I've posted this on a couple of other boards and I'd like to poll you all here as well. I need to figure out the best price for an information product.

I've created an e-course targeted to beginning affiliate marketers (the one in my sig). I mean, beginners so wet behind the ears that their earrings rust.

The concept behind it is in the name of the course, "Skip the Scams." I hate bottom-feeders who prey on the inexperienced. I hope to divert some of the traffic away from them to something legitimate and valuable that doesn't make false or unrealistic promises. I've been working on this course for about 4 months.

It's going to be at least 150-200 pages (I'm still formatting so don't know the final tally). There will be 20-25 lessons with assignments, worksheets, and supplementary information, all geared toward the new Internet marketer who doesn't know a thing about making a web site. I'm teaching local students now the same information in a classroom setting, and they're loving it. I'll also be throwing in a couple of bonuses, shorter e-books, most likely.

This may raise some skepticism, but I am thoroughly convinced that I've done a really good job on this and that it's different from almost everything out there. As I indicated, it's written in a step-by-step format for someone who is so new at it that reading tutorials and blogs on the Internet, even if written for a beginner, is still over their heads. My local students have shown me that even the simplest things can still befuddle them. I also use humor in an attempt to make it more enjoyable to read and not just dry information.

I'm going to look into other methods of delivery, such as an actual book, or in video or audio format, but for now, it's going to be PDF. I'm a graphic designer, too, so it looks professional as well. (I probably sound like a raving egomaniac, sorry!)

My question is this: (you were wondering if I was ever going to get to the point, weren't you?) What would be a reasonable price for this course? It's not just an e-book, but a whole course - e-course if you will. I have a general range in mind, but I won't say it here yet because I don't want to influence anybody's suggestions.

I intend to have an affiliate program of my own so I can have the help of others in getting it out there. I want to charge enough so that its perceived value isn't too low, but not so much that the newbie wouldn't or couldn't spring for it.

What do guys, whether new or experienced, think? What would YOU pay for something like this if you are/were a newbie?

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If you promote it as an e-course that clearly covers a known list of stages, I would think you could sell for a slightly higher price than your average ebook. That said, a lot is going to depend what value it is going to bring your customers.

What is the realistic (not usual marketing hype) earning potential for someone that successfully completes your course? Are these proven methods that you have used yourself? Its difficult to put a value on it when there are so many unknowns. Can you provide a list of the topics covered to give some idea of the range? If I was your target customer, what would I be capable of once I had been through your program?

Of course if you plan to put an affiliate program into place, the price will have to be sufficiently high for it to be attractive to affiliates whilst being profitable for you. At the same time, skeptical newbies might "take a chance" on a product if it was more reasonably priced.

There seem to be a lot of arguments that can be made for both lower and higher prices! Here's a quick list of many of the main lessons in the course:

Understanding the concept of AM
How to do keyword research and why it's important
How to evaluate the competition
How to choose and buy a domain
How to buy hosting and from whom
Installing FTP program
Tour of cPanel
How to install WordPress
Tour of WordPress
Designing your site's structure
How to find and download themes and what to look for
What are plugins and how are they helpful
How to put a contact form on your site
How to track your site statistics but exclude yourself
On-site SEO - titles, descriptions, alt tags
How to write posts and pages and incorporate advertising
How to use CSS to change the look of your site
Using Google Webmaster Tools
What is a robots.txt file and how to make one
How to add a privacy policy
Off-site SEO - building backlinks (many methods listed)
What is anchor text and why important
How to do article marketing
How to do social media marketing
What is an affiliate network and how to join
How to apply to merchant programs
How to keep track of sales
Explanations of eBay, Amazon and other programs
How to use Google AdSense
How to add a second site

and more. All of these items are explained thoroughly and illustrated with screenshots and real-life examples. And yes, these are methods I use successfully, as do many others. I will have to come up with a way to give a ballpark figure as far as earning potential is concerned; I don't like talking specifics because there are so many variables.

When the course is done, each student will have a fully functioning web site of their own and the knowledge and skills to build another and another.

I really appreciate your questions; they are helping me to better analyze my pricing strategy. Thanks so much!

