"The Numbers Don't Lie!"
By Damon G. Zahariades
Posted Saturday, July 24, 2004
It's true. They don't.
That's why you should look at the numbers whenever you're searching for answers.
Let me explain...
A lot of times, I'll start cruisin' the forums and I'll notice folks saying their web sites aren't selling.
They'll complain, "I've had my site up for six months and have only sold four ebooks. This blows."
They're right. That *does* blow.
I'm not gonna go into all the things they should be testing and tweaking. You've heard it a thousand times and I'm not in the mood to regurgitate it.
Instead, I'm gonna simply list a process you should be following if you're trying to sell something from a mini site.
Step by step. With a running example to drive the point home.
Step #1: Define success
Let's say you want to sell 100 copies of your ebook, "Sitting On Your Bum For Fun And Profit."
If you sell 101 copies this month, you win. If you sell 99 copies, you lose. Simple as that.
That's why we define success. So, we can get rid of the flighty "we almost made the goal" crap. You either make it or you don't.
100 copies is the "line in the sand."
Step #2: Know your conversion ratios
You get 1,000 unique visitors from Overture. You sell 8 copies of "Sitting On Your Bum For Fun And Profit."
What's your conversion ratio?
It's 0.8%.
Let's be honest. That ain't so good. But, if you're happy with it, your job just got easier. All you have to do is drive a tidal wave of traffic to your site.
Step #3: Do the math
Here's what you know...
You want to sell 100 copies of "Sitting On Your Bum..." each month.
You can sell 8 copies for every 1,000 unique visitors.
You need 12,500 visitors to move 100 copies.
Can you make money? Depends.
How much are those 12,500 visitors costing you? Let's say you're paying 10 cents per visitor. That means $1,250.
And how much are you selling your ebook for? Let's say $29. 100 copies puts $2,900 in your pocket.
Now, subtract the amount you shelled out for traffic and you're left with $1,650.
Sounds good, right? Trust me. It ain't that good. You could be doing a lot better.
But, I'll leave that for another article.
Run Your Affiliate Product Promotion Numbers
You need to do this for the affiliate products you promote, too.
Know your numbers.
Define your barometer for success. This is your "line in the sand."
Figure out your conversion ratio.
Do the math.
For example, let's say I send 1,000 people to Michael Green's "Create And Sell Products Online" site...
---> (http://www.damonz.com/green/)
My goal is to turn 2.75% of that traffic into buyers. Or, at least put that traffic in the buying mood so that *Michael* can convert 'em.
30 people end up buying his toolkit. That's a conversion ratio of 3%.
WooHOO! I beat my goal.
What about my numbers?
I know my profit on Michael's toolkit. I know how much cash it'll take to get 1,000 people to his site. And I know what percentage of those folks I can turn into buyers.
That's all I need to know to build an income stream that keeps chuggin' along.
The rest is simple...
Go buy traffic. Send that traffic to Michael. Watch him convert 3% of that traffic to buyers.
Remember, the numbers don't lie!
Thanks for reading and have a great week!
About The Author
Damon G. Zahariades is a recognized expert in info-product creation and author of the critically-acclaimed e-book, "The Special Report Bible." He will show you, step-by-step, how to create highly-profitable Special Reports. To find out more, visit today! ===> (http://www.ReportSecrets.com)
