Muse update - about two or three weeks in

[VitaminD]

No sales. Thought I'd get that out of the way right away. I have it set up so that it tracks people who click through to the order page, but not necessarily those who order - the amount of people clicking to order is actually pretty healthy. For some reason, they're not converting into actual orders. I've gotten a lot of feedback about my muse www.90daypianist.com, so it seems a little strange. I'm wondering if there's something wrong with the form itself, but as far as I know it's running well.

Of course, I'm not giving up. That doesn't make any sense. But my model is Dare, Adapt, Persist, and I've Dared, and I'm prepared to Persist - which means I need to Adapt. I'm going to expand my list of keywords and probably try some more ad optimization to increase my CTRs and hopefully my bidding prices as well.

There's actually a ton of traffic in my niche, I didn't realize how competitive it was until I made a wider range of keywords. That's not a huge problem, since profit margins mean I'm still able to succeed...in fact, it's encouraging because it means this could be a sustainable business model once I find a method of getting clicks that turn into business.

Someone alerted me to a link on my site not working, so I'll definitely be looking into that, and possibly adding some more content to the main page. I'm welcome to any suggestions, but again, I want to create something that converts, not something that fits the models of people who aren't buying.

Am I discouraged? Not really. Once it clicks, it clicks, and I just re-invest until I'm making steady profits. I've also learned enough about the process that it would be much easier to create muse #2 than it was to get muse #1 running. That's the beauty of resistance. Also, once I have an idea of how to convert keywords, that will be a valuable skill.

If anyone wants to test my order form and have me PayPal their money back to them - if you have the guts! - that would be greatly appreciated! LOL.

[Vacman]

VitaminD,

Glad to help.

Your item is purchased.

And it worked perfectly, I've got my 90 Day Pianist sitting right on my desktop right now.

My goodness, did you write all 180 pages?!?

Awesome stuff!!

I haven't read through it yet, cause I just opened it, but I wanted to let you know that it is working. And I'm rootin for ya man!

The only weird thing is that when I went to the order page, there's just a screen that says "Dan" up top. And then a download link below it.

I've included a screenshot for your reference.

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m128/Vestibule/Screenshot90DayPianist.jpg

Pay me back if you'd like.

Good job my friend!!! I'm sure you'll make it.

[VitaminD]

Vacman,

Wow! Now I see how the system works - I received an e-mail notifying me of the purchase. It's good to see. :D I'll see about that order screen, that's kind of weird.

Thanks for your generosity and trust. PM me with your PayPal information and I'll be glad to send you back the money. (It actually was a transaction of 87 dollars for me - a small transaction fee that isn't too bad).

p.s. Yep, wrote it all myself. It wasn't too hard, because I've had the information in my head for a while, plus I was a writing major. About two solid weeks of hard work.

[darrylc]

What metrics did you use during your testing phase to determine "sales"? Were you getting results that matched your dreamline projections? Or at least came close?

[VitaminD]

What metrics did you use during your testing phase to determine "sales"? Were you getting results that matched your dreamline projections? Or at least came close?

I kept track of people who clicked "order now." The results reached my dreamline of about $500 a week yeah.

I do get a lot of people who click through to the order page and don't order right now though. That might have to do with some on-page factors (like showing them the price earlier?)

[shultice24]

Thanks for the detailed real-life case study VitaminD. This is very helpful and informative! I hope it starts churning out some sales for you!

[darrylc]

Again, during your test, did you capture any client contact data? Could you email the folks who clicked "order now" with a notice that the eBook is ready?

[VitaminD]

Thanks for the detailed real-life case study VitaminD. This is very helpful and informative! I hope it starts churning out some sales for you!

Thanks man. Keep the vibes coming! I have my outcome already, it's just a matter of approach now.

Again, during your test, did you capture any client contact data? Could you email the folks who clicked "order now" with a notice that the eBook is ready?

No, this would have been a good idea, but not totally necessary. My real goal is creating the sustained income, which will come with optimization, more work on the site, and finding the keywords that hit.

[webgal]

When I go to those long scrolling web pages, I click out because I don't feel a sense of trust. I feel sure since I've read your post that you are credible. But these type of sites look "fly by night" to me. There lots of them on the internet. I thought it might be just me, but I am hearing a lot of people say this.

