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Setting Up a Toll Gate for Content
©
2002 By Marcia Yudkin
Contrary to dire predictions that people will never pay for
content on the Internet, thousands of entrepreneurs are
setting up successful subscription Web sites. Whether
you have a content site that you plan to start charging for
or are in the process of creating a new site with content
behind a toll gate, success comes from understanding what
people will pay for online and including two key marketing
ingredients to persuade them to sign up.
BEAT the Cold Winter of 2007 ARIZONA'S NEWEST WONDER
Kartchner Caverns State Park opened in 1999. This stunning limestone cave system is one of the top in the world. Visit Sunny Southwest this cold winter |
Before committing yourself to a paid subscription site,
think long and hard about the value you will be offering
subscribers. Be ruthless and conservative in your
assumptions! Here are some general categories of
things that people in a number of niches are willing to pay
for:
* inside or expert information that helps them make more
money or save money
* fresher or more complete data than they can get elsewhere
* something that consistently brightens their day better
than anything else
* solutions to their problem right this minute, especially
if it's the middle of the night or a deadline looms
* tools, samples, templates, plans, patterns, checklists,
downloads, scripts
* access to experts or celebrities
* opportunity to interact with other members of their niche
or people who share a relatively unusual interest
* interactive or personalized features not available
elsewhere
* fresh information available conveniently and on a reliable
schedule
* reviews, recommendations, resources, case studies
* step-by-step instruction at their level
* the opportunity to feel they are making a difference and
staying informed about a cause that's important to them
* information that is exactly tailored to their niche needs
rather than generic
BEAT the Cold Winter of 2007 ARIZONA'S NEWEST WONDER
Kartchner Caverns State Park opened in 1999. This stunning limestone cave system is one of the top in the world. Visit Sunny Southwest this cold winter |
Since your paid content will be password protected, for
members only, even the best offerings can't sell themselves.
Therefore you need mouthwatering descriptive bullets making
the content sound unusually tantalizing and valuable and
testimonials from members who explain how they've more than
gotten their money's worth from the site.
Instead of a dry, factual recital of what people will get
from their site subscription, inject suspense and color into
your descriptions of what they'll get. Especially,
make explicit the benefit people get from your content:
* "Unlimited use our secret vault jam-packed with over
3,000 pages of cutting-edge articles, programs and training
tips created by professional strength coaches that are
proven to give you results." (www.sportspecific.com)
* "Product Reviews: We search for the best luxury
products, and because we accept no advertising, you receive
unbiased product reviews." (www.luxurylifestyleadvisor.com)
Testimonials are equally important to persuade people to set
aside their skepticism and fears and take the leap to pay
for something they can't touch and examine in advance.
Ask your earliest users or colleagues who have a reputation
with
your target niche to put into words what's valuable about
your site. Particularly valuable are blurbs from
people who got concrete results because of their
subscription - made money, lost weight, found a sponsor,
improved their SAT
scores, etc.
With content that passes the value test, mouthwatering
marketing copy and quotes from satisfied site subscribers,
you'll soon be proprietor of yet another successful
subscription site.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Marcia Yudkin <marcia@yudkin.com>
is the author of Poor Richard's Web Site Marketing Makeover,
Six Steps to Free Publicity and 9 other books. She has
recently created month-by-month marketing plans for site
owners hoping to convert a free site to paid or to start a
subscription site from scratch. Details: http://www.yudkin.com/plans.htm.
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