How to Create a $2k+/mo Passive Income Website in 30 Days (or Less)

[CrimsonNight]

Very nice!

I am going to start with this tomorrow. I already decided on a niche and the search volume is pretty good. The potential is only at $2k per month but is likely to increase as it is a growing niche. I can also offer a few upsells and monthly subscription services.

To scale this beyond the search volume I will most likely fire up some social ads.

The funnel will be straightforward and simple to start.

The ultimate goal is to cash out in 6-12 months' time so I can re-invest in other projects I have in mind.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Taktik]

New Niche + Product
After some searching, I decided to launch another shop with a different product in a new niche. I'll share some details about this here, although I'm not in a rush.

The Product

• It's a digital product.
• It's available for free on YouTube.
• Videos about it generate 5 and 6-figure view counts.
• I didn't find anyone selling it on Etsy (came across it on YouTube)
• Search volume for the main terms shows 12,000/mo up to 165,000/mo
• Can be made for free in a day, but not easily and I won't do it that fast
• Easily customized for different niche interests
• Targets a major pain point for many people

The Customer
This is aimed at a broad group of people from all walks of life. I believe this will make it a much easier sell than my previous products. The product has a niche, but the audience does not, so the product can fit many different audience segments.

Bringing It To Market

1. I'll sell through Etsy first (if they'll let me open a new account)
2. For Etsy, I'll aim to launch with 30+ products and run ads from the start
3. I'll put up a website for this and run Google Ads there
4. I will probably run video ads in addition to search ads on Google
5. This one will leverage social media since I think I can quickly attract an audience

Pricing Models

• One-off products will range from $9.97 to $29.97 (I'll test price points after launch)
• I will probably add a subscription model once I have enough products
• Bundling products will be a valuable pricing option

Progress
I opened a new Etsy account, secured a domain, and created the first product.

Congratulations on your progress.

I have a question regarding your new product: you wrote that it targets a major pain point for many people and that it is available on Youtube for free. What value do you add so that people buy from you instead of going to Youtube?

Thanks.

 

[Lex DeVille]

Congratulations on your progress.

I have a question regarding your new product: you wrote that it targets a major pain point for many people and that it is available on Youtube for free. What value do you add so that people buy from you instead of going to Youtube?

Thanks.

The value is a niche-targeted product.

The product is not a copy/paste of another product.

You can consume a version of the product for free on YouTube, but you cannot get MY product for free on YouTube. You can get something similar that isn't niche-targeted and doesn't come with extras, but not the same product.

Plus, you would have to know that the product exists on YouTube before any of that would apply.

I'm not targeting people who want free content on YouTube. I run ads directly to people who want to buy the product.

 

[andrea532]

In November, I launched a digital product. In under 30 days, I generated over $2,000 in sales.

View attachment 47488
Four months later, the site had its first $2,000 week...

View attachment 47490
I've been documenting this progress in my Insider's thread here.

Now, I'm going to show you how to do it.

Here are some things to know:

• The idea is not new or novel
• There are no inventory costs
• I created the product in a day and had it for sale in a month
• The product is not attached to my name
• The business is almost entirely automated
• The business generates mostly passive income
• Anyone from any country in the world could replicate this if you're not a pussy with a shitty attitude

So what is this thread for?
I decided to replicate the process across multiple websites to create a variety of new passive-income streams and you can try it for yourself if you want. Feel free to ask questions. I'll respond when I can.

What does the process look like so far?
I started on both ideas yesterday. I expect to put in 4-8 hours per day for around 30 days to get both launched. Then probably less than an hour per day for each site. Okay, here we go:

1.0 The Product
Both of the new websites will sell digital products. One site will sell one of the products from my first site but to a different niche. The second site will sell a product I have never tested before to a new audience.

1.1 Product Requirements

• Must be a digital product (i.e. text, video, audio, illustrative, etc.)
• Must be simple to create (i.e. I can create it in a day)
• Must have proven sales (as indicated by other sellers in the market)
• Must have an angle that will give me an edge over competitors
• Must be something I can sell through my own website
• Must not require ongoing support or complex systems

1.2 Examples of Potentially Good Digital Products
Short ebook, templates, guides, checklists, sound effects, music, vocal recordings, videos, digital illustrations, digital software, etc. Niching down is generally what makes any of these *good.*

1.3 Product Creation
I want products that can be created fast (like less than an hour). I got ideas from products sold on other sites like Envato, Etsy, Ebay, etc. I also used Google Adwords to check out search volume for keywords. For product creation, I used Canva (I pay for the $9/mo version) and Envato Elements (I pay for the $197/yr subscription).