Do you have Dreamweaver? If you do, there are some great templates that look more professional therefore making you look more credible. The one-pagers are also overwhelming since it's hard to isolate to the info that you want. You've got some content, I think perhaps some navigation/organization would help.

I would actually like to know more about you and why you are qualified to make this guide.

I do think you have a good product.

[VitaminD]

My first instinct was to agree with you and point out that's what I plan on doing, but the numbers have said differently. I actually have higher bounce rates on my other Website, which is purely content based and has its own custom design. People are navigating the site at somewhat healthy levels, they just aren't converting for whatever reason. I do plan on adding more content and a blog, and maybe some other resource like a sample audio file though.

[webgal]

It's just such a tough concept to believe. I believe you have some kind of system, it's just hard to believe you can play the piano in 90 days.

Let us know what's working for you, though. It's helpful to everyone.

[darrylc]

Page 175 has a conclusive example of a good test. I like the idea of having people see the price and fill out a form followed by the button which says "continue order". That says committment to me.

[VitaminD]

It's just such a tough concept to believe. I believe you have some kind of system, it's just hard to believe you can play the piano in 90 days.

You can achieve proficiency in just about any skill in 90 days given the right way of training and consistent effort. Look what site you're on! It's very possible to be able to improvise well on the piano in 90 days with no experience. Like the copy says, you won't be a genius, but you'll be able to do it.

[VitaminD]

I'm re-posting a PM I got from Vacman (Vacman, I wanted to post this right away and I'm sure you won't have any problems with me re-posting since it was an excellent PM). This is for my reference and the reference of anyone else starting a muse who's been following me:


In regards to suggestions... I'm no guru on this subject, but are you getting lots of traffic through PPC?

If you're getting lots of traffic and no sales then there’s a few things you may want to explore:

1.) It's the wrong traffic (This could be through your adds not being targeted at the right people, or by using the wrong keywords)

2.) The traffic on your site does not want to buy your product.

a.) This could be caused by ineffective sales copy (the text on your sales letter.)
b.) The price might be too high.
c.) People may want proof before they buy, like more of a peek into your product. Or perhaps a video of someone learning to play with your method.

You also may want to try and get people's email's by offering some kind of freebee and then following up with them with an autoresponder. You might squeeze some extra sales out of that approach.

There's about a billion different things you could try, but I'm sure it's not your product, because even if it was bad (which it's not, because I saw it and from what I can tell it's good) people would still buy it if it was marketed and sold well. They would probably just return it later

Anyhow... let me know if you come across any revelations that move you forward. I'm working on mine still as well.

My comments:

My first theory is to agree with number 1, but I want to cover all bases and will be optimizing my site to include some of those suggestions. I'll re-do some of the sales copy and try to incorporate perhaps a video or audio file of the concepts I'm talking about. I also want to include the pricing earlier on - I'd like to keep that fixed for now.

[webgal]

The marketing part is the hardest part. It's hitting that visceral nerve and figuring out your target and how to get them. Google lets you do that with several different versions of ads.

You have the product. It really is very compelling.

[VitaminD]

The marketing part is the hardest part. It's hitting that visceral nerve and figuring out your target and how to get them. Google lets you do that with several different versions of ads.

You have the product. It really is very compelling.

Thank you. Everyone's encouragement means a lot. I've persisted, all I have to do is hit my audience, and scale, and I'm where I want to be. :D :cool:

[webgal]

I've persisted, all I have to do is hit my audience, and scale, and I'm where I want to be. :D :cool:

EXACTLY. It's positioning.

[Vacman]

VitaminD,

No problem.

Glad to help!

Nothing but the best of luck to ya! :)

Keep us posted!

[webgal]

Vit_D- Who is your target market--primary and secondary?

Age group (18-34?), primary gender? Socioeconomic status of the target? I assume if they own a piano they are not in the lowest economic subset. Would parents of kids be a primary or secondary target in this case?

If you (and we) have a definition of your target market, it might be easier to figure out things like the positioning your ads should take in terms of tone.

