How to Build a Profitable Product

It can be super frustrating to KNOW you have an amazing idea and product, yet for some weird reason, it just doesn’t sell.  Can you relate to the following scenario?

You create an item to list list on Teachers Pay Teachers.

You post it.  And you know it is awesome.  It is going to help so many teachers.  In fact, teachers are crazy if they aren’t using your product.

You wait to see if it is going to take off or not.   Sometimes it does – yay!   Sometimes it doesn’t – so confusing?

Wouldn’t it be CRAZY if you knew BEFORE you posted the product that it would be a hit?  Sales coming in from the second it was posted?   Maybe even pre-sells were paid out to you via PayPal already?

Well – let’s get started with how to start this process by taking a look at how to get our current customers to tell us what THEY NEED!  {Hint:  You will make a lot of sales if you know this information.}

Create your survey for free

We need a way to find out what we can create.  Google Forms is perfect and free for this need.  Steps to set it up:

Want step by step directions and a list of questions to include in your survey?  

Click HERE to get a step-by-step picture tutorial for how to set up your survey and what questions to ask.

Now that you have your survey form set up, how do you use it and get the word out to your audience?

Here is where you have several different options and use as many of them as possible:

• When your readers sign up for your newsletter, have an automated welcome sequence that asks them to fill out the survey
• When your readers sign up for your RSS feed through Feedburner, set up your confirmation message to contain the link for your survey to encourage responses
• Post the link in your own personal Facebook group, page, and on your personal page
• Create a pin, tweet, and Instagram image and post to those platforms
• Run a Facebook ad to your fans and/or to an audience that you would like to connect with
• Include a link at the bottom of your regular newsletter to your subscribers
• Create a sidebar ad
• Place the link on the credits page of your products, listings, and TpT store
• Embed the link within the content of some of your blog posts
• Try an exit intent pop up asking for their feedback

And those are just a few ways to get the word out about your survey!   Repeat those items at least once a quarter and you will see so many more responses come through.

Time to stop, collaborate, and listen

Then, once per quarter, really start digging into those results.  What are YOUR readers struggling with and how can you help?   What grade(s) do 80% of them teach (hint:  that is your target market)?

Last tip:  before you start creating a product, email those same people who responded and ask for their help (at no cost to them) to help you create and test the product of their dreams – and you will have a winning product with testimonials right from the point of listing!

Never “guess” as to what your audience is looking for again.  If you are creating and then hoping it will sell, you are doing it backwards and creating so much unneeded stress.  Try this route and have an almost guaranteed winner every time!

Happy creating!

~Charity