178 Comments (page 2)

Hey awesome article! Im banned with Adwords because of some stupid thing I linked to over 9 years ago and they still hold a grudge! Could I use Facebook ads instead?

Hi Will I wanted to finish reading your blog article ..choosing an idea ....You have a list of blog posts b ut archive ? How do i get to previous posts ? Do you have a search feature Sorry if its obvious to everyone else ! Thank you ian

Will, I have just developed a beta version of a free website to validate ideas and get the first customers. Let me know and I can let you try it as a special preview :)

Question about the details of this campaign. From my reading of the campaign, you had 1,257 clicks. What was the total cost to run this test?

Can I Validate a product by searching for the pain without disclosing it? At the initial stage I would prefer to keep the cards close to my chest. The product is easy to duplicate and having a head start would be the only advantage of keeping in front of the line.

Thanks for the information. I've followed the steps and now have some interesting data but I'm not sure what to do with it. what would consider a successful idea? what are the metrics to determine a successful idea vs. a dud?

It depends on your goals - match up your profit potential with startup costs and see. If you want to share details we can give you a better idea.

Silly ideas make silly businesses and wantrepreneurs remain same for year :/ It's me from past one year. Well, I think I have to give myself another chance and thanks for sharing this. I will try this for sure and I guess it will be a help :) Will get back to you after that!

Hey Will Thanks for the idea. One of my ideas cannot go through this process (people don't search for it on Google), but I think you might fit the target market. Can I email you about it?

Great post guys. I am looking to test a Saas business idea I have been working on. I don't currently have logo or landing page yet, do you suggest I pay to run a contest for logo first? Or mock something simple up myself (ideas on good way to do this?) and test on LeadPages to see what kind of traffic I can get before spending money on a logo?

Hi, great article! Have you tried this approach with business to business oriented idea? Do you think enough lead conversion rate will be generated since the end consumer is not involved?

Business to business makes it even easier to get clients before you create the product!

Why visitors still make use of to read news papers when in this technological globe all is accessible on net?

Thanks for this article guys, I've setup two campaigns to test already. I know we're getting free Adwords credit but let's say I need to bid $1.50 to hit the front page for a given keyword. Should I bother or go for a less competitive term?

Love the info on your site. Unfortunately I can't share an article that was published in 2005. Hopefully you guys will post something soon, preferably in 2014. And preferably with a goddamn date attached

Lol Jeter I wish we were blogging in 2005. I see everything in this post work every day.

Yo, Mitchell! Thanks for the great post! I'm just waiting to get my coupon so I can get started on testing my idea for a product! Thanks man!

Great post. Thank you very much for that.

Great post, I started directly on unbounce, what a bless! Now wait and see when results come in. I have had some projects over the last years, where I had trouble reaching a good test group, that's why I came up with http://www.concapped.com/. As said, I created it overnight in unbounce (so it is a validation test), but would love to hear what you think!

First I want to thank you for this excellent and very comprehensive blog post. I am the marketing and brand management sector, these tips suits me fine. And I think I'm going to advise my client to use these simple steps and especially the idea of landing page - unbounce .Thank you and best regards

Hey dude, I have been watching your videos for a long time. I have no idea how internet marketing works and I would like to learn more about this concept. I have spended 2thousand dolars runnign ads, creating logos, and havent done one cent yet. Can you help me?

Short, Sweet, Simple and full of value! Great strategy; split testing! Thanks!

Thanks Kevin, glad you liked it and hope you can get some value out of it! Great looking site by the way, I've added your book to my Christmas Wishlist ;)

The thing is that the stuff on your web is so cool I do not want anoyone else to see it. :-)

Thanks a ton, guys. You both are amazing and I can't say how much value your posts bring to the aspiring entrepreneurs.

I blog frequently and I genuinely appreciate your content. This articfle has truly peaaked my interest. I willl take a note of your blog and keep checking for neww information about once per week. I optged in for your RSS feed ass well.

Great article. It appeals to users who do not want to waste precious resources on kit that has no bearing on what you actually create. A-B testing is great. Can you A-B test different sites as well as variants of a single site? I'm glad I found your forum. Lots and lots of good content. Thanks. Lex

Hi Guys, Love your article here as I am in the process of testing an idea that I 'believe' could be a big hit. I would like to know how you would use your landing page idea for a fashion product - such as the 'onesie'?? Very grateful if you could provide some advice.

