Author: Peter Pru

How We Launch Dropshipping Businesses Daily to Make Sales on Day One

by Peter PruDropshipping Case StudiesLeave a Comment on How We Launch Dropshipping Businesses Daily to Make Sales on Day One

Every day, we help businesses of all types excel with dropshipping from the start of their journey. We recently helped yet another one of our clients launch their dropshipping business and make sales on day one. Here we’ll review what exactly we did for this client and reveal how you can implement some of these strategies when developing your own business.

While a lot of businesses get into dropshipping with unrealistic expectations, we’ll go over what kind of results this Business in a Box client managed to see and what you can expect. Specifically, we’ll be looking at stats gathered over the course of the first two days after launch, which can give you a good idea of the kinds of numbers you can achieve with a strong strategy in place.

Using a Deep Discount Offer to Make Sales on Day One

When looking at our client’s back-end stats, we managed to help make them $265.61 in gross sales over the first two days, with an average cart value of $66.40. We achieved these goals after spending around $20-30 per day on advertising. 

The kind of offer behind these stats was something called a deep discount offer, which is notably different from a “free plus shipping” offer. You may be familiar with “free plus shipping” offers, in which lower shipping costs can cover both the product costs and shipping. These offers are often helpful because they attract new customers while enabling businesses to break even. Deep discounts, on the other hand, entail attempts to increase profits on the front end.

However, whether you use “free plus shipping” or deep discount offers, it’s important to keep in mind that advertising is primarily intended to help build assets for your business. For example, your ads could bring in email addresses and other details that you can then use to follow up with customers. 

Implementing Opt-Ins and Upsells in a Complete Funnel

Screen of a Business in a Box client's revenue

As mentioned, this client’s average cart value (ACV) is $66.40. This is an impressive ACV that could drive huge success if it continues in this trend. Normally, the ACV will show how much a dropshipper can spend to acquire a customer. With the help of a successful sales funnel, however, you can usually earn that money back to help cover product costs. 

A Two-Step Opt-In Form to Get Customers Started

This particular client’s funnel consisted of an order form page to start with, followed by a couple of upsells. Using this funnel, our client achieved an opt-in rate of 26.52%, with 48 of 181 unique visitors opting in. For a two-step order form, this opt-in rate was perfectly acceptable. On these forms, we asked for the customer’s name, email, phone number, and address. In the process, a two-step order form like this can collect a lot of information that could assist you later.

In most cases, a two-step order form like this may yield a 25-30% conversion rate, while a regular opt-in form is more likely to see an opt-in rate of over 30%. Although it may seem like a regular opt-in form is better based on these numbers, the fact is that you’ll get better leads with a two-step form. This is because the people who opt-in through a two-step form are more invested in the product behind it.

After people went through the opt-in, our client managed to attract only four sales to give us a conversion rate of 2.21%. This is not a great conversion rate by any standard, but this is typical when just starting out. Remember, when first launching Facebook or other ad campaigns, these platforms won’t have your buyers figured out yet. As they collect more data and interpret it, your ads’ targeting will be able to improve over time to connect with people who are more interested in your offerings. 

In the end, through our opt-in form, we made a total of $170.82 in sales. Compare this to the total gross amount of $265.61, and you’ll see where upsells came into play to make sales on day one.

Upsells That Help Maximize Sales

Another mistake that many dropshippers make is relying on their opt-in page alone and neglecting to use upsells. They tend to focus on the first-time sale and don’t think about the sales that follow. 

For this client, the first upsell we implemented made a total of $26.91 with a conversion rate of 37.50% among three customers. The second upsell landed an extra $33.94, giving us a conversion rate of 28.57% with two customers. Finally, the third upsell earned another $33.94, with two customers accounting for a flat conversion rate of 40%. The last few upsells didn’t give us any results in those first two days, but the three that worked managed to bring that total value from $170.82 to $265.61. 

These numbers clearly show the value of using upsells to help generate more sales beyond that initial opt-in. Once someone enters your sales funnel through that first page, they’re far more inclined to make additional purchases on the way to the final checkout.

How to Locate the Best Upsells for Your Dropshipping Store

Screen grab of Peter Pru discussing the value of upsells

With the invaluable asset of upsells in mind, you may be wondering how you can find the ideal upsells for your store so you can make sales on day one. You can easily do so by taking the following steps:

1. Look on Amazon

To start with, you can search on Amazon under your main product’s “frequently bought together” items. This data is immediately available for you to use to guide your upsells.

2. Sell More of the Same

You can also try selling the same item the customer just chose to buy through the opt-in form. In some cases, it may be worth it to sell more of the same item at a discount if the product is something the customer would want to buy in larger quantities. 

3. Monthly Offers

In addition to the same or similar items, you can sell monthly subscriptions of digital or physical products that customers would like to receive regularly. This can help bring recurring revenue every month that you might otherwise miss. Subscriptions could include everything from eBooks and courses to various accessories for their main product and miscellaneous items in the same niche.

Build a Solid Sales Funnel to Get the Best Results and Make Sales on Day One

Online business owner strategizing about how to make sales on day one

Realistically, you’re not likely to earn thousands of dollars within the first few days of launching your dropshipping business. That doesn’t mean you won’t earn these kinds of figures over time, but there are steps you need to take to get there. Based on this client’s example, you can see the importance of using a compelling offer, along with a structured sales funnel that consists of an opt-in and upsells. Through the use of a strong funnel, you’ll be able to experience great results that are only going to get better with continued optimization and persistence.

To learn more about how to excel with your dropshipping business and generate a full-time income online, register for our free eCommerce masterclass. You can also subscribe to my YouTube channel for more eCommerce tips and strategies.

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Read These Five Books That Made Me a Millionaire Before 30

by Peter PruUncategorizedLeave a Comment on Read These Five Books That Made Me a Millionaire Before 30

I’ve made millions of dollars online — but I didn’t do it alone. In fact, no one can do it alone. When you’re just starting out on any business venture, it helps to have mentors to guide you. People who have tried, failed, and forged through for success. It’s not always possible to have a mentor, however, which is why it’s great when someone distills their experience — or the experiences of other people — into a book. For years, I’ve read at least a book a week, including these five books that made me a millionaire. It puts me inside the mind of experts and advanced thinkers, exposing me to new ideas and ways of thinking. 

