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You can ask for free registration but content should be free.
A lot of sites like this one got started back when free content was still considered to be valuable. I know that when I give someone away, people instantly treat it as less valuable...no matter how good it is. I've got free stuff in my newsletters that is just as good as the stuff I'm charging for...but can you guess what content has the higher open rate?Originally Posted by DoubleDee
People value things based on the price they pay for them. I think the thing to ask yourself is what type of clients you want to attract....seems like the only people really interested in free memberships anymore are the spammers.
That's my take.
You make an interesting point.
The concept you are referring to is called "Prestige Pricing".
If you were selling brand new BMW's for $19,999.99 you'd be hard pressed to sell any because people would be suspcious among other things.
Yet if you sold a new BMW for $80,000 you'd be more on target.
I have often wondered if I am "under-pricing" myself and targeting too much of the "Wal-Mart crowd"?!
(The people that got in "while the getting was good" sure are fortunate... If seems to be nearly impossible to get any online business off the ground in 2011, especially in this economy?!)
Sincerely,
Debbie
When I started on the web, I started by publishing an online literary magazine where the content was free. I thought that I could find advertisers that would help pay for the publication. Even though the content was written by may excellent writers, I was wrong.
From there I tried to gain paid subscriptions. You are right in your view that it is very difficult to go from giving something away to charging for it. Unfortunately, just as subscriptions were starting to make the enterprise a viable one, my money to pay writers ran out. I had to close the magazine.
Linda Jenkinson
"Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean." ~Unknown
I can see what you are saying, and yet one business approach is to give out free content until you build a following and then switch to a "pay to play" model.
I have seen this done successfully on other websites, of course it was done prior to 2000.
I have been leaning towards this model, or at least a variant of it where I provide lots of *good* free content, and for those that want even more then they have to at least register and likely pay.
Then there is the whole "Prestige Pricing" model that says "go for the big fish from Day 1" which certainly has some valid points.
Which is the right approach? (Well, if I knew I'd be busy today counting my $$$ and not posting here on SitePoint!!)
It does seem to me that unless you have an established name, it's pretty hard to charge for online content upfront, especially prestige pricing.
I would think that if you offer 70-80% of your content for free and develop a following, and then slowly introduce "pay for premium content" that it could work, but I'm not there yet...
Debbie
Just to warn you, many people with great content have tried to introduce that last model you mentioned... and it's been the end of their existence.
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Christian Snodgrass
So what is the better alternative for all of us working-slobs who aren't independently wealthy?!
People have been charging for products and services since Adam & Eve.
And, yes, there is a lot of good free stuff out there, but then again there is also a plethora of crap out there?!
You make it sound like it is *impossible* to earn a living by providing content and services online?!
Are people that *cheap* and/or are people that *demanding* that unless it's free they won't visit or return to a website?!
I know it's not personal, but I feel several people on this thread and others I have started are basically saying,
"What you and your client's have to offer online as far as knowledge, experience, content, and services just really doesn't matter to anyone. You're crazy if you expect people to create an account or pay for anything you are offering, because, well, it's just not that appealing to the rest of us..."
That bothers me!!
(BTW, let me point out that I have spent several hundred dollars on SitePoint books, so I'm doing *my part* to support my not-so-local business people?!)
Sincerely,
Debbie
I didn't read that at all.
What I got was more like
"If you give it away and then want money, the line will thin out."
There are other ways to earn money besides selling your own stuffs.
Once you get a following established you could try view/click ads.
Anyone remember how Stephen King's ebook venture fared?
Maybe so, but I feel the larger theme is "Give it away free, don't dare make people register or pay, and just be glad we allow you to publish on the Internet!!"
I'm sorry, but I think relying on advertising is to ultimate insult to anyone who takes pride in his/her craft/art/service.There are other ways to earn money besides selling your own stuffs.
Once you get a following established you could try view/click ads.
Anyone remember how Stephen King's ebook venture fared?
Think about it...
What does it say about online newspapers that they need to rely on advertising other people's products and services *because* what they are offering THEIR CUSTOMERS is so lacking that they can't even get anyone to pay for it?!
You pay to go to a concert.
You pay to see a movie.
You pay to buy a book.
You pay to see a doctor.
What would it say for those people if they had to give their products and services away for free and rely on advertising to make a living?!
Debbie
On the other hand, the main income of a print magazine ( i KNOW they are dying, but bear with me) is advertising, not subscriptions. Newspapers rely on classifieds as well as display ads for their revenue. Network TV programs are free for us and paid for by "a word from our sponsors" as are radio programs.
It isn't because their services are lacking, it is because it is the business model they chose to use. Now that I've brought up television programming take a look at what often happens there...
The cable/satellite TV networks AMC, A & E, IFC and several other channels started out as non-commercial premium services that users paid for. Now, they all receive revenue from advertisers.
The quality has little or nothing to do with it. The public is not willing to pay for what they can otherwise access for free. Unless you have a real brainstorm of an idea, it will be tough sell on the web, because chances are what you want to sell, another site is already providing for free.
