Tue Dec 25 03:03:16 PST 2018

86
Other items fit the web perfectly. For example, a topic people would be ashamed
or embarrassed about is a likely candidate to write an e-book about. E-books
about genital warts or beating a DUI ticket are likely to fit the web well because
many people would be embarrassed to buy those types of items in person.
If you had a problem and your book, software, product, or idea helps others solve
the same problem, you can use yourself as an example. In a sense, you are selling
yourself and your own experiences. Authentic-sounding voices and stories in first
person sound more authentic. Testimonials are important if you are in saturated
markets like dating or weight loss.
What emotions will people have when searching for your ideas? How can you
connect with their desires or sense of empathy?
Researching Demand for a Product
Alex Mandossian created a concept he calls the ?ask database.? For niche ideas
you can market an e-book or product before you complete it. Using AdWords,
you may be able to find targeted leads for a nickel. For example, you can send
people to a page telling them you are just about done writing an e-book on a topic.
Tell them you are looking to add a little more information. Ask them what they
feel is important. Offer them the e-book free in exchange for their e-mail address
and feedback. Over time, you will collect the most important topics the e-book
should cover and you can pay a copywriter to write those topics.
Instead of paying for a complex customer feedback database, you can have
feedback sent to a Gmail account, which you can later search through.
You can also use a similar technique to price a new e-book. Tell people they
qualify as a pre-reader and ask them what they would be willing to pay for the
information. Some small percentage of people will type in 20 cents or $2, but
those would be the same people who are not interested, or who would immediately
want to return your product just to try to get it free. Ignoring those numbers, you
can then look at the remaining prices people offered and determine a good price
from there. If your product does not cost you much for each incremental sale,
then you are not out much finding exactly what people would want and the exact
price they are willing to pay for it.
Price Points
I do not sell a lot of varied products, but I read about and listen to many marketers.
Many people believe that ending a price on the number seven is a good thing
because many consumers are taught that the number seven is good due to religion,
gaming, and other ideas. If your price is going to be somewhat cheap, you can
usually end the price in $9.95 without seeing a huge drop in sales.
If you are going close to $200 or over, then you may also want to try ending the
price with a 7. Usually the only time to end a price on round numbers (like $250 or