Is it a method that is little known? Or is it one that's known but frowned upon by traditionalists who adhere to the old school style of piano teaching? And lastly, has anyone published any thing like this before? Because if not, you might have an opportunity to get a foothold.

[dukejen04]

Here were my initial thoughts:

1) I am intrigued, and with the right pitch and design, could be interested in using your system. I think you are right that you have an audience, and can even create one out of people who may have always wanted to learn piano, but like me are too lazy to go out and find a teacher and start right now.

2) Your page design isn't great- everything on one page is overwhelming to keep scrolling back and forth- it would be simple to put in 3-4 pages. Have a FAQ, an About Us, and obviously a place to purchase.

3) I really like the idea of a sample- then customers can have an idea of what they are buying. I think a video could be nice as well. These are the kinds of things that generally suck me in when I'm feeling impulsive.

4) I didn't like your use of "I" or you trying to justify why you are an expert. I think you are better off advertising this as a "system" designed to teach the piano, not that YOU are so qualified. I think that would only work if you were some famous pianist- then you could market it with your name and it would have some value. Instead, I think it has more professional appeal as a well designed technique system. When you tried to give your qualifications, I was more skeptical than if you hadn't mentioned it at all. Instead, let testimonials speak to the credit of this system, and maybe mention that it utilizes techniques of world-class concert pianists. Any chance any of your teachers could be used to say a few words?


That's my feedback- good idea and I think clearly you realize its potential to fulfill your dreamline. I think with a little clean-up of your site, you would see major improvements in your returns.

Good luck!

[VitaminD]

1) I am intrigued, and with the right pitch and design, could be interested in using your system. I think you are right that you have an audience, and can even create one out of people who may have always wanted to learn piano, but like me are too lazy to go out and find a teacher and start right now.

This is a good sign. I'm creating some free audio files right now that should also help pitch this idea.

2) Your page design isn't great- everything on one page is overwhelming to keep scrolling back and forth- it would be simple to put in 3-4 pages. Have a FAQ, an About Us, and obviously a place to purchase.

I'm not 100% on this. Many successful info products run a similar system and apparently it works.

What I do want to do is spruce up/trim down the main page. What I mean by this is that I'll be adding more content (free audio files, for example) instead of just the copy. I plan on adding a blog, as well. I don't want to give the customer "too much to do" without buying the eBook, though.

4) I didn't like your use of "I" or you trying to justify why you are an expert. I think you are better off advertising this as a "system" designed to teach the piano, not that YOU are so qualified. I think that would only work if you were some famous pianist- then you could market it with your name and it would have some value. Instead, I think it has more professional appeal as a well designed technique system. When you tried to give your qualifications, I was more skeptical than if you hadn't mentioned it at all. Instead, let testimonials speak to the credit of this system, and maybe mention that it utilizes techniques of world-class concert pianists. Any chance any of your teachers could be used to say a few words?

Another thing where some people go "but what are your qualifications?" But I like your approach - it's just wasted copy when people are really just looking for the answer, not the teacher. I'd rather put the more valuable stuff up there, including some articles and the audio files, and take out the section about me.

Thanks for the tips, this helps focus things for me. I'll be working on it tonight.


That's my feedback- good idea and I think clearly you realize its potential to fulfill your dreamline. I think with a little clean-up of your site, you would see major improvements in your returns.

Good luck![/QUOTE]

[dukejen04]

I hope it was helpful....

On a side note, I ran a search for your site "90 day piano" and it didn't even come up on google. That might be a problem, since those were VERY specific keywords. Instead of finding your site, I found someone else's 90 day piano site!

Also, I guess you tested your site and are convinced about the one-page layout, but I really think that if you maybe broke-up the info into a few more places, it might be better. But that is just personal preference...I just generally like the more professional look of a 2-3 page layout that organizes things more easily.

Random aside, though, I do like that you have the box and credit card images in the beginning, I think that is catchy, and nicely done.

OK- enough of my feedback! Good luck!

[VitaminD]

On a side note, I ran a search for your site "90 day piano" and it didn't even come up on google. That might be a problem, since those were VERY specific keywords. Instead of finding your site, I found someone else's 90 day piano site!

lol...you scared me for a second. Type in 90 Day PIANIST and you get my site as #1 - plus one of my side sites as a little inlet for navigation - a good sign of trust from Google. You typed in "90 Day Piano" and came up with one of my test sites that I had a friend put up for me on his personal domain. So don't worry, I'm still the only one.

