Ecommerce newbie

A few problems i ran into... please help

[amrani]

OK, here goes.

Information about me and my product.
I created a product which is suppose to improve the buyer. Let's say my subject was a baseball game (it's not) then my product is a device to help you improve your hitting.

The problems

1. I'm not sure there's enough audience looking to buy this kind of product BECAUSE when I checkd for keywords in ****, overture tool and even adwords the number of searchs are really low, this could be because there aren't a lot of people searching for it or I just don't know the right keywords which I really think is the case (or hope) because I found at dmoz at least 6 other stores selling a product to help improve "hitting" (not in the same way my product does it however) so I dont know what to do, Is there a way to know what keywords the other stores use?

2. I read brett's 26 steps article and I understand the importance of content however I really don't know what kind of content I will be able to add (to a one product store) every few days that will bring costumers to my store. I can write about "baseball" but not all baseball fans want to improve their "hitting", so what should I do?

P.S
Sorry for the long post and the possible grammer or spelling mistakes, english is not my first language.

[derekwong28]

Welcome to WebMasterWorld

It looks like you will have to create a market for it from scratch. You will probably have to rely on means other than search engines to promote your product.

You should look at promoting it through affiliates and advertising on relevant content sites.

You will need to set a high profit for your product because to be attactive, you have to give a large commission to affilates.

[amrani]

Thanks for the answer but it will be hard to come up with enough money (I will be an high school junior next year). I'm trying to get a job but summer already started so it's harder (jobs already taken), anyway I tought of selling it on ebay unti'll I'll make enough money for advertising.

what about the second question? What kind of content can I add to help me sell my product?

[jo1ene]

You'd be surprised what people DON'T know. I have people calling me about web design that don't even use email. Because you know your product, it may seem silly to you. But don't assume that others wouldn't benefit from a simple 200 word article explaining "whatever". I don't feel shy about writing one about what a domain name is. All of these "baseball enthusiasts" may not want to improve their "hitting" but a friend or family member might. Is it a giftable item? (I hate to imagine what I may be stepping in here...) Anyway...think specific and think of complementary products or information.

[Shane]

Is it something young players can use. (opps, did I just step in something too?)

If so, can you write articles and submit the links to web-sites that developing players would go to for local scores? If you write a couple of articles then you become the expert. If one player in a league buys your product (and it has your URL or internet address on it), that becomes your best advertising (if they can then hit the ball :) ).

Just a thought.

..... Shane

[amrani]

jo1ene - I like the idea of complementary products but I think it will take time to make a good product which you cant just but at every other store. About related information for articles I worry that people will just get the information and forget about the site (most people who search for information, get it and leaves). And about the gift, yeah I guess it could be a gift but again, the odds for that to happen are small unless the person is actually looking for my product.

Shane - Sending articles to related site are really a good idea and I guess it will help me to increase traffic but I was under the impression that adding fresh new content to the site is a must and I really dont know what to do..

I appreciate all your replays! please keep them coming

about that stepping into something, how did you know my product is about sex

just kidding :-)

[Shane]

Copying is the best form of flatter.

Pick another product. Search on that product. See what you find. Say an article about how a driver now is safer, for example. Write an article about how your product makes players safer. Do another search. Say you find an article about how a soccer player can compete at a higher level because they have more "time to think on the ball". Write an article about how your product allows more decision time once a pitch has been thrown and therefore players using your product can compete against better higher level pitchers.
Do another search .....

Get the idea?

..... Shane

[Essex_boy]

I wouldnt rely to heavily on those word thingys, use them as an indication not a rule.

Ive allways found them to be very inaccurate.

[amrani]

Shane - my product kinda improves one thing about the buyer, I'll be the first to admit it does only that, altough it does it really well :-)

Essex_boy - I know what you mean about indication but the numbers are really low in all of them.

[Shane]

But there must be multiple benefits from the improvement. Better looks means;
* getting the girl
* getting the raise
* getting the job
* getting more smiles
* getting selected for the team
* getting into the club
* your children look more attractive (okay, only if they also use your product)

No? Yes? Maybe?

..... Shane

[amrani]

Ok, so I can write an article about the benefits of my product (and I will write it) but it's still one article, that is my problem. I don't know how to keep writing new content (that will help with my selling) every few days?

[Shane]

Your first article, write on what it does for someone. Your second article, write on only one benefit. Next article, next benefit. Same for the third. The fifth article can be a summary of the first four articles. Then go back to another article.

Note that by benefit I mean what it allows the person to do because of the positive result. Improved batting, I can make the team, my self-esteem goes up, I can now focus more on catching, .....

