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Create Your Own Product To Sell Online

This post was most recently updated on August 1st, 2017

Create Your Own ProductWhen you Create Your Own Product to sell online, you immediately become a “trusted authority” in your niche.

There are many reasons that bloggers never rise to this level, however.

Here’s just a few.

They think they can’t… so they don’t.

They don’t know where to begin… so they don’t.

They fear they’ll get started, but then not be able to finish the project.

They are not sure what kind of product to create.

They don’t know if people will buy it.

They never created a product in the past, so they figure they can’t in the present, either. Maybe some day… in the future.

Most bloggers consider creating a product to be so far advanced, something so out of their reach, that they simple convince themselves it’s not really that important to do.

After all, they can always sell other people’s products.

There are many teachers and coaches online who flat out tell people that it’s a better business strategy to “let someone else do all the hard work” of creating products.

All they have to do is promote it, and earn a hefty commission without worrying about creating something of their own.

Why Create A Product?

I will admit that it’s easier let others create products for your readers and subscribers to buy.

However, it’s actually not at all easier to promote them than it would be if the product were your own.

Affiliate Marketers Don’t Carry The Same “Weight” As Product Creators

You see, people always prefer to buy things from the people who created them, than through somebody’s affiliate link.

Credibility-wise, you carry more “weight” when you create your own product.

If you don’t believe me, just think of how affiliate marketers jump through hoops to “hide” their affiliate links.

They use link cloaking and link masking methods to ensure that people don’t see their affiliate links.

To some degree, this is to protect their affiliate links from being hacked or altered by people.

It’s also because marketers don’t like being blatantly identified as affiliates, because they understand that affiliates are not as credible as product creators in the minds of prospects.

Create Your Own Product For Personal Branding

When you create you own products, you automatically become the authority on your topic.

You brand yourself as a product creator rather than an affiliate marketer.

Personally branding yourself as a product creator will help you do more businesss on your blog.

People will automatically trust you more because they see you as an authority.

When people trust you more, they buy from you more easily and more often.

Deep Selling

You can also engage in “deeper selling” when you create your own product.

That means that people will tend to buy deeper into your sales funnel.

Affiliate typically promote a product to get the commission.

Then they have to start all over again with a new product.

But a product creator can sell one of their products, and then another related one, then another and another.

People tend to stay in a product creator’s sales funnel, longer and deeper than they would for an affiliate marketer.

What Is A Product?

Another reason that bloggers don’t create their own products is that they don’t really know what a product is.

Now, that may seem like a strange thing to say, but I actually hear this from students and clients all the time.

I’ve found that most people think of a “product” in very limited terms.

Some people assume it is a multi-chapter eBook.

Others think it’s a multi-video training course.

The fact is, though, that a “product” can be anything that you can sell to your readers.

It can be a tutorial.

It can be your coaching program.

It can be an interview you conducted, a podcast, a written report.

There are many, many types of products you can consider when you’re ready to create your own product.

In fact, I recently conducted a Live Workshop to show folks the 5 fastest and easiest products they can create for their blogs.

If you’d like to have me help you create products for your blog, click the following banner image for details…

top tier coaching

 

Overcoming The Fear Factor

If you’re going to create your own product to sell online, you’ll have to overcome the fear factor.

This is the biggest thing that holds people back when it come time to reach this level of growth in their business.

I already outlined some of the main fear factors earlier in this article.

If you’ve been holding back for any of those reasons, maybe it’s time you step up and just make it happen.

I like to get folks creating fast, quick, very easy products so they can actually get it done.

I’m talking about a few hours, not months or even weeks.

Just make it happen, then you can always improve on your product after it’s done.

The main thing is to get it done.

Create Your Own Product To Sell Online

After you’ve created one product, you’ll find that you can do it as often as you want.

Think of how much more authoritative your brand will become when your visitors see you selling your own products on your blog.

top tier coachingHave you created a product to sell on your blog, or to your email subscribers?

Are you ready, now, to create your own product to sell online?

I’d love to have you share your thoughts in the comments section below.

And don’t forget to share this article on your social sites 🙂

-Donna

Donna Merrill
Donna is a well known blogger and creator of "Blogging Magic" - an intensive guide to blogging. "Blogging Magic" is for beginners who are trying to figure out how to bring their blogs to life with tons of visits, comments and social media interaction. It's even for advanced bloggers looking to reach new levels of authority and engagement with their audience.