2.0 Domain Name
Once I decided on products, I needed a domain name for the websites. I used Namecheap to run domain searches and Wordhippo to help brainstorm name ideas. I purchased the domains through Namecheap for $9 each (less for new accounts). Since I already have web hosting with ChemiCloud, I pointed the domains to ChemiCloud. You can buy domains on ChemiCloud, but it's not as cheap. I also set up SSL through ChemiCloud to secure the site's domains.

2.1 Domain Name Requirements

• Three words or less
• Has one or more of the keywords in the name
• Flows well
• Easy to read, remember, and repeat
• Ends in .com

3.0 Website
In cPanel inside ChemiCloud, I added the two domains and set up support emails as support@domainname.com for each site. I forwarded both of these to my personal email (so I don't have to log into multiple emails every day). Then I installed Wordpress using their Wordpress Manager.

3.1 Basic Setup
With Wordpress installed, I visited the site's backend. Now I checked the "General" settings to confirm the URL showed "https" for security. I also checked the permalink settings to confirm they are set to "Post Name" for the blog. Next, I installed my core plugin stack:

• Classic Wordpress Editor (I don't like Gutenberg)
• Yoast SEO
• Thrive Product Manager (which includes several plugins and my theme)

Thrive Product Manager comes from ThriveThemes. You could replicate my process without Thrive (and probably cheaper), but it's my preferred method since Thrive's products are built for marketers (and because I already pay for it).

3.2 Web Pages
Once my plugins were installed, I created all of the core pages:

• Home Page
• About Page
• Contact Page
• Terms Page
• Privacy Page
• Disclaimer Page

3.3 Thrive Themes Setup
With the pages in place, I launched Thrive Builder and installed their "Kwik" theme because I like it. It's wizard walks me through several important steps like adding my logo, page and blog structures, header and footer structures, menu, brand colors, and typography.

3.4 Logo Creation
I used a Canva logo template to create a logo for the first site, then I replicated the logo in the brand colors of the second site, and replaced the first site's name with the second site's name. Beyond that, the logos are identical. Took all of 10 seconds.

3.5 Core Content
For the Terms, Privacy, and Disclaimer pages I copy/paste from a similar website (in this case my own) and then replace their website's info with my own and change areas as needed to be relevant for my sites. For the About page, I stay as simple as possible and write one to two paragraphs about my site. For the home page, I create a main image area with a headline and a call to action leading into a button that goes to the shop page (shop page doesn't exist yet tho). The rest of the page can remain blank for now. You'll see why in the next section.

3.6 Checkout System
One of my websites uses ThriveCart (costs $500 one-time). The other site uses WooCommerce plugin (free but pay for add-ons if you need them). Once WooCommerce was installed, I went through the wizard to setup all the basic stuff like payment methods and whatnot. Once ThriveCart and WooCommerce were set up, I created basic product pages and then I placed those products on the home page of my website as the content for that page (that's why I left it blank earlier). If you use WooCommerce, they will create a shop page for you. Otherwise, you can create a shop page now.

4.0 Email
La posta elettronica gioca un ruolo chiave nel successo di queste attività (in particolare l'automazione della posta elettronica). Uso ActiveCampaign nella versione Plus. ThriveThemes si integra bene con ActiveCampaign, così come ThriveCart. Esistono altri servizi di posta elettronica che puoi utilizzare che costano meno o sono gratuiti per iniziare.

Prossimi passi?
Tutto quanto sopra è stato realizzato in un giorno.

Successivamente, completerò la configurazione di WooCommerce, ottimizzerò il sito per i visualizzatori mobili, creerò un account YouTube per un sito (perché sarà una buona fonte di traffico), creerò circa sei prodotti per un sito e circa 50 per l'altro sito . Successivamente, attiverò Google Ads e vedrò quanto costa convincere qualcuno a fare clic sul mio sito Web e acquistare il prodotto.

Una volta terminato tutto ciò, l'ultimo passaggio rimasto è ampliare l'elenco di e-mail e perfezionare e testare tutto (prezzi, design, e-mail, ecc.) Per convincere le persone ad acquistare più velocemente con costi di acquisizione inferiori.

