The Tools And Programs We Have Used In Our Online Business
How To...
Click on the menubar of the subject you need to know about and we have tried to cut straight to the case making it easier for you to *Make shit happen* Get out there and earn money in the quickest and most safe way possible.
How We Built Our Website
When we started our journey with SFM Caroline didn’t even own a computer and trust us when we say she was and (is not!) technical. If Caroline has a problem with her phone or an update has to be made she immediately through the towel in the ring and ask Davide to fix her issues!
But even-so! My (Carolines) passion for websites has grown and i now have a digital agency, where i create websites for small business to help them go online with their products and i love it!
Had you told me 2 years ago that would be me i would not have believed you! Here i will share with you all my tips and tricks to make an easy, but well working WordPress website:
Rules to write behind the ear:
- The copy sells, the pictures support the copy.
- A great homepage won’t close the sale, but it can absolutely loose the sale.
- Always have your avatar in your head when creating it.
- Use the template below. Do NOT choose a cool pre-made theme and try to fill it out with your information.
Roles of your homepage:
- Clarify the benefits “Who is it for and what does it do” (Who and what)
- Establish trust
- Point the way ( it must tell people what to do next)
Elements your homepage should have:
- Top menu (logo, basic navigation, primary CTA)
- Headline and subheadline
- Hero shot (ideally costumer is the hero, not the product)
- Primary CTA (tell people what to do )
- How it works (steps, features/benefits, video demo/walkthrough, ect)
- Who is it for (align avatars with user cases)
- Trust bar (costumer logos, testimonials, costumer stories)
- Footer (extended navigation, company information, legal notices, miscellaneous information)
*Bonus* Place the call to action where the eyes stop. (Right side as we read left to right in headerbar)
A little explainer video of how Elementor PRO works. Elementor is a Page builder tool which is in our eyes invaluable. It will safe you oceans of time and its so intuitive that we cannot recommend it enough to be honest. Check this short video out to see how to use it.
Ok! With these rules in mind lets dive in and start crafting…
Your statement of value:
Formula:
“(Productname) Helps (Avatar/segment) Describe after state “
It is important to being able to write down in 1 sentence what you do as a business owner, so that it is clear for the person visiting your site exactly what you have to offer to them. It should not be a vague statement where it rises doubt in the costumers mind. If it is vague you have lost that potential customer right away and they will click away from your homepage. Once you have this statement you have to keep this in mind when forming the rest of the site. You can also use this statement to form most of your headline for your site.
Core Message:
It is important to know your avatar and who you are serving before making your website and homepage. Below are the following 4 things you must know around your avatar:
- Demographics
- Frustrations and fears
- Wants and aspirations
- Key phrasing drivers
Imaging this: “Here is what our product can do” Versus “Here’s what YOU can do with our product”
They sound similar, but they are completely different approaches and the second option is what you should be aiming for. Connecting your avatar to your product or service.
Jobs to be done:
Formula:
“When (Situation) i (being the avatar) want to (motivation) So i can (Expected outcome)”
Ex: “When i take a picture on my phone, i want to put them in a prominent place so i can share them with all my friends.” = Instagram
Ex: “When i have an important files, i want to store them in a safe place so i can access them anywhere” = DropBox
Ex: “When i am working on a project, i want to collect a scrapbook of inspirations so i can organise all my ideas” = Pinterest
Ex: “When i am growing a company, i want to document all my systems and processes so i can work “on” my business not “in” it” = Praxio
Now fill in this canvas in order to have a clear overview of your avatar and who you are serving with which message. Then you can always come back to this piece of paper if ever in doubt.
The High-Converting Homepage Template:
Copy the whole template below and paste it into your own word document. Fill out all the sections and you will now have a finished template to use when creating your WordPress site.
COMPANY: [enter company name here]
URL: [enter URL here]
Last Updated: [enter date of last update]
TARGET MARKET(S):
- Avatar #1
- Avatar #2
- Avatar #3
PRIMARY CTA: [i.e. register for a demo, take a trial, purchase a product, etc.] SECONDARY CTA: [watch demo video, learn more, log in, etc.]
