Client Magnets Official Blog

Archive for the ‘Email Marketing’ Category

The thank you page is one of the most overlooked places of real estate on the web.

That quote, from one of my mentors, Yanik Silver, speaks volumes. There is so much opportunity to promote more business and further your relationship with a new client on your thank-you page.

That client has just indicated that they trust you by opting in to your offer. Signing up to your list is a sign that they want to hear more from you.   Don’t let them leave wanting; offer them even more before they click off your thank-you page.

When developing your thank you page, think about what you can do to increase your client’s involvement. Marketing research has shown that the more people are involved, the more likely they are to buy – again.

That’s one reason companies hand out scratch-off cards with prizes or discounts hidden beneath the ink. It’s called an involvement device. When someone physically has to do something, it increases their involvement, which increases response and increases conversion.

The content on your thank you page needs to be relevant to your target market. Think about what you want them to do next, where you want them redirected to, and if there’s an opportunity to make them another offer.

There are several key ways you can accomplish this.

•    Make another offer. While letting the client know you’re glad they signed up, also let them know about another offering. Make a special offer. Offer a special prize or a special bonus that new clients will receive, but only if they sign up there and then.   Remember to use language that encourages action.  For example, “This is the only time you will see this offer. It’s for new subscribers only and you won’t have access to it again.”

•    Ask for more information. Once a new prospect joins your list, ask them to describe their biggest problem. You can then direct them to other offers you may have to help with the problem, or develop that new offering if you don’t have one.

•     Create a “tell a friend” campaign. Invite people to tell three friends about your offering in exchange for a special bonus. “Congratulations. Your place on the call is reserved. But just before we continue I would like to offer you this free gift……..”

Everyone who opts in helps you spread the word to other people. This will make a massive difference to your opt-ins and really help to increase your list. You can automate this process using Viral Friend Generator software.

When saying “thank you”, the key is to include only one of these options on your page. Either attempt an additional sale by making another offer, ask new clients for more information, or create a tell-a-friend page.

Any one of these options added to your thank-you page will start increasing your sales immediately.

Bernadette Doyle specializes in helping entrepreneurs attract a steady stream of ideal clients. If you want to get clients calling you instead of you calling them, sign up for her free weekly e-zine at http://www.clientmagnets.com

What is your definition of opportunity?

Imagine that it’s a typical week for your website – the one that you have planned, designed, to which you have driven traffic, and through which you have made booking and registrations possible. Let’s assume that during a given week, 100 visitors cross into the realm of your site; 2 of them make the decision to purchase; however 98 of them leave without investing in your product.

What number captures your attention in the above example? Is it the 2 buyers? Will you wait for another 2 buyers next week? Will you count on luck, or “spray and pray” to deliver a sprinkling of voluntary customers next month, and next year?

Or, do you view the 98 departees as 98 new opportunities for sales?

In truth, your best profit potential lies in the 98 visitors who chose not to buy. If you plan well, after they leave, you will have 98 names and addresses that can lead to potential sales. All you need to do is have a plan for following them up. Just think – if you can get even 2 of those 98 to say “yes,” you have converted a larger percentage than you did with your sales page alone.

Here are some points to show why you should be following up:

• When you follow up with website visitors, you are targeting prospects who have already expressed an interest in your product. They clicked, which means, at the very least, that they are curious. For my regular readers, you know that this means you have gathered an audience of people with “raised hands.”

• Targeted follow-up correspondence answers questions that many of your visitors are not willing to ask (and many people have the same types of questions). Every time you answer a question, you take the opportunity to dispel an objection or a fear.

• Follow-up breeds interaction, which begs conversation. Think of your follow-up e-mails, postcards, and teleseminars as ice-breakers in a conversation that everyone wants to have, but no one knows how to broach.

• Marketing research doesn’t lie. It tells us that more follow-ups equal more conversions. Stay relevant in the minds of your prospects, and you’ll be the first person they turn to when a problem arises.

• Follow-up is a circular phenomenon. It gives you the information you need to devise better methods of follow-up. When questions are posed, and objections voiced, you are given valuable insight into the minds of prospective clients. With this information, you can plant more seeds and dispel more fears.

• Follow-up contact is an invaluable vehicle for conveying the idea of urgency. If a conference is set to take place 6 months from now, people will put off registration. But, if you can communicate a special offer through follow-up correspondence, you will light the fire to sign up. Often, discount deadlines and space limitations work well.

