A few days ago I created a survey, asking my blog readers and subscribers what they wanted me to help them with.
I got a great response and thought I’d share some of the results with you in this blog post.
Only the multiple choice answers are included below, the “specific” answers are between the respondents and I!
Q. How Long Have You Tried to Make Money Online?
This was an unexpected response as I believed my list would have been comprised mainly of “newbies”.
However, my subscribers could also fall into the category of “long term newbies” who are plugging away at their online businesses month after month without making any real progress.
They may be jumping from one “wonder product” to the next as they are released and not really thinking how they can build a real online business.
Q. Are You Making A Full Time Living Online, Or Fitting Around Other Work Commitments?
I forgot to include “retired” as an option but it was interesting to see the majority of my subscribers are either in full-time work or not working at all, with a small percentage currently earning a full-time income from the internet.
The above statistics are encouraging in that more than half the respondents should have at least some money to invest in new training materials.
The 40 percent who are unemployed and may have limited money to invest in themselves and their online businesses will be those who find it difficult to make headway.
Q. How Many Hours ARE You Dedicating to Your Online Business Each Week?
I was amazed to see the majority, even if it is a small majority, of respondents are dedicating more than 35 hours per week to their online businesses and around the same are putting in “more” than part-time hours.
This is encouraging because it shows the majority of my subscribers are serious about their online businesses and are putting the hours in.
They should welcome the offer of training to give them that added focus and direction, to ensure their time is spent as productively as possible.
A message to those dedicating 10 hours per week or less – c’mon guys, up your game…
Q. Are You Blogging As Part of Your Online Business?
Considering my “thing” is building an online business with your blog as a focal point, I am surprised one third of the respondents said they were not blogging.
I wonder what they are doing on my list because a lot of my content would surely be irrelevant to them?
Alternatively, they may want to blog but are having difficulty in doing so…
Q. What Type of Content Do You Prefer on DavidWalker.tv?
No real surprises here.
I was expecting the majority to want a mixture of both written and video content and it’s what I prefer to create.
I think you need to vary your content to keep it interesting and some posts work better as video while some work better in written form.
Q. What Type of Content Do You Want to See MORE of on DavidWalker.tv?
OK, now we are getting to the revealing stuff!
The vast majority of my subscribers want me to produce more full-on “how to” tutorials on my blog as well as more posts based around me teaching via experience.
Perhaps what is as equally revealing is that only a minority wanted me to review more products on my blog (proven by the lack of comments on reviews of Google Supremacy and Web Design for Internet Marketers) while nobody at all saw any value in me interviewing fellow experts.
What does this mean?
The lack of interest in available products or other expert marketers forces the cynic in me to believe the majority of my subscribers are not interested in spending any money, but want me to produce high quality, in-depth and ultimately time-consuming tutorials… for free.
While I am happy to invest time and produce more tutorial style posts than I have done, a balance has to be struck.
How do you feel about one major tutorial per month? Please let me know in the comments section below.
Q. What Area is Causing You the MOST Problems in Pushing Your Online Business Forward?
I expected traffic generation to be the most popular answer and when I was periodically checking the statistics, it commanded over 50 percent of the responses at one stage.
Traffic is the lifeblood of any online business and I know from first-hand experience that it can be difficult to obtain the “right” type of traffic.
I will look into creating a training product on traffic generation when I have finished my blogging training product which was the second biggest problem as voted for by the respondents.
Q. How Would You Like Me to Help You With the Above Problem?
This was the only question that allowed more than one box to be ticked and I was surprised that video was the most popular training medium.
Not that I don’t like video, I do, it’s just I have read so many complaints that people don’t like watching videos to garner a few nuggets of information they could obtain faster by scanning through a PDF report.
In my forthcoming blogging product, the materials are available in video, written and audio format to satisfy all types of learning.
Considering the growth in online webinars, I also expected more to people to want this type of training content than said they did.
Summary
This was an invaluable exercise to get a cross-section of my subscriber base to tell me exactly who they were and what they wanted from me.
I will use these results to tailor my content to meet their needs over the next couple of months and plan to issue another survey in the new year.
I used the free version of Survey Monkey which limited me to asking 10 questions and receiving a maximum of 100 responses. But, it was enough to give me plenty of revealing answers and a glimpse into the power of using surveys.
If you didn’t fill out the survey, you can still do so here – there are still a few open slots before all 100 responses have been reached!
I’d love to get your opinion on these results so please leave any comments below!
Dave, hi, interesting result on reviews. That was the only one that surprised me. It suggesst to me that a lot of the people who filled out your survey are not potential buyers – they are mainly looking for free tips. Like you said, that’s all well and good, but you also have to get paid from time to time! Can’t help feeling reviews should belong on a blog devoted only to reviews of that niche. I’m about to give up doing reviews on my blog and do just that. What do you think?
Nicholas Penrake recently posted..Tips on Writing Great Copy for Squeeze Pages and Sales Pages
Hi Nicholas,
Thanks for the comment.
Personally, I think reviews DO have a place on this blog because my blog is the focal point of my online business and a place where I share information.
