Last week I hosted July’s coffee Q&A. In our call we talked about how to create a digital product, whether you should use pop-ups, and the key to building a successful business.
If you’re new here, you might be wondering why I hold free Q&A sessions. Earlier in 2019, I reached an uncomfortable conclusion. I didn’t like how online businesses were run and wanted to do things differently.
One of my first changes was to host monthly coffee meetings via Zoom. If you’d like to know more, you can read about my online marketing rebellion here.
The coffee meetings are held on the first Tuesday of the month – usually at 10am PST / 1pm EST. Everyone is welcome and if you can’t attend in person, there’s an option to submit your question in advance.
You can watch the recordings for past meetings inside the Work-At-Home Resource Library. Click the image below to join now. Or keep reading for a summary of this month’s conversation.
One thing I love about these calls is that each one takes a different direction. This week we covered a range of topics from creating your first digital product to being thankful for what the universe provides. Plus, we were visited by my four-year old who managed to escape his big sister and join our meeting!
How To Create A Digital Product
One of the call attendees was struggling to select his first digital product. He could visualize the end goal (a large online program or membership site) but wasn’t sure where to start.
Given all the ways to make money online, this problem is understandable. What should you do first?
My advice is to create a minimum viable offering and test it out before investing too much time and money. Create something bite-sized and present it to your target market as quickly as possible.
However, this doesn’t mean offering something of low value. You can initiate big change in people’s lives without investing a lot of time upfront.
For example, you can deliver significant value via an in-person workshop, live online training, an eBook, or one-to-one coaching.
Your goal is to jump in and try something. Test your first offering. Get it out to market and discover:
- How do you feel when you’re doing the work? Are you fulfilled? Are these the people you want to work with?
- Will people pay for the value you can deliver them?
What Tools Should You Use For Your First Product
We also discussed what tools or platform you should use to deliver your first product.
Technology can be a huge stumbling block for people. My recommendation is to start as simple as possible by using the tools you already have and are familiar with.
Some options are to deliver training via a Facebook group, create an email course, or use a platform like Zoom to do live video training. You can even offer one-on-one coaching in your home or over the phone.
Don’t let technology stop you from starting your dream business.
Once you have proof of concept (people want to buy your thing) then you can upgrade your tools. Or you may decide to stay on the same platform you started with.
I now use Podia for my membership site and online courses. It’s an all-in-one platform for creators and allows you to easily deliver courses, digital downloads, and memberships. It handles file hosting, sales page creation, payment processing, and email marketing.
I like Podia because I don’t have to worry about learning multiple tools and getting them to work nicely together. As an ex-IT analyst, I know how tricky technology can be when you have multiple systems to integrate. And I don’t want that kind of headache in my business.
For more inspiration on creating your first digital product, check out Clare’s story. When Clare launched to her email list of just 153 people, she signed up 11 people (exceeding her launch goal).
Should You Use Pop-Ups On Your Website
So, this next question comes up a lot. Should you use pop-ups on your website?
There was a time when pop-up windows were all the rage. And there was plenty of evidence that they increased conversions (more people who visited your website would sign up for your email list).
But many of us find pop-ups annoying. If this is how you feel, then here’s my advice…
If you don’t like pop-ups, don’t put them on your own site. Always treat your audience, the way you would want others to treat you.
Not all email subscribers are the same. If you don’t like pop-ups, then chances are your ideal followers will also hate them.
Trust your instincts and don’t jump on every trend just because some guru told you to.
Now, if you love pop-ups and your audience isn’t bothered by them. Then go ahead and put them on your site.
There are plenty of solutions that make pop-ups less intrusive while also giving you the benefit of increased conversions.
Because you absolutely do want to build an email list so that you can stay in touch with your tribe. And to do this you must invite the right people to join your email list.
The usual way to do this is to offer something of value in exchange for an email address. In this post, Lisa explains how to create a freebie to grow your email list.
Once you have something to offer new subscribers, you must then let people know about it. For example, I have an invitation to join my Work-At-Home Resource Library at the top of my home page.
I also include opt-ins inside my blog posts. In this post, you’ll see that I link to my free resource library near the start of the post and again at the end.
Do what’s right for you and your audience.
Gratitude: The Key To Your Success
I loved this next discussion. It touched on one of my core beliefs about running a successful business and enjoying your life.
Karen shared how she has learned to slow down in her business. She has built multiple businesses in the past but doesn’t feel like any were truly successful.
Now, she’s taking the time to create a solid foundation for her blog. No matter how long it takes.
But that doesn’t mean Karen doesn’t have big goals. In fact, she plans to generate a retirement income from her blog within the next ten years.
Making a real income doing what she loves is important to Karen. And this is why you still need goals. Meaningful goals keep you focused and help you make better decisions in your business.
But you also need to put in the time and do the work. Embrace the journey, learn from your failures, and recognize your successes.
This last point is important. So many people focus on the bad and fail to say thank you for the things that go well in their life. Here’s what Karen said about gratitude:
“Appreciate what the universe is sending you. Because if you don’t appreciate it, why would the universe bother to send you more?”
Want To Ask Me A Question?
So, how about you? Where are you at on your journey to build a home-based business?
If you’d like to watch the full call, then click below to join the Work-At-Home Resource Library. You’ll also get access to my library of business resources and receive an invite to next month’s coffee meeting.
You can send me your question in advance or show up live and get some free one-on-one coaching. I can’t wait to meet you!