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47 Responses to Create Your Own Product To Sell Online

  1. Joseph Chikeleze
    Twitter:
    September 10, 2017 at 1:13 am #

    Creating online product is good but it’s not easy as said. You will face many critics and opposition from competitors.

    Some will not even buy it but will say bad about it. As a newbie , it’s not really easy making a dime off your own products than selling others.

    Thanks all the way, i will try one sooner.
    Joseph Chikeleze recently posted..$10,000 Zonta Scholarships for Aerospace, Science and Engineering StudentsMy Profile

  2. Adriano Ramos October 3, 2016 at 2:50 pm #

    I prefer to work as an affiliate, but I understand your point of view. When you create a product (you are the face) and of course you have the authority.

  3. Ikechi
    Twitter:
    September 17, 2016 at 8:07 pm #

    Hi Donna

    I resonate what the fact that people misunderstood the meaning of a product. They think a product should so huge but as you shared, there are many ways of creating products that are easy and simple.

    Thanks for sharing. Take care

  4. Ellen Finkelstein
    Twitter:
    September 16, 2016 at 12:32 pm #

    For me, since I’m a writer, creating products has been easy, but I do know that many people fear it — or have had a bad experience with it. For bloggers, a really easy way to start is to choose 5-10 related blog posts and to turn them into an e-book. It’s really just 1) copy, 2) paste, 3) format, 4) export to PDF. I’ve also turned webinars that I’ve given into an e-book. The formatting is easy to outsource, too.
    Ellen Finkelstein recently posted..Should you buy PLR (private label rights) products?My Profile

  5. Erika Mohssen-Beyk
    Twitter:
    September 4, 2016 at 9:12 pm #

    Hi Donna ,
    you encourage here many to create their own product .
    I am sure it is possible for a lot of people . As you write
    here ,it is not as difficult as many think .You showed ways
    and did give advice which will be very helpful .You may have
    triggered some creative minds 🙂
    Thank you
    Erika

  6. Donna Merrill
    Twitter:
    September 4, 2016 at 8:06 pm #

    Hi Mary,

    That is such great news! I’ll be looking forward to your own product in just a few months Mary.

    -Donna
    Donna Merrill recently posted..10 Top Sources Of Blog Traffic That You Are Not UsingMy Profile

  7. Mary Sloane
    Twitter:
    September 4, 2016 at 5:21 pm #

    Thanks for the great reminder Donna

    I haven’t done it yet but I will within the next 3 months Working first on a case study for it

    To Great Sucess

    Mary
    Mary Sloane recently posted..To Achieve, First See and BelieveMy Profile

  8. Joan M Harrington
    Twitter:
    September 4, 2016 at 3:01 pm #

    Hi Donna,

    Creating your own product is a must if you want to really showcase your brand as well as your skills. Ebooks are a great first product as they provide the readers with valuable information that can be utilized right away 🙂

    Thanks for sharing your knowledge about how to create your own product to sell online 🙂

    Very valuable tips!
    Joan M Harrington recently posted..The Persuasion Slide Revealed What You Need To Know To Utilize it as a Marketing StrategyMy Profile

  9. Atish Ranjan
    Twitter:
    September 4, 2016 at 2:49 pm #

    Hello Donna,

    This is a great post for everyone who is in the dilemma whether to create their product or not. And also for those who doesn’t have the understanding of what a Product actually is.

    Affiliate marketing is good but when you sell your own product it;s a good personal branding as well because you are not just the seller but the creator of that product as well.

    Great share my friend.

    Have a great week ahead! 🙂
    Atish Ranjan recently posted..10 Best Cartoon Making SoftwareMy Profile

  10. Emi September 4, 2016 at 11:41 am #

    Hi Donna,
    Love your article, so true!
    Creating your product will give you a huge advantage, and you will build your authority and credibility pretty quickly.
    Great advice, thank you for sharing,
    Have a beautiful day!

  11. Chery Schmidt
    Twitter:
    September 4, 2016 at 11:33 am #

    Hello Donna! Awesome post my friend! I put together a video course many years ago and I actually had a few sales from this, but it is all out dated now.

    Your post has brought up some good points for me to think about..