If I have access to a product then my blog is a perfect place to review it because my readers are then getting my honest and personal take on it. Hopefully they will find some value in that.
If you just want to write sycophantic reviews about crappy products with the sole aim of making affiliate commissions, then a dedicated (preferably anonymous) “review” blog would be a better option.
David
David,
Thanks for sharing this analysis. The conclusions I might make on a few of those points might be different. But I appreciate being part of the survey fillers, and then seeing your analysis of the data.
If you deemed it worth your time to segment the answers, you may consider carving out the segments that you would consider long-term customers of yours (note: that could include people who are unemployed now).
Your conclusions for the segment of customers with the highest buying intent, might be different.
Also consider that multiple choice surveys have the challenge of sometimes leading respondents to certain answers, based on how questions are asked. I’m not surprised that Traffic is so high on the list, but what I’ve learned from Alex Jeffreys in particular is that traffic is pointless (and a waste of time and money) unless you have a complete marketing funnel waiting on that traffic.
I’ve made the mistake of paying for traffic, getting leads, and then letting them “die on the vine” because I didn’t have an autoresponder series, AN OFFER, or any lead warming activities.
Anyway, food for thought. Thanks for the interesting conversation-starter! Looking forward to further comments.
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Great to see that you have posted the results here David. Very interesting.I was surprised to see such the percentage of people who are in a full time job yet also working online.
I think that very explicit “how to videos” are good. It’s the long ones that only deliver a few gold nuggets that people don’t like as much as pdf that can be quickly scanned.
1 video a month for free would be great. Maybe people don’t want to spend any money but at the end of the day you are building your brand. It has to count for something.
Sandy
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David,
thanks for publishing the results. I had filled in the survey and I think the overall results reflected what I felt too.
I liked your analysis of the results and look forward to reading you upcoming content.
Thanks,
Steve.
Steve recently posted..Playing Rock Guitar- getting from beginner to advanced
Okay, I was one of those who passed on reviews. Why?
It’s really pretty simple, reviews are worthless. Reviews rarely have anything negative to say because their main purpose is to sell a product…if they tell the truth and knock a crappy product then the product doesn’t sell.
Too often, the reviewed products are some gooroo’s hyped up, wrung out piece of garbage that doesn’t work any longer. Yet, to read the reviews you’d think this was the newest, “bestest” idea to come down the pike in years. Frankly, I don’t want to read this tripe.
It isn’t that I’m opposed to spending anything for a good product. It’s just that spending the bucks over the past several months has taught me that there is very little new out there…good review or not. Too often, the review is nothing more than what the gooroo wants said about his product anyway…Hell, half the time the gooroo wrote the freaking review.
So, it isn’t that I won’t spend, it’s that I don’t spend for crap. Develop a reputation as an honest reviewer and then I’ll pay attention to you. Promote crap and you can forget ever gaining any authority as a reviewer.
Hi Joe,
So I take it you haven’t actually READ any of the reviews on my blog then and would prefer just to rant at me instead…?
David
Hi David,
I wouldn’t assume from the fact that only 6% ticked product reviews that you don’t have any buyers on your list. or that we don’t want product reviews.
If I remember rightly I ticked Teaching Via Experience. That’s my #1 preference. But products reviews are in the mix too – maybe #2 or #3.
In fact, product reviews from someone we know and trust like you would be very welcome. So many internet marketing product reviews are from people who’ve never even seen the product and are just reviewing it glowingly to to get affiliate commisions. It would be great to get more honest reviews.
Ian
Ian Brodie recently posted..How To Get More Clients Online- Part 2 – Build Relationships
Hi Ian,
I was expecting teaching via experience to come out on top rather than full-on tutorials but I also expected a higher percentage to place more importance on product reviews for the exact reasons you noted.
David
Hi David,
not surprising results except the no response on interviewing experts. Although a lot of these interviews are hyped up, trying to sell something to us at the end, and pretty much about who they are and not a lot of value.
If you could structure an interview with direct question and response designed for gained knowledge that would be directly useful to us, I would be interested in that subject. But I too did not fill out that box.. I have listened to too many webinars with dumb content and a huge sales pitch at the end.
As far as folks just wanting free info and videos, perhaps it was the way the “Monkey” had you choose just one thing that leads one to assume that all we want is FREE.
I think if you look at the most needed/wanted info and designed a course around it and yes, charged for it, folks would buy it.
We all want results.. we don’t want to keep hearing the story of how to do something.. we need the MECHANICS of how to do it.
Thanks for continuing to “hear” your readers and give us a platform to communicate with you.
Best to you,
Adrienne Lee
Adrienne Lee recently posted..My New Giveaway Open Today For Contributors
yes, the mechanics, that’s exactly right. too many webinars etc. go on and on about stuff we know in principle, but just don’t yet know how to execute – or execute effectively enough. a sales pitch is fine if the first hour or whatever shows promise of delivering real results, not fake ones.
Nicholas Penrake recently posted..Tips on Writing Great Copy for Squeeze Pages and Sales Pages
Hi Adrienne,
Thanks for your comment and for telling me the type of content you want in both interviews and webinars!
David
HI David,
Thanks for sharing the results of your survey.I think it does take time before most people new to Internet Marketing realize that they need to “invest” in their own success.
