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Question of the week:

What would you think of the “PDF-alternative” as described in the video?

 

Let me know what you think!

Please leave a comment below.
Note that I don’t reply to all comments, but I do read them all. If I don’t reply to your comment, it most likely means that I agree with what you say and don’t have anything meaningful to add, myself. I appreciate and read all comments and your comments play an important part in what I write about, so keep them coming.
Spammy comments are always filtered or removed. No surprise there.

  • Hi Shane, I’m VERY interested in attending and learning about outsourcing!

    I like the idea of the membership site, but a simple “overview” pdf is always appreciated as a guide whenever I’m installing or trying to follow instructions.

    Great update – thanks again.

  • The idea of centralizing it and not having to worry about what version of what is where sounds good to me :-)

    Mind you I’d still like to be able to get core materials in PDF format if I wanted them and/or have a mobile version that I can access from my HTC?

    • Hi Niall,

      Concerning a mobile version, wouldn’t the content on-site be the better option for that? I don’t know about an HTC, but an iPhone is very good at rendering “normal” websites in a good way, but I can’t get it to deal with PDFs properly.

  • Hi Shane,

    I’ve recently put out a product with 12 different PDFs and yes, it is a nightmare if you need to go back and change anything.

    Here has been my experience:

    Scroll through the source document and eventually find the section/sections where you would like to make changes; actually make the changes; go back and upload through S3; forget to change the permissions in S3; customers are screaming that they can’t access the module; go back to S3 make the changes and so on and so forth.

    As well, doing what you are suggesting may help protect your content better, as it makes it more difficult to share around. Not impossible, just more difficult.

    I think what you are proposing is a great idea.

    • Oh yes, fogetting to change the permissions is a classic mistake, isn’t it?
      I’ve been through the same “send email -> confuse customers because they can’t download -> change permissions -> send email again” process as well.

  • Hi Shane,
    I like the idea of an all-online product. I agree that it would be easier from both a customer and vendor perspective.

    • Thanks for your comment, Kevin!
      Love the avatar! :)

  • Hi Hane
    That would be great. Easy to connect to your content and as you sat easy to update.

  • Hi Shane, I think the “pdf alternative” is a great idea for customers, but I’m not so sure it will lighten your work load at all…. I think you will still need to have the pdf. Some customers will demand it. Plus, you will have to update the pages in the membership area + the pdf. Sounds like extra work to me.
    Tony

    • Hi Tony,
      Yeah, having the content online AND as a PDF is out of the question, as that would only make things more complicated.

      But I just had an idea: what you’d need is a system where you have your content online and there’s a “download printable version” button that generates a PDF on demand, if someone needs it.
      Now that would be cool.

      Once I get around to building a membership site system, that’s gonna be a feature I’ll add! (don’t hold your breath, though, the membership thing is one of my “out there” projects).

      • This is my favourite option, Shane. A simple print to PDF would be ideal. I convert all of my PDFs to Kindle format and read/ make notes there.

      • Kindle is another interesting thing to consider. With the hypothetical system above, it would be awesome if there was also a version already ready for kindle.

  • Interested on your outsourcing thoughts and experiences.

    I prefer online manual. Rather easy to do also if you are using Help&Manual I think.

    Have fun!
    Nick

  • Hi Shane,

    I hate watching videos because I can’t control the speed at which I absorb their content, whereas with PDFs I can work my way through them far more quickly.

    Of course, sometimes video is indispensable but for me PDF are always the preferred option simply due to the amount of time I save.

  • New BBP PDF is great…congrats on a great job

  • Hi Shane,

    The centralised option is probably the best scenario as the product would always be up to date and, personally, I would’nt have a problem with it.
    Presumably you would include a page indicating the latest updates?

    An option would be to include a downloadable package so that at least the purchaser would have “something” in his possession. I say that as many years ago I subscribed to a product using a similar system and within weeks the website had vanished – never to be seen again.

    Regards,

    • Hi Bill,

      That’s a good point. Something to download and print out perhaps feels more like a “real” product than just online content. It’s a percieved value thing and that’s very important.
      The website disappearing shortly after purchase is a worst-case scenario, but another good reason on the “pro downloadables” side.

  • I have a habit of printing out the PDF files so I can read them away from the computer. Could I also print the information from the members area? I guess I oculd always download it to a “kindle” device or Ipad…if I had one?

    • Printing the material out is an important criteria that I ignored because I never do it.
      I’ve also seen the option where you are offered to get a physical copy of the product shipped, as an optional upsell. Another thing to consider.

  • I think the idea of having the information on the site is fine. If I need to take the information with me which I tend do from time to time I can always copy and past into a word document for times I don’t have a connection (or not allowed to have one) like at work. The PDF is nice but the way you propose will work just as well. Besides if it is easier for you than that gives you more time to improve the product rather than distributing it.

  • Hi Shane,
    I think your idea is great. It would make everyone`s life easier since you could count on all your info wherever you are. However, I think that there are people (for example myself) who always appreciate having a pdf version of the stuff, many times it has happened to me that I need to go to places where I will have time to read but there is no internet connection :(. This is just my thought. All the best. Olga

    • That’s a actaully another great point. I had not considered that you’d want to have access to the product even when you don’t have internet access. Thanks for your input!