Lifecycle:
❏ Problem Aware – Aware of their problem, but not the solution
❏ Solution Aware – Aware that solutions are available, but not your specific product/service
❏ Product Aware – Aware of products/services like yours, but need a good reason to select your specific solution over all the others
❏ Actively Engaged – Fully aware of your brand, and just need a reason to engage at a new or different level
CORE MESSAGES:
- [Statement of Value]
- [List Jobs To Be Done]
- [Write out any relevant metaphors]
- [Include customer quotes and comments if you have already spoken to your avatar and know their own language]
- [etc.]
[LOGO] [MENU] I.e. Features About Us Log In [PRIMARY CTA]
[START BACKGROUND IMAGE – INSERT LINK TO RECOMMENDED IMAGE HERE] NOTE: Image should show the customer as the hero in the “After” state Your
Attention-Getting Headline Should Go Here
An Optional Sub-Headline Should Go Here
ghost button → [Secondary CTA] [Primary CTA] ← contrasting button [END BACKGROUND IMAGE]
[START TRUST BAR]
[LOGO] [LOGO] [LOGO] [LOGO] [LOGO]
[END TRUST BAR]
[START CONTRASTING BACKGROUND]
[OPTIONAL EXPLAINER VIDEO HERE]
[PLAY]
[END CONTRASTING BACKGROUND]
[START WHITE BACKGROUND]
How It Works
[Sub-Headline That Explains the End Result]
STEP 1: [insert step name]
[include a brief, 1 – 2 sentence description, here]
STEP 2: [insert step name]
[include a brief, 1 – 2 sentence description, here]
STEP 3: [insert step name]
[include a brief, 1 – 2 sentence description, here]
[repeat steps as needed…]
NOTE: The text portion of this section can be shorter if it is accompanied by an explainer video.
[END WHITE BACKGROUND]
[START BACKGROUND IMAGE / CONTRASTING BACKGROUND]
Who It’s For
[Break down each of the main avatars who would be interested in your product or service, and a specific use-case that would resonate with each of them.]
[RECOMMENDED: INSERT CUSTOMER TESTIMONIALS OR LINKS TO CUSTOMER STORIES THAT SUPPORT THE CLAIMS MADE IN THE “WHO IT’S FOR” SECTION. SEE “WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY” AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE]
[END BACKGROUND IMAGE / CONTRASTING BACKGROUND]
[START GRAY BACKGROUND]
[Action-Based CTA That Speaks To The Desired “After”]
[Optional sub-headline with clarifying details (i.e. pricing)]
[PRIMARY CTA AS A BUTTON OR FORM]
Example:
Build a Better Marketing Team
With DigitalMarketer HQ
Plans start as low as $25/user for unlimited training and certifications…
[Request a Demo] [Get Started]
[END GRAY BACKGROUND]
[START FOOTER]
Footer should Include your copyright statement, physical address, contact information, Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, expanded navigation, links to flagship content/case studies, links to social properties, and any other important but miscellaneous information.
[END FOOTER]
Bonus Tips:
PS: These headline formulas also goes great for your landing page creations so keep coming back to these…
Headline examples that works:
1. Transform your sales team into a revenue-generating Machine
2. Competitive intelligence for busy marketers
3. We help you discover and create stories that drive leads and grow you business
4. We help non-profits get more out of online fundraising
5. Get more leads from your website, starting now
6. Turn social engagement into new customers.
7. Easily promote yourself with every email you send.
8. Make your retailers better marketers.
9. Build, publish & A/B test landing pages without I.T
10. Everyone can now take a phone call and link it to the online visitor.
11. Stop prospecting. We’ll do it for you.
12. Tired of Lousy service? Angie’s list makes it easy to get the best local service.
Their formula for you to create your own:
1. (Transform your (existing asset) into (known desired result))
2. (Desired end result for (avatar))
3. (We help you (featured action) that (achieved desired end result))
4. (We help (market / company-type) get more out of (known painful action)
5. (Get more (desired result) from your (existing asset) starting now.))