That and/or they’ve fallen for to many get rich quick scams and are gun shy when it comes to spending more money.
I tried the “do it yourself” approach at first, and I made a lot of headway. Eventually I figured out that I needed coaching to help me put all the pieces together and that made all the difference.
Unfortunately some of us are slower to reach that conclusion!
Lesley “Wes” Wilson-Klatt recently posted..Week 6- Product Creation – Who Me
Not surprised at the traffic answer. Although we know the ways to get traffic, it’s so time consuming(especially if you have more than 1 website)I think a lot of us are looking for new and better ways to automate that traffic that won’t cost a liver and a gizzard.
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Thanks David for revealing the facts of the survey. It was interesting to go through and it shows there’s more of us out there than we think, that needs added help!
David,
Maybe the cynic in you is wrong, just maybe people are tired of hearing so called (experts) who may and may not be an expert at anything tell us how they achieved success. There is not enough time on any interview for any (expert) to teach any segment of internet marketing to listeners, and that is if the ( expert) is speaking on one specific aspect of internet marketing and not telling you how they succeeded online, in which case you will get even less value from the interview. Then to top it off at the end of the interview trying to sell their (must have products) that are actually of dubious value at best.
As far as review sites, the vast majority are to get people to read the review and then purchase the product. Not 1 in 10 are honest reviews. Review sites are sold and even given away in the countless giveaways found online. I would wager most marketers with review sites have never used the product. I myself would want proof they have and are using the product, otherwise why should I believe them?
Maybe this will shed some light on why people don’t feel like spending money on products or information, yours or anyone elses, most are just a waste of time and money. And no, most of us don’t expect you to treach us for free or build our business for us, but in case you haven’t heard help others to find success and you will find the success you seek.
Don
Hi Don,
Thank you for leaving me such a cheerful comment…
I take it you haven’t read any of my reviews or indeed any of my other posts on this blog either?
You’re right – it’s all completely pointless and I’ll delete this blog immediately.
Sorry to have wasted your time…
David
David,
I like your reply.
I do reviews on my blog, but only of products that I have actually used and believe in. I suspect you do the the same.
Waltraud
David:
I am very surprised at some of the results. The two biggest surprises to me were: traffic generation was not overwhelmingly the biggest problem moving the business forward and that no one wanted to see any expert interviews.
I look forward to changes you are going to make here on your blog and the information you will be sharing in the future.
Best of luck!
- Rick
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Hei from Norway David,
Courageous moves my friend!
First of all to ask and really listen to your followers, one of the primary reasons we love staying in touch with you.
Second, to share with all of us by posting your survey results in the way you have above. You are an excellent example for any of us bloggers to follow David, thanks for that!
What percentage of your people filled out the survey?
How did you motivate them to do so?
One more compliment to you David, you’re a fantastic listener. And, this survey and the way you’ve shared it here further inspires all the rest of us to listen.
Listening seems to be such a dying art today that we’ve begun a Facebook event page extending the practice of it. Join us there!
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=133810433324649
Lead On David!
Tim Owen recently posted..Neo’s First Shoes
Hi Tim,
Nice to hear from you!
It was only a small sample of my list that completed the survey but I was also using the free version of Survey Monkey which allows a maximum of 100 responses.
I didn’t use any motivational techniques, although I may do in the future.
David
This is an excellent idea. I am definitely going to do a survey for my customers when i have a big enough e-mailing list. Surprisingly i am in all of the majority categories. Regarding the how to articles i think everyone likes a nice simple solution in recipe format but it can’t always work out that way.
John Burnside recently posted..Making money has never been so easy with Google Adsense
Hi David,
Thanks for exposing your results of the survey. I have tried to get my list to do a survey, but since I still have a fairly small list the results were not really effective. Its good to find out what your list is wanting.
Supply and Demand. Give the answer to the problem. You can easily create a product with you findings.
Cheers
Craig
Craig recently posted..Update- 100 Blog Comment Challenge
Hi David
Thank you for sharing your data with us.
Your survey threw up some very interesting results.
I’m not surprised that Video training came top in the help section, a well presented video that gets straight to the subject and doesn’t “ramble on” too long is priceless – I often go to youtube if I need help with something.
As for interviews with other marketeers getting the thumbs down – well that kill that idea for my blog!!
To me I think the jury is out on product reviews, what’s the first thing I do when looking to buy a product, I google product reviews and look at 2 or 3 to get an overall view – you can tell the hype as it’s usually a cut and paste job from the manufacterers.
I’d also say that you’ve got some really valuable feedback in the replies section too – so, from one survey, you’ve achieved twice the results – nice one.
All the best
Ken
Ken Abbott recently posted..Return of the Merry Men
David
thank you for sharing the survey data. I do wonder where the pendulum will swing with “free versus paid content”. I don’t see how solo entreprenneurs can keep providing free info and get return on investment. May the corporates will corner this concept by dedicating resources which the small man can’t -and we’ll be back to the old structure again?
BTW what did you use to present the survey graphics on the blog? They look fantastic – was it powerpoint in some format??
Cheers
David
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