Hey Bros, Just started my validation using adwords and facebook ads and I can barely wait to see what happens. Just wondering though, do you have any guidelines for determining the "threshold" for a successful business idea? Since I don't have the product yet and I'm just asking people to join the mailing list, how much weight should I give to the CTR (people interested in the product based on description) vs form conversions (people who want to be notified)? Maybe more importantly, how can I extrapolate to actual sales? Any guidelines or rules of thumb? Keep up the bro work. Cheers

My question is regarding auto responders. First which do you recommend and second can you use any add on tools for existing email (gmail, outlook, etc.) to do it for free.

Hi Mike, Autoresponders are great, you'll definitely want to use them. Mailchimp might be the best way to set this up for free.

How could I apply this to an e-commerce website? I do not have the prod in my hands as of now. Thanks,

Great article! It looks like LeadPages no longer offers a free plan or free trial period. Can you recommend another landing page option to run the test you recommend? Thank you in advance!

Hi, I am stuck with setting up the conversion tracking , please help thanks :)

This sounds like a questions for Unbounce ;)

Hi, I don't know how to execute these steps please help, "set up Conversions under the Tools and Analysis section of your account. Take that script and put it on the confirmation popup on your Unbounce pages. Also, submit an entry into your landing page to make sure all tracking and lead capturing is working properly", thanks :)

Hi, Bros! Thanks for the article? How can you test ideas that are not related to selling or building a product? For e.g., I want to build a jobs portal with a different approach. How can I test this? Thanks!

You COULD test that idea with this, it would be much more valuable to build an MVP in your case though.

We absolutely love your blog and find many of your post's to be exactly what I'm looking for. Does one offer guest writers to write content to suit your needs? I wouldn't mind creating a post or elaborating on a number of the subjects you write with regards to here. Again, awesome website!

Hey guys, First of all really love the site and your ideas, have been trying to implement a few of them. I have this idea for a money saving advice website. Pretty much followed what you wrote above for testing out the landing page, made a quick landing page with lead pages (linked) and tried some ads on google and facebook to see what happened. All went ok except... Facebook have blocked my ad and ad account! Have I made a massive error somewhere or broken a golden rule?! I even emailed to ask why and I got a generic response from Facebook, saying they will be unable to reactivate any adverts or ad account. Just a word of warning I guess!

This is great stuff Will. I'm new to the entrepreneur world and I've got a few business ideas. This sound like a good low-risk way to start. Love it. :)

Holy Smagoly this advice is a winner!

Dear Mr. Will Mitchell, Wow, that was a very good article, I must say. I think this guideline will help young entrepreneurs to set their goal for future. Thanks Erich

Brilliant advice! Just one question though: do you test all your ideas with Google Adwords / Facebook ads? Cheers :)

Question: I am now getting started with my business idea (literally today). I have my potential product in my mind and I am ready to jump on Alibaba to find suppliers who can ship me samples so I can test them (motivated through your other article). However, I linked to this article and after reading it I began to wonder: Should I create a LeadPage/Unbounce page now/first before I even begin to contact suppliers to order samples of my potential product? Help. Sami

Hey, check out my lead generation page: valuestockindicators I'd love to have your insights, comments, etc. I'm not sure what to try as far as A/B testing goes. Perhaps the title and subtitle, but I'm blank on what else to try. Thanks for this article. Great ideas. Much appreciated!

Hi Will, On the topic of samples.. If I want to put my logo on a leather product and adjust a few things.. What’s the best place to find a supplier and get samples? I just know of Alibaba. But you mentioned ebay, amazon and easy. Would they be willing to change their logo and put mine? Polina

Hey mitchell, i'm try to importing product, and sell in Indonesia, i'm indonesian people .. Is that possible to importing from alibaba to Indonesia ? Is they have the line to ship my products to my country ?

Is the landing page good to use if you're selling products as well or just services?

Great post will! The ultimate guide for them who need guidance. But i have doubt in my mind. What is your opinion on language used other than english to make research on local market? Thanks.

Great article Will! I wondered if it was necessary to split test when you are just validating your idea? Can you split test with LeadPages? Thanks!

I'm implementing this technique through Leadpages and mail chimp. How do you measure success? If the landing-page gets click through rate then you pursue it?

You do you weigh the risks and benefits of throwing an idea into the open? What if someone picks up on the idea and develops it faster than you?

Hi, We are trying to set up a men clothes online store since we have some good suppliers. If I just build a landing page describing my business idea, let's say "dress with style on a budget", how can I test my audience if I'm not offering anything (yet)? I won't have the clothes to show neither the price. Thank you, I'm reading most of your articles you are doing a great job !

