MelvinBlog

A blog that chronicles my journey on online marketing, blogging, social media, technology and life.

Monetization Tactics

How to Launch a Membership Site in 2013

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This is a guest post by Karol K.

It’s no secret that various membership based services are getting more and more popular every year. Actually, the whole craze is not that much about the individual successful services, but more about the whole idea of making something membership-based in general.

We all know companies like Netflix and Hulu – both have been using the membership model for years now. But video streamed on demand is not the only niche for memberships. These days, customers can sign up to a range of interesting things. For instance, some of the more intriguing ones:

  • BagBorroworSteal – handbags on demand (members can rent handbags instead of buying them).
  • NewBeauty TestTube – sampling new beauty products every month.
  • BeCouply Dates – one awesome date a month; for couples (now this is what I call true online dating!).

And this is just a small part of what’s available (I don’t even want to get started on all the online games). Plus, there are more and more services sprouting up every week.

The reason is simple. People. Love. Memberships.

Why? Because they’re cheaper than buying something for keeps. Let’s take a look at the handbags on demand service – BagBorroworSteal. It’s no mystery that a designer, quality handbag can cost you hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. It simply makes sense to rent it for a fraction of the price and then amaze your friends at a party just as much.

(If you need some more data to believe that memberships are indeed the new black then just take a look at how Netflix is doing (via WolframAlpha) – the section labeled as recent returns indicates a 630%+ growth in the last 5 years.)

The big picture here is this: Membership sites and services are here to stay. They are just a more customer-friendly way of doing business and delivering goods.

Which brings me to…

What if you’re a business owner and you want a piece of this membership pie too?

Surprisingly, launching a membership-based online business is quite simple, and cheap (at least when it comes to the technical stuff).

Now, let me set one thing straight. It is cheap, as long as your product can be delivered in a digital form. If you’re the next handbags-on-demand company then it will require some additional setting up.

For instance, I’m a freelance blogger and writer. The membership program I would launch would be focused on digital training for fellow writers and people who want to take their freelance writing career to another level. In a word, everything would be computer-based, so no additional expenses for me. You can easily imagine similar membership programs in other niches. Some more examples: software, content, online articles, videos, tutorials, training materials, freelancing resources, and other digital products.

Without further delay, here are some of the most cost-effective methods of today:

WordPress + WishList Member

WordPress is a pretty recognizable brand online, but just to make sure that we’re on the same page, let me give you a quick heads up. WordPress is one of the leading website management platforms available, and there’s a good reason for this… It’s free, easy to manage, customizable, and extremely functional. In fact, the very blog you’re reading right now is a WordPress blog.

However, it still gives you kind of a manual way of launching a site. I mean, you have to get a domain, a web host, and then install WordPress by hand (either yourself or with some help).

And what you need to do then, since we’re talking membership sites, is to get WishList Member – a premium WordPress plugin. Single site license is $97, multisite is $297.

This is a solution designed for the more internet and website savvy crowd. The fact that you have the site self-hosted means that you can do a lot more when it comes to customization, but you have to be knowledgeable about the internet technologies in order to do so.

That being said, WishList Member provides just way too many cool membership features to list them all here, so feel free to check the official site.

WordPress + Membership

Another possible combination, which I like to call “free + free” is the pair of WordPress and a different plugin that’s simply called Membership (free).

Essentially, launching a site through WordPress + Membership is very similar to doing it through WordPress + WishList Member, only this time you don’t have to invest money. (Well, okay, you still need to get a domain and a web host, but that’s a whole different thing.)

The plugin Membership offers a nice range of features, but it’s not as rich as the other solution on this short list. In the end, if you just want to get started with membership sites as quickly as possible then this may be the best way for you to test this whole business model and concept.

What’s next?

No matter what method of launching a membership site you choose, you still have a lot of work to do when it comes to the actual business tasks, which I’m sure you’re aware of. After all, software won’t do everything on its own. The businesses mentioned above didn’t become popular purely because of the quality of the software solution they were using.