As an entrepreneur, books are one of the best investments you can make in yourself. They’re inexpensive and are often packed with knowledge and actionable advice you can use to learn, grow, and improve yourself. In this post, I’m going to talk about five books that made me a millionaire before I turned 30. I may have read them when I was young, but they can help people of any age become more successful. 

If I could have five books, forever, without any others, these would be the five. You may not have heard of some, but I promise you they will absolutely change your life.

1. Atlas Shrugged 

Screen grab of Peter Pru talking about Atlas Shrugged

This novel took me six months to get through. I first read it on my honeymoon in Greece and could not put it down. It was that gripping and effective. 

People have made movies based on this book. They’re all terrible. Stick with the original work if you want to absorb the key concepts and messages in its pages. 

The main concept you should take away from this book is to shift your mindset in life from being a consumer to being a producer. Most people drift through life endlessly consuming things: TV, food, clothing, or cars. The producers in this world are the ones that make all the money. 

This is something of a controversial book, but those are the ones most worth reading. Find this one today. It will take some time to work your way through it, but it will change the way you think about life. 

2. Breakthrough Advertising

This is the “Bible” of everything you need to know about advertising, sales, marketing, and persuasion. That’s a market flooded with resources and books on these topics, but this is the top one. Today you’ve got so many people telling you how to make money online. If you ask most of them, they’ll say this is on their bookshelf. 

It’s hard to find. I used to flip them for $300 a copy, dropshipping them from the direct supplier. That’s how in-demand it is. 

This is a masterclass in so many topics related to effective advertising, like writing copy. When I go through my copy of this book, every page has highlighted text on it. It’s dripping with value. 

A word of warning: it’s not a book you go through and read 20 pages at a time. You’ll find it better to read one page, let the concepts marinate in your head, and then go to another page the next day. 

3. No B.S. Wealth Attraction

Man reading an ebook on a tablet at home

The author of this book, Dan Kennedy, is someone I consider a mentor. He’s a legend in terms of not just marketing and advertising but also mindset and money. 

This is my favorite book of his many great ones. It will help you shift your “lack of abundance” mindset when it comes to wealth and money. Kennedy’s words show that creating wealth is about much more than action, though that’s a huge part of it. It also greatly depends on how you think about money and your ability to create wealth. 

Kennedy also offers a six-hour video crash course on YouTube. I highly recommend checking that out, as well. 

4. The 48 Laws of Power

Screen grab of Peter Pru discussing the 48 Laws of Power

Robert Greene, the book’s author, has some other phenomenal work about social dynamics. This is a tough book to get through, as each chapter contains a different lesson packed with dense details. It contains stories from throughout history meant to demonstrate Greene’s specific point in each chapter and is dry at times. 

So how can you make it through this book, which can sometimes feel like a history or social studies textbook from high school? 

My recommendation is to get the audiobook to follow along with the book as you’re reading it. It teaches a lot of valuable best practices in how to succeed in today’s world. 

Plus, listening to the audiobook helps the stories resonate more as you experience them in another format. The lessons are well worth experiencing, so do whatever you can to get your hands on and read this book. (If you love audiobooks, that’s a great way to get through any of these five books that made me a millionaire.)

5. The 12 Month Millionaire

This one is a big book that is also controversial. Written by Vincent James, it has valuable lessons on every page. 

Why is it controversial? It’s because the author went to jail. But that doesn’t mean you should discount his experience and knowledge. In this book, he documented exactly how he made $100 million. He outlines the steps he took to build wealth quickly. 

I’d say those are lessons worth learning, no? 

It’s hard to get your hands on a copy of this one. You may have to find a PDF copy on eBay. There’s a good reason why it’s so in demand, though. It provides you with a blueprint for how to make $100 million.

That’s not to say it will be easy for you after reading this, but it at least gives you the informational infrastructure you can use to succeed.

I can’t recommend these five books that made me a millionaire highly enough. Reading them in and of itself won’t make you wealthy — you still need to take action. But they’ll give you plenty of useful life lessons and best practices you can then leverage into creating your own empire.  

If you’re looking for more valuable insight into how to make money online, subscribe to my YouTube channel for more tips. Also, sign up for this exclusive free webinar on the simple eCommerce funnel I used to create a full-time income online. 

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What You Need to Know About Unprofitable Facebook Ads and Dropshipping

by Peter PruFacebook Ads For DropshippingLeave a Comment on What You Need to Know About Unprofitable Facebook Ads and Dropshipping

Many businesses rely on unprofitable Facebook ads to create their dropshipping business. However, this strategy doesn’t work. Facebook’s entire business is predicated on you buying ads from them. They will never give you the tools to be so successful you won’t need them anymore. They’d be damaging their own business, and they aren’t going to put you ahead of themselves. 

You need to find a way to use unprofitable Facebook ads properly, and that means seeing them as a tool to create free traffic rather than relying on them to make a profit. This guide will give you a peek behind the scenes of Facebook and explain how the algorithm can keep you reliant on their ads instead of giving you the ability to break free and become successful.

Why You Can’t Use Unprofitable Facebook Ads to Make Money

Screen grab of Peter Pru discussing how Facebook is a business

Facebook is a business itself, and the money it makes comes from your ads. It’s challenging to balance the amount you are paying for your ads on Facebook and the profit they produce. If you are actually successful and make a fortune on your Facebook ads, you’ll be able to afford more effective ad spaces, and you’ll stop using Facebook. It isn’t in Facebook’s best interest to allow you to make the kind of profit where you will be as successful as you desire.

Facebook’s algorithm doesn’t try to make you successful. Instead, it keeps you reliant on their ad space for customers. Facebook ads should therefore not be used to make money but to gather data to monetize your information.

The Key to Your Success Is Free Traffic

As long as you are paying other businesses to funnel people to your site, you are not making the kind of profit that you need. The key to creating your own business is to use the algorithms that other businesses use to your advantage. 

For example, gather data on your customers (just like social media sites do), so you don’t have to pay for ads on these sites. Instead, you can use the data directly and gain free traffic to your site. Any site that you buy ad space on needs to find a healthy balance between your success and their success. You will never come out on top in this balancing act.