However, one great thing about the web is that it is free to try any business model. So if you think it is a viable plan, go for it. Yet, I would first do some surveys, split-testing, etc to find out which way the wind might blow.
Linda Jenkinson
"Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean." ~Unknown
Also, to highlight a couple of other industries:
- Musical artists make very little off of your concert ticket. They make more of their money off of the T-shirts and other souvenirs people by.
- When you go to a theater, the theater makes little from your movie ticket. They make most of their money from the snacks they sell.
Most people that make a lot of money on the internet get it from high-quality advertisements. We're not talking Google Ad sense slapped onto the site. We're talking about ones that are highly targeted and decent paying.
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Christian Snodgrass
Pretty abysmal.
What I hear Shyflower and samanime saying is that the only practical way to make $$$ with a website providing content online is via advertising?!
To me, that is circular logic to some degree.
Assuming A to Z...
If Company-A can only survive by selling ads of of Comapny-B, but Company-B can only survive selling ads of Company-C, and so on, then who is actually in the business of selling *real* products and services?!
(Isn't that what a "Pyramid Scheme" is all about?! Everyone selling products and services that don't directly produce $$$?!)
Not that I have all of the answers, but it comes back to, "People historically pay for knowledge they lack, which solves a problem they are facing, and which others don't have or aren't giving out for free."
People pay a Psychologist or Lawyer lots of $$$ because said professional will provide a service that does not exist for free - of equal value - and which the end person can't figure out on their own.
People have no problems dropping $50 or $100 to see a Psychologist or Lawyer or whatever.
Why shouldn't that apply to content that I or one of my clients is selling online?
It doesn't have to be the "cure for cancer", either.
People pay professionals all of the time to just listen to them and offer 30 or 60 minutes of a kind ear or basic advice on topics from "How do I save my marriage?" to "How do I incorporate my own business?" to "Is this house I want to buy structurally safe?" to "How do I set up a trust for my grand kids?" to "How do I set up a wireless network at home that is secure?"
Millions of people offer free advice on these topics, and yet millions of others will go to a professional and PAY for advice/help on said topics.
Selling content on "How to set up a wireless home network that is secure" would admittedly be an uphill battle. But I'm sure we can all think of things that people would pay for, including specialized news, interesting or humorous articles, "Ask the Expert" advice, or whatever.
Yes, I am not Fortune Small Business, the Wall Street Journal, or HBO, but I'm also not a dope...
People pay me for what I know in real life, why not also online?!
Debbie
Well, the proof is in the eating, but personally, I've never paid for online stuff like this, and probably never will. If I pay someone for a service, I like to look 'em in the eye, so to speak. If you can offer something that people can't do without, then you are on a winner—as long as they know about it—but that's a tall order, especially online.
I don't think your argument about advertising stacks up, either. People offering products need to be known about, and advertising on other sites helps in this, so that's the sort of stuff you would be advertising. If you are offering content, that's quite different.
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Also, just so you know, people are getting stingier with things like lawyers, psychologists and doctors because they try to self diagnose online, because that information is available for free. =p
I know we aren't saying what you want to here, but it's how things work. We're not saying it's not possible... we're just saying it's really really really difficult and you have to have absolutely out of this world content that can't be found anywhere else.
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Christian Snodgrass
We can thank Dr. Phil for that...
Well, you all certainly make it sound impossible?!I know we aren't saying what you want to here, but it's how things work. We're not saying it's not possible... we're just saying it's really really really difficult and you have to have absolutely out of this world content that can't be found anywhere else.
Makes you wonder how anyone survives anymore on the Internet?! (In 1995, if you had 5 hand-coded HTML pages you were a .com tycoon?!)
Debbie
This magical thing called Advertising (which we've said several things).
People that make money off of the internet (with these little physical things called "products") pay to place advertisements on websites, which is the vast majority of people who make money online earn a living.
Think about it.
Where does Google get it's money?
Where does Facebook get it's money?
Where does GameFAQs, MSNBC.com, CCN.com, and [insert 99.9% of a major websites here] get their money?
Advertisers.
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Christian Snodgrass
Nice, but that's still being obtuse...
Based on that logic, I have two options to make $$$...
1.) Sell a Physical Product
2.) Sell Advertising
You imply that it is all but impossible to make $$$ selling content or some form thereof.
AGAIN, think of how silly it is to offer "service ABC" - which you give away for free - and then your fall-back plan is to supplement the service that you are giving away for free with ADVERTISING?!
(Yes, I know a significant portion of the world works this way, but it's still retarded?!)
Here a summer job idea...
*** Mow people lawns for FREE, but sell advertising that can be placed on your back as you push a mower around people's lawns in the scorching summer heat!! (I mean, who would pay someone to mow their lawn?!But everyone likes advertising!!
Debbie
A lot of places sell paid for services on the Internet like Content Writing, Online Hard Drive Backups, and Web Design. But their websites are free to visit and find information on the service.
The world may not turn in the direction you prefer, but there is little you can do about that. As said before, all are free to try anything on the Internet. This forum is for advice for what has traditionally worked or to come up with ideas that will work.