  • Great idea about the pdf alternative. However, you may want to add an e-mail blast to all the members that alerts them about the update. That way if someone is executing a strategy and not consulting the web site all the time, they will know to go in and see what the update is and make strategic changes, if necessary.

    • Hi Dennis,
      Yes, email updates would still be needed, that’s a good point.

      And I think someone above mentioned a “change-log” so that people can keep track of what has and has not been updated.
      This is getting more complicated by the minute. But I’m loving the feedback! :D

  • Hi Shane
    The way I see it, you just can’t please everyone. Some people would prefer PDFs, some would prefer online content. To please everyone, you just have to compromise (providing both the PDF format and the online content format) – something of which would just like you said, make things more complicated.

    So here’s a thought: since we just can’t really please everyone, why don’t just please the majority? I mean, this is business afterall, not democracy lol.

    Again, from my perspective, I think most people would benefit more from online content, especially if the content has lots and lots of videos like BBP.

    • You are very right, I can’t please everyone. I often make the mistake of wanting to please everyone, but it’s really a matter of making a choice and going with it.
      Thansk for your comment!

  • Hey Shane,

    Outsourcing webinar sounds great.

    I prefer videos & pdfs that are downloadable. I get really annoyed when I buy a product and am forced to access it online only.

    I have my favorite/most useful courses on external/pen drives/tablet and can watch/read wherever I am. Sometimes when there is a heavy load on servers or mobile compatability problems or ??? it can be a real pain with online only content.

    I strongly prefer to download everything which then gives me multiple choices for how I access it.

    Hope I have understood exactly what you mean’t, as usual I’m in a rush so have answered quickly.

    Cheers,

    Hugh.

    • Hello Hugh,

      Yes, I see exactly what you mean. Thanks for your input! :)

  • I prefer to download everything as it tends to save a heap of time.

    Regarding Backlink Battleplan, I can’t find what had been updated. I just downloaded the pdf and it is the same as the original one. Thanks Shane.

    • Hey Andy, sent you an email about accessing the new PDF. :)

  • As Gordon Said What about printing out the PDF?? Many people print out PDFs for reading at their leisure and making notes etc. Are you going to disregard these people?

    • Hi Joe, thanks for your comment!
      Don’t worry, I’m not going to change anything yet. I’ve found some very good arguments for downloadable PDFs in this discussion and currently, all of my products still come with downloadables.

      That’s one of the things that makes a community like this so great: I can get all kinds of insightful feedback before I try new stuff. :)

  • Hi Shane
    Thought I would add my 2 cents worth or should that be a Swiss Franc, whatever.
    For me I like backlink battleplan and the integration of tasks into secockpit.A pdf is perfect for quick reference when you forget a small step and don,t want to watch the video again to try to find that step.
    My perfect scenario would be an online pdf overview.
    Secockpit task with a link to the relevant video and a brief 1 page step by step for quick reference.
    The benefits would be the pdf overview would really not change that much.
    If a section of the battle plan changes it would be easy to update that one section on line and if necessary shoot a new video. You could then add a quick message to show updates were in place and change links if necessary. For me as a customer working through the tasks i would have a quick reference as well as a detailed video which is great when first learning but not required all of the time.
    Just my thoughts and again i think you are doing a great job
    Rgds
    Ben

    • Thanks for your detailed reply, Ben!

      That does sound like a great solution. Also, just as a note: I have not updated the SECockpit task profile yet, but will do so in this coming week.

  • The suggestion to have a central member bulletin area is great BUT I think majority would inately “feel” more secure in having downloaded a copy PDF or even a TXT file on their HDD.

    Some would even have the reports being printed out for the traditional way of scrutinizing and manual cross referencing….or at least I would, especially the mind-mapping pages, deep/in-depth information reports etc.

    Just my thoughts….

    • Hi Alex, thanks for your comment!

      Yes, that feeling might be a very important factor. I need to keep that in mind.

  • Hi Shane

    I’m having a corporate deja-vu here.

    Corporations moved to web-enabled content management systems like Livelink or Sharepoint for exactly the reasons you are saying – controlling documents centrally and ensuring people always had the most up-to-date content.

    This is a regulatory issue as much as anything. For example, documentation used during an inspection procedure had to be verifiable as the latest version – aka “controlled”. Once printed, a document immediately became “uncontrolled” and therefore legally suspect. If something bad ever happened the paper document had to be verified against the version in force in the time the work was performed. That meant obtaining a single-source master copy online each and every time an inspection was done. It had to be PDF, by the way.

    Similarly your idea of using a membership site as the “controlled content” area would mean our customers could always be sure they had the latest content.

    Regardless, we’d still need a way to:

    1. Flag ‘updated’ or ‘new’ content right there on the site to alert your members. You’d only notify that changes happened – the specifics would be evident the moment they went online.