I've been tracking Google traffic and it's been surprisingly good - it even "converts" some free visitors to the order page. Keywords like "learn piano" are even sending me free traffic. This was done with minimal SEO and being in the right market.

[webgal]

I like knowing more about you. I think with products where you sell one thing, you need to sell yourself as an expert. I think it depends on the person but it was one of the first things I looked for. So I believe you set up a site that allows people to pick and choose what they want to know.

You could do a separate "About Me" page. All you have to do is save a copy of your present page, save it as aboutme.html and just type over the other copy. Then you can link it from the first page. It doesn't have to be on the front. I'm more jaded about testimonials so I would defer to your about me copy.

At the top,you could use below instead of: "Why It's Worth $1 a Day To Become An Improvising Pianist." I'm not saying your subhead is bad. It's not. I just think if you can also incorporate a consumer benefit in the top headline, it's faster.

You learn more in 90 days for $90 than you would in 1 year for $1,920.

(assuming 2 lessons for $40 a week)

You could introduce the idea of Beethoven when you introduce the method of improvisation. Something like "Beethoven played this way. He’s not a bad piano playing role model to follow". And then maybe launch into improvisation method.

You may be getting too much advice. So forgive me. I'm a freelance ad writer and I can't help it.

[avamarie]

Vitamin D,

Sorry, I am new to all of this and think I missed it. How are you generating traffic to your product?

Feeling a little lost with all of this.

Thank you (and good luck!)
Tiffani

[Overcoming_Negativity]

Vitamin D.....my husband checked out your website and the bottom link goes to a dead url. You might want to check it out.

[birdiebob]

http://www.90daypanist.com/order.htm

notice anything ? may not have anything to do with your order rate being off, but the address is different ... PANIST

hope this helps

[thinkthroughfollowthrough]

you have what looks like a good product but you are not selling it right. i agree with what they said above. No trust. And your webdesign looks like you don't respect the people you are trying to sell to.

-give me some visuals - warm and fuzzy.
- I want to see the nice ebook cover large enough to at least read your name
- and ... who are you?
-how about some testimonials
-how about audio? before and after audio from a student?
- the redirect is slooooow and weird - does not inspire confidence.
- what is with the "download instructions" with a screen cap? that is confuzing

-that all said it's a great idea & I'll bet it is a solid product. Keep working on it.

[BinkyJoe]

Good points here... especially the before/after audio from a student.

Better, even: find an interested friend (female is best, since the majority of online shoppers are women), and video her on day one, thirty, and ninety. Put them all into one video and have it both on your site and on YouTube. That would be very convincing.

[Frank]

As someone pointed out above, the link for ordering is misspelled - the first "i" in Pianist is missing. You'll never get orders from that link. I put the "i" in manually and it went right to the Paypal page for ordering your program.

[the_publican]

You mentioned in an earlier post that you tested your sales page site vs. a more traditional looking site and the sales page fared better. Have you looked into re-designing your sales letter - there is a ton of free information online to optimize the letters effectiveness. How many visitors have you had without a sale. Even a bad letter should convert about .5% of the time so 200 visitors should equal 1 sale.

Overall I think your idea is great and I'm sure you will work out any kinks.

I have a couple of questions. I am researching ways to build my muse site for an ebook also. I checked out homestead.com and it looks promising, especially for a novice like me. Drag and drop web design!-Sign me up. But I would like to have a sales letter site like yours. How did you do it? Who hosts your site? Did you use an ebook compiler? Any info would be greatly appreciated as I am a dead beginner.

Thanks and good luck to all.

[VitaminD]

Have you looked into re-designing your sales letter - there is a ton of free information online to optimize the letters effectiveness. How many visitors have you had without a sale. Even a bad letter should convert about .5% of the time so 200 visitors should equal 1 sale.

Interesting stat. I've definitely had more people at the site than 200 without a single sale (except from a generous person on here who helped test it out). To answer your question yes, I'll be re-designing it soon and re-launching my Adwords campaign.

