What is the important thing to Know. Your. Customer."
- Kendra Adachi, The Lazy Genius Collective
In order to make the first purchase it is essential to understand the needs of your customers.
And to learn what your audience wants, you need to get to know them.
Seventy-six percent of consumers believe that companies should be able to meet their requirements and desires However, more than half do not believe that businesses have their best interests in the back of their minds.
With so many businesses missing the target, showing your clients that you are genuinely interested and concerned about them makes your company stand out from competitors.
This is where the customer's research comes in.
Researching customer needs involves collecting all the information you can regarding the market you are targeting, so you can create a customer experience that makes people feel appreciated and respected.
One of our favorite ways to research customers is through review mining. Make use of a search engine, or Amazon to locate additional products that are targeted to your target audience, then read the reviews. The reviews provide qualitative insights into your customers' desires and needs.
Imagine that you are selling an online course in songwriting for novices. You can look up "songwriting for beginner" on Amazon and then go through the reviews of books like The Art of Songwriting :
In these testimonials it is clear that the aspiring writers appreciate practical, actionable advice for songwriting, with a focus on both lyrics and music. Use these tips in the process of creating and promoting your courses to ensure you're meeting the requirements of your intended audience.
If you're interested in learning from your target audience surveying is another great instrument for conducting customer research. Here's why:
Surveys show your audience that you care about the feedback of your customers.
They provide first-hand insights that cannot be found in any other research method could.
Surveys help you measure the demand of your products.
companies that focus on gathering feedback from customers see higher customer retention rates .
The ability to collect feedback from prospective customers will help you to avoid the most common reason why startups are unsuccessful The products or products don't offer anything unique or valuable to the market.
It's not difficult to believe that we have a good idea of the needs of our customers. That's what happened to John D Saunders when he launched his first course. As a newbie entrepreneur and course creator, he assumed that his clients wanted.
Don't be afraid to ask your customers what they want. Tiffany Williams, the founder of Rich Girl Collective discovered what kinds of customers and products they would like to see from her by asking questions directly to them -- and listening.
"I will simply inquire with my students about their needs, and what they want to learn and, if the answer is what I've accomplished, and am successful in the subject, I then teach the subject to them," she says.
Another thing to consider before we get to our next tip Get familiar with your clients shouldn't be stopped after making their first purchase.
Also, you need to show your clients that you appreciate your customers long after spending your first dollars when they shop with you. It makes a big contribution to your profit:
52% of buyers make it a point to go out of their way to purchase from the brands they trust.
Return customers are 9 times greater likely be converted over a new customer.
It can cost up to seven times more to get new customers than to keep an existing one.
If you take care of them Your first clients will be your best advocates and, most importantly, they will be willing to tell others why.
Of course, word-of-mouth (WOM) doesn't have to be the sole tool needed to get your first sales. It's important to clean up all of your tools, too.
#2: Make the maximum of your marketing
"Having a large social fan base? Sure, that's cool.
Are you one of the many YouTube subscribers? Great.
But the platform I focus on in terms of marketing is the email channel. Through email funnels and emails, I think there's huge value because that is just one step away from saying that they're truly interested in what it is that I can provide or offer."
-- Sef Chang, House of Royalties
A small-sized business owner has to be responsible for 4.2 jobs in their business, and when first starting out, "marketer" is definitely among them.
In the world of Google AdWords to search engine optimization (SEO), there are a ton of different ways to advertise your business. However, for Sef (and virtually every writer we speak to, email marketing is among the most efficient ways to connect with your customers and increase sales.
The statistics are in agreement -email marketing can generate an average ROI of 42 dollars for every dollar spent .
(That return on investment can be greater if you utilize an all-in-one tool such as .
For the best results from email marketing, you must to build your email list.
In this instance, Sef offers subscribers a free list of inventor-friendly companies accepting the development of new product ideas. Sef's main target group is inventors who want to know more about licensing their products So this list can be an excellent resource.
"I had my first sale from people who follow my work and have downloaded my animation tools. Therefore, my suggestion is to offer free assistance and guidance to the group you're in, before you even start offering your product to sell."
