16 creatives with a track record of success weigh in on making your first online sale
Do you want to start your own online business? Find out how you can make your first sale from entrepreneurs who've gone through the same thing and are now sharing their advice.
We've put their tips into six simple, digestible advice, so whether you're having trouble selling your first item or already a veteran creator in need of an inspiration boost This is what folks who've gone through the same process were able to share.
1. Get to know your clients
"Sales are easier when you understand who exactly you're selling to.
The first time I published my book, The Swap I was tempted to serve the cleaning needs of each homeowner, but my language was broad fuzzy, unclear and aimed at no one.
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's the important thing to Know. Your. Customer."
- Kendra Adachi, The Lazy Genius Collective
In order to make the first purchase first, you must know the needs of your customers.
And to learn the needs of your target audience it is important to learn more about them..
76% of customers expect companies to understand their requirements and desires, but more than half think that the companies don't are keeping their best interests in your mind.
Many businesses are not hitting their mark, showing your customers that you are genuinely interested and concerned about them can make your business stand out from other businesses.
Customer research is the place where it can help.
Researching customer needs involves collecting all the information you can regarding the market you are targeting, to create a customer experience that makes them feel seen and valued.
One of our top methods for customer research is review mining. Utilize a search engine like Amazon to discover additional products that are targeted to your intended audience. Then, read the reviews. These product reviews offer qualitative insight into the needs of your clients' wants and expectations.
Imagine selling an online course in songwriting to beginners. You could search "songwriting for beginners" on Amazon and then go through the reviews of books such as "The Art of Songwriting :
From these reviews it is clear that students are drawn to practical, actionable advice for songwriting, with a focus on lyrics as well as music. You can use these insights in the process of creating and promoting your courses to ensure it meets your audience's needs.
If you're looking to gain knowledge from your audience directly, surveys are another excellent instrument for conducting customer research. Here's why:
Surveys show your audience that you care about the feedback of your customers.
These research methods provide direct insights none other type of research could.
Surveys allow you to gauge the demand of your products.
Companies that invest in gathering feedback from customers see greater customer retention rates .
Gathering feedback directly from potential customers will help you to avoid the number one reason that startup companies are unsuccessful their products and products don't offer anything unique or valuable to the market.
It's simple to think that we are aware of what our audience wants. That's what happened to John D Saunders who launched his first course. As a newbie entrepreneur and course designer He assumed that he knew the needs of his customers.
Do not be shy about asking your customers what they'd like. Tiffany Williams, the founder of Rich Girl Collective , learned what customers and products they wanted to see by contacting questions directly to them -- as well as listening to their feedback.
"I will simply inquire with my students what they want, what they want to learn If it is in line with something that I have completed, and that I have been successful with the subject, I then teach this to them,"" she elaborates.
Another thing to consider before we get to our next tip: Getting to know your customers shouldn't be stopped after making their first purchase.
That is, demonstrate to your customers you value their loyalty long after your first dollars with you. It makes a big difference in your bottom line:
52% consumers will go over and above to shop at the brands they trust.
Customers who have been customers for a long time tend to be 9 times greater likely convert as compared to a customer who has never been before.
It could cost more than 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 more importantly, eager to explain why.
Word-of-mouth (WOM) isn't the only thing you require to get your first sales. It is important to improve all of your tools as well.
#2: Get the most of your marketing
"Having a large social following? Sure, that's cool.
Are you one of the many YouTube viewers? Great.
But the platform I focus upon when it comes to marketing is the email channel. When it comes to email funnels, sequences and even emails I believe there is a huge worth because it's just one step away from saying that they're really interested in the stuff I sell or provide."
-- Sef Chang, House of Royalties
A small-sized business owner is responsible for 4.2 positions that you can assume, and when at the beginning of your journey, "marketer" is definitely among them.
From Google AdWords to Search engine optimization (SEO) The options are endless. From Google AdWords to SEO, there's a ton of different ways to advertise your company. However, for Sef as well as almost every other creator we speak to, email marketing is among the most efficient ways to connect with your customers and increase sales.
And the stats agree -- email marketing has the potential to earn 42 dollars for every dollar spent .
(That ROI can be even higher when you use an all-in-one solution for example .
