Author Archive | Robert Clever

Why Free Makes It Easy – You’ve got to give before you get principal.

By Robert Clever on March 15, 2023 in Blog

If you run an online business, you should know about the most popular search term people use on the internet. Knowing what it is and using it to its fullest extent can literally boost your sales.

The all important word is FREE!!!

There’s nothing better than something for free. No one wants to pay if they can get something for free. FREE is the word that shows up in searches more than anything else.

Think about all the times you have searched for something on the internet. No matter if it was information, a service, a product, or anything else. Did you just type in the description, a keyword or a phrase, or did you use the word free? When the search engines generated your results, I’m pretty sure they gave you a list of ‘related searches’ containing the keywords you used with ‘free’ in front of them if you omitted the word free.

The benefit of giving something away for free.

If you offer something for free as an online business, it can really pay off.

Having your website optimized for the word has amazing benefits. It’s typed in more than any other word, so it will boost your search engine rankings.

When a customer finds you in their search results, trying to give them something free will draw them in even more. In fact, giving them something for free is such a huge attraction that I can’t emphasize how important it is.

How giving something for free can make you money.

When someone visits your site to claim their freebie, several things can happen.

To get their free product, they have to give you their name and email address. This is the #1 reason why we’re offering it.

First time visitors are unlikely to buy anything, so unless they have a really good reason to come back, they’re unlikely to return.

Having their email address lets you send them emails to remind them about your site. You can send them ‘special offers and affiliate sales too.

We all know that it takes 7 contacts with a customer to get them to buy anything (sales pitches, reminders, offers, etc…). So let’s stick with the topic at hand. There are tons of reasons for this, but I’ll put them in another article.

When you keep in touch with your customers, you’re more likely to get them to buy from you.

The customer learns to trust you, he or she becomes familiar with you, and that’s what usually makes the sale.

So, that’s how you make money by giving away something for free.

The quality of free.

There has to be quality in the item that you’re selling, whether it’s an ezine subscription, an ebook, a report, or software.

When your customers get their freebie, and it’s bad quality, they won’t come back.

It doesn’t matter if you’re the best website in your niche, offer the best deals because they won’t come back.

If they’re impressed by their free gift, they’ll visit your website again and again. Offering high-quality, useful products is key to making a freebie offer work.

How you can drive traffic to your website using ‘free’.

You can drive traffic to your website with classified ads. Make sure the headline and description are about “what’s in it for me”. That means giving them a freebie.

Post classifieds for free. Just type ‘free classifieds’ into the search box and pick from the thousands of results that the search engines generate. Submit your ads often and traffic will keep coming.

Other ways to drive traffic using ‘free’.

You can use it anywhere your ads appear. If you write articles, reports, or ebooks, put the offer in the resource box. If you pay per click, use the offer in your ad copy. If you’re advertising in ezines, you can use your free offer as a resource box, whether it’s your own, an affiliate or bought.

Choose carefully.

The most important thing to remember when deciding what to give way is this.

Your free item should be appropriate for the audience you are targeting. Stick to the theme no matter what niche you operate in.

If you offer an ebook on ‘how to make money online’ and your business sells woodworking course, you will be heading for a problem.

The customer will visit your website to get their ebook. They will download it and probably be very pleased if it contained high quality information on ‘Making money online’. When you contact them via email with for example a ‘special offer on wood tools’, unless by some highly unlikely, random chance that they are building a shed. In that case, they will not visit your website again.

No matter how many emails you send them, their interest was Make money online, not woodworking. Why should they visit your site again? The fact is they won’t.

So be mindful of what the niche you are targeting wants and give it to them.

In conclusion, the more freebies you offer, the more money you will make.

It is one of the most effective traffic drivers and is a straightforward concept.

Now that you have this gem of information, get to work. Plan what you could offer to whom, when, and where.

Decide on something you can legally give away. Make it something your niche market will use. Advertise it everywhere you can and your opt-in list will grow fast. After all, it’s the list that drives business.