Paid Advertising Can’t Be Your Only Way to Earn Money

Facebook optimizes its ads to meet whatever your cart value is, so you never quite get ahead of the algorithm. So, for example, if your average cart value is 20 dollars, Facebook will try to funnel you $20 customers. Still, as your business grows, instead of funneling you more customers, Facebook will optimize the ads so what your customer spends matches your new cart value.

With advertising as your main expense, you need Facebook to be sending you customers who have varying levels of spending — but they don’t. They’ll always match the type of customer they send you to your average cart value. They want to keep you dependent on their ads. That’s how they make money. They always try to balance your cart value with your average cost per purchase to keep you dependent on their ads.

Your Net Profit Will Not Increase by Spending More Money on Unprofitable Facebook Ads

Peter Pru discussing how Facebook ads can scale unprofitably

Facebook won’t help you get ahead to the point where you don’t need their platform anymore. They are going to continue to optimize your ads so as you make more money, you are also paying more per customer. They make their money off you purchasing their ads, and they will not prioritize you over themselves. It can feel like they’re keeping you on a treadmill.

As the customers you funnel into your business grow in value, the more you pay to attract those customers. It never ends. The more money you make, the more profitable businesses you will be facing when you bid for Facebook ads. Facebook ensures that everything scales in their favor so that you never make the profit you need to break out of your dependence on their platform.

The Secret Is to Do Your Own Optimization and Gather Your Own Data

If you are going to make real money on your dropshipping business, you need to get off this treadmill and make yourself some real money. You need to be able to control how much you spend on ads. Also, you need to decide how to use the information you get to make the ads work for you. The purpose of the ads will not be to make you money. The purpose of the ads is to gather valuable data instead. Then you can use it to funnel the type of customers you want to your site.

You want to be off of the Facebook treadmill as soon as you can. You might still use Facebook ads, but you won’t be using those ads as the entire marketing foundation for your dropshipping business. Instead, you’ll be using those ads to gather your own data and create your own audiences. It’s the only way you’ll ever get off the treadmill and make a decent profit.

How Ecommerce Empire Builders Can Help

Dropshipper using data from unprofitable Facebook ads to analyze traffic

Don’t use unprofitable Facebook ads as your only tool in starting your dropshipping business. Don’t set yourself up to fail! Use them to funnel sales to your website, but don’t rely on them for success. I have started businesses before, and I can help you start yours. Our team of eCommerce experts builds eCommerce websites with the right processes to streamline your conversions, traffic, and revenue.

We will teach you how to build your eCommerce empire by signing up for our training program taught by experts. When you have your own business and the insights to run it, you won’t constantly be stuck on a never-ending treadmill where your cart value always equals your cost per customer. If you want to know how to start and market your own business, click here to reserve a seat at our webinar. You can also subscribe to my YouTube channel for more insights and ad strategies.

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Triple Your Profits With These Simple eCommerce Hacks

by Peter PruSystems & ProcessesLeave a Comment on Triple Your Profits With These Simple eCommerce Hacks

Welcome back, Empire Builders! If you have a Shopify or sales funnel dropshipping store, but you’re struggling to make it profitable, then you’re in luck. That’s the topic we’ll be covering today. I asked my Lead Client Success Manager, Steve, to share some insights with you guys, and he was kind enough to agree to share these simple eCommerce hacks.

He made a video taking you behind the scenes, not only to show you why so many businesses are struggling to make a profit but, more importantly, how you can overcome these issues. This article will cover some highlights of his presentation, but make sure to watch the video to get the full scoop. Let’s jump right in!

The 3 Keys to Increased Profitability

It’s important to evaluate your core business practices to make your dropshipping business more profitable. To do this, there are three key points we’re going to cover:

  1. Understanding Your Gross Margin
  2. Knowing Your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
  3. Funnel and Ad Optimization

Let’s dig into each of them individually and talk about simple eCommerce hacks to become more profitable.

1. Understanding Your Gross Margin

Dropshipper analyzing spreadsheets to find his gross profit margins

Basically, your gross margin is just the revenue from your total sales minus your cost of goods sold (COGS). For example, if you make $30 selling a product that costs you $7.50, your gross margin would be $22.50. From that, you can calculate your gross margin percentage.

Your gross margin percentage describes the percentage of your revenue that’s made up only of profit. To calculate that, you just divide your gross margin, $22.50, by the sales revenue, $30, which gives you 0.75 or 75%. The higher your gross margin is, the more profit you’re making. Higher profits make your business more competitive.

It’s important not to mix up your gross margin and your net margin. Remember, your gross margin is just revenue minus cost. It doesn’t account for other business expenses like payroll or ads. Those things would factor into your net margin, which we won’t be covering today.

2. Knowing Your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Key performance indicators (KPIs) are important metrics for understanding how your business is doing. One of the most vital eCommerce KPIs is how much you can afford to pay to acquire a customer, like the amount you could afford to spend on Facebook ads to get a sale, for example.

The reason this is so important is that whoever can afford to spend more on customer acquisition will win more auctions, get more views, and ultimately, make more sales. So, the more you can afford to raise your customer acquisition cost, the faster you can scale your business.

To calculate this, subtract your average COGS from your average order value (AOV). This will be a pretty accurate measure of the upfront ad costs you can afford to acquire a customer. Your AOV only includes the average value of initial orders, not including subscriptions or other subsequent purchases. Further down the line as your business grows, you’ll calculate your customer lifetime value (LTV) which will include those things.

3. Funnel and Ad Optimization

Screen grab of Steve discussing ways to assess ad creative

Optimizing your ads is also a critical factor if you’re going to make your dropshipping business more profitable. To do this, you’ll want to start by testing the creative of your Facebook ads. There are different types of creative, including things like showing products in use, user-generated content, and product reviews.

The next important thing to test is the first three seconds of the ad. If you don’t hook the customer in those first few seconds, they’ll likely just keep scrolling. That’s how long you have to get their attention to have any chance at a sale. Keep testing until you find a hook that works.

After that, test out your images or thumbnails. How well the images work will depend on the product and the audience. Some products can do really well with just static images. Other product ads will need a video to really work, though, so test different images, videos, and thumbnails to find out.

The following thing you should optimize is your sales angle. How you style your offer is important and will change how effective the ad is. Common tactics include discounts, BOGO sales, and free shipping. Test them all thoroughly to make sure you’re getting the best results.