Dear Will, By reading your posts I can say only one thing here that I have become you fan. You are fantastic. I am mesmerized by your thoughts at such a young age... Bro I am Freight Forwarding Professional and worked for many MNC companies for many years (Around 13 years) this year have left my job and started my own logistics company and an AGRO Export house in the name of SAI AGRO EXPORTS, in the first year itself we Exported 18 tons of Alphonso mangoes to London. That really made us confidant, now we want to get into USA but couple find the way. We have the facility here in Bangalore, India to meet US Govt fresh produce norms. There is a huge profit in the vegetable and fruit import where we will provide the deliver till the destination port (Any Airport in USA). Further I would request you if you can allocate me someone there or probably give me some idea I will be really great full to you. Cheers Bro

Hi guys, Great article, still waiting for that 100$ coupon to get started though! Thanks and keep up the good work

HI I'M VERY THANKS TO AFTER READ THIS ARTICLE. I 'M FROM INDIA ... I WANT TO START IMPORT AND EXPORT BUSINESS IN MEN GARMENTS SECTOR ... BUT I'M VERY NEW .... HOW SHOULD I REGISTER OUR SITE AND START BUSINESS ...

Hi guys, Great article, still waiting for that 100$ coupon to get started though! Thanks and keep up the good work

Hi Kyle & Crew, Howya guys all doing? My question is this- how can I successfully prove not only the need 4 my business idea, but the accurate reasons why it's a societal need when the fact is that all the resources I once had have been successfully taken from me at every turn? I have people worried obviously about my story, my proving the validity of my experiences as well as showing loyalty as key character trait? I've tried very hard to both fight for my rights, my causes, whilst trying to not cause harm or controversy that would hurt those I love. It isn't alright with me anylonger however to protect anyone as all my keeping the secrets of technology of things etc, has only caused me further trouble with no apparent relief in sight. I also being brand new to "technical life difficulties" as well as "the rejected, wrongfulky accused, scorned &defamed displaced homemaker," am finding it increasingly more difficult to bring needed attention to my cause primarily because some think I have issues. Issues that 1) are nobody's business and would unknown had my civil rights and the laws of the land/internet not been violated & used against me, 2) issues that are misunderstood and inappropriately judged due to the aforementioned, 3) the issues I had (legally, before my private info was illegally spread) are no longer issues. Seems as though I'm being held accountable (punished) but zero persons (many many many)are being held accountable for laws broken, manipulated and bent to make me look bad. I'm homeless, jobless and penniless without the emotional support of my family, the protection of the law, or the means to obtain a loan, submit job application, right to privacy, and legal help I should have in which case if properly represented, I'd have them all by the balls. It is not my agenda to punish, it is however, my agenda to partner and create a system that will not only help poor unfortunate souls like myself, but that will lead This Nation securing the future through innovative interactive communications networks. Most importantly so that what has happened to me happens less, family relations are strengthened, poverty stricken communities a proactive approach to stop the cycle. Pope Francis spoke to our nation about the very things I had in the forefront of my mind after having experienced an event that changed me so much so that my loved ones blame issues that have nothing to do with my circumstances. This is where I'm at impass. I want to succeed and bring to fruition my vision for the future, I also though, want my son back in my care and for my boys to find out their mother isn't nuts, but was blessed for a purpose to share with others. I am exhausted, cold, hungry, and worn out. I'm not going to submit to a situation I should not be in. A situation I don't deserve to be in but was placed in via corrupt processes, lack of checks and balances. I have a great many things I want to accomplish.. The most important is to regain custody of my son who was wrongful taken and kept from me. I can't relax until someone helps me shed light on all that's been done regarding my custody case. It's a gross injustice, one that I'm going to make sure makes the headlines. It isn't a "let it go" kind of thing which many are guilty of telling me. No way! My love for my children and the wrongs that are keeping us apart will be rectified of they're gonna kill me to silence me. I'm speaking for myself and the thousands & thousands of other moms and dads who've suffered or are suffering the Same fate. Please start up bros, I'd like to know more about your company and I'd like to ask you for a job and or discuss possible interests in my ideas. Thank you guys , all of you for posting, for following, and for giving me an opportunity to write this. Would be much easier from a desk top and under a roof.☺️ God bless?? Janet Starcher JNISS OR NNISS [redacted] Veronica Nissan [redacted] Google+

I would want to target my potential demo on popular food blogs. How would your way measure simply testing a few days on the direct sites of my interest?

hello sir, i have read your complete article and post is very good and informative for startups.

I'm very new to this, If I am thinking of selling on Amazon, should I also do this?

