Launching a new product is unlike anything else in running your business. You’re often dealing with a whole new class of customers who may not know anything about you. You’re dealing with new partners and affiliates you’ve never worked with before. Your support and fulfillment facilities are going to be put under an abnormally high amount of strain.
What can you expect? How can you make sure the whole process goes smoothly? Here are a few tips, starting from the 72 hours before the launch all the way through to a month after the launch process.
=> 72 Hours before Launch
The three days before the launch are going to be hectic. Here are a few things to prepare for.
First, call your merchant account and let them know you’re going to be doing a launch. If a merchant sees someone who’s been doing an average of $3,000 a month suddenly pull in $30,000 in a single day, they’re going to be suspicious, especially if they don’t know what’s going on.
It’s often a good idea to have a back-up merchant account, even if that back-up is PayPal, just in case your account gets frozen. (This is unfortunately common for marketers launching new products who have merchant accounts that don’t understand internet marketing.)
Check with fulfillment to make sure they have enough products. Though you don’t want to overstock, it’s often a good idea to print a few more copies of products just in case you get more orders than expected.
=> During the Actual Launch
Expect the launch day to be hectic for you and everyone else on your staff.
People will call because they can’t get their order to go through. A video on the sales letter might not be configured properly, or an affiliate might discover halfway through his campaign that his traffic isn’t being tracked properly.
The list goes on and on. Even if you do everything you possibly can to create a smooth launch process, there are still going to be many mini-fires that need to be put out.
You and everyone on your staff need be on full alert that day, keeping track of everything. Watch your website stats and sales stats constantly and be in contact with customer support so you’ll know if any issues pop up.
=> Up to a Month after the Launch
The product launch process doesn’t end with just the launch day. There are still issues that can come up, for as long as a month after.
It’s important to remember that you’ve just taken a large number of people who aren’t familiar with you and turned them into buyers. These customers, sent from JV partners and/or affiliates, will behave very differently than your normal buyers.
They may refund your trial period more often. They might bombard you with emails. Or, on the plus side, they may be much more susceptible to upsells because they liked your product and haven’t been exposed to the rest of your work.
It’s important to recognize the difference in psychology between people from your own list and your new customers. Put out the fires that come up and jump on opportunities as soon as you see them.
These are a few things to look out for when you’re launching a new product. A product launch isn’t just a product push; it entails a complete different way of thinking. It takes care and vigilance, from at least 72 hours before the launch all the way to 30 days after the launch is finished.
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