Finally, test the audiences for the ads. I recommend testing 20-30. Once your ads are optimized, you’ll also want to optimize your funnel. There are two main things to test here. First, test your hero image. I prefer a lifestyle image of the product in use. Then, test out different headline types.  

Get Started Incorporating These Simple eCommerce Hacks

Screen grab of Steve discussing funnel optimization

Assessing these things is important because you have to stay on top of how the business is doing. When dropshipping businesses don’t know their gross margin or the customer acquisition cost they can afford, there’s no way to know if they’re making money or spending the right amount. Some businesses don’t check these consistently and suddenly realize they’re losing a lot of money. If you can keep up with them, it’s a very profitable habit.

Once you know what you can afford to spend on ads, you have to optimize them. There’s no use spending money on ads that don’t work. The same goes for your funnel. If you’re creating effective ads that get clicks, the money is still wasted if they leave as soon as they hit your funnel landing page. But if you keep on top of these profitability keys and ensure everything’s working together, you’ll get the most out of your business and start increasing profits.  

If you follow Steve’s simple eCommerce hacks, it should really help you make your business more profitable. I hope you enjoyed this article and get a lot out of it. If you’d like to take the next step down the road to making your business a success, check out my FREE webinar to learn about how I started making a full-time income online without needing to build a website or touch a product! Also, subscribe to my YouTube channel for even more simple eCommerce hacks and insights.

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3 Easy PLR Websites That Make Money For You — Fast

by Peter PruDigital & Information ProductsLeave a Comment on 3 Easy PLR Websites That Make Money For You — Fast

There’s an old saying that goes, “Time is money.” It’s absolutely true. When you’re running a business, time is your most precious commodity. Preserving it frees you up to focus your energy elsewhere. Being able to make money is great, but being able to make it quickly is even better and will help you stand out from the pack. In this article, we’ll discuss how to create digital products quickly — and three PLR websites that can help you make them.

If you’re looking to create content to either sell or help you establish authority in your field, you may see it as a time-consuming challenge. You understand the need to develop this content, but you may not have the time or knowledge to dedicate to it. 

There’s a solution for this: purchasing the private label rights of prewritten ebooks for you to resell or redistribute online. 

What’s the benefit of doing this? You can help connect your audience with valuable, actionable content without having to dedicate time and resources to produce that content. You’ll be able to sell the material, helping your audience members while also making money. You’ll establish authority with your audience, becoming a reliable source of information while saving time you can dedicate to other pursuits. 

Let’s take a closer look at my three favorite PLR websites that I use to purchase prewritten ebooks so I can then sell them for a profit. I’m not affiliated with these — I’ve simply spent money on these sites before, and I know they’re legit. 

What Is PLR? 

First, let’s look at the definition of private label rights (PLR). These are products created by someone else that you can purchase the rights to. On PLR websites, you can purchase a batch of articles with different word counts for a nominal fee and then have the private label rights to publish or use that content in any way you see fit. 

You own the material once you pay for it. 

Once you have it, you can post the articles to your blog or website. You can give them away for free. It’s up to you. Once you spend the money, it’s your call as to how you use the resources. 

It’s not illegal, and you’re not infringing on anyone’s rights. As long as you buy the rights to the products, you can do whatever you want with them. That includes selling them as-is or making modifications to meet your audience’s needs better. 

You can:

  • Use it as an upsell on an existing purchase.
  • Give it away as a way to build your email list. 
  • Insert your name or business as the author. 

There’s no shortage of options when it comes to PLR. So, with that in mind, here are three vetted PLR websites that can help you make money fast. 

The PLR Store 

Peter Pru discussing The PLR Store

The PLR Store is one of my favorite go-to spots for PLR content. Whatever your niche might be, there’s likely content here for you to use. It has a simple interface and is fairly easy to navigate, enabling you to find content on your chosen subject area. 

(Quick aside: many PLRs come as “Plain Jane” documents. This provides you with an opportunity to spruce them up a bit, formatting them or adding book covers. This will make it more appealing to your customers. You don’t want to send your customers a boring text document. You want to give them something visually captivating that they’ll enjoy reading.) 

BuyQualityPLR.com

Screen grab of Peter Pru showing the different PLR media types available

BuyQualityPLR isn’t bad, even though the website looks… Well, there’s no other way to say it. It looks terrible. It uses a clunky, old-school WordPress theme. But despite the lack of a compelling design, this site is well-organized. 

The site presents you with a variety of niches to choose from, making it easy to locate the subject or topic you’re most interested in. 

Once you choose a topic, you’ll then get to see all the PLR content available within that subject area. What’s cool about this is that many ebooks come with add-ons like video training and tutorials. The drawback is that these are a little more expensive. But that means if you edit it correctly, you can charge more for it. 

You’re spending a little more than you would with a simple ebook, but that increases the value you offer your potential customer. That means they’re going to be willing to pay more and will be more impressed with what you’re offering. 

Look at an example of an ebook that costs $37 with video training included. You can spend a little time editing the ebook and packaging the two as a comprehensive package. After you’ve made your initial $37 investment back, everything else you make off of it is pure profit. 

Alternatively, you can add the content as an upsell to an existing offer. These things will help the profitability of your business. You buy them once; you don’t have to pay for them every single time. 

Many of the ebooks are nicely edited when you receive them, or they come with really well-made videos. In these cases, you won’t have to do much work on the front end. You’ll get the material ready to sell, which makes the venture even more profitable for you. 

PLRProducts.com 

Customer reading an ebook selected from a PLR website

PLR Products is a massive PLR site with a ton of different content. This one is nice because it has the usual PLR products on topics like marketing, but it includes other topics such as pets or home and garden. 

Many people may not think they don’t have space for information products in their niche. The truth is, you’re likely just not looking hard enough. With sites like PLR Products, you can research content you can appropriate for your website or online marketing presence. 

Think of PLR products as a tool to help you make money fast. You can literally get started in under 25 minutes. 

Rather than dedicating precious hours to developing valuable content for your audience, delegate the task by purchasing prewritten material from these PLR websites. Fuel your content stream quickly with inexpensive, usable ebooks you can then deploy in a plethora of ways that increase your profits. 