Below is a perfect example of the ‘free’ offer. I didn’t make it up, it’s for real and it works.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Stone Evans, Webmaster.
His goal is to make it as easy as possible for you to

make money quickly with the Plug-In Profit Site. And it’s free

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Fantastic New Solution For All Your Traffic Troubles

By Robert Clever on March 14, 2023 in Blog

Traffic Ad Bar is an Awsome targeted traffic system that I want you to know about. Imagine now that it is possible for ANY website owner to get unlimited massive traffic.

The ghost is out of the bottle..

Traffic Ad Bar.

Free traffic is what every website owner wants. With a well-built website, you will generate sales and profit but only if you target the people who want to buy.

You do this by choosing a domain name/URL that you want to advertise. your sites get pushed out to the visitor. It goes without saying that it is a bit more complicated than just this, but it is also a very straightforward method that anyone can do.

Fantastic traffic generator PLUS income potential.

If you give away a freebie, you can attract thousands of visitors to your site. This will get people clicking a link to your site like crazy, you can have up to 5 links for the free program. This type of marketing enables you to reach people who are willing to buy from you. If you’d like to earn some money, check out this program and see how:

The code to unlimited traffic is cracked.
Anyone can dominate any market with this program.

With this breakthrough system, you can get thousands of targeted visitors to any website of your choice. The system is easy enough for even a beginner to use.

The system has highly upset the targeted marketing gurus!

And you can compete with them right now. If you do already have a website then “Start sending targeted visitors to any website you own now.

The answer to all your traffic problems.

People are testing the system and are excited to share their findings and results with others while they are seeing great results even though they have not implemented everything TAB has. Just imagine having your own targeted traffic TAB is a simple and easy to follow system that can be set up rather quickly.

Wish you lots of buying visitors.

Grab it here Free

Hits and Earn: Hit per Sale Ratio Affiliate Program Decisions

By Robert Clever on March 14, 2023 in Blog

You have gone through the grueling process of deciding whether or not to participate in affiliate marketing, choosing the products you will be promoting, and setting up affiliate marketing websites. Your first few dollars have come in, and you think that’s enough now. In order for you to succeed more, you must make more decisions: that is what businesses are all about. I know you’d rather just wait for the money to flow, but in order to succeed much more, you must make more decisions.

In order to make the most informed decisions about affiliate programs, you will need to use the hit per sale ratio. What is the hit per sale ratio? Every day, a number of unique individuals visit your site. Each unique individual is called a “click.” However, only a small percentage of those individuals will purchase your product among the hundreds, nay, thousands who visit your site. In order to get one sale, you need to get a hit per sale ratio of at least one hundred. Your affiliate marketing sites’ hit per sale ratio is calculated by dividing your daily hits by your daily sales.

In the end, you ask, how can you get anything meaningful from a simple number? If you want to elevate your affiliate marketing enterprise, you need to know your hit per sale ratio and make informed affiliate program decisions based on it. It might seem as if you wish you had a higher hit per sale ratio by either having more hits every day, or by making more sales from your current hits. A million affiliate programs exist, but in this article, we have chosen to discuss two of the most logical affiliate program decisions you can make and to which a lot of other affiliate marketers can attest to.

When you want more hits, which can lead to more sales, ads are great. It is important to note, however, that since you are looking to improve your profits, you shouldn’t bet more than you can afford (especially when you discover that the ads you pay for are significantly increasing your profits, you might be tempted to bet more or all of your earnings). Based on these calculations, you can decide how much you can spend on these advertisements.

If, for example, you receive 300 hits per day, but only five of those result in sales, then it takes 60 hits to establish sales (this is your hit per sale ratio). The maximum amount of money you can spend on advertising is $225 per day if each sale gives you a profit of $25. If your ads prove worthless, you still have something to take home when you pay something that is significantly lower than your current profit.

In this case, let’s say you spent $100 on advertisements. This leaves you with $125 assured take-home money, which isn’t half as bad as taking home nothing. If your $100 ad doubles your total hits per day, then doubling your sales (from five to ten). In this case, your total sales would be $450, subtracting the cost of the advertisement, leaving you with $350 in profit. Not bad, isn’t it?

PAY PER CLICK PROGRAMS

In order to get your products to appear at the top of searches, you could set up pay-per-click programs with search engines. As you are bidding per click (for your keywords), you are at the top of the food chain. This is a fairly tricky business, so don’t get too excited.