6. (Turn (something they have or something that it easy to get) into (known desired end result))
7. (Easily (end result) with (feature/that thing you are already doing).
8. ( Make your (consistent group) better / better at (meaningful core skill/benefit))
9. ((Accomplish desired end result) without (known roadblock)
10. (Everyone can now (something simple) and (accomplish desired end result)
11. (Stop (known pain point). We’ll do it for you)
12. (Tired of (known pain point)? (Product name) makes it easy to (overcome pain)
Congratulations!
Now you are fully ready to start building your own website homepage. However if you still have any questions please reach out to us, we will gladly help you.
Also if you think this is too much and you prefer Caroline to help you, she do offer a special package for you as our member, to create your basic website for you, so you do not have to hassle any longer and just get it done.
If you are interested in this package then just send us an email and we give you more details around this matter.
Write me an email directly to hear more about the Hassle-free-Website-Package: davide-caroline@authenticlaptoplifestyle.com
Create a YouTube Ad
We currently have 6 different YouTube adverts that we split test. But the one below, is the winner by a long way. We will continue to keep shooting new ads to try and beat this one. For now, it’s the one producing great results.
You are welcome to write a similar script to this, however please understand, that if you copy, Google Ads will more than likely ban you for good. Which means you won’t be able to use YouTube advertising. They are incredibly strict on duplicated content.
The most important part to your business at the SFM is going to be your advert. This is what will attract your customers in the front end, and it should be your top priority in the beginning. If you have a great ad, every other part of your business can be average and you can still get great success and earn a good income from it.
Tips on how to start writing your own script
First of all you must have done your avatar exercises that you got through the SFM modules. Not knowing who you are serving and who you speak to in your ad is the single biggest mistake you can make. Let’s repeat: “If you market to everyone – you market to noone”. Remember that phrase. So make sure you know the painpoints and the desires ecc of your customer avatar fully before you start writing your script.
Avatar questions you must know the answers too
- What is your costumer avatar looking for?
- What is the problem that your audience is having?
- What does your costumer avatar want?
- What does your potential costumer hate?
- How does your offer solve their problem?
Use this guideline
We say guideline for a reason! This is not a rule or a must to follow this outline, we have had successful video ads with or without this set-up and you will test and see what works for you. but it is an amazing start when you don’t know and you havn’t done any advertising ever yet, then we highly suggest you to follow this set-up or structure of your video ad.
Short Script 1 – 1.5 min
Long script 2 – 5 min
The sections explained:
Hook:
The hook needs to be exiting and straight to the point of what people are searching for or what they want.
Examples:
“In this video i”m going to talk about how anyone can start an online business from home so you can finally stop trading your time for money”
“In this video you will see how it’s possible to get six pack abs without training for hours and hours a week”
The Big Promise:
How what you are offering will solve their problem?
Formula:
“How to get (The results that they want) In a specific timeframe (if possible) without (the things they hate) using a new opportunity”
Call To Action:
Short and straight to the point. People like to get told what to do next. Example: “Click here”.
Tell them what they are going to get if they act specifically. How will that help them solve their problem… Promise?
Example:
Click the “learn more button” in this video to register to the free video series where you will learn everything you need to know around earning money from home leveraging the internet.
Story:
If relevant to the avatar and they can relate, then tell your story. Speak to the before state, what you did to overcome that situation and now how you have found the right way for you. BE AUTHENTIC. ***Do not say things which is not true *** This is crucial.
Remember: People buy from YOU, so speak from the heart and your avatar will connect to you and your story.
Benefits:
In this section try to highlight how you costumer will feel or what they will have AFTER they recieved or get the benefit from the program or the offer you are giving. Do not just tell a lot of benefits or features. but instead relate them to a desired end result.
Example:
“Learn how to build a website” VERSUS “Build a business online and start living life on your terms”
Helpful Tools
Your advert is the most important part of your business. We chose to advertise on Youtube as our target audience is on youtube. Right below are the programs we have used to get up and running with YouTube (Google Ads) within the SFM. Further below are the tools and programs we have used to edit the advert.
