Why Products Fail Online and Off

You have the ultimate product to sell online. You’ve created the packaging, you think your “pitch” is so good it will be made into a Spielberg screenplay, the pricing is in place, and you have your web site, but no sales. Sure, you sell one product here and there, but you are not making a profit you dreamed.

What seems to be the problem? You have followed the experts and have done everything they taught you in business school. Your training in marketing seems sound. How could you have misjudged this potential windfall of cash?

The reasons most online products fail is usually a matter of missing the forest for the trees. You are so close to the items you are selling, you get lost in your own beliefs.  Here are a couple of things that you can do to put yourself back on track and get that online product making you some cash.

Lack of focus. When you start to see problems cropping up, it is time to re-focus your energy and start back at the beginning. Look to your original business plan. Who is your target audience? If you believe it is men and women between the ages of conception and 100, and across all levels of diversity, interests and language barriers, you may find yourself wanting to surgically focus your energies a bit more. Ironically, this broad spectrum of a target audience is the very thing that most people tend to do.

“With the internet, I can reach 6.6 billion people!”

Well, that could be true if your web site is translated in all known languages. I’d like a link to the African clicking language service pack if you get the chance.
Seriously, there aren’t that many people on the internet and the majority of those could care less about you are pawning. Whether you are selling a product or a service, you need to know your audience and then make your focus as narrow as you can. What did he say?

Make your focus as narrow as you can.
How can this be? Make my focus narrow? Won’t that cut down on my potential clients?

Yes.

Well, why would I want to do that?
The reason is very simple, really. You want to be the expert in your field of choice. Let me ask you: If you were lucky enough to own a 1953 Corvette and it needed to be fixed, would you take the car to your local garage where they are working on everything from a Honda to a Buick, or would you seek out the individual who specializes in antique Corvettes? Sure, he is going to charge you so much more, but he’s your man when it comes to getting that specific item fixed. When it comes to defining your focus, you have to set yourself aside from the rest of your competition.

Your scope is most likely bigger than early Corvettes, but if it isn’t, good for you! That’s serious focus and I am sure you reap the rewards from this niche group. You know your audience and let them know you. You are an expert for that product or service and have an area of influence in that field.