That being said, the membership model is working quite well for mid to big sized brands online already. Will it work for small businesses and startups? I guess we’ll have to wait and see. But products like WishList Member and Membership surely make it easier to happen.

Personally, I think that the sole fact that a person with a cup of coffee by their side sitting at home can launch a membership site in a matter of minutes is simply amazing. Thank you, 21st century!

What do you think about membership sites and their place among modern business models? Is it just a fad or will it last?

About the author: Karol K. (@carlosinho) is a freelance blogger and writer. Every day, he uses SEO and blogging to grow his brand. He writes and publishes posts about freelance writing (to be exact, about how to get paid to write online). If you want to join the freelancing world yourself then feel free to pay him a visit at Writers in Charge.

5 Ways to Increase Sales while Decreasing Overhead Costs

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This is a guest post by Amanda Green

Business managers will tell you that organization is what makes a business profitable; marketing professionals will say, it is due to their advertisement campaigns, but in truth, it is the sales team that increases your revenue, especially if you have a team that works together like a well oiled machine.

Here are 6 things you can do to improve your sales while at the same time reducing certain overhead expenses to produce more profit:

1. Consider Working with Distributors or Outsourcing your Sales

A distributor already has a network of retailers or businesses they work with. They have sales reps that cover the entire nation, and some even offer international services. This gives you a better chance of giving your product or service the best visibility.

A company like Cydcor has experienced sales reps with a large portfolio of existing clients. So getting your product to a larger number of customers is easier and can be cheaper if you outsource your sales to someone like this. Check out Cydcor on Facebook.com to learn more about how this business model operates.

Working with a distributor can also help you reduce your overhead costs as you don’t really need to carry large inventories of product. Remember, a company like Cydcor will also want to add products to their existing line that gives them a more varied mix and better sales returns.

2. Expand Your Sales Across the Nation

If you can’t find a representative willing to take your product line on, expand your sales team to cover territories that are closest to you. You can also start a search, looking for online stores that carry similar products. Focus on territories where the most stores carry products like yours.

3. Sell to Department Stores

This is another way to expand your business and save on costs. Work directly with department store buyers. Contact the buying department directly and find out what requirements suppliers must meet to work with that particular chain. All you really need to do is get your foot in one department store door, and your sales will increase dramatically, allowing you to reduce the effort your sales team makes on smaller sales.

4. Specialty Chain Stores

Focus on small specialty stores which have national chains. Identify the stores that have several branches and focus your efforts on these small stores as they can be large buyers but are easier to sell to than the larger department store.

5. Online Service

Find other successful e-commerce websites to showcase your product. Use catalog websites such as Yahoo, Amazon, Shopify, Etsy, Groupon and Shopify to showcase your products.

There are actually many inexpensive ways to increase sales while decreasing your overhead. It’s just a matter of getting out there and talking to consultants, reps and other people that can help distribute your product. The absolute best solution is to outsource some of your sales duties by finding a representative willing to help you with your product.

Most Bloggers are Limiting Themselves & Here’s Why

Most Bloggers are Limiting Themselves & Here’s Why

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As  bloggers, we are constantly taught not to put our eggs in one basket. What this mean is that we should never limit ourselves to just one thing. For traffic generation for instance, we should not rely on search traffic and we should try to diversify different sources of traffic. For monetization, it could be tapping into different source of income. If you’re monetizing solely through Google Adsense, then have you given a thought that you’d be broke when Google bans you?

To be honest, I highly think the same of blogging itself as a whole. Most people I think are limiting themselves too much and sometimes I am one of those people who do it unfortunately. I used to limit myself too much in blogging and that I didn’t realize there’s a lot of money outside of the actual writing in a blog. Of course a blog is a very valuable asset but sometimes we can use that blog to get into many other different areas that can prove to be profitable for us. Example? Freelancing, affiliate marketing, consulting, etc.