If you’re looking for more valuable insight into how to make money online, subscribe to my YouTube channel for more tips. Also, sign up for our exclusive free webinar on the simple eCommerce funnel I used to create a full-time income online. 

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Why Your Shopify Dropshipping Store Isn’t Making Sales

by Peter PruProduct ResearchLeave a Comment on Why Your Shopify Dropshipping Store Isn’t Making Sales

If you find that you’re not making the kinds of sales you want to with a new or existing Shopify dropshipping store, one of the most common reasons why your Shopify dropshipping store isn’t making sales is because you chose the wrong product to sell. To boost your sales and get better results from your store, there are certain criteria to consider as you optimize it. 

Struggling With Selecting the Right Product for Your Store

Many dropshippers make the mistake of either selling the wrong product or failing to effectively market their products, which means their dropshipping store isn’t making sales. If you’re not generating the number of sales you want to experience based on your goals, there are some steps you can take and examples to follow that will help you get through your current slump. It can be discouraging to enter dropshipping, only to find that your products aren’t moving. Still, there are ways to identify the issue and make the necessary changes to your strategy.

The three main criteria to consider when your dropshipping store isn’t making sales with your current products are:

  1. How does your product save time? 
  2. How does your product save money?
  3. Does your product have a “just gotta have it” appeal?

You need to meet at least two of these criteria for your product to have a chance to succeed. People want products that provide clear benefits. Alternatively, they want to be impressed with a certain “wow” factor that differentiates your product from the rest. Subsequently, if you can save your customers time or money or leave them in awe, you’ll be able to move your product. Of course, you’ll fare even better if you can meet all three criteria. So start researching products that check all those boxes.

To give you a better idea of which products are worth selling through your dropshipping store, including platforms like Shopify, we’ll go over some live examples of winning products.

Example #1: Glow-in-the-Dark Self-Adhesive Tape

Screen grab of Peter Pru discussing how glow-in-the-dark tape can be a great product

One product we found that appeared to be doing well and met at least one of the criteria we’re looking for is a brand of glow-in-the-dark tape. Homeowners can use this to decorate their homes. They can also make certain rooms stand out, or they can create pathways and improve safety in other ways. 

When thinking about the type of audience this product would appeal to, one niche that came to mind was gamers. Many gamers want to decorate rooms with different LED lights and other decor that would mesh well with this glow-in-the-dark tape.

This product may not appear on the surface to save customers time or money. However, it absolutely features that “just gotta have it” element that’s likely to drive people to buy it, largely on impulse. Additionally, there are ways to position this product in such a way as to convince customers that it will save them time or money.

For instance, this tape’s low cost could make it a far more cost-effective replacement for more expensive LED lighting fixtures. Those often cost up to thousands of dollars just to test and install. It’s also incredibly easy to install compared to conventional LED lighting systems, which saves them time. Combined with the third criterion of the “wow” factor discussed, these benefits are likely to drive far more sales with this product.

Example #2: Plastic Clothes Folder

This unique product caught our eye due to its effectiveness at showing precisely how it saves customers time. This is a plastic clothes folder that makes it easier for children and adults alike to instantly fold their clothes. The AliExpress page for this product even shows the basic steps for using this product to fold a T-shirt in no time.

The most obvious advantage of using this product is that it saves time. Customers don’t need to spend any time carefully folding their shirts. They simply place them in the open clothes folder and follow the basic folding pattern. The product also features that “just gotta have it” component that’s likely to attract a lot of potential buyers. 

It may not be easy to show how this product saves money. But the two aforementioned criteria make this one a likely success for dropshippers.

Example #3: Golf Glove Holder

Screen grab of Peter Pru assessing the viability of a product

Many golfers experience the issue of their gloves getting increasingly wrinkled and crusty over time. This golf glove holder advertises that it solves this issue.

Ultimately, the main criterion this product meets is the ability to save more money. These holders can preserve golf gloves for longer and ensure that golfers get more use out of them. In addition, this product has that “just gotta have it” appeal for golfers. This is particularly strong for those who play very frequently and might otherwise more quickly wear out their gloves. 

What makes this product especially appealing is the fact that it’s not commonly found. The perceived rarity of this product can lend to that “wow” factor that differentiates it from other more common golf products. Golfers who invest in this product are therefore more likely to feel like they’re part of an exclusive group. After all, it may not be as easy to find at their pro shop or other stores.

By saving money and impressing audiences, this is another product that meets two of the three criteria that contribute to a successful product.

Choose and Market a Product That Meets These Crucial Criteria

Online entrepreneur finding products to sell online

If your dropshipping store isn’t making sales, don’t just give up. Based on these example products, you can do some of your own research to find products that are similarly successful. Just be sure you’re meeting two out of the three critical requirements. If your product can save time and money or save one or the other while giving off that desired “wow” factor, that’s great. You can be on your way to increasing sales with your dropshipping store. With hard work, you can turn it around when your dropshipping store isn’t making sales.

Are you interested in learning more industry tips and tricks to succeed with dropshipping? There are many ways to build a winning online business with the help of sales funnels and other strategies. To learn more about how to succeed in your specific niche or even find a niche if you’re not currently in one, reserve your seat at our free eCommerce masterclass. You can also subscribe to my YouTube channel for more insights and tips.

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How to Make $15,000 in 30 Days Selling Digital Products

by Peter PruDigital & Information ProductsLeave a Comment on How to Make $15,000 in 30 Days Selling Digital Products

Millions of people toil away every day in an office bathed in fluorescent lights listening to the droning directives of a boss. They do so because they feel that they need to earn a paycheck to sustain their way of living. But they wrongly believe that the only way to do so is to work in a traditional clock-punching kind of job. I am here to tell you that is not the case. Anyone can make far more money than they ever have each month by selling digital products that make a difference in people’s lives. 

Look for a Market That Appeals to Your Interests

In order to sell anything, it is necessary to have a willing and eager market to sell to. If the demand is not there, then the sales will never materialize. So the first step that anyone looking to sell digital products needs to take is to find their niche market. Discovering your niche is actually less about looking outwardly into the public marketplace and more about looking inward. What are your interests and hobbies? How might you use those interests and hobbies to sell to a broad cohort of people? 