Crescita e scala?
A lungo termine, posso assumere freelance per gestire cose come il sito Web, i prodotti e la posta elettronica. Ma una persona può portarlo a $ 4k - $ 10k / mese, forse di più, prima che diventi necessario assumere.

Pronto?
Non ho intenzione di pubblicare aggiornamenti ogni giorno. Ci saranno parti che dovrai capire da solo. Se vuoi creare un reddito passivo di $ 4k + al mese che controlli, allora questo thread dovrebbe aiutarti.

Dichiarazione di non responsabilità: non c'è alcuna offerta di coaching alla fine di questo. Nessun corso. Non scrivetemi in DM per domande private su questo. Se la tua domanda non può essere risolta in questo thread, allora non può essere risolta da me. Infine, è del tutto possibile che io possa fallire e anche tu, quindi non devi essere un weenie per farlo funzionare per te.

hello I'm in the testing phase of the product I created everything with shopify. unfortunately I think I have created a product suitable for people aged 55 and over, this problem makes it difficult for me to make online sales, because in a country like Italy our elderly people do not buy online with cards. but I must admit that it was interesting and engaging to do this test, I will try to change the product and adapt it to a lower age target if you have any suggestions before it changes please write me thanks

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Krishanp_07]

In November, I launched a digital product. In under 30 days, I generated over $2,000 in sales.

View attachment 47488
Four months later, the site had its first $2,000 week...

View attachment 47490
I've been documenting this progress in my Insider's thread here.

Now, I'm going to show you how to do it.

Here are some things to know:

• The idea is not new or novel
• There are no inventory costs
• I created the product in a day and had it for sale in a month
• The product is not attached to my name
• The business is almost entirely automated
• The business generates mostly passive income
• Anyone from any country in the world could replicate this if you're not a pussy with a shitty attitude

So what is this thread for?
I decided to replicate the process across multiple websites to create a variety of new passive-income streams and you can try it for yourself if you want. Feel free to ask questions. I'll respond when I can.

What does the process look like so far?
I started on both ideas yesterday. I expect to put in 4-8 hours per day for around 30 days to get both launched. Then probably less than an hour per day for each site. Okay, here we go:

1.0 The Product
Both of the new websites will sell digital products. One site will sell one of the products from my first site but to a different niche. The second site will sell a product I have never tested before to a new audience.

1.1 Product Requirements

• Must be a digital product (i.e. text, video, audio, illustrative, etc.)
• Must be simple to create (i.e. I can create it in a day)
• Must have proven sales (as indicated by other sellers in the market)
• Must have an angle that will give me an edge over competitors
• Must be something I can sell through my own website
• Must not require ongoing support or complex systems

1.2 Examples of Potentially Good Digital Products
Short ebook, templates, guides, checklists, sound effects, music, vocal recordings, videos, digital illustrations, digital software, etc. Niching down is generally what makes any of these *good.*

1.3 Product Creation
I want products that can be created fast (like less than an hour). I got ideas from products sold on other sites like Envato, Etsy, Ebay, etc. I also used Google Adwords to check out search volume for keywords. For product creation, I used Canva (I pay for the $9/mo version) and Envato Elements (I pay for the $197/yr subscription).

2.0 Domain Name
Once I decided on products, I needed a domain name for the websites. I used Namecheap to run domain searches and Wordhippo to help brainstorm name ideas. I purchased the domains through Namecheap for $9 each (less for new accounts). Since I already have web hosting with ChemiCloud, I pointed the domains to ChemiCloud. You can buy domains on ChemiCloud, but it's not as cheap. I also set up SSL through ChemiCloud to secure the site's domains.

2.1 Domain Name Requirements

• Three words or less
• Has one or more of the keywords in the name
• Flows well
• Easy to read, remember, and repeat
• Ends in .com

3.0 Website
In cPanel inside ChemiCloud, I added the two domains and set up support emails as support@domainname.com for each site. I forwarded both of these to my personal email (so I don't have to log into multiple emails every day). Then I installed Wordpress using their Wordpress Manager.

3.1 Basic Setup
With Wordpress installed, I visited the site's backend. Now I checked the "General" settings to confirm the URL showed "https" for security. I also checked the permalink settings to confirm they are set to "Post Name" for the blog. Next, I installed my core plugin stack:

• Classic Wordpress Editor (I don't like Gutenberg)
• Yoast SEO
• Thrive Product Manager (which includes several plugins and my theme)

Thrive Product Manager comes from ThriveThemes. You could replicate my process without Thrive (and probably cheaper), but it's my preferred method since Thrive's products are built for marketers (and because I already pay for it).