For more of this, you can check out my guest post entry entitled why most bloggers don’t make much money. It’s also an entry to a contest so I would appreciate if you could comment there and retweet the post for me. Or you can do other more stuff if you want. 😉

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I’m obligated to post the sponsors of the contest so here they are:


SMARTBLOGGERZ – Main Sponsor ($750)

SmartBloggerz helps bloggers and affiliate marketers learn what it REALLY takes to make money online and be successful online just by implementing the tips that are shared regularly on the blog and to those who subscribed to the private newsletter.

ESTAVA MORIOKA – Gold Sponsor ($150)

Estava Morioka is the premier resource for the American Party Girl. Their online boutique offers Stylish, Inexpensive, and High Quality party dresses, cocktail dresses, sexy party dress and sexy club dresses.

THE BAD BLOGGER – Gold Sponsor ($150)

“The Bad Blogger” is a blogger who blogs about Internet Marketing, Copywriting and Blogging related Topics.

Again I would appreciate if you can support me in this contest. 🙂

Online Freelancing

Online Freelancing

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There is no doubt that online freelancing has boomed in the last 2 years or so. But what does “Online Freelancing” really mean? What are the advantages and disadvantages? There are so many questions one might think of when the topic of online freelancing comes to mind. Hopefully, this article will help you answer some of those.

Online freelancing is basically what technology has to offer when it comes to making a living. 21st Century technology as we all know it lives and breathes convenience. Fast and easy money as they say. It is mainly, in simple terms, looking, accepting and finishing a job over the internet without even having to leave the comfort of your own home.

The vast amount of freelance jobs offered online attracts quite an enormous number of jobseekers/freelancers as well. Unlike before, when online freelancing would refer to the majority of the novelists, writers or journalists, today a huge variety of online freelance jobs are offered. One can choose from article writing, web designing, data encoding, photography, scientific research to being an online administrative assistant. There are hundreds of jobs offered in almost every field. Remember that even though you don’t literally fall in line for a job interview, there is still competition and you should be skilled enough to stand out among the rest of the world seeking the same work as you.

Being an online freelancer you must have good management skills, which is necessary to meet your client’s deadlines. Remember that being an online freelancer is somewhat being your own boss and running your own business. Discipline and your ability to put in a good workflow system would be important.

Now, lets talk about the different benefits one can acquire from being a good freelance web designer. The major win of online freelancing is that your work hours are set by non other than yourself. You don’t have to dress up and worry about how the traffic will affect your commute to the office. All you need is your time, skills and an internet capable computer and you are all set to earn some cash. The flexibility that online freelancing offers is priceless compared to the strictness you experience of having to report to work day after another. And the financial potential is also in your control. The more jobs you accept and deliver on time the more cash you chip in.

As with anything in this world, there are drawbacks in online freelancing. The principal is that you have to take care of all of your money management. You have to constantly work on project after project if you want stay financially afloat. When you start out as a freelancer, you will probably have start on jobs that are not financially satisfying. These jobs will probably last for awhile, until you have collected a list of satisfied clients and you are skilled and confident enough to accept better paying projects.

Is Lightbox Popup Still Effective For Marketing?

Is Lightbox Popup Still Effective For Marketing?

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If you’ve been reading blogs ever since like me, then you probably know that the use of popup lightbox is widely popular. The growth of blogs switching to it and using it has been enormous over the past year and more and more people seemed to be convinced into using it themselves.

But is it still worth using it? That’s my question. Obviously, the use of popup lightbox has something to do with marketing (and ‘psychology’ for some) since some bloggers are reporting a ridiculous increase in conversions by using it. So logically, when people start using the same thing over and over, it becomes saturated and less effective.

What’s a Lightbox Popup?

Lightbox is actually a programming term which is a javascript application used to display images using modal dialogs. In internet marketing, its more of popup that contains something that’s being marketed to the blog’s audience. It could be a form where users can enter their email to subscribe to newsletter, an advertisement or simply just a message that you want to deliver. The idea with it is that its simple, yet elegant enough to capture the attention of the readers.