All-In-Member
It isn’t advised to advertise on YouTube, unless you are minimum at Silver Level, due to the ROI you get through your commissions.
However if you choose to, check out Dan Holloways Facebook Page – Scrap the 9 to 5.
In the files section of the Facebook Group is Youtube Training.
This will teach you all the basics to get up and running.
Silver Member
Again, Check out Dan Holloways Facebook Page For Youtube Training.
But as well go through your 8-week lift off challenge which will get you up and running step by step with all the guidance you need from the calls, webinars and mentors.
This 8-week guided challenge did not exist when we got started so we highly envy you, as this will let you start off your business right of the patch!
Go smash it :)
Gold or Platinium
Check out all of the Silver and all-in-member trainings.
A Business is an extension of who you are so the Incubate training and class will surely give you clarity of who you serve and why you serve them
Take advantage of the library of training and certificates which are insanely valuable and have helped us MASSIVELY in our business.
Make sure to also join the weekly Marketing webinars and have 1-1 calls every couple of weeks with your coach.
What tools we use for filming the Ad
We have recorded all our Video Adverts with our Iphone X. You really don’t need much more than that to film a good ad. Make sure you film landscape with good lighting and don’t have to many distractions in the background. You want people to be paying attention to you, not people wandering down the beach behind you…
If you want to get more technical, we now use the equipment below to help sound, lighting and ease with a tripod. Rather than resting the phone on boxes and pillows! But none of this is essential. (these are all products we have and use on a regular basis, so we can say with an open heart they are super good and useful!)
Bonus tip *** We use a teleprompter app on our Iphone when shooting, this way we can read the script while we shoot it all in 1 go instead of start and stopping 100 times to remember what we want to say. this will help you lots!! The one we use is called Prompt Smart Pro and you can download it in your appstore.
Tripod and Holder
Microphones
Lightning
Note*** All links above are affiliate links, if you do choose to purchase we will get a small commission on the purchase however it does not affect your price. We want to show full transparency in our business. However do not feel you have to get the same items as we have. There are many great products that w ill do the same job and some might be cheaper as well. We just want to show the Products we have had great success working with.
To Edit the Ad/Video
Editing
Caroline simply uses iMovie. Its quite limited but for a simple edit it does the trick. If you are using a Mac it’s free to use.
Davide use DaVinci Resolve (By Black Magic) which is only recommended for super tekkie people or a person like Davide with so much passion for photography and video editing, he simply loves it.
If you have a Windows computer then we recommend using FilmOra. Ruud in the SFM Community does many tutorials for this program so check them out to learn how to use this program.
B-Roles
It’s nice to add other videos on top of your ad to spice it up ad connect the visual picture with what you are saying. If you are talking about being stuck in traffic, show traffic etc. If you have your own content, that is always best. You can find free b-roll videos on pexels.
If you want a better quality we have been using Shutterstock and still use it today for our clients website ecc. They have great pictures and videos to use but there is a monthly fee. (1 month free with 10 downloads)
Music
Music is not essential to an ad. Most of our Ads do not have music. However a few does better with music so its always worth testing what works best in your case. Remeber to check for copywriting!!! Otherwise your ad will be banned.
We usually download free music either through Youtube library or Soundcloud however there are many free websites out there for soft emotional background music.
Subtitles
We can’t express enough how important subtitles are in a video. We saw a stat the other day that 75% of people watch videos with the sound off. Crazy we know! So make sure to add subtitles. If you go to happyscribe using our referral link below, you will get 60 min free subtitles.
Happyscribe is super fast and very accurate and we are happy to use them both for our videos and for our clients videos.
Understanding The Funnel
Understanding the funnel and understanding how to get people through it, is one of the most crucial things when starting out. This is going to be your own little pond of wealth and it is super exiting to understand this funnel in depth so you know what you must do on each step and as well understand how to guide and help your clients and essentially earn your commissions in the backend.