    I have been thinking about putting together a new report for my opt-in but not one to sell ( Anyways not before reading this)

    Great Share!
    Have a Great Labor Day.
    Chery :))

  12. darrell Harris
    Twitter:
    September 4, 2016 at 12:59 am #

    Hello Donna
    Great post! Thanks for this informative and valuable advice. I agree with you 100% creating your own products cements you own brand and gives you personal satisfaction and is obviously going to be more lucrative than receiving a percentage of someone else’s product.

    I really enjoyed your article and your post probably gave me that push I needed to crank more of my ideas to fruition. Thanks for sharing such needed and inspirational post.
    darrell Harris recently posted..7 Causes of Blogging Burnout !My Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      September 4, 2016 at 1:18 pm #

      Hi Darrell,

      I’m glad to see you inspired to action!

      That’s what it’s all about, right?

      Ideas, information, conversation… all good stuff… but none of it means much without inspiring us to action.

      I’d love to see how your product develops 🙂

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..How Can I Promote My eBookMy Profile

  13. Dana
    Twitter:
    September 3, 2016 at 9:20 am #

    Hi Donna,

    I’d love to create my own product one of these days. I’ve definitely given it some thought over the last year or so, just haven’t zeroed in on it.

    Of course, I have a book and I’ll have others. But I love the idea of creating something from scratch. Maybe a course or something or even designing t-shirts/ tops, etc.

    I see you’ve had a lot of fun with your creative abilities, so that inspires me. I’ll keep this bookmarked, and I’ll continue to follow along on your journey.
    Dana recently posted..Workplace Stress Kicking Your Ass? Here’s What to Do (Infographic)My Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      September 4, 2016 at 12:56 pm #

      Hi Dana,

      Creating physical products is really an undertaking! Designing t-shirts and tops would be fun for sure.

      When I talk about “products” of course, I’m talking about digital products… information, coaching, membership sites and the like.

      I’d love to hear more about that as you get into the process of creating 3 dimensional products.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..5 Top Newbie Blogger MistakesMy Profile

  14. lisa thomson
    Twitter:
    September 2, 2016 at 8:01 pm #

    This makes total sense, Donna. My product is my book and i’ll be publishing a ‘best of’ book as a companion. I think people like to buy from the artist or creator instead of a middleman. How did your seminar go? Sorry, I missed. I was away part of the week and just catching up now.
    lisa thomson recently posted..Can We Go Home Again?My Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      September 4, 2016 at 11:47 am #

      Hi Lisa,

      A book or eBook is a great product to feature because it really help you brand yourself as an authority, expert or leader in your niche.

      The thing people often misunderstand is that it’s that branding that really builds your business, and is ultimately far more important than the direct sales income from the book itself.

      Sorry you missed the seminar this week, but I’m sure you had a great time squeezing the last few days of the summer 🙂

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Your Blog Is A Sales FunnelMy Profile

  15. Robin Khokhar
    Twitter:
    August 31, 2016 at 3:43 pm #

    Hi Donna,
    I have not created or made my product sell online. But after reading your post, I will start my plan to make my own product and sell it online.
    Thanks for sharing.
    have a great week ahead.
    Robin Khokhar recently posted..11 Ways to Speed Up WordPress Blog and website?My Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      September 1, 2016 at 11:18 pm #

      HI Robin,

      I’m sure you have a treasure load of products in mind, considering all your expertise.

      I hope to see something getting developed soon, as it will certainly spike up your business as well as your personal brand.

      Let me know if you need help 🙂

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Grow Your Blog OrganicallyMy Profile

  16. Ravi Chahar
    Twitter:
    August 31, 2016 at 12:45 pm #

    Hey Donna,

    I totally agree with you. Creating your own product gives you more opportunities to build your online brand.

    I have just finished my work but it’s free for all the readers of my blog. I have learnt a lot during this process of product creation.

    I am sure people would experience the same as I did.

    Thanks a lot for sharing with us.
    Enjoy the week ahead.
    ~Ravi
    Ravi Chahar recently posted..BloggingLove Theme – A New Era For BloggingLove And Its Readers.My Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      September 1, 2016 at 11:07 pm #

      Hi Ravi,

      I’m sure your product is excellent, as you have considerable knowledge and much to share with your readers.

      It doesn’t really matter whether your product is free or paid for the purpose of branding… people value product creators very highly just because they’ve created a product of any sort.