Before, most blogs are just using it to display pictures from their galleries but now it has become more than just that.

Here are some of the screenshots I’ve taken from some blogs in the internet marketing industry:

Those popups appear when you visit their blog. The behavior is that these lightbox popups would take the focus by putting itself on top of any other elements in the blog. Its highly customizable though. Some bloggers have it appear all the time in the homepage while some just prefer to display it once on first time visitors.

What I think of Lightbox Popups

For a fact, I’ve used lightbox popups before and I even used it here in this blog. I removed it because some of my users were complaining that its kind of obtrusive and they suggested that it might be harming user experience.I listened to them and took it off.

I know a lot of my peers are using it and are reporting decent and better conversions as oppose to not using one. But bare in mind, they’re promoting a heavily marketed  product too that I think is widely popular.

I haven’t really had time tracking my conversions closely so I can’t speak that much. But personally I’m thinking that lightbox popups are becoming overused which leads me to think that it ‘might’ not be worth using it anymore. Maybe just like the Amazon orange button when it first started and now its not converting at all anymore.  But what do you think?

Studying How Internet Marketers Roll with Launches

Studying How Internet Marketers Roll with Launches

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If you’ve been following our industry lately, you probably have noticed the buzz around this thing called the Software System. I didn’t buy it nor am I against it. And in fact, I’m not here to review it or give my take on it. The reason why I opened that up is to study how internet marketers act or roll with these big-time launches by their industry friends and business partners.

It’s All About Affiliate Marketing

A long time ago, I wrote a post called Affiliate Marketing in blogs where I discussed that unlike in PPC-CPA space, affiliate marketing in blogs is all about building relationships and recommending products that are really really congruent not just with the market, but with their specific needs.

So for example, you can’t just promote a product about making money online in a making money online market. You have to dig deeper into that and find their inner needs. Is it making money through memberships? or about blogging? product launches? This just doesn’t apply to blogs, it applies to people with lists as well.

As you can see, you will get nowhere when you don’t identify the inner needs and desire of your market. With this, you really really have to be specific with your offer.

The Software System Launch

First and foremost, I would like to give this disclaimer that I’m not a product launch guru. I really am not that’s why I constantly watch and study different things. What I’m going to outline here is just all my 2 cents.

Obviously the software system isn’t your typical “make money on the internet” kind of hype. It focuses on creating softwares and selling them to a bunch of people and making tons of money. During that launch guys like John Chow, Jeremy Schoemoney, Jeff Walker, Frank Kern and a bunch of smaller marketers and bloggers jumped on the bandwagon and promoted it. For this post, I would be using the big 4 mentioned above.

During the period, these guys were emailing people like crazy and for almost everyday (twice a day for Kern for instance). Now let’s (briefly) take a look at some of their emails during the launch day:

John Chow’s Offer:

Jeff Walker’s offer:

Shoe’s offer:

Kern’s offer:

Noticed the same patterns in their emails on that launch day? Hmm, interesting…

Incentivization – the art of bribing

As funny as it may sound, all of them (and some more others) have this kind of a bribe to further more try to convince their readers to purchase UNDER their link. And all of them are claiming that by spending $2700 on that product, they would get over that price value in return. How unreal could that possibly be? Can I buy a Kia and get an Audi in return?

I know it sounds crazy but incentivization is a big part in launches and also a big reason why marketers (both the owner and the affiliate) make so much money. The incent value that they’re giving away is just the “perceived value”, not the real price tag but since a lot of smart marketers have built good communities around them, most people trust them and believe that they’re really getting a good value for the amount they’re spending (w/c maybe is true or maybe not).