When you joined the SFM through us, the journey would have been very similar to this. It’s the standard process of any potential customer when advertising on Youtube. Pictures speak a 1000 words 🙂
The best part about all of this. Once you have created each part, everything will flow Automatically 24/7.
Your SFM Funnel:
Build A Landingpage
The second most important part of advertising is your landing page. It is slightly different from a squizepage or a salespage which usually is a longer page with much more information. This is needed if the offer you are selling is a direct sale OR if the offer commitment is bigger and needs more supporting information to let the person opt. in. In our case offering SFM, we are giving away a Free Video series and therefore the Landing page is much more simpel but don’t underestimate the power of this page!
The Landingpage is were people will land after watching your advert and this is the crucial point where you want to get their name and email address. Having a good conversion rate on this page is crucial to get a good cost per lead. We recommend split testing landing pages constantly to keep on improving your conversion rate.
These are the Landing Pages we are split testing at the moment
Caroline is split testing only the colour at the moment. When split testing always change 1 thing at a time, find a winner and then continue from there with a new split test. It is very easy to create a Split test if you are using Convetri. More on this software in the Convertri section. These pages underneath are not WordPress pages but instead Convertri pages. Right now this version is converting at 27 %
Davide is split testing The headline at the moment. Right now this version is converting at 26 %
Our landing pages are all build in Convertri. This is a software which you can read more about in the tab for Convertri. You might have it included in your bundle if you have purchased that with SFM – if so great! Check out your backoffice where you will have access. But if not, then use this link to get access to your own Convertri. Its quite costly, but so worth it if you are in this for real! :)
When creating your landing page the most important is to have a headline, maybe a subheadline, a picture or a video and a box where people can leave their mail and email address BEFORE HAVING TO SCROLL.
This is crucial. If you are on mobile version all this information has to be within 3 fingerscrolls.
Underneath these items you can have some text or pictures explaining what the person will receive and how the information can help them moving forward. You can choose different technics: Scarcity, curiosity, moving away from something your avatar hates or moving toward something they cannot live without.
Again Be AUTHENTIC, write only things which you believe in and which are 100 % true.
It is great to write it in bulletpoint form cause your customer wants to have a quick overview of what they get and either opt in or leave the page again.
*** OBS*** Make sure to have a footer with your disclaimers and legal information otherwise google will ban you from advertising. Also this gives trust to your customer in case they want to check out your website they have access to it there. Just leave the link in the footer.
Our footer on our landing page is very simpel, and looks like this:
Build A Thank You Page
A Thank You Page is the most overseen opportunity to really make a great connection with your avatar!
Make sure to use it to your advantage. It’s a chance to either introduce Stuart or tell a story about yourself to really build up more of a relationship with your potential customer.
We highly recommend that you create a video and pop it into your thank you page. Follow this structure as a guideline, but feel free to create your own version.. Below is our current thank you page videos for inspiration:
Thank You Page Video Structure
Caroline’s Thank you page video
Davide’s Thank you page video
On our thank you page we usually give access directly to the video series, as well as sending them to the email Inbox. We give both options because if a person is very keen and want to watch the video right away they have the possibility. It is a good way to give people instant gratification since we do live in a world where we are used to get what we want within seconds.
Our Thank You Pages are all build in Convertri. This is a software which you can read more about in the tab for Convertri. You might have it included in your bundle if you have purchased that with SFM – if so great! Check out your backoffice where you will have access. But if not, then use this link to get access to your own Convertri. Its quite costly, but so worth it if you are in this for real! :)
Create Automated Emails
If you have completed module 4 then you will have set up an email list with Aweber, sending your leads to an email list is crucial. Stuart takes you through setting up Aweber and importing the free video series in the start-up modules in your SFM Dashboard backoffice.
If by any change you did not setup your Aweber account yet, then use this link here to create your FREE account and start using it. If you need additional guidance with how to connect your Aweber with your opt in form then come out for our Bi-Weekly Webinar or send us a message and we will be with you to help. (Aweber themselves also has an outstanding chatsupport ready to help you 24/7 in case its urgent)
We have stuck with Aweber because it’s very well priced, simple to use and they have a great support team. In the future we may look at a different email follow up service, but for now Aweber is the best to use in our opinion.