To increase conversions and increase your sales, it’s absolutely necessary you follow-up with all your prospects – even the prospects that don’t buy from you. You cannot follow up too often – you just need to vary your medium to keep your prospect engaged.

Don’t hesitate to use the invaluable follow-up for attracting and retaining clients. Leading prospects to your door is never enough – you must give them the incentives to revisit, and to invest.

Bernadette Doyle specializes in helping entrepreneurs attract a steady stream of ideal clients. If you want to get clients calling you instead of you calling them, sign up for her free weekly e-zine at http://www.clientmagnets.com

When it comes to marketing, every single thing that you do to generate leads should have a purpose. Without a purpose, you can end up with an advertising blitz campaign that saturates the market but doesn’t have any real direction.

And where does something without direction end up going? Nowhere.

We call this “spray-and-pray” marketing – advertising your business anywhere and everywhere, hoping that people will notice you, praying your hard work pays off.

You’ll do a ton of things because you think you need to be doing them. You’ll get on Facebook. You’ll start to Twitter. You might host a teleseminar or write some articles. Don’t get me wrong. These can all be very good leads for your business, but if you don’t know why you’re doing them, they are just busy, random activities. Unless they are consciously linked to your end point, they will simply exhaust you and your physical resources, like your energy and time. Some of them will exhaust your money as well because they cost money to apply.

Be more intentional with your marketing techniques to avoid becoming frustrated by the amount of time you’re spending on lead generation. Instead, your time will be well spent because your marketing is on purpose. What you really want is to be engaging with your clients in your specialty, and that is where intentional marketing will lead you.

But, if do you reach a point of being overwhelmed or disillusioned, where you’re putting out a lot of energy but aren’t getting the returns, don’t be discouraged.

Do not give up. That would be a tremendous waste of your talent.

Part of my own purpose is to support and encourage you to pursue your own path. I know it’s easy to get discouraged if things haven’t been working out the way you’d imagined. Don’t blame yourself, and don’t assume that what you are offering has no value because you haven’t been able to get people to buy it. That would be a critical mistake.

What you are offering to clients absolutely does have value. You may just be missing one or two of pieces on how to promote it. It’s time to tweak your approach and get focused. A tweak or two could be all you need to make your approach more intentional, to turn things around and help you start attracting the clients you want.

You will probably find that you don’t need a major overhaul in your business, and that some of the approaches you are using do work quite well. It’s not about giving up on what you’re doing, throwing it all out, and saying that it was all a terrible waste of time. It’s not about throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

It’s about evaluating where you are and looking closely at where you want to be.

There are almost certainly pieces of what you’re doing that are working. But, that spray-and-pray part of marketing is just not smart marketing. And if you have been doing that, at least you’ve been taking action. If you look on the positive side, you’ve been doing something. It may not have been the most effective thing, but you are working, trying and doing the best you can.

Now you know that you need to be more deliberate, more purposeful. And you now know it’s time for you to address your business and your marketing with intent.

Bernadette Doyle specializes in helping entrepreneurs attract a steady stream of ideal clients. If you want to get clients calling you instead of you calling them, sign up for her free weekly e-zine at http://www.clientmagnets.com

What comes to mind when you see that the majority of your sales page visitors have left without purchasing?  You may choose from two schools of thought: you may consider them to be lost to the click-away, or you may consider them to be interested prospects that simply need to be followed up with.

Everytime a prospect visits your website – whether they purchase from your or not -  is an opportunity to increase your revenue and grow your business.   The key is in following up with each and every visitor.  But how can you do that?

You must first capture the information necessary for following up, and then you need to implement a plan that makes meaningful, targeted contact.

Your squeeze page, or opt-in page, is an invaluable tool for gathering contact information from your website visitors.  You can’t follow up with people unless you have the information necessary for doing so.    The best way to collect names, addresses, and other data is to make it a prerequisite to entering your site.  On your opt-in page, you ask for their details.  This information will then be used by you for following up with buyers and non-buyers in one or more of the following ways:

• E-mail Follows Ups. Your first contact with website visitors should be immediately after they register their details – a sort of “welcome to the club” message.  Autoresponder programs are more readily available, and less costly, than ever – and are the easiest way to accomplish e-mail follow ups.  You can try to orchestrate follow-up emails on your own, but it won’t be long before you find yourself buried under the weight of this task.