3.2 Web Pages
Once my plugins were installed, I created all of the core pages:

• Home Page
• About Page
• Contact Page
• Terms Page
• Privacy Page
• Disclaimer Page

3.3 Thrive Themes Setup
With the pages in place, I launched Thrive Builder and installed their "Kwik" theme because I like it. It's wizard walks me through several important steps like adding my logo, page and blog structures, header and footer structures, menu, brand colors, and typography.

3.4 Logo Creation
I used a Canva logo template to create a logo for the first site, then I replicated the logo in the brand colors of the second site, and replaced the first site's name with the second site's name. Beyond that, the logos are identical. Took all of 10 seconds.

3.5 Core Content
For the Terms, Privacy, and Disclaimer pages I copy/paste from a similar website (in this case my own) and then replace their website's info with my own and change areas as needed to be relevant for my sites. For the About page, I stay as simple as possible and write one to two paragraphs about my site. For the home page, I create a main image area with a headline and a call to action leading into a button that goes to the shop page (shop page doesn't exist yet tho). The rest of the page can remain blank for now. You'll see why in the next section.

3.6 Checkout System
One of my websites uses ThriveCart (costs $500 one-time). The other site uses WooCommerce plugin (free but pay for add-ons if you need them). Once WooCommerce was installed, I went through the wizard to setup all the basic stuff like payment methods and whatnot. Once ThriveCart and WooCommerce were set up, I created basic product pages and then I placed those products on the home page of my website as the content for that page (that's why I left it blank earlier). If you use WooCommerce, they will create a shop page for you. Otherwise, you can create a shop page now.

4.0 Email
Email plays a key role in the success of these businesses (particularly email automation). I use ActiveCampaign on the Plus version. ThriveThemes integrates well with ActiveCampaign, as does ThriveCart. There are other email services you can use that cost less or are free to start.

Next Steps?
All of the above was accomplished in one day.

Next, I'll finish WooCommerce setup, optimize the site for mobile viewers, set up a YouTube account for one site (because it will be a good traffic source), create about six products for one site, and around 50 for the other site. After that, I'll turn on Google Ads and see how much it costs to get someone to click on my website and buy the product.

Once all of that is finished, the last step left is to grow the email list, and refine and test everything (pricing, design, emails, etc.) to get people to buy faster with lower acquisition cost.

Growth & Scale?
Long-term, I can bring on freelancers to manage things like the website, products, and email. But one person can bring this to $4k - $10k/mo, maybe more, before hiring becomes necessary.

Ready?
I don't plan to post updates every day. There will be parts you have to figure out on your own. If you want to build a $4k+ per month passive-income that you control, then this thread should help.

Disclaimer: There's no coaching offer at the end of this. No course. Don't DM me for private questions about this. If your question can't be answered in this thread, then it can't be answered by me. Lastly, it's entirely possible that I may fail and you may too, so you need to not be a weenie to make this work for you.

 

[Joseph09]

View attachment 47492

 

[Gabbe18]

If you find a niche keyword with 1,000+ searches per month, that's good enough to move forward with the niche

Do you pay any attention to the competition of the keyword? For example, if it is low, medium or high?

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[GoingToSleep]

If you don't mind me asking, what did you sell to earn this money?

 

[Lex DeVille]

If you don't mind me asking, what did you sell to earn this money?

I do mind, and you'd know that if you read this thread.

 

[Timmy C]

I do mind, and you'd know that if you read this thread.

You've repeated this like 10 times off the top of my head lol

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[jdm667]

I had 15 people sign up for my email mini-course - but no sales yet. I will keep you all up to date if anything changes.

Glad to see others taking steps to start something!

Just wanted to update you guys - I made 3 course sales (1 in May, 2 in June). It's not a million dollar business, but it's a start!

 

[AlexMarin]

Hello Lex. I have a couple questions if you don't mind answering.
1. Have you considered running advertisements on your website to earn additional revenue?
2. I've looked into making a digital planner, however when I look up some digital planners on Etsy or other websites, I see sellers that are selling planners that look like they took a year to make, with hundreds of different pages. Do you have any tips on how you would make a product in less time, because you said that some of the products took you an hour to make with Canva, etc.