Hello, My name is Mrs. Sabrina Morris. I live in Alabaster AL, USA and i am a happy woman today? i I have wonder and told myself that any lender that rescue my family from our poor situation, i will refer any person that is looking for loan to him, he gave me happiness to me and my family, i was in need of a loan of $250,000.00 to start my life all over as i am a single mother with 3 kids I met this honest and GOD fearing man loan lender that help me with a loan of $250,000.00, he is a GOD fearing man, if you are in need of loan and you will pay back the loan please contact him tell him that is Mrs. Bonnie Roland that refer you to him. contact Mr. Compact Loans via Email: ([redacted])

ever thought of taking a product idea from kickstarter (or any other similar platform) and running with that to an alibaba type supplier to hit the market earlier ?

Hey Will, Great site! Quuck question. When you talk about testing a business idea, do you mean I should do this before I start listing any product on Amazon, or is this after I have found a product that sells and I want to take it to the next level by branding my product?

Hey Josh, you are absolutely correct. Especially when thinking about listing on Amazon. Start as an individual seller and find market demand with unbranded products. :) Worry about the name later!

Great advice, thanks, Will! I would personally suggest starting even *before* building a landing page or an MVP to gauge initial interest: Time is your most valuable resource - don’t spend any more than necessary on something that you don’t even know is actually viable. Another point I would make is to not mistake your friends & family for your target audience - sometimes there may of course be overlaps, but a “yeah, that sounds cool” from your friends & family doesn’t cut it. There's something called “Interviewer bias”, which means that your friends will rate your ideas more favorably than the general public. I've personally used http://www.ideacheck.io to validate my startup idea and get an initial sense of whether my ideas might actually be valuable. They take care of generating a questionnaire from the idea and put it to a panel of users from your target group. So far, the response to my ideas was mostly negative, but I've gained valuable feedback through this process.

Hey all, What is the most affordable shipping method on Alibaba? I am trying to order a product that likely weighs no more than 5lbs at a price of $6.00 total, but shipping by sea from China mainland to North Carolina, US is $40.00. Obviously paying $46.00 for a $6.00 order isn't great. Is there a cheaper method to get the product to me?

You need to order more products to make the shipping affordable. You're asking for something cheaper than $40 dollars from China to North Carolina. That's unrealistic and close to asking for magic.

Site keeps saying my email is invalid but it is.

Hey, Great info you have on here! Please do keep it up. Question- There are way too many Youtube videos promoting 'Dropship' model with Aliexpress. What is your take on it? I do not think it would work because Amazon is a direct competitor with next day delivery.Compare that to upto 5 weeks delivery time from Aliexpress combined with the fact that most Aliexpress products are already listed on Amazon, I don't see how this model could work.

Really........wow...hell no

When you set up new landing pages to test an idea, do you typically use your own domain or go with the Leadpages subdomain? I am not sure whether or not it is worth it to buy new domains for each new business or product idea to test or if I should just do a landing page in the Leadpages URL first. Thank you!

Excellent post guys. Too many startups are bolting out of the door without even thinking about whether anyone will actually buy their product service. Testing, even on a crappy WordPress site (or cheaper!), is essential.

Thank you, Author! Why was this article not written when I started? when I got 5-6 fuck-ups I start to test my ideas with draftuim.com and launch my landings with weblium.com. But it really good content I share it.

Hey Chris, I know man! I wrote this article because of all the mistakes I made. So much time wasted haha

First. Thank you for this article. I am very nervous about doing this. I have a good idea of my business idea I want to try out. I am looking more into leadpages to test that idea. once I have the pages ready I will start an ad campaign. I intend to make a sales pages with a "buy now" button that once clicked informs the user that we are testing to see if there is interest and allows them to send an email (and comments if they want) and they will be notified of our progress. my question is this, how will I know if the business is a success? or if it would be a success. I realize its a combination of how many people come to the site and how many of them would buy the product. I realize if 100% would buy the product but I have only 3 visitors that doesn't mean anything. but if I have 1000 visitors a day but only a 0.1% click rate thats not good either. (I have never used ad words - any help on how to determine when a product is a success is helpful.

Hey James, I would love to help you out with this :) First of all I think it's awesome that you want to test out your idea. You really need to if you're going to succeed doing anything. I like the approach you're taking. The truth is that in general you never actually know your business is going to succeed or not. Most businesses are capable of succeeding the problem is that people don't stick with them long enough to see it through. In particular to you testing your idea then success would be if your campaign is profitable. Let's say you spent $100 dollars to send traffic to your landing page. And then you are able to make $200 in sales. That's one way to determine success because you are making money. If you aren't selling anything then you want something at least converting at 20% just to be safe. If you get 100 sign ups for 500 visitors then your messaging is working. Hope this makes sense. If you have any more questions at all please let me know!