To reap the benefits of email marketing, you need to build your email list.
As an example, Sef offers subscribers a free list of inventor-friendly companies accepting innovative product ideas. Sef's target audience is inventors looking to learn more about licensing their products, so that list is an excellent resource.
"I am the first to make a sale from people who follow my work and have downloaded my tools for animation. My advice is give free help and guidance to the group which you're part of, prior to when you start offering something to sell."
- Sander van Dijk, Regulus
Think of the lead magnet as a complimentary sample of your digital product or content for your course. Let your customers get a sense about who you are as well as what they can learn from you.
Other strategies and tools to add to your marketing tools include:
If you've got an investment budget for marketing in influencer partnership and paid social media advertisements can increase your audience.
Building a presence in your target audience's top social media platforms will help you establish a following and showcase your expertise.
That last piece is how Min Liu drives online course sales.
The first thing I was able to do was start the YouTube channel I have called The Art of Verbal War for the purpose of building an fan base. I produced short, personal videos on my subjects (verbal capabilities) and linked my videos to my website in order to get subscriber emails.
Today, I am able to build an impressive email list of subscribers to launch my courses to anytime I'd like. However, the main reason is just to share the information with them and to provide value (which is much more important than simply selling your customers). As of today, YouTube is my primary marketing platform to promote my courses."
-- Min Liu, The Art of Verbal War
All in all the strategy you choose for your marketing will reflect what is most effective for you, your business as well as your clients. You may not succeed on your first attempt -- but it's never an issue, which is precisely what the next section will cover.
#3: Be open to exploring
"Experiment! It's hard to know how to market online, and each set of prospective clients will be different. Therefore, you'll need to test to determine what works (and the ones that aren't).
I've noticed that posting on my blog and getting blog posts repeated and reposted by other bloggers, with an opt-in widget on my blog, is a great way to go.
I've purchased advertising on Facebook, Quora, and Reddit however with only a few outcomes. I've created a YouTube channel and started publishing content on it, with decent results, as well.
With everything you do think about, evaluate and tweak your methods to make them better. There isn't a single magic bullet there!"
- Reuven Lerner, Reuven Lerner's Python Courses
You don't have to do everything perfectly the first time you introduce a brand new product- or ever.
It is important to try new things, and allowing yourself to make and learn from mistakes is essential to the entrepreneurial journey.
The Startup Curve , invented by Y Combinator founder Paul Graham , failure is a normal phase that occurs just before your company starts heading upward toward scaling and growth.
"I think the most important thing we need to do is look upon the mistakes and failures of the past as wells of information that could be used for feeding whatever it is that we're working on now."
To let go of some of the perfectionist tendencies, you should try to embrace what psychologist Carol Dweck calls"a "growth mentality". A growth mentality can help you accept the challenges, conquer them, and gain through challenges, focusing on constant learning, not focusing on the goal of perfection.
Also, allow yourself to try new things as your business grows -but make sure you hold yourself accountable along the journey.
#4: Be accountable to yourself
"To to be accountable In order to be accountable, I promised my friends I'd launch my project in 30 days. I received daily emails including D-15, D-14 and D-15 within it.
Peer pressure worked great for me!"
- Alexis Santin
One way to hold yourself accountable is by pre-selling your digital products, as the marketing expert and creator Val Geisler recommends.
"Sell the building before you build it.!
If you think of the outline, map out the course's content and sketch out what's coming You can probably sell the program to your own inner circle prior to creating the course.
It's an incredible feeling of motivation to create the course, and you've got a few dollars at the bank that will help your efforts in creation."
- Val Geisler, Your Signature Experience
John's tweet explains how he uses pre-sales:
John requests his students to fill out a landing page and pay $7 if they're interested to enroll in his new course. Participants who pay the $7 will receive 50-60% off the cost of the course when it launches at which point John charges the remaining fee.
"I am beginning to think about the idea that we were actually building our own business prisons that we were setting the framework of our lives. The only possible outcome was exhausted and failure because we're not looking after our own needs."
"Even even if you're not aware of it, you likely have an array of negative beliefs that are causing you to self-sabotage and stay within your familiar zone. Invest in yourself(and your confidence in yourself) then everything is going to change. "
Highly successful entrepreneurs such as Becky and Minessa have these insights to impart because they've been in the shoes of you. Their experience makes them an a great resource for brand young creators to draw inspiration from. Which is, not incidentally, the next thing we'll talk on.
