I know that the thread title is probably funny but I am not quite sure how this thing is called The problem is the following: I am a web developer and have pretty much knowledge in this area. Basically the programming part is rather trivial to me: if I have enough time, I can code anything (unless it is absolutely 100% impossible of course). Since the programming itself is becoming boring, I've been trying to think out software ideas that don't exist yet. Now since I am only starting on this, my current ideas are may be not ground-shaking and world-changing things but anyways I've managed to think out something that doesn't seem to exist yet. I've coded and tested one of the software ideas I've had. Then I set up a shopping cart site, purchased logo, various images, etc. And then mmm... I am not quite sure what to do next So my knowledge in marketing area is a big zero. Of course I could go on and study this topic, that's what I've been trying to do recently, but this is killing my brain: when I am focusing on many things (new software ideas, coding for the next software idea I have, shopping cart, marketing, etc...oh, also my other full-time job) I basically end up doing nothing. I just can't be productive when I am focused on all that stuff that sometimes belongs to very different areas. First of all, I am not a rich person, I can't just hire a marketing person and pay monthly salary. Then I've realized that may be somewhere exists a person who has plenty of marketing experience and may be even ideas about what can be sold but doesn't have coding skills and can't afford a full-time developer. What do you think about this? May be this is a common situation and there are some ways to find such a person? If yes, how would you do that? Also if this is a common thing: how do people form some kind of trust? E.g. if I were that person I would be afraid that the developer might just not share with me when incomes start flawing in. Especially if there would be a need to form a budget for stuff like google ads and we would need to share expenses (I guess no one feels good about sending money to a stranger on the web).
One of the best ways to get someone to do this for free is through profit sharing. Make sure to have the details clear on what that split will be. Marketing takes a lot of work and time. I would say a 50/50 split would be fair. I'm sure you could find somebody in DP that would take you up on that offer.
So basically the solution is to create affiliate program and then offer it for marketing to everyone who wishes to? Like if a random person A generates an X usd sale, this person receives X/2 usd (50/50 is totally fine with me, I realize that marketing is resource consuming) ? Also since I am a bit new to this, could you tell me what is the standard way to do this? I would need to set up some affiliate software where users sign up and receive an unique URL (like .../product/cool_tool/affiliate_id/12345)? Then I'll track new site visitors by IP, browser info, etc. and if I see that a given new user becomes a customer and it's activity tracks back to that affiliate URL, I count that as a sales generate by that person. Is that the way to do this or I am thinking something else? Also what is the fair rate for customization sales? For example the customer, who was brought by another person, buys the software. He pays X usd for it, I send X/2 usd to the affiliate. Then the customer returns back and hires a developer to make some custom work: some specific local changes to the software. Let's say he pays Y usd for this customization and the developer spends some hours exclusively on this customization. What is the fair way to deal with this Y usd? Also how are refunds handled (the product has "X days, no question money back guarantee"). I don't need to share sales that are refunded back? totaledge, thanks for your offer! I am a bit swamped by the amounts of work at this exact moment so I hope it's fine if I send you a PM later today or in the worst case - tomorrow.
Find a partner and do a 50/50 but The Best Marketers/SEO's wouldn't do that ... so you get the idea ...who will accept such deals ...
You'll probably only be able to get someone starting out. Whom else is looking to get into that field? They will not have an extensive track record yet, so you'll have to scan very hard for quality.