- Sander van Dijk, Regulus
Imagine the lead magnet as a complimentary trial of your digital product or course material. Give your audience an idea of who you are and what they can learn from you.
Other tools and strategies to add to your marketing toolbox include:
If you've got an investment budget for marketing on influencer relationships, then paying social media advertisements can increase the reach of your campaign.
Making yourself visible among your followers' most popular social media sites will help you establish a following as well as showcase your skills.
The last part is about how Min Liu drives online course sales.
The most important thing I did was create My own channel on YouTube, The Art of Verbal War, in order to build an following. I produced short, personal videos on my subject matter (verbal skills) and then linked my YouTube channel to my website in order to get subscriber emails.
Now, I have an impressive email list of subscribers to create my courses at any time I want, but mostly just to share the information with them and to provide the value (which is much more important than merely selling to your customers). Today, YouTube is my primary advertising channel to promote my courses."
-- Min Liu, The Art of Verbal War
Overall the strategy you choose for your marketing must reflect the best strategy for your company, you, and your customers. You may not be successful on the first attempt -- but this isn't necessarily a bad thing, and that's exactly what the following article will discuss.
#3: Be open exploring
"Experiment! It's difficult to determine how to market online, and each set of prospective customers is a bit different. Therefore, you'll need to test to discover what's most effective (and the ones that aren't).
I've noticed that posting on my blog, and then having blog posts re-posted and shared by others with an opt-in button to my blog is a fantastic method to get started.
I've bought advertisements for Facebook, Quora, and Reddit, but with very limited result. I've also started a YouTube channel and started posting content there with some decent results, as well.
When you're doing anything, consider, measure and modify the methods you employ to enhance them. There's not a magic bullet there!"
- Reuven Lerner, Reuven Lerner's Python Courses
You don't have to do everything flawlessly when you first announce a new product- - or even ever.
However, trying out new ideas and making mistakes, and learn from them is essential to your entrepreneurial journey.
The Startup Curve , coined by Y Combinator founder Paul Graham Failure is a standard phase that happens right before your business is on the verge of growing and scaling.
"I believe that what we really need to look at is past failures and mistakes and also gather information can be utilized to feed whatever it is that we're doing now."
To let go of some aspects of your perfectionist mindset, attempt to accept the concept that psychologist Carol Dweck calls"a "growth mentality". A growth mindset allows you to accept your challenges, learn, and overcome from your challenges through continuous learning rather than achieving the goal of perfection.
Therefore, you should be able to experiment with new ideas when your company growsJust make sure that you be accountable for yourself along the journey.
#4: Hold yourself accountable
"To take responsibility To be accountable, I informed my friends that I'd launch my project in the next 30 days. They also sent me each day an email that contained D-15, D-14 in it.
Peer pressure worked great for me!"
Alexis Santini - Alexis Santin
Another way of holding your self accountable is to sell the digital items you have created, according to the marketing expert and creator Val Geisler recommends.
"Sell the building before you build it.!
If you are able to think of the outline, sketch the contents, and build a sketch of what's coming You can probably sell the course to your inner circle before you even create the course.
It's a great motivation to make the course and there's a bit of money in the bank to support your efforts in creation."
- Val Geisler, Your Signature Experience
John's tweet explains how he uses pre-sales:
John invites the audience to complete an application form, and then make a payment of $7 if interested in enrolling in his new course. Those who invest the $7 will receive 50-60% off the course on launch day at which point John will charge the rest of the fee.
"I started to explore this idea that we were actually creating our own prisons for business in which we set the framework of our lives. The most likely outcome is exhausted and failure due to the fact that we're not looking after ourselves."
"Even if you don't realize that you have many limiting belief systems that have caused you to self-defeat and live within your comfort zone. Make a commitment to yourself(and your self-belief) then everything changes. "
Entrepreneurs who are successful like Becky and Minessa have these insights to share because they've been in the shoes of you. Their experience makes them an an excellent resource for new creators to learn from. Which is, not incidentally, what our next tip is on.
