CORE PRODUCTS

A core product is one that is needed or desired by most people in your niche.

Regardless of the niche or niches you choose, there will be beginners needing to buy products and information to achieve their goals.

Core products appeal to the “newbie” buyer who is just getting started with an idea or business. They have a desire and are motivated.

But they are not sure what to do first, and are often looking for the “best” solution. They need to learn the basics or possibly receive help setting things up from a technical standpoint.

NOTE: I don’t personally like categorizing people with terms like “newbie” or “advanced”. All people are created equal. I use these terms to speak to the experience level of your audience, not the character or quality of the person.

No matter what niche you are in, if you think of your online marketing as a house, then Core Products are the foundation. For in buying and using them, your prospects and customers are signaling that they will need and want more.

Core products are an important part of your marketing mix unless you are specifically targeting Intermediate or Advanced buyers.

Remember that Newbie, Intermediate and Advanced buyers exist in every niche.

The reasons that Core products are important include.

• A huge market - The “newbie” market in any niche is usually the largest by far.
• Impulse buyers - Newbies often buy on impulse if the price is right.
• Loyal customers - If you help a newbie solve a problem they will trust you and buy from you time and time again.

Core products are often “useful but incomplete”. That simply means that the buyer will need to buy more as time goes by if they want to progress to their ultimate goal.

NOTE: By “incomplete” I do not mean inferior. I mean that the product by itself does not solve the entire problem the customer faces. Many top products, in all niches, meet this definition.

Let’s look at the weight loss and fitness market for an example.

A person who needs to get in shape or lose weight (or both) will often begin slowly. They begin with a weight loss product or report. Once they see results they want to move ahead to toning up their muscles.

If you are in the weight loss or fitness space, a Core Product might be one of the following.

• A weight loss plan or diet. (Often an information product)
• A set of basic exercises on DVD.
• Workout clothes.
• Basic workout equipment like yoga mats.
• Vitamins and supplements.
• Diet foods.

Once the newbie buyer has bought one (or more) of these products they will often want more. In the minds of many people more products mean more results.

While most people could lose weight and get in good shape by doing nothing more than walking that is not how most of our brains are wired.

We want the product that will make the job easier, faster and cause us less pain or effort. That is just human nature.

In the online business space, core products are those products necessary to starting your own online business.

Such products can include things like:

• Website hosting.
• An autoresponder service.
• Payment processing.
• WordPress themes.
• Custom graphics for your blog.

These products help get one started online, and are most often purchased by the newbie to online business.

What are the advantages to promoting core products?

One huge advantage is they fit perfectly in a follow up sequence. This is a great type of product to promote using email marketing. You make customers quickly because there are so many newbies online in every possible market.

And once a person buys a core product from you (or from your recommendation) you can begin marketing Feeder products to them based on their purchase.

This works for affiliates and product owners alike, and is a major key in the success of any online business.

Because you know what core product they purchased you can easily offer them the next logical product in the mix of products you choose to promote.

You see, customers have what are called “circular needs.”

You can think of them as though they’re moving through a pipeline. They begin needing a Core product. That leads to the need for a Feeder product.

And then, because they know you and trust you, they will be very open to considering a Today product when you choose to promote them.