Question:

Jim, I’ve completed and published to PDF my 1st Ebook. Your
lessons in 7 days to were excellent. The advice on free
publishing for the 1st six was appreciated.
(ref: “How To Write and Publish Your Own eBook… in as little as 7 Days”

I am unclear on one thing however and wonder if you could
help me understand it.

I plan to use ClickBank as a credit card processor and
sales agent along with my own website as I move toward
affiliations. ClickBank wants two web addresses, one for a
“sales pitch” page and the second for a “thank you page.
That alone isn’t a problem but I’m struggling to understand
a couple of things.

After completing a sale does ClickBank direct the buyer to
my thank you page and is the product downloaded from there?

That’s the way I have it set up but I have not published my
sited to the web yet. If that’s the case and I have a
separate website for thank you /delivery, how do I protect
it. If someone comes across it can’t they simply download
my book?

Thanks,

Marty

Answer:

Hi Marty,

You basically have 3 choices when it comes to ebook
security

1. You can use a locking program like Armand’s
www.ebookgenerator.com or www.cb-extract.com to “secure”
the file… however, you can create more time expense in
increased customer service than you save in security.
(Not saying you will, I’m saying you *can*.)

2. You can lock the PDF file with a password… but then
people can just pass on the password with the file… so I
don’t recommend it (though I do recommend securing your PDF
against allowing people to copy text or comment).

3. What I do is just change the download URL on occasion to
keep people from being able to pass that around… that
cuts down on mass stealing of ebooks.

PLUS, if you don’t EVER link to the download page from
anywhere on your website and make it a hard to guess page
name (678dhfYU76.html instead of download.html), then you
should never have to worry about anyone “accidentally”
finding your download page.

My bottom line opinion is that you can’t stop a
*determined* thief… so you just make it hard for the
casual thief to do much damage, and you focus on serving
the customer… 98% of the people out there are honest and
good… and we just focus on them.

I hope that helps

Jim

P.S. I did a humorous little piece on this in my blog
“Smacker Explains Basic eBook Security”

Jim,

Thanks for being there! As a subscriber to your newsletter as well as Paul’s Front Page Tips I appreciate what you’re doing to help us “newbies” out.

But I have a question regarding your sales letter for the www.minisitecreator.com

I’ve noticed that these letters (I get them from Joe Vitale and others, too) are all VERY long. They go on and on down the page with so much verbiage and reasons and value statements and testimonials that, by the time I get to the bottom of the page, I’m tired of reading! – I just want to cut to the chase.

OK, you sold me. . . now how much is the dang thing!!!

It seems to me that you’re overselling and I wonder if you wouldn’t you get better results by reducing the sales letter down a bit?

You’ve been doing this a long time and have some great success at it so there must be a reason for the lengthiness(?) of them ‘cus it seems everybody does it.

I’m getting ready to market our first online e-class and will probably order the Mini Site Creator course, but I wanted an answer to this question first.

Your response would be greatly appreciated!

Sincerely,
Karen

——

Hi Karen,

Bottom line: long form sales letters work.

The purpose is to sell by remote control… especially since you can’t stand there and look at someone as you would selling face-to-face.

A long form sales letter is actually a complete sales presentation in print.

By writing one of these, you’re trying to respond to every objection every person with every background and communication style will respond to…. that’s where the length comes from.

You try to provide various paths for people to read (subheads, p.s.)… but bottom line you’re trying to answer all questions and objections in advance.

Also, you’re trying to communicate what exactly comes with the product so that they KNOW what they’re getting in no uncertain terms.

People buy benenfits… not features.

If this were not the case, then you could just list off a bunch of bullets describing what the product is (size, weight, etc.) and everyone would buy it.

I can tell you that I used to try selling without long-form sales copy… and my results were not nearly as good.

Hope that helps

Jim

PS – if you really (and I mean REALLY) want to put your copywriting on steroids, check out Yanik Silver’s http://www.UltimateCopyWorkshop.com

Here’s a reader question about how to get testimonials:

>> Question: What are some of the techniques you and others use to ask for testimonials?

#1. ASK (most people never ask… and never get). If you want a testimonial, you must ASK people for them. Just ASK.

“Hi John,

I know you’ve really enjoyed our (product / service). Would you mind giving me a blurb I could post on my website along with your name and company to show people this really does work?

Thanks

Jim”

#2. Strike while the iron is hot (ask for the testimonial right after they have gotten a result).

Many people will email you or call to say thanks… make sure you ASK right then if you can use their comments to help you promote the product. Since they already told you they love your product, the VAST majority will say “sure!”

#3. Borrow success (find someone who has used the techniques you teach and have them say they used the techniques (didn’t learn them from you) that you teach in your book, they work, so if someone wants results they can learn the technqiues from your product!

Hope that helps

Jim

Hay! Jim, thanks for the news letter i like it!

i was on Rosland Gardner’s web site yesterday thats how
i found you http://www.AffiliateBusinessBlueprint.com

i read the infomation that you and Rosland had on
the Affiliate Program that you’ll marketing,i’m new to
the hold thing for a beginer who wants to start making
money on the internet

where should i start with e-books or your Affiliate
Program,but my most important question to is can your
programs work for people with not so good
english,gramer,and writing skills?

thanks for your time,

R. J.

——

RJ,

You can always hire someone to help with the writing
skills… i.e. write your articles for you.

Two good places to start are rentacoder.com and elance.com

I’d advise starting with your own site… selling as an
affiliate… in a market you have a high level of passion
for… something from your job, your hobby, spiritual
beliefs…. that will get you excited.

Then, following all the principals out there for driving
traffic, start putting eyeballs across your site.

Make sure to create a list of subscribers… so you can
follow up with people via email.

You should strongly consider starting a blog too!

Do *something* every day to build your business and develop
yourself as a business owner!

Jim