Entrepreneur.com explains that finding your own passions is a necessity for strong sales because you are most likely to stay motivated when the product you are selling is something you are genuinely interested in yourself: 

This doesn’t mean that you need to find a perfect fit. If you are passionate about some aspect of running the business, you will stick with it. If you don’t care about the topic, you may not be able to find the drive within to persevere.

It is easy to think that you won’t lose the fire in your belly for starting up a business right now. But you really will if you don’t take the time to work on something that is truthfully a passion of yours. 

Explore What People Are Already Buying in Your Preferred Niches

Screen grab of Peter Pru discussing how to find a niche for selling digital products

We have countless tools at our disposal to see what kind of products the public is purchasing. Still, it is not necessary to get too creative to find what we are looking for. Simple searches on popular eCommerce websites like Amazon are all that is necessary to get a peek into what people are purchasing in any niche category. Just search that niche and see what kind of products are the top sellers for that category. 

This type of research is useful because it gives you true insights into the level of demand in any given category. It is meant as a guide for understanding what types of products you may be able to sell. It is not meant as a shortcut to copy the products that already exist. Doing so will cut away at your credibility. It can even cause you legal issues in the most extreme of circumstances. 

Enjoy Low to No Overhead With Digital Products 

Screen grab of Peter Pru discussing how to find existing PLR content

A major advantage to selling digital products is the cost. There are little to no overhead costs associated with selling digital products. The capital invested in digital products all comes from the labor that one puts in to create the digital product in the first place or purchase PLR resources. The time, skill, and effort that one puts into creating a digital product is the only major cost associated with their product. Let’s look at an eBook or online course as an example of how to bring this creation into reality: 

Time

You generally have to sink some amount of time into creating something brand new from scratch. The exact amount of time involved depends on the complexity of the digital product. More complex or lengthy digital products likely provide greater value than simple or short ones. So more complex products can likely demand a higher purchase price. 

Expertise/Knowledge

No consumer wants to purchase a product about how to get physically fit from someone who is not physically fit themselves. That product would lack authenticity and real value to the consumer and would not sell well. Therefore, it is imperative that all digital content creators make products that they have a special set of knowledge or experience about in order to make those products as highly valuable to their customers as possible. 

Marketing

Selling a digital product may necessitate some marketing to get the word out about the existence of your product, particularly in the beginning. It might be necessary to spend a little money advertising across various platforms to let people know that you have something worth taking a look at.

These are the three primary expenses that one might run into when creating and selling digital products. As you can see, there is little money involved (aside from the marketing expenses), but there are plenty of other costs that must be managed to create something truly great. That said, once the finished product is ready for market, the sales that it generates are as close to pure profit as you will ever see.  

Branching Your Digital Sales Into Physical Products or Affiliate Sales 

New online business owner selling digital products at home

Digital sales are a great place to start as they do require so little startup capital. That is very appealing to people just starting out because you don’t need a lot of money to start. That said, it is important not to box yourself in too tightly. Don’t think that you can only do digital sales going forward. In reality, digital sales should be a bridge to other streams of revenue in the future. You will very likely find yourself interested in making physical sales of products within the same industry. The opportunities are nearly limitless once you begin. 

Affiliate sales are another stream of revenue that online entrepreneurs can add to their toolbox. Those who create a popular website, eBook, online course, or other online product may decide to sell affiliate ad space to other companies. You can do this to grow your revenue even more. It helps to add yet another source of revenue and layer of security to your income. 

Now is the time to change the course of your financial future by selling digital products. You can bring in more money in a month than you do in several months right now. The sooner you start, the sooner you can realize your full potential. Reserve your seat at this sales funnel webinar to start selling your products and building your business. You can also subscribe to my YouTube channel for more insights and tips about selling digital products.

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How to Set Up YouTube Ads for Your Dropshipping Business

by Peter PruSystems & ProcessesLeave a Comment on How to Set Up YouTube Ads for Your Dropshipping Business

If you’re thinking of launching a dropshipping business, congratulations! It’s a venture with a great opportunity to be profitable with minimal time investment. There’s a catch, though: you’re only successful as your ability to create awareness of your product. It’s critical to promote yourself to make your buyers aware of what you’re selling. One of the best ways to do this is knowing how to set up YouTube ads. 

If you’ve never set up ads using Google or YouTube before, it may seem like an intimidating process. Luckily, we’ve done it plenty of times, and we’ve created a quick guide to help you get started. There are some basic best practices you can follow to easily set up your account. This step-by-step guide will show you how to use YouTube ads to launch your dropshipping store.

Of course, if you’re interested in our team having us manage your ads, check out our “done for you” ad services. Let’s start with the basics of how to set up YouTube ads.  

Step 1: Create Your Google Ads Account 

Google owns YouTube, so you’ll need to go through ads.google.com to set up a Google Ads account. 

Google Ads does a good job of walking you through this process on the site. If you follow their basic steps, giving them the information they require, it should only take you a few minutes. 

You’ll need three things upfront: 

  • A Google AdWords account
  • A YouTube channel
  • A YouTube analytics account

These will give you a place to put your ads, as well as a way to measure the success of those ads. From there, you can upload the video to your YouTube channel. 

If you go to your Google Ads account, go to Tools > Linked accounts, where you can link your YouTube Channel to AdWords and Analytics. 

Step 2: Set Up Conversion Tracking for Your Website 

Screen grab of how to manage YouTube ads

If you’ve ever run Facebook ads, setting up conversion tracking via Google or YouTube is similar to using Facebook Pixel. 

Why do you want conversion enabled? So Google and YouTube can gather information on your customers and their activity while watching your ads. 

When you know what ads work (and which ones don’t), you’ll know what part of your approach is leading your prospects to convert into customers. 

You can go to Tools and Settings > Measurements > Conversions. Google will walk you through how to monitor your conversions, providing the steps for you. 

Step 3: Create Your Campaign 

If you’re running Facebook ads already, you’ll likely already understand what goes into a campaign. YouTube ads differ slightly, but they have the same objective: sales. 

Here’s what you need at this stage of how to set up YouTube ads: 

  • Skippable in-stream ads.
  • Your budget. At this stage, you’ll select what budget you’re starting out with. We typically start with anywhere from $30-$50 per day, but it depends on your business’s resources and goals.
  • You’ll also want to set your bid strategy to “maximize conversions.” 