To determine how much you can risk on bidding, divide your profit per sale by your hit per sale ratio. For example, if you have a hit-to-sell ratio of 60 and a profit per sale of $25. This leaves you with a $0.40 figure. Do not risk the entire amount into bidding. Even if the program does not work out, you would do well to bid half of your safe value just to be assured of making some profit. The bid per click should be no more than $0.20.

There are affiliate marketing companies that bid dollars for each click. DO NOT FOLLOW THEIR STEPS. Instead, find a way around them by bidding on different keywords. Always keep your profits in mind.

When it comes to affiliate marketing, however, increasing your profits isn’t as easy as simple arithmetic. You have to evaluate your options carefully, and experience is the only thing that can teach you that. If you work hard enough, you might find yourself singing happily all the way to the bank if you try as many options as you can, make smart and informed decisions, and try as many as you can.

Key Elements to Build a Solid List

By Robert Clever on March 13, 2023 in Blog

…Affiliate Marketing Leads

You will find that building your leads is one of the most important things you have to think about once you begin affiliate marketing. E-mail addresses are often used as leads, which contain real people with the possibility of becoming your customers, subscribers, or members in the future. The ability to reach a ready market and generate income is assured by a solid list of leads.

The importance of affiliate marketing leads

Advertisers spend billions of dollars on advertising alone. That’s right – billions. The goal is to build buzz about a product, expand the market, and eventually increase sales.

A major advantage of affiliate marketing is that the company pays for the advertisement, so you don’t have to worry about it. The only job you have is to find a market that will respond positively to you, so you can make a profit.

You will receive leads from affiliate marketing, which is different from a real-world business. You’ll succeed in affiliate marketing if you have quality leads, as well as positive responses. Whenever you hear someone say that the money is on the list, they are actually talking about the list of leads. Without these, you cannot make a sale, much less earn money.

Building your affiliate marketing leads

Though affiliate marketing isn’t rocket science, it can be tricky nonetheless. It’s a proven business model and many affiliates have achieved considerable success with their chosen programs. The success of your affiliate marketing leads depends on a number of factors, like all businesses. Take these factors into account:

Your reputation

If you’re a new affiliate marketer, you’ll find that it takes some time to build your affiliate marketing leads. All new marketers have experienced this, since gaining solid followings takes time.

If you want to attract affiliate marketing leads, you have to establish yourself as a recognized business entity within the industry. Without a reputation, it will be hard for potential leads to trust you or do business with you at all. Wouldn’t you rather buy from someone you know than from an unfamiliar marketer if faced with a choice between buying from a popular marketer or an unfamiliar one?

You need to be credible as an affiliate marketer before your affiliate leads decide to buy your products, participate in your programs, or become your recruits.

Web traffic

The amount of traffic your site receives is another key factor that affects the number of affiliate marketing leads you can get. In addition to allowing you to obtain comparatively larger affiliate accounts, having high web traffic increases your chances of building a larger number of affiliate marketing leads as well.

If you don’t have enough traffic on your website, you may have to either focus on building it or join an affiliate network.

The affiliate product

The value of the product and your understanding of the product both play an important role in building affiliate marketing leads.

Choosing the right affiliate product is crucial to every affiliate. A product that has a proven track record or at least a potential for good sales will be much easier to promote and generate income from. Furthermore, it will make it easier for affiliates to generate leads with it, since prospects will be more inclined to respond.

To attract more leads, you also need to know what makes an affiliate product attractive and valuable enough. Explaining how a product works, for example, on your website or in articles, will help you sell it more effectively, especially if you are competing with other products.

The niche or target market

As an affiliate, one of your biggest concerns is market saturation – the point at which the same (or at least similar) products and services flood a specific segment of the market. To such an extent that it becomes increasingly difficult to sell, let alone persuade prospective buyers to take your product or service seriously.

This can be avoided, however, if you concentrate on generating affiliate marketing leads from niches or segments targeted specifically to you. You may want to consider selling or promoting a product that appeals to a particular group of people who have a common but often unmet need. With the right strategies, you’ll find this niche particularly lucrative, and there is relatively little competition in it.