E-mail follow-ups shouldn’t stop after initial contact.  In fact, you should use your email list to stay in contact, to gather questions, to respond to feedback, and to stay relevant in the minds of interested parties.

• Snail Mail Follow-Ups. Standard mail is still relevant.  In fact, it can be a valuable tool for “switching things up.”  When a prospect finds you via the internet, and then receives a postcard with valuable information in their mailbox, you instantly establish yourself as a well-rounded and versatile business person.

Services are available, much like those of autoresponder companies, that can do this for you.  Traditional mail can be a great tool for driving traffic back to your sales page.

• The Teleseminar. In your chosen follow-up method, make the offer of free participation in a teleseminar.  This will give prospects the opportunity to hear your voice, ask questions, and to voice concerns.  The dynamic that occurs when you speak to a number of people at once is one that can electrify the transfer of information.  Additionally, you can use your teleseminar to make special offers to your listeners  – a limited-time offer, for instance, or an offer that’s only available to teleconference attendees.

Don’t fall into repetitive sales tactics.  Mix it up – send a welcome e-mail, then a special offer postcard, then an invitation to an exclusive teleseminar – keep them guessing.  No matter your follow-up plan, ensure that you gather all of the information necessary to facilitate it when your website visitors register their details.  You can’t send postcards without physical addresses, and you can’t send e-mails without e-mail addresses.

Use your site visitor statistics to your advantage.  Don’t view those who walk away as failures in conversion, but rather, as opportunities to follow up and build your turn-over numbers, and your business.

Bernadette Doyle is a marketing specialist who helps entrepreneurs become client magnets and attract a steady stream of their ideal clients. She publishes a free, weekly newsletter. If you’d like to receive invaluable tips and advice on how to attract clients with ease, register at http://www.clientmagnets.com

There’s little point in driving people to your website if you’re not able to capture their business once they get there. So, before you try to draw the crowd, make sure the fundamentals are in place.

There are three foundational things that you need in place before you try to get your business name in front of potential clients.

•    A List Manager.

Because I didn’t have a list manager when I first started, I had to manually send out the free report I had offered to a hundred people. You don’t want to do that. A list manager is your database – the place where you store all the names you’re going to collect – and it enables you to handle the “subscribes” and “unsubscribes” automatically. You don’t have to spend any time on it, or hire an assistant to do it.

Some examples of list managers are 1ShoppingCart.com, Total Business Cart, Constant Contact and  AWeber.

•    An Ethical Bribe

What are you offering that is interesting and enticing to the clients you want? You need to present something so tempting that people will be eager to hand over their name, their email address, possibly even their mailing address.

Consider using a free report, a teleseminar, or an audio. These can all work very well in helping to build your list. If you don’t think you have enough expertise, consider interviewing an expert, and use that as your giveaway.

Spend some time thinking about what that enticement is going to be. Make sure your offer is congruent with the people you want to attract. What will have those clients flocking to you?

For example, high-end marketing clients probably won’t be interested in a program titled “Marketing on a Shoestring.” Psychologically, you’re going to attract the cheapskates with that title, when what you really want are the money people. So make sure your pitch fits the people you’re pitching to.

•    A Squeeze Page

It used to be enough to have a box on your website that says, “Sign up here for our free newsletter.” These days, you will find that less than 10% of people who visit the page actually sign up.

A squeeze page is a standalone page that has one goal – to get people to join your list.

For example, use a squeeze page to promote a teleseminar. That page will contain the teleseminar topic, the details about the teleseminar, and a box where people can sign up. There is no navigation bar leading to another section of the website. There is no other information.

Here’s an example of one of my squeeze pages:
www.clientmagnets.com/steppingup

I’ve found that about 70% of visitors say yes, compared to the 10% who click on that box somewhere in the corner of your website. This is where you will capture the person’s details.

Once you have these fundamentals in place, you can begin to focus on the promotional things you need to drive traffic to your site.

Bernadette Doyle specializes in helping entrepreneurs attract a steady stream of ideal clients. If you want to get clients calling you instead of you calling them, sign up for her free weekly e-zine at http://www.clientmagnets.com

Many people go out of business because they have failed to align their product with what the market demands – and with what their inner selves demand.