Linda Jenkinson
"Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean." ~Unknown
Impossible? No. Highly unlikely? The real world says yes.You imply that it is all but impossible to make $$$ selling content or some form thereof.
As Shyflower says, you can pretty easily sell a good service, but not information, because that information is available somewhere else on the internet for free. Unless it's 100% useful, unique, and interesting, it's not going to happen. And even then, your going to have to have a huge and hyper-loyal following first.
But, by all means, feel free to try and prove us wrong. Please let use know if you do. =)
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Christian Snodgrass
that's a pretty loaded adjective, and it's easy to see how some people might be offended at your hostile reactions to the free help they're offering you
would you still post all these questions if you had to pay fifty bucks for every thread you start?
i rest my case
Ha ha, that's a great idea! Now you are thinking like a business person!
As others have said, there's not a lot of information that's not freely available on the web, so information is a hard product to sell. (Even the big media companies trying to sell their online 'news' content are vexed by the free news services out there—which, at least where I live, are better than the paid ones anyway.)
Personally, I've been 'tuned out' to advertising for a long time now, so I wonder how on earth people make a profit from advertising their wares. Obviously others aren't as zoned out as I am. (I haven't watched a TV ad for many years, yet look at how much $$$ companies still sink into that.)
A much better strategy, in my view, is what some companies are now doing: putting something of value online that attracts attention and then leads potential customers to find out about the paid products. I actually respect this strategy. As an example, I found out about a really entertaining video online the other day—a 9-minute mini-movie. It's a really fun watch, and beautifully produced, and I enjoyed it so much, I wanted to know more about who created it. Turns out it's by a company that produces video editing software. Now, even though I'm not into that, I will remember their name, as I thought their software was quite impressive. Others may disagree, but to me that's a much better advertising model.
So, based on that, my question would be: what do you have that might attract people to find out more about you and what you offer?
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Glad my sarcasm could lighten things up.Ha ha, that's a great idea! Now you are thinking like a business person!
Yes/no.As others have said, there's not a lot of information that's not freely available on the web, so information is a hard product to sell. (Even the big media companies trying to sell their online 'news' content are vexed by the free news services out there—which, at least where I live, are better than the paid ones anyway.)
There is tons of free info. There is much less free and good info out there.
Doubt this? Then why do you think I drop $40-$50 on a SitePoint book versus some schmuck's web design blog?!
Because SitePoint typically has a better product/service than most *free* content online.
It's also why I went to an accredited 4-year college versus getting my degree online or off of Wikipedia. (You mean everything I read on the Internet isn't fact?!)
Can't disagree there.Personally, I've been 'tuned out' to advertising for a long time now, so I wonder how on earth people make a profit from advertising their wares. Obviously others aren't as zoned out as I am. (I haven't watched a TV ad for many years, yet look at how much $$$ companies still sink into that.)
Who said that I and my one client haven't been trying just that?!A much better strategy, in my view, is what some companies are now doing: putting something of value online that attracts attention and then leads potential customers to find out about the paid products. I actually respect this strategy. As an example, I found out about a really entertaining video online the other day—a 9-minute mini-movie. It's a really fun watch, and beautifully produced, and I enjoyed it so much, I wanted to know more about who created it. Turns out it's by a company that produces video editing software. Now, even though I'm not into that, I will remember their name, as I thought their software was quite impressive. Others may disagree, but to me that's a much better advertising model.
Again, I have no problem publishing free articles, tutorials, tips, webinars, etc. But neither I nor my Financial Planning client are going to give EVERYTHING away and make our income via Advertising...
If I published 3 chapters of compelling _____, don't you think a fair amount of people would be compelled to buy the other 12 chapters?? (Apparently SitePoint agrees with my approach because that is one of their strategies.)
I watched some IBM webinars and ended up buying their more indepth content.
I checked out the offerings at local university and was impressed enough I went back to school and spent tens of thousands of dollars on their "premium" content (i.e. college classes in person).
Well, I'm formulating that now and also trying in parallel to help my Financial Planning client do the same.So, based on that, my question would be: what do you have that might attract people to find out more about you and what you offer?
Apparently it is harder than I first thought. And yet that doesn't mean this strategy won't work...
Debbie
I am so sick of hearing about how people won't pay for content. People pay for content all the time in various forms. Herbmentor, Starfall, FabJob are all popular sites that sell content. What you have to have is some type of knowledge that people will be willing to pay for, but more importantly you have to have a marketing plan. All the great content in the world isn't going to do you any good if you can't get traffic to your website.
It is really costly to build and maintain too high quality of contents.
Thats why they charge for accessing the contents.
Most likely, organizations buy them, not the individuals.
Like, university libraries subscriptions.
It feels that students are accessing the contents for free.
Our, outside the network of university, access to the premium content is not available.
I think, it would be good to raise a content useful to a group of people in common locations as well. Their (readers) discussions themselves would also increase the value of the content.
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We're not saying people never pay for content, we're just saying that most niches are already wicked saturated with really good FREE content. That being said there are sites like TutsPlus that do really really well with premium content but that is only because they continue to offer wicked good FREE content, and most of the content posted to their blogs is FREE with no strings attached and no registration required (even to comment).
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