3 Simple Tips For Making Money Online Even If You Don’t Have Anything To Sell!

By Robert Clever on March 10, 2023 in Blog

Have an idea about making money online but don’t know where to start?

The Internet offers a variety of ways for you to earn money – even if you do not have a product to sell. As with any business, running an online business requires time and effort. However, you can start without any products, so most people do not face this roadblock.

If you wish to run an online business, you do not need to be a computer expert, but you do have to be able to set up a website on your own, or to be able to pay someone else to do it for you.

Here are 3 simple ways to make money online even if you don’t have your own product:

Affiliate programs

You can become an affiliate by selling other people’s products. You will receive a percentage of the sale, or you may make an additional fee for each request for more information from a customer. There are many large retailers that offer affiliate programs as well as many smaller retailers (with a lot of products and services). It is not a wise idea to compete directly with a major retailer such as Wal-Mart, Target, or Amazon. Rather than attempting to reach out to a large group of people, you would be better served to find a “niche” that serves a smaller group of people.

It may be more beneficial for you to start a fishing site than to sell sporting goods to everyone, such as canoes and fishing products for those who enjoy freshwater fishing rather than selling sporting goods to everyone. Smaller retailers may also offer specialized fishing products to those with extensive fishing knowledge, while Wal-Mart sells the basics for beginners.

If you’re interested in making money online, you may want to start with JVZoo (https://www.jvzoo.com), and you’ll get an idea of what you can sell. Be creative when finding your niche, and you’ll soon be making money online.

Adsense from Google

In Google, AdSense is an advertising program (there are other advertising programs out there, but for now, Google’s is the biggest and most popular). When someone clicks on your ads, you earn money. In accordance with the topic of each web page, Google will automatically determine which ads are best for your site. The code is placed on your website, and Google does the rest.

A program like Google is easy to use, and if your website gets a lot of visitors, you can earn a substantial income. However, you can also sell individual ads, and set your own terms and prices. If you are interested in finding a niche, create a website around that topic, and Google will be able to determine the most effective ads for your visitors, and you will be able to succeed.

Write a “How-To” booklet

A simple way to get started if you do not wish to sell other people’s products, but do not have the money to produce your own is to write your own “how-to” booklet. Choose a topic that interests you, and begin writing. Information products are always good sellers – the key is solving a specific problem. The fishing niche mentioned above may include “How to catch freshwater fish” as well as “How to plan a fishing vacation on a limited budget” as possible topics.

Search for “creating information products” or “writing e-books” and you will find lots of resources. Once you create your product, Clickbank.com offers a simple service to help you sell it, and there are many other sites that can assist you in setting it up.

Once again, be creative, there are many problems out there that people need help with. Offering a good solution can generate significant income for you.

Making money online takes more than just building a website. You need to pick the right products or services. You need to find the right audience to sell those products or services. Then you need to promote your website to enough people in order to make money. For the time being, you should have enough ideas to get you going – even if you do not have a product to sell yet.

10 Powerful Tips for the Newbie Internet Business Entrepreneur

By Robert Clever on March 9, 2023 in Blog

If you’re a newbie Internet business entrepreneur, these 10 unwritten rules may help you avoid ‘skidding into the ditch’. Make a point of reading them monthly and keep a focus on your goals.

1. Our first and foremost goal is to examine the advantages of creating an online income. Our place of business is open 24/7, so we can work whenever and for as long as we want. Many of our regular tasks can be done on autopilot, allowing us more time to spend with family, friends, and family members. As a result, you will have a less stressful working environment and you will be in control of your own rewards to a certain extent. You should remember, however, that most ‘Get-Rich-Quick’ scams on the Internet are not successful. You should approach it in much the same way as you would if you were starting an offline business, where success requires commitment and a positive attitude right from the start, with little reward at first.

2. In your spare time, it’s helpful to try out a few programs, especially early in your Internet career, as part of your learning curve, to get a feel for the world of Internet marketing. You can learn HTML, and scripts, create appealing images, and even build your own website while getting a feel for the Internet marketing arena. This can all be done in your spare time. If you’re focused, it’ll be worth your time to learn how to earn regular income before you fire your boss. If you have a lot to learn, don’t sack your boss before you are confident you can earn a regular income.