Choose the location where you want your ads to play. You can play it domestically, internationally, or a combination of the two. You should have a good idea of what areas you’re looking to target with these ads, which is why this function YouTube offers is invaluable. 

Once you’ve selected your location and budget, you’ll have to confirm all your selections. To conclude this step, you’ll enter your website destination link where you want to send potential buyers, including a description with the URL. This will make sure all of your potential customers are pointed in the right digital direction. 

Step 4: Targeting Options

Here, you’ll choose different ad groups to run within one campaign. You’ll want to create three distinctive ad groups. In this order, focus on targeting specific:

  • Keywords
  • Topics
  • Interests

For keywords, Google will generate a set of keywords when you enter the website name. They’ll make suggestions that may be the best ones to use, leading to the most conversions. Google is really good at this, so you’d be well-advised to listen to and use their recommendations.

For topics, you’ll have to make estimated guesses, selecting topics you think will likely lead to sales. You can target specific niches. For example, if you sell skincare products, you’d choose the “beauty or fitness” topic group. 

For interests, target audiences with interests and hobbies that best align with your product.

Step 5: Analytics and Scaling

Online business owner editing and setting up YouTube ads

Finally, the fifth step deals with using analytics to monitor your ad’s progress. Use your analytics dashboard to determine which ads are working the best. 

Remember those ad groups you set up? Look out for the ones giving you the best results. What approach did you use in successful ads? What about the unsuccessful ones?

Whatever your analytics reveal is working for you, scale those ads up to do more of that while cutting back on the strategies that aren’t converting.  

Other Important Tips for How to Set Up YouTube Ads

Additional tips for creating successful YouTube ad videos

Following those five steps are how you can set up your dropshipping business’s YouTube ads. But there are a few other important pointers you’ll want to consider when creating your ad. 

The most important part of your YouTube ad is the first 10 seconds. Your whole video will need to offer value and information, but the opening should grab the buyer’s attention and compel them to keep watching.

If the first 10 seconds don’t move the needle, your ad is in trouble. The worst thing you can do is get the viewer off to a dull start, losing their attention. 

Also, don’t use capitalization, exclamation points, or repeated symbols in your ad headline. YouTube doesn’t allow these in ads, so don’t do it. 

As far as video length goes: the minimum recommended length is 12 seconds, while the maximum is 3 minutes. The length of your video will depend on what you’re looking to achieve and how fast you can move the reader from research to conversion. 

Our last recommendation for how to set up YouTube ads successfully is test, test, test. Always evaluate your ads and how well they’re doing with your analytics dashboard. Shamelessly continue pursuing the strategies that work while ruthlessly cutting out the ones that don’t. 

If you’re looking for someone to handle all of this for you, we offer “done for you” ad management services. We’re experts at managing YouTube ads and can help you. If you’re looking for more valuable insight into how to make money online, subscribe to my YouTube channel for more tips or sign up for my free webinar today.

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Running a Full-Time eCommerce Business | What Should You Expect?

by Peter PruSystems & ProcessesLeave a Comment on Running a Full-Time eCommerce Business | What Should You Expect?

Flexible hours, fancy cars, a lovely mansion, a nice watch, and traveling around the world — check. These are some of the things that attract most people, and possibly you, to starting an eCommerce or dropshipping business. But is it really the daily life you can expect once you have a full-time eCommerce business?

Sorry, but the short answer is no. 

Not what you expected, right? 

I know you’ve seen videos online and heard about eCommerce store owners making passive income and living the life. They go on vacations all over the world and own fancy sports cars. But before you brand me as a dream killer, let’s get some things straight first.  

First, a successful eCommerce empire can afford you such luxuries and possibly more. Secondly, whereas running such a business is not your typical 9-5 job, it also requires a lot of work. So, if you think starting an eCommerce business is your ticket to easy riches, think again.

Lastly, full-time eCommerce business owners don’t spend all day every day cruising on yachts or relaxing at a beach waiting for cash to trickle in. 

So, what’s it like in the day of a full-time eCommerce business owner? In this article, I’ll give you an overview of what my day is like as I ensure my business empire continues growing to provide you with a rough idea of what to expect. 

An Early Start

To ensure that my workload is easily manageable throughout the day, I like waking up early in the morning. Immediately after getting out of bed, I take a refreshing glass of cold water. 

In addition to increasing alertness and fueling your brain, drinking water the first thing you wake up has several benefits. So, I strongly recommend that you make it part of your daily routine.  

I Check My Slack Messages

Screen grab of Peter Pru discussing his general workday

Running a full-time eCommerce business requires using several different tools and systems to streamline processes and enhance coordination. One such tool I use is Slack. It comes in handy when communicating with colleagues and clients. 

The last thing you want as an eCommerce store owner is bottlenecks or other challenges derailing the process. So, before attending to anything else, I take about 15 minutes to read and respond to my Slack messages. This ensures that all urgent matters are addressed before the workday officially begins. 

Get in Some Exercise for the Body and Mind 

As with most other things in life, it is difficult to run and scale your online business empire if you do not take care of yourself properly. Good health and a mind ready to take on challenges are invaluable assets.

This is why I spend one hour working out in the morning as I listen to an audiobook. For me, the audiobooks that I prefer are autobiographies. Then, after the workout session, I take a cold shower, making me even more alert and ready for work.

I Get to My Desk by Eight AM

Online business owner arranging client calls and meetings

Officially, my day begins at 8 AM. This is when I get to my desk and begin tackling the day-to-day activities of my online business. 

Some of these activities include:

Meetings 

Over the last five years, Ecommerce Empire Builders has been fortunate enough to grow from an unknown brand to a relatively popular one. During this period, our team has grown to over 30 people, and we always have plenty of clients at any given time. 

To ensure everything is going as planned, a significant portion of my day is spent meeting colleagues and clients. 

Client Work

The eCommerce journey has plenty of stops in between. If you are new to it, it may be intimidating to begin. This is why we assist people such as yourself in starting and running successful online empires. 

Depending on clients’ needs, budgets and availability, we offer different levels of support through services such as:

  • Business in a Box: This is for individuals who have the budget to start a full-time eCommerce business but not the time. Our team will handle all the tasks so that you do not have to worry.
  • Advertising Management: We help you reach your target audience by reaching them when they’re ready to make a purchase.