Many times, businesses need to endure a breakdown before a breakthrough can be felt.   Sometimes, the bad times are the only times that spur the need for positive change.  In other words, even if you’re struggling with simply “making it,” there’s plenty of hope.

I know you want an endless supply of customers – a flow that’s as intense as you’re willing to handle.  But there’s an important element to consider before moving forward.  You must ensure that any success you’ve experienced to this point isn’t just a symptom of luck. I like to say that even a broken clock shows the right time twice a day.  If you glance at the clock randomly, there’s a chance you might get the right time.  And if you do, you might be fooled into thinking the clock is working.  But it’s not.

You have to make sure that people are coming to you because of the one-of-a-kind value you’ve offered them, not because they’ve stumbled upon you.

There’s no denying that you have a treasure trove of valuables to offer.  You have gifts, talents, and abilities that are guiding you toward your perfect mission.  You know there are people out there that would greatly benefit from what you have to offer.  But when you can’t find those people, or they can’t find you, it can be a painful disappointment.  Because your venture really is your calling, right?  Or isn’t it?

Every business owner has a calling, and to truly find success in that calling, that business owner needs to be assured that their distinctive abilities are made apparent by that business.

Often, your attempts at furthering your business aren’t the problem.  Instead, it might be that you have missed something that’s fundamental to attracting clients:  finding that one thing that only you can offer, and that consumers are looking for.

If you are passionate about something, and it happens to also be a God-given gift, then somewhere in the world, there is a demand for that service.  God isn’t wasteful.  He wouldn’t give you something and not create an equal and opposite need for it.

Your challenge is to find the channel through which you can deliver your true value to those who need it.  Frederick Buechner defines vocation as the place where passion meets the world’s greatest hunger.  This is a beautiful statement.  It reinforces the idea that we’re all here to do something or be someone.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t tell us how to make the connection, or how to keep ourselves in business.

To get a better grasp on this channel, take the time to reflect on you.  You are a vehicle for delivering the gifts that the world is waiting for.  Put your gifts in writing, and assess them.  Then ask yourself these questions:

• How do my gifts complement one another?

• How can my talents be combined to create something unlike anything the world has ever seen?

• Does that combination meet a need?

• If not, can I find a legitimate need?

• Or do I need to find a new and different recipe for those gifts, based on a need I know I can satisfy?

Carving out your vocation using the talent and need factors will go miles to pull your business through adversity.  In times of adversity, luck is nowhere to be found…but true value never dwindles.

If, after true introspection, you still believe that you are where you need to be, and the consumers just aren’t coming, stay with me.  There are secrets yet to be revealed that might affect your view, and your success, in a manner that you haven’t yet considered.

Bernadette Doyle created Client Magnets Ltd to help self-employed people solve one of their biggest business problems: attract a steady stream of clients. If you want to get clients calling you instead of you calling them, sign up for her free weekly e-zine at http://www.clientmagnets.com

Most people buy what they want, not what they need. Take for example, the new I-Pad that Apple recently rolled out, or the Barnes & Noble electronic reader, the Nook. Nobody really needs these things, but people certainly do want them.   When you create a product, the number one step is to find out what your market really wants, not what you think they need.

If you have an intuitive sense about your market; if you think you have an innate “feel” for what the people you are trying to reach really want, follow your instincts and your heart. This is what I call heart-based marketing.

Heart-based marketing relies more on your observations and feelings, rather than on market research analysis or consumer surveys. By simply paying careful attention to the people around you, listening to their conversations, comments and complaints, you can uncover the results they are really looking for in their business.

In other words, create your products by putting yourself in the shoes of your target prospects. Ask yourself the same questions they ask themselves, so that you can create a product that delivers the answers.

Don’t underestimate the importance of this. For example, someone who is a coach might develop a product designed to give clients more balance in their lives. While “balance” may well be what his clients need, it isn’t necessarily the thing they want. It’s the coach’s perception of what they want. And if the coach develops and markets the product from his perception, clients aren’t going to want to buy it.

Think the same way your clients think. In the example of the coach, clients are not looking for a tool to give them balance. They are looking for more time, less stress, and more quality interaction with their family. There is a subtle, but significant, difference between what the coaching tool provides and what the clients say they want. The product or tool needs to offer a solution that clearly will give clients more time, less stress. In the long run, they will achieve balance, but that is not the thing they want.