It isn't easy. That is why good writers get good dollars.

Good Luck,
Shane

[amrani]

I tought about what you said and I got 5 ideas for an article. I guess I can come up with at least five more ideas which is a good start (thanks for the advice) but even now that I entered the new keywords I still get low numbers in tthe keywords tools (wt, ov and google), and they don't even come up with good suggestions for other keywords. what should I do?
should I except the fact that there isn't a lot of traffic or I'm just an idiot when it comes to keywords?

In the 6 sites I mentioned before that offer a product which suppose to do what my product does (only in different way), I don't think they do a lot of seo but Is there a way to know what keywords is working for them?

[deejay]

If you're writing good content, forget the keyword tools - they will only stop you seeing the forest for the trees.

Just keep writing, and as your articles start to get more hits, pay more attention to your logs relating to those pages and how they are found. You'll see patterns and likely get more inspiration from that than cold-querying a keyword tool.

but not all baseball fans want to improve their "hitting"

aaahhh grasshopper - how many baseball fans would never even know that they could improve their hitting, if you do not tell them? People are funny - they want what they don't have, but they rarely want what they don't know they could have.

Case in point: steam toothbrush sterilisers. How many people do you really think have gone through their lives thinking 'oh me oh my.. my toothbrush is not sterile, and yet I put it in my mouth every morning! If only....'

[Shane]

Hey deejay, crank the volume up, ... sorry, fav song.

steam toothbrush sterilisers

deejay, where can I order one plus one for my dad?

Thanks,
Shane

See, it works! :)

[deejay]

*lol* Shane.. waitaminute.. lemme find an affiliate program and sign up.

j/k :)

actually it was profiled on a 60 minutes type story about tv infomercials and the home shopping network I think? (I'm in NZ - we don't have the network). Brief, but very interesting to watch from a marketing perspective.

[amrani]

deejay - Yes you're right about writing good articles and they will come but the main keywords for my product already are pretty low on searches so I'm worried that if I'll write without considering keywords I will be in real trouble.

Is there no way of knowing what keywords work for my competitors? (the six companies I found on dmoz dont have any content (such as articles)), they only have information about the product but I would like to know what works for them?

[Leosghost]

you could always get their logs to look at ...;)

[amrani]

So you're basiclly saying I got no chance of knowing?

[Leosghost]

Not at all.. loads of people leave their logs lying around all over google ..they do the same with their password files , confidential diaries ..tons o stuff .
Some don't even think to protect the folders where their logs live and you can go straight in and take them ..course that would be very very black hat Seo "research" and no one here would ever do stuff like that so shouldn't be able to explain how ;) ..

but as Deejay might have said .."consider the ways of a website Grasshopper ...all are different ..but all are the same ..the heart is where the heart is ..the head is where the head is ..the rawlogfiles (well where are yours? )...you must develop a "curious" mind ( and walk softly ..leave no trace )...and know how to read headers can lead one to the secrets hidden in anothers heart " ...

Now say the above to yourself in slow-mo ....and let your thoughtz fly out to the sounds of

ABKCO # 719004 #1
ABKCO # 719539 #1

Personally I do curious better to the first one ..but to each his own..

[amrani]

Thanks for the sarcastic replay! That's what makes the forums so damn good!

But seriously, I really appreciate the other members' help. THANKS for all of the good ideas!

[wattsnew]

Hi Amrani,

What are all the bad things that happen to people who don't use your product? Any keyphrases there?

What do other people "call" those unfortunate people? Any keyphrases there?

What do people usually do next after the bad things have happened?

What other products or methods do people use to avoid those bad things happening if they don't know about your product?

Sometimes a productive keyphrase that's low or nowhere on WT will come out of the fog for you because it has little competition - but works for many of your potential buyers.

Good luck.

W

[deejay]

amrani, I really don't think Leo was being sarcastic - I thought he was rather funny actually. :)

And he's right. There are a lot of sites out there with their logs right out in the open - if you know where to look. Personally it's not something I've spent a lot of time on, but I have looked for and found enough to convince me it would be worthwhile if I had a need.

[amrani]

Is there an option on WT or some other program/site to enter a url address and get the search engine high rankings in a specific search engine for that address? Or you have to enter specific keyword?

[deejay]

hmmm.. not that I'm aware of. Not to say there isn't something out there though.

If you're particularly interested in analysing some other sites, why don't you start with Brett's keyword density analyser - [searchengineworld.com...]

it's a good way of picking out the relevant words from a page, and then you can manually search for placements from there.

[amrani]

thanks! that's really a good tool