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So this really does work from the ground up. It seems like a very comprehensive beginners' guide to getting online. If I am honest, from the topic list, it did seem a little light on the affiliate marketing front. When you said it was aimed at beginning affiliate marketers, I was expecting more focus on affiliate marketing itself.You mention that there is more included, does this content focus more on affiliate marketing? Also, any plans for guidance on PPC, or is that beyond the scope of what you wanted to cover?

It looks like this is a nice all round course and maybe you could promote it as such. A course that gets people online and making money through a variety of methods, including affiliate marketing.

As for a price, I still think a lot would depend on what an average person with a single average site could earn following your course. If you can offer methods that have a proven track record for earning, you could boost your price. The more you could hand it to them on a plate, the more someone will be willing to pay. I'm still struggling to come up with a figure in my mind that I would pay.

Will this course involve like a community and support where people could ask questions etc? I think this could lend itself well to a membership site.

Thanks for your further thoughts! You're right about the affiliate marketing aspect being a little light. Ideally, I would focus the course more on that. But since my target market is extreme newbies, the concept and execution of a web site is almost more than they can handle already. (Not to slam newbies by any means, it's just that I know how some of my students are struggling with learning the basic concepts of the web in general.)

I do help them build their sites with affiliate marketing in view from the beginning, with the keyword research and SEO and then the specific AM stuff near the end. My intention overall is to give them a base of knowledge that will help them in any form of IM, but with specific instructions and a definite strong lean toward affiliate marketing.

I think that what I've included is definitely enough to get them started with AM, but I may flesh that aspect out a little more now that you mention it, hopefully without overwhelming them.

I won't get into PPC in this course because #1, I don't do it myself, and #2, I think it's too advanced for an super-newbie.

You know, I considered the membership site idea. I have not run one before, so I'm not sure if I have the skills to accomplish it. I think others could do a far better job; my strengths probably lie elsewhere. But I haven't ruled it out.

I appreciate your ideas!

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Hi Laura

Pricing is always tough because you don't want it to be so low that the product looks cheap and you also don't want to price it too high for newbies. The fact that you have 20-25 lessons and it's over 150 pages definitely gives you room to beef up the price a bit so assuming the quality is there (and I'm sure it is ) You could easily go between $75 and $150 for your course. I know that's a big range but it's hard to pinpoint a number without seeing everything. Also based on the feedback I get from people interested in AM, you have to remember that a lot of them are going to be...

1) Skeptical and worried of being scammed because they have in the past
2) Between jobs so their financial situation may not be the best

So you have to keep those things in mind when doing pricing.

As Coder mentioned this type of ebook can lend itself to a membership area and you can even charge a premium price for a membership or for people to have additional access to affiliate marketing advice (since you said it's light on the affiliate help side).

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Thank you, Lisa, for your thoughts as well. I was hoping you'd chime in because I respect your opinion greatly. Yeah, pricing is proving to be the most difficult part of the whole thing! I probably won't know what works best until I test it. I'm starting to form a plan in my mind based on all the great feedback I've been getting.

I would be thrilled if you both would consider taking a look at it when I'm done. I'd be glad to send you a copy. Now I just have to get back to work and finish this puppy!

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All you have to do is secure your content and forum. Then you issue accounts to people that pay. There are plenty of scripts out there that will handle this for you, plus some of them will have built in tracking for affiliates.

I'd be happy to take a look and give you some feedback on it

Hi Laura,

I'm still a beginner in this technical world and I would easily pay between $50 & $75 for your e-course. More than that, I might give it a go but I'd have to think about it, but it's not because your course is not worth it, it seems pretty excellent to me, it's just because of my financial situation...

Although, if I was really serious about learning the stuff and if I had plenty of time (which I don't at the moment unfortunately), I might consider it even if it were $100.

Hi Pretzel, thanks very much for your thoughts! I appreciate your beginner's viewpoint and the fact that the financial situation of many who are looking into this field is somewhat shaky. This helps in my decision as well.

Thanks again!

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Nice writing style. Looking forward to reading more from you.