Looking forward to your response, thanks for your time.

 

[Taktik]

Hello Lex. I have a couple questions if you don't mind answering.
1. Have you considered running advertisements on your website to earn additional revenue?
2. I've looked into making a digital planner, however when I look up some digital planners on Etsy or other websites, I see sellers that are selling planners that look like they took a year to make, with hundreds of different pages. Do you have any tips on how you would make a product in less time, because you said that some of the products took you an hour to make with Canva, etc.

Looking forward to your response, thanks for your time.

Lex already answered one of your questions in the first post of this thread. Maybe you should read it.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[AlexMarin]

Lex already answered one of your questions in the first post of this thread. Maybe you should read it.

I'm sorry, I must've not seen it...

 

[Ywan]

What a great thread. Thanks for laying out the process Lex.
I have one question. You wrote:

4. Use Google Ads to help you find a good niche.
At ads.google.com you can create a free Google Ads account. You DO have to enter your payment information and create a campaign, but just pause the campaign after you create it so you don't get billed. Now use the "Tools & Settings" menu at the top and the "Discover New Keywords" option to search for niches. If you find a niche keyword with 1,000+ searches per month, that's good enough to move forward with the niche.

The last sentence you wrote here: "If you find a niche keyword with 1,000+ searches per month, that's good enough to move forward with the niche."

What do you mean exactly with "niche keyword"?

Does it only refer to a term like "horror" or is it more specific like in "horror T-shirt designs" aka a combination of niche and possible product? Or is it more specific, but within the niche and without a product, for example "gothic horror"? (I hope you know what I'm getting at.)

Thanks again for all the value you provided via this thread.

 

[Lex DeVille]

What do you mean exactly with "niche keyword"?

If you search for "horror" and "horror t-shirts" shows up as one of the suggested options and has 1k+ searches, that would be a good sign that people are interested in that product. Horror t-shirts are a niche of horror as an industry.

"Gothic horror" isn't a product. If Gothic Horror has 100,000 searches per month, that would only indicate interest in gothic horror as a genre of horror. It wouldn't indicate interest in specific products.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[PatrykP]

Hi guys, this is my first post on the forum!

After reading this thread, I got extremely inspired, especially the part about creating a product based on a YouTube video, and I decided to take action. I created a simple subscription-based online software and set up Google ads (thanks to @Andy Black for "The Shortest Google Ads Tutorial Ever").

Yesterday, I got my first 4 clicks, which converted to 2 free users. One of them used all trial points and wanted to buy the subscription, but the payment was declined by the issuing bank.

This would have been my first money made online, but I'm still happy. It shows that someone sees value in my product.

 

[TeeJay_]

Hi guys, this is my first post on the forum!

Are you sure you didn't post here 7 years ago?

 

[BizyDad]

Hey hey @Lex DeVille

13 pages and almost 5 months since your experimenting got you some nice revenue and inspired many to try something.

If you hit $2k in a month, are you at 10k yet?

If not, why not?

At some point can any of this be automated or the work farmed out to grow without your direct involvement?

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Lex DeVille]

Hey hey @Lex DeVille

13 pages and almost 5 months since your experimenting got you some nice revenue and inspired many to try something.

If you hit $2k in a month, are you at 10k yet?

If not, why not?

At some point can any of this be automated or the work farmed out to grow without your direct involvement?

It was basically all automated. Everything from initial traffic to after-sales support was automated through a series of connected systems. Google Ads, Wordpress, Thrive Themes, Thrive Cart, ActiveCampaign, and Chat GPT4.

No, I am not at $10k.

My recent run-in with Christianity led me to end this experiment. I felt what I'd built was in conflict with the direction I was headed. Not only did I kill this system, I got rid of almost all of my income systems. I nearly lost my identity too.

Thankfully, my cult radar eventually alerted and I came to my senses.

Now, I have to rebuild from scratch. It's embarrassing, but I've returned to freelancing until I build something to replace my systems again.

As for the system itself, it reached $7k in its second or third month, but when I got banned from Etsy, that slashed my earnings almost in half. Month-to-month I was running around $4,500 after that from Google Ads alone.

Toward the end, I struggled with a sales slump. I think maybe it was due to the time of year (either that or the niche was too small for Google). I never got into social media or other paid ads to try and scale up further.

