The Curious Case of the Unclaimed $100 Bills: A Lesson in Online Marketing

The Experiment

The experiment involved setting up a website with a legitimate offer to give away free $100 bills. The site was promoted through search engines and newsgroups and was left up for several months. However, not a single person took up the offer.

This outcome has significant implications for online businesses. If giving away free money is this challenging, selling less attractive products or services can be even more daunting. Therefore, it's crucial to understand the obstacles to making money online and how to overcome them.

The Challenges of Making Money Online

Making money online can be difficult, but it can also be relatively easy if done correctly. As successful technology marketing consultants, we've helped people who hadn't earned a penny online start making money immediately. We've also worked with people who were already making good money and significantly boosted their profits with our special methods and techniques.

However, the harsh reality is that selling anything online is tough. The main reason why more people aren't buying from you is simple: they don't believe you. They're tired of being lied to, misled, and bombarded with outrageous offers, unsolicited email spam, and products that don't work as advertised.

The Importance of Credibility

Even if you're selling the most effective, amazing product or service in the world (even free $100 bills), it's guaranteed that whatever you're doing to establish your credibility right now isn't enough. You need to go the extra mile to prove that you and your offer are legitimate and believable. Without establishing your trustworthiness and legitimacy, you won't make the sale.

Let's dissect the ad we used in our experiment to illustrate the common mistakes that can undermine your credibility:

• Excessive use of exclamation points: This makes the ad sound "hypish" and destroys credibility.
• Lack of identity: The ad doesn't identify who is behind the offer. A clear identity is crucial to alleviate any fears your prospects may have.
• Lack of credentials: The ad doesn't establish the credibility of the person or company behind the offer.
• Absence of testimonials: Testimonials from satisfied customers can significantly boost credibility.
• Lack of contact information: Providing a business address and phone number can reassure prospects that you're a real person.
• Failure to explain the reason for the offer: Explaining why you're making the offer can help people understand what's going on and increase their likelihood of believing you.

By avoiding these mistakes and applying these credibility-boosting tactics, you can significantly increase the profitability of your website or online business. In fact, once we applied these tactics in our experiment, we "sold" a $100 bill to the very first person we contacted. Yes, credibility does make a difference!