Most marketers make building an online business way more complicated than it has to be
They’re wasting time split testing ads to 3 different funnels…
That lead to a webinar selling a $19 tripwire offer…
With 4 upsells and 3 downsells… Plus a continuity offer…
Then of course, there’s the 6 month email “nurture sequence” that gets sent to people who watched 46% of the webinar but haven’t bought yet….
I couldn’t imagine building a business that required that much complexity.
Where a dozen things all have to work together juuuust right, just to make a couple bucks.
Now don’t get me wrong, if it works for them, that’s great.
And I wish them all the luck in the world.
But I prefer a Minimalist Business Model
I want my business to run like a Jeep.
No fancy bells and whistles. Just a simple and resilient business that generates reliable income without me having to worry about it breaking.
A business model that, if it does happen to break (as Jeeps sometimes do), is easy to fix.
This is what I call a Minimalist Business Model. And it’s the only way I like to build online businesses.
So what does a Minimalist Business Model look like?
The First Priority Is Building A List
Smart marketers know that your list is your most important asset.
In the world of direct mail, the list is home addresses.
In telemarketing, the list is phone numbers.
And in our world, the online business world, the list is email addresses.
So your first priority is to always be growing your your email list.
Why is building an email list so important?
Because an email list is a marketing channel you own.
On social media, the platforms control your reach and you can easily be banned for saying the wrong thing.
And PPC platforms take down profitable ads all the time, then blacklist marketers who get anywhere close to the line in their advertising.
But your email list – that’s yours to do what you want with.
No one can tell you when to email, how often to email or what you’re allowed to say in your emails.
And there’s no one to stop your emails from reaching your subscribers (for the most part) if they don’t like what you have to say.
Email is a direct line of communication with your audience that you control and can’t be taken away from you.
So every piece of marketing needs to be done for the sole purpose of building your email list.
Not building your brand.
Not to get more followers on whatever social media platform.
Not even to sell your products.
Every article you write… Every podcast you’re on… Every YouTube video you make… Every ad you create…
Should all be done with one goal in mind – to get people from the platform they’re on now, onto a platform you control – your email list.
Now You can Follow Up With Them
Once someone gives you their email address, you’ve earned their permission to continue marketing to them.
They raised their hand and said they’re interested in what you offer.
Now it’s your job to follow up with them on a regular basis.
You should send them updates, information and new content.
But, most importantly, send them offers to buy your stuff.
Why? Because most people aren’t always ready to buy right away.
Sure, maybe they signed up for your email list because they’re interested in what you offer.
But most people aren’t willing to pull out their wallet and start buying all your stuff right off the bat.
They need a certain level of comfort with you first. They need to get to know, like and trust you before they spend money with you.
That’s why follow up is so important. The more of your content people consume, the more they get to know, like and trust you.
And it might not be tomorrow… or next week… or even 3 months from now…
But, if you keep putting offers in front of them, they’ll eventually buy from you when they’re ready.
So keep marketing to them!
Send them product updates.
Send them new and interesting content.
Send them information that educates and entertains.
And please, keep sending them offers to buy your stuff!
Then Sell Something Else on the backend
You can make a decent living selling a single offer. But you better be a really savvy marketer.
And comfortable with churn and burn marketing. Where you’re always scrounging for new leads to hard sell your stuff to.
That’s a tough way to build a business though. And not one I recommend.
Especially, when all you have to do to build a sustainable business is simply sell your existing customers something else.
Why is it important to sell something on the backend?
Because it’s how you generate a ton of profit.
Someone whose already bought something from you is way more likely to buy something else from you in the future.
They already decided they trust you enough to buy from you.
As long as you delivered on your promise with their first purchase, they’ll keep spending money with you.
All you have to do is create more offers that solve more of their problems.
So build more products and services to sell to those customers!
When you keep solving their problems, they’ll keep giving you money.
That’s how you build a profitable business – by selling on the backend.
Simplify Your Business Model
Ignore all the marketers out there bragging about how much complexity they’ve built into their business.
Instead, simplify your business down to the most basic foundational elements.
Prioritize building your list.
Send them content and offers on a regular basis.
Then sell something else to the people who bought from you.
It’s the simplest, most resilient business model you’ll find.
And it’s the foundation of almost every successful direct marketing business in the world – both online and off.