Recently
I did a class with my beta coaching group about online product development.
I went through all the usual stuff -- filling your product funnel, pricing
out products in different increments, designing them so they fit together.
But
then I found myself taking this conversation a step further.
Because
the secret of any truly successful online information product is that
it's different. And more than just different, it's got to be
better.
The best products out there deeply serve the problem that plagues the
market - they give the market exactly what they crave. This is what
makes people talk, share, get excited, and help you build your business.
And
this is true more now than ever.
How
many times have you run into the same old info product schmarm, recycled
for the umpteenth time? They promise you can write your book in 24 hours,
or - explode your web traffic - by six figures overnight, or lose
50 pounds eating -anything you want! Aren't we all sick
to death of this?
These
are products which run on hype and trickery, and while they may seem absurd
to the average thinking adult, they're out there and they make money.
Or they do at least for a while.
Then
the word gets out that no, you can't really write a viable book in 24
hours. And no you probably won't explode your traffic to 6 digits.
(What can I tell you? Progress is usually won the slow and steady way.)
These
days the Web audience is moving out of adolescence; we're no longer
so easily duped by cool online promises of instant success. Instead, we
want stories like case studies that prove something works. And more
importantly, we want to be blown away by products that really deliver on
their promise.
Here
are some hallmarks of what great products are built from these days:
-
They offer less "general
information" and much more tactical, hands-on process.
Aren't we all "information-ed out" That's why
Andrea Lee and I started the Multiple Streams Commitment
Club, which focuses totally on walking your talk. Making promises
you're held accountable for or doing online or phone-based
processes that move you forward .. instead of just going to another
lecture.
-
They're born from research.
How did we KNOW that the Multiple Streams Commitment Club should focus
on process instead of content- Because we talked; we asked; we heard
you. You told us this yourselves that this was what you wanted, and we
responded. So starting with survey research is the starting place for
forging a great product.
-
They
continue
to develop with research. A great product
isn't just created and left to sit on the shelf and sell. No,
no, no. The product - whether it's a coaching group, a
workshop, or a CD - must be refined over time as people give you
input and feedback. I just finished a beta version of a coaching group
I'd led as a full version over the last three years. Why?
Because I knew it needed to be totally reinvented. I had to test this
new version in the field, to really see what works, what doesn't
and what else is needed. And let me tell you - this baby is
working better than ever before. AND it can still (and will) improve.
-
They die
occasionally. I once had an entry level CD
on the Get Known Now site called Guided Marketing 101. The product,
which led listeners through a guided meditation to determine their
perfect marketing plan, was a cool idea. And I really thought it would
work, deep in my gut. But something about this CD just was never quite
right. The premise just wasn't quite solid enough. And I know
that because I could never get a lot of positive feedback - or
any kind of feedback - from users. The response was waaaaay too
quiet. So I removed the CD from the site, despite the fact that I
still have a whole lot of them. And despite the fact that I personally
thought this product was really cool.
-
The market
determines their fate. Important lesson
about the Guided Marketing CD: nobody much bought it after the initial
launch. Unlike my Discover Your Soul Purpose CD over at my How Much
Joy Can You Stand website, this baby just sat there. Meanwhile, the
Soul Purpose CD continues to sell at a brisk pace just from random
traffic. That inactivity confirmed my decision to pull it off the
site. AND - a word of caution here - you've got to
give your questionable products time to be proven wrong. And traffic.
Give 'em a real shot to prove themselves.
-
They're made by the best of the best.
Over time, I've found some amazing production and fulfillment
folks. AND I worked with at least one CD manufacturer who was
half-crazy, dishonest and so sketchy I thought I was out gazillions of
dollars at one point. You've got to get really good graphic
designers (I love Jeff at www.offbeatdesign.com
) and production and duplication folks. (Look at www.elance.com for this kind of
referral and resource.) Be sure to check all references.
-
They make you
proud. I'm happy to say I've
had very few product duds, and that's because I'm a
glutton for satisfaction. I'll do whatever it takes to really
write a manual or record an audio so it's just totally great.
And why? Cause I love the thrill of satisfaction at the end. When you
open up the prototype box from the production folks and there it is,
gleaming in your hands. Boy, does that feel good. And interestingly,
shortly after that when it gets launched, you get all kinds of great
feedback.
A
final note: don't forget to update your products every so often.
I'm going to pull my mega-binder, the Get Known Now Home
Study Course, from my product line in the next few months. Not because
the content is outdated - but because the form is. People don't
want a 285-page monster book of information anymore. It's just too
overwhelming. Instead, people want processes and systems, so that's
what my replacement product will be - step by step,
we-take-you-by-the-hand audios and worksheets that are much more interactive.
Doesn't
that sound a ton better?