Listening to clients with your heart will increase your opportunities to develop successful products.  Focus on what clients actually say they want, then highlight those wants when you create and market your product.

Staying open-minded, tuning into your target market, and really listening is the heart-based approach to identifying what your clients really want.

When you’ve discovered that very thing your prospect really wants – move on to providing and delivering it to them.  You’ll not only have a very happy customer, you’ll have a very healthy bank account!

Bernadette Doyle specializes in helping entrepreneurs attract a steady stream of ideal clients. If you want to get clients calling you instead of you calling them, then sign up for her free weekly e-zine at http://www.clientmagnets.com

Wouldn’t your clients just love for you to be ready and available to them?  To always be there to provide the solution to their problems?

By productizing your services, you can give more of your customers more of what they want.   In addition to that, creating products will create a significant increase in your revenue.

When creating your product, one question you need to ask is what format you will create your product in?  What delivery method will best be suited to your customers?  Would a digital e-book or hard copy book be best? What about downloadable recordings or a physically delivered DVD? What’s the difference? Which is better?

Both offer benefits, both have some downsides. For either one, the pros far outweigh the cons.  Use the following pros and cons analysis to determine which format is best for your product.

Digital Products
Examples: ebooks, downloadable recordings

The Pros:

A digital product can be created relatively quickly and inexpensively. Rapid product creation is how you will make money quickly.

Digital products offer instant gratification.  Customers looking to alleviate pain. Customers who want to lose weight. Customers who want to make a good business presentation. What do they all have in common?  They all want instant results. You can provide your services when your customers want.

The fulfillment of the order is easy for you.. Money can literally go into your account overnight, while you’re sleeping, and your client or customer has already received their product. There is software available that makes this process automatic.

You can always create a physical version of your digital product later.

The Cons:

There is a possibility that your client may read the information, store it somewhere on their computer and never go back to it again. This could lower your product consumption.  If customers aren’t fully utilizing your product, you will receive fewer testimonials and satisfied customers.

Without a visible product to remind them of you, customers may not come back.

It is obviously much easier for people to return a digital product. They don’t have to pack anything up and put it in the post. It takes just a couple of minutes online to send back a product, maybe without even giving it a fair try.

Physical Products
Examples: hard copy books, DVDs

The Pros:

Some markets will only buy a physical product – they want something to have and to hold.

A physical product gives customers something tangible, therefore the perceived value of a physical product is higher.  In turn you can charge more!

Your physical product offers built-in follow-up for you. When your product is sitting out on your client’s desk or shelf, they are subconsciously reminded of you. This is a good way to continue your relationship without any extra effort.

A physical product increases your potential for exposure.

A physical product is more difficult for a customer to return. They have to physically take action.

The Cons:

Developing a physical product is much more complex than a digital one. It can take a longer period of time to create a physical product.

Because developing a physical product can take a long time, you’re not making any revenue while it is in the developmental stage.

Often, physical products are created in multiple formats. You might offer a combination of audio, video, and written material. This may require you to consult with experts in these areas, requiring additional time and money.

The cost to actually create a physical product is higher. You have to factor in design work, printing costs and shipping.

When making your decision to create physical or digital products, weigh all of these pros and cons. One option may work better for your individual business or for your personality, than the other. Over time, you may decide to incorporate both digital and physical products in your offering.

You can be certain of one thing. Either is bound to create additional revenue for your business.

Bernadette Doyle is a marketing specialist who helps entrepreneurs become client magnets and attract a steady stream of their ideal clients. If you’d like to receive invaluable tips and advice on how to attract clients with ease, register at http://www.clientmagnets.com

If your aim is to develop products that your clients will buy without hesitation, you need to know the secrets behind what makes a product successful.

There are several key factors you need to take into consideration in order to come up with a great product. Following these steps will give you the tools you need to get started on creating your product.

Step One

Find out what your market wants.
There are a number of things that you can do to make sure there’s a market who wants to buy your product before you invest any time in creation. People buy what they want, not what you think they need. Use both your head and your heart to find out what that want is. Set aside your own preconceptions. Don’t predetermine. Listen and pay attention to what your target market is saying or complaining about. Put yourself in their shoes. Do surveys. Make phone calls.