      I’m sure it will bring a lot of people into your business model.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Your Blog Is A Sales FunnelMy Profile

  17. Sherab Tenzin August 31, 2016 at 12:30 am #

    Hi Donna,

    Your stand on a need of creating our own online marketable product very much makes sense. But for a newbie like me, forget about developing a product to sell online, we cannot even cannot dare develop a free checklist/ebook for our subscribers.

    In our case, a sense of insecurity cannot defeat an urge for developing a credibility. Despite this equation, I am developing a small blogging guide ebook which is to be offered free of cost for subscribers from my own country.

    Thanks for sharing. Your post came as a reminder to visit my draft ebook once more and continue editing.

    Regards
    Sherab Tenzin recently posted..How to add warnings+notices in WordPress BlogMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      September 1, 2016 at 10:46 pm #

      Hi Sherab,

      Great to hear that you’re creating your own ebook.

      Being a newbie is no reason to stay away from the product creation aspect of your business. Anyone can offer a service, a checklist, an ebook, or anything else of value to their readers.

      If you lack expertise on a topic you want to develop a product for, either work to gain the expertise, or offer the expertise of others as the main component of your product.

      Best of luck with your ebook!

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..How Can I Promote My eBookMy Profile

  18. Ryan Biddulph
    Twitter:
    August 30, 2016 at 8:39 pm #

    Hi Donna,

    I kick myself in the pants because I waited 7 years to create my first full-fledged product. Or, to create my first product.

    I feared all fears you mentioned. Mostly I figured it was too tough. I was not good enough. Had no clue where to start. So I just didn’t start.

    With some pushing – intuitively – and a vote of confidence from blogging buddies I launched a product last year, around this time. I’m just promoting – and pricing – it properly right now but know it’s super and have received sensational reviews from all of my course students.

    Thanks for the power points here Donna. People just don’t buy into affiliates like they do the Real McCoy, aka, product creators.

    Ryan
    Ryan Biddulph recently posted..How to Monetize Your Blog in 12 Crazy Simple StepsMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      August 31, 2016 at 12:03 pm #

      Hi Ryan,

      I went through the same fear tunnel many years ago with my offline business. After much meditation, and work on the “self” I came out of my “I’m not worthy” shell.

      Isn’t it great? Nothing can stop us now…

      I’m so glad you went through that transformation because that is the heart beat of business and you have it.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..10 Top Sources Of Blog Traffic That You Are Not UsingMy Profile

  19. Toni Nelson
    Twitter:
    August 30, 2016 at 8:22 pm #

    I create and sell my own products. For me it’s always been about sharing my knowledge and expertise and building my tribe. Personally I find promoting my own products easier because I’m passionate about them and I know they have the power to make a real difference.
    Toni Nelson recently posted..What do goals have to do with a life jacket?My Profile

  20. Robert Bates
    Twitter:
    August 30, 2016 at 2:37 pm #

    Hi Donna.

    You are exactly right about the credibility gap and creating a product.
    It also goes further. Once you put your name on something, you are
    then responsible. Then the “What If’s” begin (enough information,
    long enough, good enough, and so forth), and don’t seem to stop.

    It also carries over into other areas of internet business such as
    list building, getting traffic, email marketing, and so forth.
    Forums and blog commenting carry the “What do I say?” label.
    As mentioned, creating something of value for the email exchange can
    be daunting. I can’t imagine what some people must go through when
    attempting to create a paid product if they have trouble with a giveaway.

    By the way, this is difficulty is not gender specific.
    Robert Bates recently posted..How Can I Create Ideas From Scratch You May AskMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      August 31, 2016 at 11:48 am #

      Hi Robert,

      One must have confidence putting their name on a product they create. It is difficult I assure you because all those questions you mention do raise in our minds. But, if we know that we are giving something that is more valuable than the next guy….we go for it.