#5 5. Learn from each other
"Whatever it is that you wish to accomplish -- whether blog, creating products, building a list -- start by emulating those who are doing the job well. All you have to do has been done by many individuals before, and you can find out the steps they took through their sites.
This may seem easy, but you need to follow those who are successful. It seems that a lot people waste a great deal of time re-inventing the wheel, thinking we must do things in a unique, epic method.
The beauty of the internet is that abundant examples of everything you need to know available."
- David Cain, Camp Calm
Whatever you're seeking achieve, do,"learn from the best" is a great method to begin. This is what makes platforms such as MasterClass -- a collection of online classes given by"the top minds of the world" from Neil DeGrasse Tyson to Margaret Atwoodthat they're so well-known.
When it comes to the process of starting and running your own company, there's no shortage of information and tips available there. But the best information comes from people with years from experience -- those who've been there, been there, and have proven they can help you, too.
There are countless groups out there for new creators and entrepreneurs to connect with others, from no-cost Facebook groups to exclusive mastermind groups.
Brit Kolo, who is the creator of Marketing Personalities , said that being part of mastermind groups is one of the best decisions she's ever made in her company.
"Business growth is just the start of my amazing results ... I've also grown in my personal life, a leader, and a CEO. My fellow business owners who are part of my mastermind group have turned into lifelong friends, which I will not do this lightly."
A research study of remote work from Buffer confirms that the top two issues that people who work from home face are communication and collaboration as well as loneliness -- two obstacles that joining the right online community can help you over.
MegaMaker is a place specifically for designers and developers that " want more than a regular nine-to-5 ". The community connects individuals with similar goals, so they can make partnerships to share ideas, exchange advice and share knowledge -- just like David Cain recommends.
But, in order to make maximum benefit from these membership communities, you need to offer your whole self at the table, and also be honest about the challenges and experiences you've faced. In order to make your first (and third, and even 100th) sale, it is important to make the same effort with the customers you serve.
#6: Be yourself
"Be yourself. It is easy to spot fakes.
Find your niche and your distinct voice within the context of. There is no one who can articulate what is needed to be stated exactly the way you can."
- Katie Orr, Bible Study Hub Shop
They don't need you to be perfect.
They are looking for authenticity and worth. 86% of consumers say authenticity is the most important aspect when it comes to deciding which brands they prefer and which ones to support.
A lot of the value you bring to society comes from your unique perspectives and experience.
Nobody knows that more then Minessa Konecky.
"Stop and try that you are who your customers want to see you as.
We are drawn to authenticity and when we buy from an owner of a small business We're not just purchasing the product. We're purchasing a point of view.
If the people you are promoting to don't understand the person you're talking to or your values There is no way that photoshopped photographs and beautifully designed posts will convert them. This gives you enormous freedom to express yourself fully, warts and all. They'll love you for it."
- Minessa Konecky, Director to Success
In committing her whole self for her work Minessa created a business that is successful that assists others.
This is a win-win.
In the end of the day, your personal perspective and experience are what will help to connect with your clients rather than the flashiest website or flawlessly-crafted copy.
Simply show up in the way you are -- that's all it takes.
Begin with a sale and then grow your business
Whether you're new to everything online-based entrepreneurship, or you're just beginning to market a new product, the journey from a product idea to your first sale can be packed with bumps and valleys.
In the spirit of real-world advice from 16 creators who have made it big Here are six suggestions to help you navigate the bumpy path:
Discover all possible about the needs of your customers. Research your customer and speak to them directly -- chances are, they'll be happy to give you feedback.
Find the marketing channels that you like and then follow these channels. Marketing via email is an excellent way to begin, and lead magnets are an effective way to increase your reach.
Accept experimentation, iteration and failing. There's no reason to not get things right the first time around and, in actual fact, it's part the learning process.
Be accountable to yourself, both in your own mind and on the outside. The process of selling your products ahead of time helps you stay on path to achieving your goals by preventing self-sabotaging behaviors. will set you up for success.
Take lessons from leaders and peers within your industry. Find communities that not only teach you something new but offer a support system as well.
Be yourself. Your customers want to get familiar with you too Your experiences add an added value and perspective to your work.
Go out and make that sale. We're rooting for you.