3. NEVER.. get involved in ‘get paid to read email’ sites, they’re scams, and you won’t earn a penny, nor will they respond to your complaints! MLM, or any website that promises that you will double or triple your money in a matter of days, or that you will become rich overnight, is a scam. Traders that are bona fide can be found on the Internet, so keep an eye out for offline contact points like an address or phone number. It is a good idea to send them an email before you sign up to see how promptly they respond. Avoid the ‘Get-Rich-Quick’ schemes. They won’t work.

4. If you discovered a way to earn a lot of money online, would you then share your ‘secret formula’ with everyone? I don’t think so! There will surely be those who will claim they have discovered such a recipe, and they will no doubt offer to share it with you. You will not only lose money but also waste your time in the process. I advise you to beware of words like ‘Secrets’ or boasts of huge income.

5. Consider this… would a guy who earns several million dollars a year bother to write and market an eBook on how he did it? Probably not! Follow your instincts, they are usually quite reliable.

6. Don’t be too concerned about images of earnings checks or bank statements purportedly demonstrating the account holder’s earnings; it is easy to create whatever you want with a little imagination. It’s no different from recommendation letters or testimonials. Anyone can write them or get their coworkers to write them. They may con some, but don’t let them con you!

7. You would find that successful Internet marketers all have one thing in common if you looked closely at them, and you would find they are all positive and focused at all times. The ‘quick buck’ doesn’t matter to them, and they don’t lose heart if nothing comes together today. They are prepared to work hard and long to achieve their goals. This point cannot be stressed enough to you…

8. You should keep all of your business activities logged and documents filed in the right folders. You should regularly check your email accounts and file the important ones. Don’t be afraid of naming files and folders with long names (within reason). You should be able to access any file, folder, software, or email within 30 seconds. A tidy desktop can save you so much time!

9. Make sure you follow basic Internet Marketing etiquette. Don’t send out a lot of unsolicited emails (spam). It will not be worth it. Make sure you read the Terms and Conditions when you join an Internet marketing program and if you decide to join. adhere to those terms. You’ll make useful contacts during your campaigns. Do not ‘stand on toes’.

10. Don’t put large amounts of money into online marketing or promotion websites! Most websites have a strict policy on spamming and if you are accused (rightly or wrongly) of sending unsolicited emails, your account will likely be closed, and you will lose funding as well!

There you have it! Not rules… more a collection of simple guidelines intended to make your Internet Marketing experience safer and more enjoyable!

Clear Thinking 101

By Robert Clever on March 8, 2023 in Blog

You want clear thinking?

Watch what’s going on in your head and resolve your mind’s irritations. It takes practice, but it’s worth it.

Sometimes a phone call bothers you all day, just below consciousness. Maybe you’re worried about an upcoming meeting. How do you find these things and fix them?

When you notice those stressors, do something to let them go. Take a deep breath, close your eyes, and listen to your mind. Make that phone call, or put it on your “to do” list, and your mind will let go of the concern for now.

If you bring a problem to your attention and tell yourself, “I can’t do anything until Friday,” you’ll stop the unconscious worrying.

If you tune into your mind regularly, you’ll find that it becomes easier to recognize what’s annoying you and draining your brain power.

Get rid of those things, and your brain becomes more clear.

More Tips For Clear Thinking

Clear your workspace. It’s rare that someone can work better in clutter. An organized home or office won’t have you wondering where things are.

Many of us suffer from sleep deprivation if we don’t get enough good sleep. The bare minimum for most people is somewhere around five hours. Despite that, research seems to indicate that it’s not just the quantity that matters, but the quality that counts.
If you meditate for even five minutes, you’ll feel better and think more clearly. Close your eyes, relax, and watch your breath. Your mind will wander endlessly, but just keep returning your attention to your breath.
Walk. The research will eventually show this is one of the best things you can do to improve your thinking. But don’t wait for the proof. Take a walk anyway.
Try to do math problems after eating sugary cake on an empty stomach. You’ll understand “brain fog” or “the sugar blues.”.
Nose breathing uses your diaphragm more, drawing more air into your bloodstream, which pumps more oxygen into your brain and body. Three deep breaths through your nose are like a mini meditation.
Nose breathing uses your diaphragm more, drawing more air into your bloodstream, which pumps more oxygen into your brain and body. Three deep breaths through your nose are like a mini meditation.
You might be able to come up with some creative ideas if you drink a beer or two, but in general, alcohol impedes your thinking.

