Have you been looking for a product that is cheap to produce, quick to release and would boost your credibility as an expert?

Well, an ebook has it all!  And what's more? It's easily distributed, requires minimal storage and provides a source of passive income.

Benefits of ebooks and how you can use them...

• Cost-effective sample
  You can give a small ebook as a taster or attractor for your other products- those that are not free. Don't skimp on the quality of your free ebook: you don't want to leave a bad taste and lose potential customers!
   
• High profit margin product
  The production cost is the same whether you sell one or 100,000 ebooks.
   
• New source of revenue quick to produce
  Repackage your web articles and case studies to produce a new ebook from your recycled material. 
   
• Viral marketing tool
  Sprinkle affiliate links throughout your ebook and give away the resale rights to your ebook. Let other web businesses advertise your ebook and sell it at a profit. You will spread your reputation as an expert and also earn referral commissions on products featured in your ebook that you have linked to your affiliates' web pages.
   
• Access to new markets
  You may reach unexpected markets. When I started selling ebooks, I thought that my target market was the predominantly English-speaking countries e.g. UK, Australia, US and Canada. But to my pleasant surprise, I sell ebooks worldwide including Germany, Sweden and India.
   
• Inventory savings
  Calculate for yourself the difference in cost for storing similar products...
   - Ebooks: two copies (one on your computer plus a backup on CD)
   - Books: a small print run of 3,000 books stored in a warehouse. 
   
• Automated distribution
  Compared to tangible products, ebooks are cheap and easy to distribute: no packaging and no trip to the post office. Automate your system and relax.
   
• Renewable resource 
  You can update your ebook and sell it as a revised edition. The ebook remains up-to-date and appealing. The cost? Your time.
   
• Educational material
  Produce and give away 'step-by-step' and 'how to' ebooks to educate potential customers, promote your products and build your database. Capture name and email address of people requesting your ebook prior to the free download.
   

Pricing of ebooks...what's in an ebook that justifies its high price?

My book '200 Marketing Ideas for Your Website' sell for $29.95 in bookstore and the ebook version sells for $49.99 on the Web. That's almost double the price of its paperback version yet it costs so little to produce!

• Convenience
  I had a client located in the UK ringing me on Saturday afternoon in Perth (Australia) for information. He was about to download my ebook and couldn't wait to start experimenting with the marketing ideas from the ebook. Can you put a price on an instant delivery to your desktop of a product not available locally?

Sending a book to the UK takes one week to reach its destination and costs AU$15.50 for shipping. How does the shipping time and cost compare with a instant download?

And what's more, the customer has no travel time to a bookstore, no parking fees and can order any time of the day or night. That's what I call 'convenience' and that's why people are prepared to pay more for an ebook than for a book.

• Functionality
  Hyperlinks add value to your ebook. Customers can access recommended resources quickly at no extra cost. They save money and time.
   
• Versatility
  Customers can read the ebook on their computer screen and/or print it. 
   

A little word of advice before you create and distribute your first ebook...

• Create a professional ebook
  To gain recognition, you must invest time to create a worthwhile ebook.  A poorly formatted ebook with no interesting content will not promote professionalism and expertise and could even have an adverse effect on your reputation.  
   
• Copyrights
  Secure the copyrights of your ebook. Disallow the editing option to avoid unscrupulous people downloading your ebook, making a few changes and then republishing your work under their name.
   
• Use ClickBank
  If you don't have a shopping cart on your website, use ClickBank to sell your ebook. They are specialised in selling digital products. It only costs US$49.95 activation fee plus a small commission per transaction. Once your have set up your sales page and download page with them, you can relax. The sale of your ebook is automated and you will receive your cheque in the mail for your sales. You can also list your book on their marketplace and have other merchants selling your ebook for a referral (affiliate commission.
   
• Secure your download page
  If you charge good money for your ebook, don't let people access your download page unless they have paid for it.

Ebooks are rewarding to produce and distribute. Give it a try!

© 2005 Henriette Martel-Lawson

Henriette Martel-Lawson is a website strategist and author of 200 Marketing Ideas for Your Website. Receive a free ebook when you subscribe to WEBmarketingcues, a free and valuable newsletter with articles, reviews and resources to help you market your own website. http://www.marketingcues.com

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