I have a couple of questions. I am researching ways to build my muse site for an ebook also. I checked out homestead.com and it looks promising, especially for a novice like me. Drag and drop web design!-Sign me up. But I would like to have a sales letter site like yours. How did you do it? Who hosts your site? Did you use an ebook compiler? Any info would be greatly appreciated as I am a dead beginner.

To make the sales letter I basically looked at code from a site I wanted to emulate and built it from there. I only have a basic understanding of HTML, but enough to get by. I'll be using a template that was provided at this forum for the redesign, but with modifications of my own.

GoDaddy hosts my site - I like them, excellent customer service.

No eBook compiler, I simply converted a Word doc into a protected PDF at their website, I think it's createpdf.adobe.com.

[the_publican]

Thanks for the info. If you are looking for new ways to promote your site have you looked into the 30 day challenge at www.thirtydaychallenge.com Its a great program and absolutely FREE! It teaches a lot of Web 2.0 tactics for marketing a site and generating sales - you should check it out.

I also downloaded the sales letter that was posted previously. I guess my question is how do I turn that document into a website? I told you I was a dead newbie! LOL. But I went from knowing only how to use e-mail and surf the net to actually making money within 30 days with the 30DC, I highly recommend it.

Thanks Again and Good Luck.

[intrepidtraveler]

I disagree that the site has to be "fancy." Your copy will build credibility more than slick design.

Also, disagree on length as a negative. Tests have shown over and over again that long copy beats short copy.

On conversion: the .5% number is what's usually used in direct mail circles. On the web, a good site will convert more than 1%. I have one that varies between 1.2% and 1.6% month to month.

I do agree that the copy could use some work. Some suggestions:

Don't put the order button up front and don't give away the price too soon. It's pretty easy to figure out that $1 times 90 days equals $90 and people will bail out at that point because you haven't built up the VALUE proposition yet.

What about $89 or $87 as a price point? Let's you say "For less than a $1 a day!" ;)

I'd suggest taking 90 days out of the headline. Focus on the benefit, rather than how long it takes. Sorta like the price thing: 90 days will seem like a lot until people buy the benefits.

Instead of "So What Exactly Will I Find in the eBook?" how about something like "The Hidden Secrets The Best Pianists Won't Tell You." An ebook is just a product; you are selling benefits.

I could go on, but I'm trying to work only 4 hours a week. :D

[VitaminD]

I disagree that the site has to be "fancy." Your copy will build credibility more than slick design.

Also, disagree on length as a negative. Tests have shown over and over again that long copy beats short copy.

On conversion: the .5% number is what's usually used in direct mail circles. On the web, a good site will convert more than 1%. I have one that varies between 1.2% and 1.6% month to month.

I do agree that the copy could use some work. Some suggestions:

Don't put the order button up front and don't give away the price too soon. It's pretty easy to figure out that $1 times 90 days equals $90 and people will bail out at that point because you haven't built up the VALUE proposition yet.

What about $89 or $87 as a price point? Let's you say "For less than a $1 a day!" ;)

I'd suggest taking 90 days out of the headline. Focus on the benefit, rather than how long it takes. Sorta like the price thing: 90 days will seem like a lot until people buy the benefits.

Instead of "So What Exactly Will I Find in the eBook?" how about something like "The Hidden Secrets The Best Pianists Won't Tell You." An ebook is just a product; you are selling benefits.

I could go on, but I'm trying to work only 4 hours a week. :D

Thanks for this excellent advice - I really like your "less than one dollar a day" idea. I also prefer longer copy, and I will definitely re-adjust the pricing to show up lower in the content. (I'm writing this reply partly so I can easily see what you wrote by checking my previous posts, which means this is helpful).

[the_publican]

Another idea might be to upgrade the copy and do a dry test for a product with audio and cd/dvd's. Your niche seems perfect for a product with cd's or dvd's but these take a while to produce. You could change your page to promote that product (you already have the traffic). If they click "order now" you could just let them know you are out of stock but more are being produced, you'll e-mail them when its ready.

I agree with above that .5% is a low number. That is actually bad news for you b/c you are getting the traffic. If you did your market research right, and this niche spends money, you may need a new product.

Just a thought.