      Once done, the real work begins and that is marketing it. It can be daunting if one doesn’t have a specific marketing plan in place. Actually most people do not. But as long as one has a plan, things can go pretty well.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..10 Top Sources Of Blog Traffic That You Are Not UsingMy Profile

  21. Marquita Herald
    Twitter:
    August 30, 2016 at 11:59 am #

    Great post and advice Donna! A few months ago there was a discussion thread in the Women of Facebook Group about this topic. The question asked members to share what their biggest obstacle was to promoting their business or services, and the responses overwhelmingly pointed to insecurities over credibility. These weren’t newbies in the sense of business experience, but there was something about putting their name on a product or service that resulted in self-doubt and procrastination. From what I’ve seen this is a problem that many women experience, but sometimes the only way over a problem is through it. Everything is hard before it’s easy. 🙂
    Marquita Herald recently posted..Challenges to Enrich Your LifeMy Profile

  22. Donna Merrill
    Twitter:
    August 30, 2016 at 10:26 am #

    Hi Bren,

    Stop thinking and start doing lol. Write down a list of things you are thinking about creating. I know you have many talents and much experience for many things. That seems to be the problem. You know so much your mind can get scattered.

    So my GF…write that list…then think of each niche from dogs to virtual assistants. Which one would you want to get up in the morning and look forward to doing….(don’t think about the $$$ when you do this part)

    Then…write down how you are going to market this and to whom?

    That’s a little piece of advice Bren to get you started so the dust can settle.

    -Donna
    Donna Merrill recently posted..10 Top Sources Of Blog Traffic That You Are Not UsingMy Profile

  23. Bren Pace
    Twitter:
    August 30, 2016 at 9:01 am #

    Hi Donna,

    Spot on advice as always. I have been thinking about this “product” thing and am sweeping the dust around in my head. It seems all my blogging buddies are creating “products”. Time I step up my game, right?

    Thanks for the great advice! Happy Tuesday!

    B
    Bren Pace recently posted..It’s Essential To Have A Backup BuddyMy Profile

  24. Jeno
    Twitter:
    August 29, 2016 at 11:47 pm #

    Hi Donna,

    Yes, good to go with our own product than through affiliation. However, the fear factor stop us to take that lead as you mentioned. But, once we succeed it will have long term benefits throughout our blogging career. Thanks for sharing wonderful information.

  25. Mark
    Twitter:
    August 29, 2016 at 6:31 pm #

    I hope everyone’s paying attention to your
    extremely timely and wise advice Donna!

    I love the points you shared, about product creators,consistently being able
    to get subscribers deeper into their sales funnel.For less upfront cost too!

    And how, try as they may, even the top affiliate marketers, who still
    haven’t created their very own products or services yet, have to
    basically start over from scratch, after each and every launch they
    participate in!

    Isn’t that the truth! Thank for sharing, some extremely straight forward, real world advice coach!

    I only hope your readers are truly paying attention!
    Mark recently posted..If Your Site Gets Hacked Entrepreneur You Better Know Who To Call!My Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      August 29, 2016 at 7:55 pm #

      Hi Mark,

      Glad you enjoyed this article. As a product creator it is one thing…to get people into a sales funnel and conversion is another story. We must have knowledge in BOTH in order to monetize.

      Now there are plenty of marketers that can sell you just about anything, but what happens when they run out of things to sell? I do believe it is better to have your own product and/or service to always rely on. Then from there, affiliate products can be added.

      Thanks so much Mark!

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..10 Top Sources Of Blog Traffic That You Are Not UsingMy Profile

  26. Donna Merrill
    Twitter:
    August 29, 2016 at 2:23 pm #

    Hi Harleena,

    Can’t wait to see what you are up to lol. Indeed, anything new can be fearful but we do get over it don’t we?

    Creating our own products and/or services is the best thing we can do for our business. There is always affiliate and other things we can add on, but the initial thing we create can make us not only authorities in our niche, but also monetize it.

    -Donna
    Donna Merrill recently posted..10 Top Sources Of Blog Traffic That You Are Not UsingMy Profile

  27. Harleena Singh
    Twitter:
    August 29, 2016 at 10:03 am #

    Hi Donna,

    Happy Monday 🙂

    Informative post indeed! And don’t we all know you’re a pro at creating your own products! Yes, you are right about the kinds of products, which can vary from a report to an ebook to a product – anything that your followers like and want.

    Not entirely a product, but yes, we are working on something as well, which you’d know soon, so stay tuned!! I agree about the fear factor, but that comes into anything new you start, isn’t it? Nothing works better than fighting those fears and going right out facing the challenge.

    Thanks for sharing. Have a nice week ahead 🙂
    Harleena Singh recently posted..11 Reasons Why You Should Go For Healthcare StudiesMy Profile

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