We will update this if/when we find something better.
When getting leads, they will appear in your Aweber account. If you have set up for them to receive the free video series with Stuart then you want to make sure that the ‘open rates’ rates on the emails you are sending them are high.
We have been testing different headlines each month to try and increase the open rates. See below the open rates you want to be aiming to achieve.
It’s important that as many people as possible open the first email. After that you will want to get between 20-30%. That is a sweet spot to lay in.
We have 2 lists on Aweber, 1 for leads and 1 for members. We send out 5 emails the first 3 days and after that we send 1 email daily for the next 1 month. After this we broadcast 3 times a week to our list. It sound like a lot, but its super easy and actually a lot of fun, to connect with people who are resonating with your story and want to learn from you.
Want to Try Aweber FOR FREE?
By using our referral link you can now get your own Aweber account FOR FREE up to 500 subscribers! How awesome is that? That mean you do not pay as long as you have less than 500 subscribers. Once you hit more than 500 Subscribers/ leads in your business you will start a monthly subscription priced at 16,15 Dollars. Cancel any time.
How To Read The Numbers In YouTube
Once you start advertising on google-ads, you’ll want to know if the stats that you are getting are good enough to be profitable. The stats below are profitable in our business. So use this as something to aim towards, again, this is just taken off a month in our business. But it gives you an idea of what to work towards.
If your lead cost is coming in too high, you’ll need to re-do your ad (trust us keep shooting new ads is what will make or break your business). If you are getting loads of clicks but not conversions, your landing page isn’t good enough.
That is why it is crucial to know your numbers so you know which part of your funnel isn’t working to its maximum.
It took us a while to get results like this, so please don’t think it will all come over night.
As mentioned before, your ad is the most important part of your business. Once you get it right, you’re laughing!
Enjoy!
Which numbers to look for and what they mean
Impressions
The amount of people the ad is shown to, people may choose to skip the ad, which ‘most’ of the time means you won’t pay for it.
Views
The amount of people who have viewed your ad, you will pay for each view. As mentioned above the average view cost is 0.04p
View Rate
You want your view rate to be between 11-24% ideally. You want to show your ad to people who are interested only. First 10 seconds of your ad are crucial.
Clicks
This is the amount of people who have wathed your ad and decided to click and find out more. They will then be taken to your landing page/website
Conversions
These are your new leads, very important to have a ‘Click to Conversion’ rate of minimum 25%, ideally higher. So one in every 4 clicks converts to a lead.
Cost Per Conversion
Most important part of your business to keep it profiable is to have a low cost per lead, which converts back end. You Ideally want a maximum of $5 a lead
Convertri Explained
What is convertri?
It’s a high speed loading site (software), where you can build Landing pages, Thank you pages, and its EASY like h… Basically your funnel and pages load in some cases under 1 second.
Having a page loading time that takes too long can massively affect conversion rates. So you may have heard of quite a few affiliates who use Convertri. Ourselves included. We couldn’t live without Convertri now, creating splittest, funnel after funnel and as well building marketing funnels for our clients in our Advertising Business which we do sideways with earning money through SFM.
However…
Should you get Convertri?
Our personal advice, you should only consider looking at purchasing Convertri if you are getting results. This tool/software is used to help optimise results, so we wouldn’t recommend spending the money on it until you are already making money off your business. We didn’t purchase it until about 6 months into SFM. You can absolutely still get great results without it.
The reason for this, is it is expensive! At around $53 a month or so. There are discounts available if you pay a year in advance so if it’s something you are looking to invest it, check out this link and see what offers are available at this time.
Also if you choose to go on with The Ultimate Start-Up Package (check picture underneeth) with SFM then you will get full access to Convertri INCLUDED into your bundle prize.
If you are in this for the long run and know this is the way to become financial free and give you more freedom to finally live life, then we would go all in and choose one of the packages that SFM offers. (Silver, Gold or Platinium) Check this link to read more about all the packages