Step Two

Once you’ve figured out what your clients want, give it to them.
Focus on finding the “hook”. Understand what miracle cure your clients are wishing for and make it the top line headline about your particular product. The closer you can present your solution to that miracle cure, the better. You really need to spend some time on this. Write it down as a question to help prompt your subconscious mind to come up with the answer.

Step Three

Organize your content.
Brainstorm all of the things that your end user is going to need to get the results that you are promising to deliver. When mapping out the components of what your product will deliver, think first about what you’re going to cover rather than how you’re going to cover it.

Make an outline with all of the things that this particular product will cover. You do not need to include everything you know about a topic. This will just delay your product creation. Include content to help your clients get the results they want.

Tip:  You don’t need to create your product in the order that you’re going to deliver it. Create it in a way that you can get it done quickly. Starting with the areas that are easiest for you will greatly aid you in creating your product rapidly.

Step Four

Decide on the format you need to follow.
There should be a logical congruency between the “hook” and the format your product takes. For example, if your hook says “instant,” but your product is a 6-month-long course, that’s not consistent.

You also need to decide whether your product format will be physical or digital, or both. Base this on what makes the most sense for your market. Answer the questions: What is most appealing to this market? What fits in best with the product? What fits in best with the solution?

Step Five

Figure out what you are going to charge.
Set your price based on the value your product delivers to the end user, not the cost of creating the product. Don’t determine your expenses and then markup the product from there. Price according to the problem you’re solving. The question you need to ask is “What is it worth to clients to solve this problem?”

Step Six

Think about the design of your product.
Be careful how much time you spend in this. Yes, design is important. People do judge books by their covers. But there’s a point where the amount of time you spend on it is diminishing your return. Ultimately, ask yourself “How much more am I really going to sell by spending this extra time on design?”

Following these steps in this order will ensure that you develop a product that is effective and efficient, for your market and for your business.

Bernadette Doyle is a marketing specialist who helps entrepreneurs become client magnets and attract a steady stream of their ideal clients. If you’d like to receive invaluable tips and advice on how to attract clients with ease, register at http://www.clientmagnets.com

You know that you have a great product that will really have a positive impact on your market. It will fulfill their most urgent needs quickly and effectively, if only they would just try it.

There are ways that you can encourage potential buyers to purchase your product…

TIP 1:  Offer A Free Sample Of Your Product

When introducing your new product to potential clients, consider offering a component of it for free. Give customers a glimpse of what they’re missing out on with your free offer.

The key is offering a glimpse.  Don’t give away too much. If you give away too much in the first instance you may find potential clients settling for the free component.  That is not going to benefit them or you.

Consider sharing your free offering for a limited time. Be careful not to devalue your time. That is the challenge and balance is required.  If your free offer runs for too long, potential clients get accustomed to receiving your “freebies” and won’t appreciate the value of paying for your products and services.

As you go down the route of offering something free, be sure to state your intent of charging your clients in the future.   State your intent at the outset. “This would normally cost X per month. But as an introduction, you are getting it free for the first three months.”

Plan for the fact that most people will not buy from you the first time around. I have had clients sit quietly on my list for years, never buying anything from me. They’ve received my free newsletters for a long time, and then suddenly, they decide to make a purchase. Don’t presume that just because your clients aren’t buying now, that they never will.

Keep in touch with them through your free offering, whether it’s a newsletter or limited time offer. What you’re actually doing is building a relationship and goodwill that could pay off monetarily later on.

TIP 2:  Offer A Guarantee

Offering a guarantee is a great way to show customers that you have complete faith in your product or service. It shows that you are confident enough to guarantee the results your product provides.

Guarantees are a very common aspect of product marketing.  The reason that many people don’t offer guarantees is they’re afraid customers are going to take advantage of them.

Yes, that is going to happen, on occasion. Someone will ask you for their money back.  They probably haven’t even read or used the product yet to determine if it will meet their needs. They are just after getting their money back. While this may be frustrating to you, you just need to get past it. It’s part of business.

Dan Kennedy surmises that if you’re not getting 10 percent of your products returned, you’re not selling hard enough. That’s a great theory to keep in your mind and put a positive spin on what you may have perceived as a negative scenario.

The extra sales you will make because you’re offering a guarantee will far outweigh any loss that you make on returns.

You should absolutely guarantee your product, particularly when you offer your first product.

Both guarantees and free offers offer another added benefit. They provide more opportunity for really helpful feedback that will help you improve your product.