So I think that’s the important thing to learn here. People’s averseness (means resisting) to buy something online these days makes it much harder for us, marketers to go out and sell our own stuff w/o giving away a lot in return. It also speaks on how crucial relationship building is in this type of business since people obviously won’t buy from you and anything you recommend, unless they trust you and see you as a prominent person in your market.

This trend started a long time ago and I believe it would only continue for a very long period of time. As an internet marketer and/or blogger, are you in this game too?

 

Making Money from Ads, Overrated or Underrated?

Making Money from Ads, Overrated or Underrated?

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Over the past good years, myriads of posts have been centered with the topic of making money through banner advertising or simply just any type of advertising. Way back from the dot com boom where startup companies were spending lucratively on banner advertisements, from the emergence of blogs and Google Adsense to the last years recession and now today, it seems like so many people just like to talk about banner advertising and their obnoxious take on it.

Initially it was the BEST way to make money online. I mean all you need to have is a web property, a topic and surely you can find some sort kind of sponsors to pay off your living. From there on, you’ll wait for them to get bankrupt and after that you chase for another sponsor. That’s the way it used to be before until big and small companies realized its all overhyped. And from there on some pundits started writing how making money through advertising is overrated and not for everyone. And until the day I write this post. 😉

Why it’s Overrated?

So to tackle it equally in both sides I decided to discuss it separately. Overrated is define as something that’s highly “perceived” as effective yet in reality its not (or maybe thats just the way I define it). Profiting from advertising is overrated because:

  • It’s very hit and miss – In my blog post about how I doubled my blog advertising income, I concluded everything by saying that advertising income is still very hit and miss. What I mean there is that you can never expect to duplicate the same amount of money or more that you made last month to the current or succeeding months to come. It’s hard to rely on sponsors every month and expect they could pay all your bills.
  • It’s hard and impossible for an average guy to make a living from it – Advertising is good however, if you’re just like most of us who don’t get millions of hits then its hard to squeeze a lot of money from it. As David Risley stated, if you compare a blog with 1000 visitors trying to make money solely from ads from a blog with 500 readers that is selling something, it’s obvious that the latter one is more profitable. Again, unless you are a site like YouTube, its nearly impossible to live off that advertising income.
  • Couldn’t be even considered as a business model – This is true. I mean where’s the business in there? All you have to do is set up ad inventories and or use third-party advertising networks. You’re really not doing anything aside from copying and pasting codes and setting up ads so I don’t consider it a business model.

Why it’s Underrated?

Now let’s tackle it from the other side of the fence. Many people nowadays seemed to be so prolific in bashing making money from ads. If you read a lot, then you know what I’m talking about. Profiting from advertising is underrated because:

  • It’s the pioneer of making money while sleeping (passive income) – Although nowadays there are many ways to make money passively, banner advertising probably is the pioneer of that. From the dot com boom days up to now, if you have a good web property then you can literally set it and forget it. Big sites like Cheezburger can literally not work for one month and I could assure you they would still be making the same amount of revenue from banner advertising. How’s that as an autopilot thing?
  • Duh! It’s easy – Totally easy that even a man that came from some random cave could literally do it. We heard a lot about selling your own product or having a membership but those things are not for everyone. While on the other hand, trying to profit from Google ads or some other forms of advertising are definitely doable by any average Joe.
  • You just need traffic and nothing else – In modern blogging, we all know that it’s all about building relationships. After building it, you can funnel it and then later on sell your stuff to them or promote affiliate offers. So with that, it means more than just getting traffic. When you’re profiting though from advertising, all you need is traffic (albeit massive traffic). You don’t need to respond to the comments, you don’t need to watch things closely or whatever. Just the traffic, and you’re living off that traffic.

To end this post, I hope i was able to give each argument a fair explanation on why they’re the best thing ever or not. If you ask me about my personal opinion, I would say banner advertising is still something thats worth looking at not just now but for 10-20 years to come.

Yes I can sell a product or a membership site but I can do that with ads on my sidebar right? Since I have the traffic, why not leverage it more? How about you, what do you think?