5 Benefits Of Using Feeds – How Feeds Can Help Your Ebiz

By Robert Clever on March 8, 2023 in Blog

What’s a Feed?

A feed is a way to share content on other websites. It enables your articles and blogs to be published on other sites. It’s basically a code that lets them post your articles and blogs. In essence, XML, RSS, Atom, etc., are all ways of accessing a feed.

A feed is great because everybody wins. The author gains exposure, the reader finds out about something they’re interested in, and the online seller gets a never-ending supply of content.

What Can a Feed Do for My Online Business?

Feeds are useful in a number of different ways.

Feeds are delivered directly to your subscribers, so you don’t have to worry about spam filters kicking you out. Since they’re 100% opt-in, readers can subscribe and unsubscribe at will.

One of the best ways to differentiate your site is to give readers interesting material—educate them on stuff related to the product you’re selling. If you sell preschool toys, chances are you don’t want to study child development and write numerous articles on the subject-so find someone else who’s already done that and make their feed available to your customers. Keep your visitors coming back with constantly updated, relevant content.

The software now available can convert feeds into live links that search engines can see (check out CyberWS.com). In the past, search engines could not read feeds, but the software is now available to convert them into live links they can see. Search engines love fresh, dynamic content, so feeds are ideal. Not only do your customers receive the information they’re looking for, but the search engines like your site and rank it higher. They provide relevant information that updates automatically.

For affiliate marketers, they’re a great alternative to banners. In addition to giving your customers valuable information, if they click through and purchase something, you’ll get credit. And unlike banners, they do not look like you’re spamming your audience.

You will gain new potential customers by setting up a feed for everything you write, as other sites will pick it up and use it as free advertising for you.

In addition to the feeds, there are several search engines that specialize in feeds, such as Plazoo.com. According to Johnston, feeds are the future of the internet for entrepreneurs. If people don’t master them, they’ll get left behind.

Find a need – fill a need

By Robert Clever on March 6, 2023 in Blog

A business venture of any kind involves customers. It doesn’t matter how you start a business – it doesn’t matter what time it’s on the clock – without creating an ongoing relationship with a customer (or a series of customers), you stand a very slim chance of becoming successful over the long run.

When you were growing up, you had needs. You were hungry, so your parents fed you. You were cold, so you were given clothes to wear. You needed support and encouragement, and your family and friends supported you and gave you the love and social interaction that we as humans need. So, how is this relevant to your business?

In one sentence, here it is.

If you are not satisfying a need, you will make little to no sales – period

Whenever you start a business, you can do a lot of research on the web to find categories, ideas, and products. Depending on how many times a certain keyword search or phrase was used, you can figure out how many people searched for a certain piece of information. Overture Yahoo! Keyword Search, which is at the following URL, is one of the most popular and well-used sites for this.

https://www.semrush.com

Just type the keyword or phrase. You will be presented with the results for the previous month. It searches the Yahoo search engine. Plus a whole lot more.

What this tool can do for you Rewrite or remove outdated articles. Create detailed task descriptions. All you need to start working is to add a note or create a task for a piece of content. and a lot more. With these functionalities, you’ll always be aware of the progress of your website’s content.

It is also a great idea to ask your customers what they need. This can be done in person, over the telephone, by email, or by mail. This works for all types of businesses – both online and offline. You can also ask other questions that will help you in growing your business. Questions such as what products they would prefer, how much they would pay for them, and how they would go about finding information for those products. You can use this information to develop your business and marketing plans.

There are many misconceptions about starting, growing, and expanding a business. Some of the stages are challenging, but what really matters is whether you’re meeting the needs of your customers – whether you’re making sales or not. In that case, your next step should be to let your customer know you exist.