I have a new idea almost ready. I'm ironing out the details now. I'll likely lean into video content on YouTube and TikTok more heavily this time around since I can't leverage Etsy again.

Technically, I could rebuild what I took down, but since I'm starting over, I might as well target a bigger audience with a better offer.

 

[BizyDad]

It was basically all automated. Everything from initial traffic to after-sales support was automated through a series of connected systems. Google Ads, Wordpress, Thrive Themes, Thrive Cart, ActiveCampaign, and Chat GPT4.

No, I am not at $10k.

My recent run-in with Christianity led me to end this experiment. I felt what I'd built was in conflict with the direction I was headed. Not only did I kill this system, I got rid of almost all of my income systems. I nearly lost my identity too.

Thankfully, my cult radar eventually alerted and I came to my senses.

Now, I have to rebuild from scratch. It's embarrassing, but I've returned to freelancing until I build something to replace my systems again.

As for the system itself, it reached $7k in its second or third month, but when I got banned from Etsy, that slashed my earnings almost in half. Month-to-month I was running around $4,500 after that from Google Ads alone.

Toward the end, I struggled with a sales slump. I think maybe it was due to the time of year (either that or the niche was too small for Google). I never got into social media or other paid ads to try and scale up further.

I have a new idea almost ready. I'm ironing out the details now. I'll likely lean into video content on YouTube and TikTok more heavily this time around since I can't leverage Etsy again.

Technically, I could rebuild what I took down, but since I'm starting over, I might as well target a bigger audience with a better offer.

Wow bro, you've been through a lot lately. You all right?

I know I'm a faceless handle on a forum, but if you ever want to talk I'm a good listener.

Ok, I'm a decent listener...

Ok, I'm capable of listening...

Ok, where I really shine is talking your ear off and taking your mind of things.

Anyways, Fastlane Fam gotta be there for each other, right?

Still, the results were solid for such a short time considering the challenges. Looking forward to hearing about the next exploit.

 

[Lex DeVille]

Wow bro, you've been through a lot lately. You all right?

I know I'm a faceless handle on a forum, but if you ever want to talk I'm a good listener.

Ok, I'm a decent listener...

Ok, I'm capable of listening...

Ok, where I really shine is talking your ear off and taking your mind of things.

Anyways, Fastlane Fam gotta be there for each other, right?

Still, the results were solid for such a short time considering the challenges. Looking forward to hearing about the next exploit.

Thanks @BizyDad , I appreciate the thought.

Unfortunately, turning to others is how I got into this mess.

I won't rely on anyone but myself to get out of it.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Lex DeVille]

One of my new clients is struggling to get his business off the ground. He says people are calling/emailing to ask if the business is real. They sell a physical product between $500 - $2,000.

A key challenge in building new income systems is credibility. People try to evaluate your *legitness* as best they can based on the information they have.

But people also want the thing you offer (if you've targeted them well). So if you address their objections, even if only in cursory ways, then they will shut off their minds and buy on emotion.

The first step is to get familiar with their red flags.

• If your website looks amateur...red flag.
• If your copy doesn't look like it was at least written by Chat GPT...red flag.
• If it takes more than 1 click to get to the shop page...red flag.
• If your product images look like they came from China...red flag.
• If your About page shares little info...red flag.
• If your images are blurry...red flag.
• If your colors are inconsistent...red flag.
• If you don't offer refunds...red flag.
• Dead links...red flag.
• No FAQs...red flag.
• No reviews..red flag.
• No address...red flag.
• No contact method...red flag.
• Social media with 10 followers...red flag.

The higher the product price, the more is at stake, and the more credibility you need.

If you lack credibility (like reviews) you have to create pseudo-credibility (like drawing attention to email opt-ins with FOMO).

Even just a FAQ section explaining HOW your trash website is actually part of a unique, customer-centric, non-elaborate brand experience...is a way to create pseudo-credibility.

When people already want what you offer, then the only thing that stands in the way of purchase is their objections. Put their minds at ease about those objections, and they will buy.

 

[Homeriscool]

Have full control....

 

[Timmy C]

But people also want the thing you offer (if you've targeted them well). So if you address their objections, even if only in cursory ways, then they will shut off their minds and buy on emotion.

The first step is to get familiar with their red flags.

