An online product is any digital product that can be downloaded. Think in terms of an eBook, a tutorial, a video, a graphic, a software tool – the list is endless. How do you go about launching a product on your site, and ensuring that people visit you and actually buy your product? How do you get the word out and ensure steady traffic and lead conversion? Here are 18 steps to guide in this process.
First Steps
1. Research Your Options
Look at blogs that are close in size to yours, in terms of traffic and reach. Find out what kinds of online products they’re offering. Find out what kinds of tools your readers use and what other online products they’d prefer.
2. Time Your Product Launch
Your product launch timing has to work out for you and your users. For example, if you’re offering an extremely intuitive and easy way to do one’s taxes, the best time to launch the tool would be a month before tax time.
3. Understand Pricing
You’re doing it for the first time, so be a little competitive on the pricing side. Established sellers can afford to quote high. However, don’t under price yourself so much that your product loses credibility. Spend some thought on this.
4. Create A Launch Plan
Evaluate your business goals and create a product launch plan. Include the timeline for percentile goal achievement. Include metrics such as estimated online traffic metrics, marketing budget and so on.
5. Create Compelling Sales Copy
Just putting your product out for sale won’t do. Create a sales page; explain the exact value the product offers to the user. Highlight the product’s USP, why it’s better than others in its niche, why the user should buy it and so on.
6. Build Anticipation
Post regular updates on your blog, on social media, and email newsletters. Build anticipation through early bird offers, special discounts, compelling sales copy that extols the problem-solving value of the product and so on.
Advertise Your Product
7. Connect With Journalists
Connect with journalists in different publications by subscribing to ProfNet.com, NewsBasis and Help a Reporter Out.com. Journalists look for great story ideas and unique product launches on these sites.
8. Send Direct Mail
Send your marketing copy with an invite to a product launch event to addresses from the phone book. You might think this is a wasted effort, but it’s a good method of mounting awareness.
9. Use PPC Services
Use PPC tools to funnel visitors directly to your product page. Make sure your logo, product name and company are clearly visible in the Ads.
10. Advertise On Social Networks
Facebook advertising crosses several billion a year. Be sure to put your product Ad out in front of Facebook’s 500 million users. Ensure your Ads are clickable and targeted to a special product landing page.
11. Target Collective Buying Sites
Create market-specific custom product offers to explore your product’s reach beyond your regular base. Introduce your product on Try Living Social, Groupon, My Daily Thread and Deal On collective buying sites.
12. Launch A Multimedia Campaign
Create a fabulous video explaining your product’s features and benefits in detail. Demonstrate how to use the product. Post it on multimedia social networks such as YouTube and send the URL to your entire network.
Focus on Conversion Optimization
13. Create A Product Specific Landing Page
Create a landing page especially for your new product. Put up product reviews, pictures, testimonials if any, videos, payments guarantees, and secure payment gateway information on this page.
14. Code Your Landing Page For SEO
Make this special product landing page searchable. The title tags, copy, unique URL, header text, meta tags and so on should be keyword rich. Enable easy navigation to this page from your home page.
Launch Email Marketing Strategies
15. Put Out E-mail Pre-order Offers
If you have an existing email list, think about offering an exclusive product pre-order to your subscribers. Your regular subscribers will appreciate a sneak peek, a discount or a special offer as well.
16. Set Up An E-Mail Drip Campaign
Schedule regular ‘drip’ emails to send out product launch updates at timed intervals. This helps increase your product’s recall value with your regular subscribers and new ones.
Explore Networking Opportunities
17. Explore Blogger Outreach
Reach out to other bloggers in your niche and share information about your product. Even better, ask the blogger to review your product. Do this with as many blogs as you can for maximum exposure.
18. Connect With Social Media Influencers
Consider using tools like Twitter Grader, Twello and Klout to identify the top players in your space. You can filter them with relation to your new product. Build positive relationship to leverage their large audiences.
Article by Dean
This post is written by Dean of Invesp, a conversion rate optimization company that helps e-commerce businesses in improving performance of their online marketing campaigns.
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