Some of our other services also include Facebook image creation, email sequences, and market research. As such, I also spend time handling such activities for my clients. 

Research

As you prepare to venture into eCommerce, you should know that it’s anything but static. At any given time, there are developments taking place. These can range from products in high demand to effective marketing strategies.

Therefore, I spend a lot of time each week monitoring the trends and doing product research. This helps me and adjust my approach accordingly and ensure the support I offer clients is beneficial. 

I’d love to tell you that it only takes a couple of hours for me to get everything done, and the rest of the day is for me to use as I please, but that’s not the case. 

Usually, my day ends at 6 in the evening. Of course, I’ll have some 10–30-minute breaks now and then to rejuvenate. During these breaks, I love taking walks with my wife and daughter. 

Discipline Is Key

Screen grab of Peter Pru discussing discipline as part of running a full-time eCommerce business

At this point, you now have a clear picture of what it takes to be a full-time eCommerce business owner. While it can be very rewarding, I strongly believe it’s not for everyone. 

This is because there’s not only a ton of work involved, but you will also have teams and clients counting on you. Depending on the scale and nature of your business, this comes with a lot of pressure. 

So, if you are not ready to take on such responsibilities, you’re better off not running an eCommerce business full-time. However, this is not to say you shouldn’t start one. As with most people, taking it as a side hustle is also an option.

Now that you know a day in the life of a full-time eCommerce owner is like, it’s time to start building your empire. At Ecommerce Empire Builders, we’re here to help you. Sign up for my free webinar, where I’ll take you through the steps I took to create a full-time income online. Also, subscribe to my YouTube channel for insights and business tips.

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Top Tips for Making Money Online: Start Growing Your Online Business Today

by Peter PruSystems & ProcessesLeave a Comment on Top Tips for Making Money Online: Start Growing Your Online Business Today

eCommerce, affiliate marketing, dropshipping, selling digital products, and courses rank high among the ways of making money online. The list is endless with diverse options that you could consider. These fantastic opportunities allow you to take control of your finances. Whether you are currently holding a full-time position and are looking for a few extra bucks or have ambitions of becoming a full-time entrepreneur, there are numerous ways to achieve this goal. Follow these tips for making money online and navigating the online business world.

Leveraging Online Business

You need to know that most of these options work. They can earn you some good money from the start. However, you have to choose an option that will work best for you. Mostly, the choice of online business depends on your situation. You’ll first need to figure out your target market and your preferences. This initial step helps you settle your mind on your preferred niche. 

Once you settle on your preferred online business, work on getting multiple income streams to your business. How do you achieve this? It often comes down to selecting the right target market. Use these three criteria when choosing your best market:

1. Ensure That Your Market Is Evergreen

Never sell to a niche that won’t exist after a short time. These target markets can impair your business growth in the long run. Nobody wants to enjoy a few fruitful weeks or months then get into a slump because of the loss of clients. 

2. Avoid Groups That Have a Lot of Brand Loyalty

If 90% of your target buys from one or two specific brands, then you might have difficulty growing your presence. Opt for a niche that is more interested in the product than the brand that sells the product. You could also work on your marketing strategy to gain a consistent following as you start making money online.

3. Opt for a Group That Appreciates Both Physical and Digital Products

Diversified products ensure that you have multiple sources of income. Setting up your business with numerous products places you in an excellent spot and increases your chances of success. 

Finding the Perfect Niche

Peter Pru discussing the different types of products that can be sold online

Think about your current niche. Do they have a lot of digital products? Are people consuming lots of information from influencers? Are the influencers using ebooks and physical products to get to the target market? When you find a diversified niche, you can cash in on digital products, physical products, and affiliate marketing opportunities. 

With the perfect niche, you can leverage multiple sources of income as your business grows. It is essential to take advantage of numerous business models to sustain your business’s progress. However, your growth won’t be sustainable if you try to do everything at once. Build and compound the different income streams progressively. 

Grow Your Business Sustainably

Focus on a single product at a time to make the most of your business strategy and start making money online. Work on growing your business model before you decide to diversify your products. During your growth cycle, keep doing market research to learn more about your target market’s preferences. Such information will guide your adoption of other income streams. 

Once you start diversifying your products, quit running your business with a one-track mind. At this point, you’ll need to spread out your energy across multiple income streams and remain open to your market’s changes. Set up your business in a way that offers various products and monetizes what you have as best as you can.

How Can You Invest Your Resources?

Dropshipper researching investments and cryptocurrency

Many people miss the boat on what to do with what they make online. Going from business owner to investor should drive how you approach your business. Very few business owners think critically about this huge transition. 

As a business owner, remember that you’re still working, regardless of how well your business is doing. The chances are that if you don’t show up, your business may not grow. Investments can prove to be a game-changer for many business owners.

Putting money from your business into different investments allows you to grow your profit margins exponentially. Work on keeping all your profits saved or invested away to ensure that it works for you and helps you develop an empire. The best investments will help you build real wealth that can transcend through multiple generations.

Most business owners shy away from setting up investments because they think that they need lots of money to get going. Investing small chunks of your total profit is better than doing nothing as it allows you to flourish. The idea is to take advantage of every tiny amount you get from your business. 

Passive Income Investments

Peter Pru discussing the importance of keeping earned money in investments

Once you make up your mind about transitioning into investments, then you’d want to consider passive income streams. Dividend-paying stocks can be an excellent place to begin on your investment journey. These companies will pay on a quarterly or monthly basis for owning shares in their company. You could also opt to invest in crypto. For example, you can purchase different cryptocurrencies then earn interest from them. 

As you work to grow your business empire, ensure that the success and failures of other entrepreneurs around you do not carry you away. Work squarely on building, developing, and sustaining your business, not just making money online. 

Work With an Expert eCommerce Team

Are you ready to build a profitable online business? At Ecommerce Empire Builders, we can help you find the resources you need to set up and grow your online business today. We can train you on finding the perfect niche and help you carve out a name for your business in your preferred space. 

Our team will help you move your dream from the infancy stage into a profitable business venture. Are you ready to leap into the eCommerce scene? Attend our exclusive free webinar today and learn about everything you need to create consistent online income streams. Find all the tips and tools you need to make an impact in the eCommerce space. Also, explore my YouTube channel for more insight about achieving consistent success in the eCommerce industry.  

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