• If your website looks amateur...red flag.
• If your copy doesn't look like it was at least written by Chat GPT...red flag.
• If it takes more than 1 click to get to the shop page...red flag.
• If your product images look like they came from China...red flag.
• If your About page shares little info...red flag.
• If your images are blurry...red flag.
• If your colors are inconsistent...red flag.
• If you don't offer refunds...red flag.
• Dead links...red flag.
• No FAQs...red flag.
• No reviews..red flag.
• No address...red flag.
• No contact method...red flag.
• Social media with 10 followers...red flag.

This is a solid list, and due to some very solid advice from others I am switching to wordpress right now, and making the website look alot cleaner, more professional, photos of me, etc. I think it matters quite alot.

Social media is another big one, I have that mostly covered, and it will only grow as well. Credibility can be a hard one, as your credibility can be subjective as well.

For example I train BJJ, and I am a blue belt. But no one is going to look at that and say wow this guy really knows his stuff, unless they are a beginner in the art. I cant exactly go around selling BJJ instructional videos at my current level.

But i also look the part when dishing out fitness advice, so I can lean into that I guess.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Timmy C]

It was basically all automated. Everything from initial traffic to after-sales support was automated through a series of connected systems. Google Ads, Wordpress, Thrive Themes, Thrive Cart, ActiveCampaign, and Chat GPT4.

No, I am not at $10k.

My recent run-in with Christianity led me to end this experiment. I felt what I'd built was in conflict with the direction I was headed. Not only did I kill this system, I got rid of almost all of my income systems. I nearly lost my identity too.

Thankfully, my cult radar eventually alerted and I came to my senses.

Now, I have to rebuild from scratch. It's embarrassing, but I've returned to freelancing until I build something to replace my systems again.

As for the system itself, it reached $7k in its second or third month, but when I got banned from Etsy, that slashed my earnings almost in half. Month-to-month I was running around $4,500 after that from Google Ads alone.

Toward the end, I struggled with a sales slump. I think maybe it was due to the time of year (either that or the niche was too small for Google). I never got into social media or other paid ads to try and scale up further.

I have a new idea almost ready. I'm ironing out the details now. I'll likely lean into video content on YouTube and TikTok more heavily this time around since I can't leverage Etsy again.

Technically, I could rebuild what I took down, but since I'm starting over, I might as well target a bigger audience with a better offer.

Dam bro that sounds like alot.
Can't say I have ever fallen prey to a cult.
Well cryptocurrency I guess lol.

Glad you are back on track!

 

[Andy Black]

Dam bro that sounds like alot.
Can't say I have ever fallen prey to a cult.
Well cryptocurrency I guess lol.

Glad you are back on track!

I think you fell into the Money Twitter "cult" for a bit as well?

@Lex DeVille ... blimey. I hadn't seen that update. Glad you're back on track. Short videos. Try figuring those out.

 

[Andy Black]

Thanks @BizyDad , I appreciate the thought.

Unfortunately, turning to others is how I got into this mess.

I won't rely on anyone but myself to get out of it.

You don't have to "turn" to others. Just know folks have your back. Feel free to bounce thoughts or frustrations at me via DM or in this thread.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Cameraman]

My recent run-in with Christianity led me to end this experiment. I felt what I'd built was in conflict with the direction I was headed. Not only did I kill this system, I got rid of almost all of my income systems. I nearly lost my identity too.

Thankfully, my cult radar eventually alerted and I came to my senses.

Wow!!! I would never have guessed. I'm happy that you've sorted yourself out and feel back in control.

The first step is to get familiar with their red flags.

• If your website looks amateur...red flag.
• If your copy doesn't look like it was at least written by Chat GPT...red flag.
• If it takes more than 1 click to get to the shop page...red flag.
• If your product images look like they came from China...red flag.
• If your About page shares little info...red flag.
• If your images are blurry...red flag.
• If your colors are inconsistent...red flag.
• If you don't offer refunds...red flag.
• Dead links...red flag.
• No FAQs...red flag.
• No reviews..red flag.
• No address...red flag.
• No contact method...red flag.
• Social media with 10 followers...red flag.

The higher the product price, the more is at stake, and the more credibility you need.

This is an excellent list that I'll keep in mind whilst workign through my website.
Thanks for sharing - yet again.

 

[Timmy C]

I think you fell into the Money Twitter "cult" for a bit as well?

@Lex DeVille ... blimey. I hadn't seen that update. Glad you're back on track. Short videos. Try figuring those out.

oh yes, the money twitter cult, how could i forget that one!