Quick Start Challenge Week 3
The Quick Start Challenge Week 3 is the toughest challenge yet! This Week Dean Holland challenged the group to create their first two step opt-in funnel. At first glance it seems quite simple to do. If you don’t already know, a two step opt-in funnel consists of a regular opt-in form as shown below. It contains a captivating headline with an irresistible offer to get the prospect’s email and name. If you would like to see my newly created opt-in page, just CLICK HERE.
My Page Builder
It looks pretty simple, right? It was easy to do. I used a front end page builder to create my pages. If you have ever used the WordPress editor, it leaves a lot to be desired for your posts to look good. Normally when you make a change to your post, you have to first save the post, then view the page to see your changes. That was such a pain! In order for your blog to look a certain way, you would have to utilize what they call “short codes.” It was a very tedious method of building a blog.
What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG)
In recent years, several companies started introducing new page builders that would allow you to see the changes in real time as you made them. Basically, now it’s What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG). I kept looking for a better way. One day I eventually stumbled upon the Thrive Content Builder sales video.
It looked like it had everything I was looking for at the time. It made my blog posts look really good without having to mess with any code. My pages started to look more professional. There are other page builders on the market, but the people at Thrive keep improving on an already great product. They also continue to produce lots of video tutorials on how to get the most out of this plugin.
Thrive Architect
Thrive Content Builder was eventually replaced by a brand new page builder redesigned from the ground up. So they named the new version Thrive Architect. This newest version is what made it easy to complete the Quick Start Challenge Week 3. Watch the video below to discover how you can start creating a better blog post faster with Thrive Architect.
It does take some time to learn. I was a bit rusty for this Quick Start Challenge Week 3 since I have not used this in awhile. The great thing with Thrive Architect is they have a nice variety of templates to start with. So I found one I liked and edited it to fit my needs. Like the video shows, it’s all drag and drop simple.
Since I have never built a funnel with Thrive Architect, I looked for help in the Quick Start Challenge Week 3. I found Chad Stewart's post of a walk-through video on how to set one up. All I did was follow his excellent step-by-step instructions and I customized it for what I needed. His video really saved me alot of time learning how to build the pages properly. Thanks Chad! I have included his video below so you can create your own funnel.
Lead Magnet
One of my biggest problems was coming up with a suitable ”lead magnet.” This is the free ethical bribe you offer your prospect for giving you their name and email. I really wanted to create my own, but this Week I was short on time. I needed to get this week’s Challenge completed by Monday night. As I write this, I’m still not finished with the funnel!
After searching my hard drive for a good bit, I finally found a free software that I could give away. This is a ClickBar plug-in designed by Brett Rutecky that he has given away freely for his students to use. Here is a short video on how that plugin works.
The Thank You Page
So after I created the opt-in page, I needed to create the Thank You Page. Again, I found another template that fit the bill and customized it to suit my needs. Click Thank You Page or the image below to see the live page.
Watching the video and downloading the free plugin is the first Step. The second step gives you an opportunity to convince the subscriber to click on the second button.
The Affiliate Offer
Once the subscriber clicks on that second button, the idea is to direct them to an affiliate offer. This will be a low-priced, high converting front-end offer where you will hopefully make multiple commissions. This is essentially another funnel you are driving the subscriber to.
You can find products to promote on affiliate platforms such as JVZoo and The Warrior Forum. This has been the other difficult part of the Quick Start Challenge Week 3. I like to promote the products I’m using. Unfortunately the ones I really believe in, such as Productdyno, Convertri, and Thrive Architect do not currently have affiliate programs. Therefore, I’ve had to really give it some thought to whom I’ve bought products from that were really good and convert well.
Michael Cheney’s ”Commission Machine“ was one of the ones that came to mind. I put my request to promote it today, so hopefully I will get approval by Monday morning.
*** Update: I did get approval to promote his product this morning...yay! So now my Quick Start Challenge Week 3 is complete and submitted!
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my blog posts so far. This has been a real learning experience. One thing I think is really good about Dean Holland’s Quick Start Challenge is it really motivates you to take action! I mean, I’ve been in other programs before and have been playing around with internet marketing for several years now. But it’s really embarrassing to admit...this is the first real opt-in funnel I’ve created!
Now I am hoping I can get the hang of this and start making a little money with this. Wish me luck! Be sure not to miss any of my blog post by subscribing. :)