Finding out what needs they have and filling them will lead to a product that they will be interested in.

Does Free Content – Sell?

By Robert Clever on March 6, 2023 in Blog

Many self-styled “gurus” and “pundits” – authors of voluminous tomes they sell to gullible people – claim to know. But their “expertise” is a mixture of guesswork, superstitions, anecdotal “evidence” and hearsay. In the nascent field of e-publishing and digital content on the Web, no systematic, methodical, or long-term research has been conducted. Since free content does not sell, no one is sure when or how it will sell.

Due to a lack of hard data, there are two schools that seem equally informed. In the “viral school”, vocal proponents claim that the dissemination of free content boosts sales by creating “buzz” (word of mouth marketing) driven by influential communicators. Free content cannibalizes paid content, according to the “intellectual property” school, mainly because it conditioned consumers to expect free information. Content that is free of charge can also serve as a substitute (imperfect, but sufficient) for content that is paid.

Though inconsistent, experience points both ways. Prejudices and views tend to agree that whether free content sells or not is determined by a few variables:

It depends on the nature of the information. People are more willing to pay for specific and customized information, tailored to their idiosyncratic needs, and provided in a timely manner by knowledgeable experts. In general, people are hesitant to spend money on information that is “featureless” and general (probably because there are so many free alternatives).

Depending on the audience, the more targeted the information, the more it caters to a particular group, the more frequently it has to be updated (“maintained”), and the less indiscriminately applicable it is, especially when it comes to money, health, sexuality, or relationships – the higher the value and the greater the willingness to pay. Users who do not have computer savvy skills are more likely to spend.

If the content is correlated with “hot” topics, “burning” issues, buzzwords, fads, and trends – it is more likely to sell, regardless of whether free alternatives exist.

People will buy a book if the author’s Web site provides only a few tantalizing excerpts. The “U” curve. Insufficient or overwhelming free information leads them to pay for content. The same is true if the entire full text content is available online and overwhelms them. Compared to the same information in bulk, packaged and indexed information carries a premium. It appears that if the amount of content provided falls between these two extremes, consumer willingness to pay for it declines.

Moreover, free content has to be free in order for people to feel satisfied. Even if the currency is their personal data, people don’t want to pay for free content.

In terms of frills and bonuses, there seems to be a weak, albeit positive correlation between willingness to pay for content and the availability of “members-only” or “buyers-only” frills, free add-ons, bonuses, and free maintenance.

Subscriptions, discount vouchers for additional products, volume discounts, add-on products, and “piggyback” products all seem to boost sales. Consumers often perceive qualitative free content as a BONUS, which is why it boosts sales.

The credibility and track record of both the content creator and the vendor are crucial factors. This is where testimonials and reviews come in. In the event that the potential consumer agrees with them, their influence is particularly strong. By browsing the content and forming his or her own opinion, testimonials or reviews have a greater motivating effect. The free content encourages latent dialogue between potential consumers and actual consumers (through reviews and testimonials).

The consumer is safe in the knowledge that he can always return the content he has already consumed and receive a refund if they return it. These are really forms of free content. By not exercising the money back guarantee, it is the consumer who decides whether to make the content free or paid.

Information on the Internet is assumed to be inherently inferior, which is why consumers expect pricing to reflect this “fact”. Free content is even less likely to be satisfactory. When free (“cheap”, “gimcrack”) content is coupled with paid content, the RELATIVE VALUE of the paid content (and the price people are willing to pay for it) is enhanced. In other words, a medium-sized person would appear taller than a midget if paired with a medium-sized person.

Price rigidity. Free content reduces the price elasticity of paid content. Normally, the cheaper the content, the more it sells. With free content available, this simple function is altered. Paid content cannot be too cheap or else it will resemble the free alternative (“shoddy”, “dubious”). Free content can also be used as a substitute for paid content (even if incomplete and imperfect). Therefore, paid content cannot be overpriced – or people will prefer the free alternative. In other words, free content limits both the downside and the upside of paid content’s price.

As long as there is no research agenda in the field we can only observe, collect and make assumptions. Culture, law, and technology all play a role in determining how free and paid content interact.

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