#5 5: Take lessons from one another
"Whatever it is that you wish to achieve -- such as writing blogs, making products, building a list Begin by following those who are doing this very well. Every thing you'll need to accomplish was done by numerous people before and you can see how they did it through their sites.
That might sound really easy, but you need to follow the success of. 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 manner.
The beauty of the internet is that abundant examples of everything you need to know available."
-- David Cain, Camp Calm
What ever you're doing or trying do, do,"learn from the very best" is an excellent method to begin. That's what makes platforms like MasterClass -- it's a series of online courses given by"the world's best minds," from Neil DeGrasse Tyson to Margaret Atwoodand beyond -- so appealing.
When it comes to setting up and managing a enterprise, there's an abundance of information and tips available in the world. But the best information comes from people with years from experience -- those who've been there experienced it, and are confident that you can do it, too.
There are numerous groups there for new creators and entrepreneurs to get connected with one another, from free Facebook groups to exclusive mastermind groups.
Brit Kolo, founder of Marketing Personalities , said that being part of mastermind groups is among of the most profitable investment she's made for her business.
"Business expansion is only the start of my amazing impact ... I've also gotten better in my personal life an entrepreneur, leader, and as a CEO. The other business owners in my mastermind group have turned into long-term friends and I don't say it lightly."
A study about remote working by Buffer indicates that the most difficult two issues when working from home include communication and collaboration as well as loneliness -- two obstacles which joining the appropriate online community will help over.
MegaMaker is a community that is designed for designers and developers who " want more than a regular work schedule ". MegaMaker connects people who share similar interests, which means they are able to form alliances with each other, get advice from one another, and share knowledge similar to what David Cain recommends.
To get the most out of these communities of members, you need to offer your whole self at the table and be open about your personal experiences and challenges. In order to make your first (and second, and 100th) sales, you have to do the same with your clients, too.
#6: Be who you are.
"Be yourself. You can tell if you are a fake.
Find your niche and find your distinctive voice within the context of. No one can say what needs to be said like you do."
- Katie Orr, Bible Study Hub Shop
Your customers don't want or want or.
They are looking for authenticity and worth. Eighty percent of consumers say authenticity is the most important aspect when it comes to deciding which brands they like and support.
A lot of your value lies in your personal perspectives and experience.
There are few who know this better than Minessa Konecky.
"Stop and try that you are who that your clients want to see you as.
We are drawn to authenticity so when we purchase from a boutique business owner We're not just purchasing a product, we're buying an opinion.
If people don't know about who you are and the values you represent, no amount of photoshopped photographs and beautifully designed posts will make them convert. It gives you the freedom to be yourself regardless of your flaws. People will love you for it."
- Minessa Konecky, direct to success
Through putting all her energy for her work Minessa created a business that is successful which helps other people.
Now that's a win-win.
The end of the day, your unique perspective and experiences are what will help in connecting with your customers -- not the flashiest website or flawlessly-crafted content.
Show up just as you -- that's enough.
Start with your first sale, and grow a successful business
If you're brand new to everything online-based entrepreneurship, or you're just beginning to market a new service, the process from an idea of a product the first sale is filled with bumps and valleys.
Drawing on the experience of 16 successful creators Here are six suggestions to guide you down this bumpy road
Learn the most possible about the needs of your customers. Conduct customer research and talk to them directly and you're likely to find they'll be more than happy to share their feedback with you.
Find the marketing channels that work for you and follow them. Marketing via email is an excellent place to start, and lead magnets are an effective way to increase your reach.
Embrace experimentation, iteration, and failing. You don't have to do things right the first time around and, in actual fact, it's part the learning process.
Hold yourself accountable, internally and externally. The process of selling your products ahead of time ensures you are on the right track to create your course by preventing self-sabotaging behaviors. ensures you're on the right track to success.
Take lessons from leaders and peers within your field. Find communities that not only provide you with new knowledge, but provide support, too.
Be yourself. Your customers want to get acquainted with you as well and your experience will add value and perspective to the work you do.
So, go out and make that sale. We're here to support you.