    2. Keep each ‘document’ to a page or two max. This has four benefits:

    a) Corporately, it did away with the archaic legal markings of strike-throughs and sidebar indicators beside the text to show change-ups buried on page 36. For us, the flag-ups are also those markers.

    b) It encouraged people to go online and use navigation to “drill” to exactly the topic they needed – not be forced to scroll through miles of pages online or revert to old print-outs. It would save our customers time also.

    c) It did away with a lot of fancy content-linking that either broke or bounced people all over the place until they got lost in the content maze. We don’t want our customers lost in lengthy online docs either – trying to piece together a whole picture or bumping into broken links.

    d) It reduced the amount of hard-copy printed.

    3. Clear/intuitive navigation would be key, and meaningful document titles essential (i.e., not “Chapter Two”). Book-length or report-length content is out and “hot sheets” are in.

    In conclusion:

    With a membership site serving as the small business person’s “Livelink” or “SharePoint” I think you’re on to something here.

    Allowing download of content with an advisory that content is subject to update, could be a great value prop.

    Sadly it would still mean a lot of link change-outs since membership sites don’t have that neat archival feature that stacks the master version on top of earlier versions to preserve the original link (as far as I am aware).

    Cheers.

    • Wow, thanks for this reply, Kim!
      This is some fantastic stuff and it’s set my head buzzing with ideas!

      If I can find a good target market for a system that incorporates many of the ideas above, I’ll have another software-project on my to-do list. :D

  • Hi Shane,

    Don’t Stop PDF!

    I hate having to be forced to watch videos the entire time – IT CHAINS ME TO MY DESK. (I do not have a mobile device with 24/7 broadband).

    I download pdfs, and print them (or, shock horror, even paste them into a notebook!) so that I can take them out and about with me to read in spare pockets of time elsewhere.

    I cannot be the only working mum who is stuffed because of the new reliance on video instead of the written word.

    Having them in pdf gives us freedom to still learn whilst our children are busy with extra activities.

    Love the info – very refreshing.

    Olive

    • Hi Olive,
      Thanks for your comment!

      Goes to show that I spend too much time chained to my desk and somehow think that’s normal… I need to get out more. :D

  • Yes on both counts. No need for the PDF, just email us whenever you update the online content. Also, I too have had a lot of problems outsourcing and attempting to hire people so a webinar on that topic would be welcome. What happened to the white background? It was so fresh & clean compared to the ominous black background in that last video. Is it Halloween already? ;)

    • Hey Jolenta,

      The white background needs a little more setup and because my camera kinda sucks, I don’t always get it right. The black background requires zero setup. It’s just me sitting in front of a black piece of cloth that I pinned to the wall behind me, facing the window.

      It’s the most “professional” look that I can get without any sort of lighting setup and with close to zero work.

      I quite like it, but I’ll see if I can tweak it to be less broody for next time. :)

  • Golden Girl says:

    Yes…..

    If you could put the updates in the members area and make it in Video that would be perfect.

    As long as the Updated material is marked Update Or just delete the Old material that way people are not confused as to which material is the correct updated version

    Video’s are a Big Plus in my opinion! I like them much better than PDF. My two cents.

    • Thanks for your comment!

      Videos are my favourite way to create content, too. :)

  • Hi Shane,

    Centralizing our membership area with all updated information in one place will be more beneficial to you and your team and it’s also okay with me as long as i am able to print some information so I can carry with me to read….

    Thanks,

  • Shane the best solution is to bite the bullet and go ahead and get that membership setup and be done with it. It is the only way you are going to be able to modernize and please the bulk of your customers and make it more doable for you. I’ll probably catch flak for this…but you have to remember your roots of your business. Yes it is a pain but, there was a time when you would be happy to complete all the updating task you mentioned in order to please as many customers as you can. That’s who you are and a big reason you are as successful as you are IMHO. The fruits of that work is why you make money. I’m not saying your not happy to do it now…I know it is a time issue.
    So I’m not saying don’t modernize…just do it all the way. The more popular you get…the more products you put out…means less time to do things as you normally would. I like the idea of the online manual with the option to print on demand. Most people feel they have more value with something they can print and own regardless of the value of the content…and I must say the BBP is very valuable.
    There is never going to be the perfect time to set-up your membership…I mean you are getting busier and busier. Make it a priority Now and get it done…I think you know you really need to do this and once it is done I think overall it will suit you well.
    You are still my favorite IMer…your going over and beyond is what won me over to begin with.
    Just my 2 cents as you asked for….

    • Hi Stephen,

      That’s some good advice! I tend to spend too much time on details and trying to get everything as perfect as possible. But sometimes you just have to “ship it” as Seth Godin says.

  • I have never been a fan of the PDF format to begin with. I much prefer having everything on an outside site that I can just access.

    I too have downloaded PDF’s and “lost” them. I actually still have the link to the update of Backlink Battleplan open because I don’t know quite yet where I am going to “put” it.

    Yes a webinar on outsourcing would be great. I can actually see myself needing to do outsourcing within three to six months.

    • Hey Tom,

      I’m the same way. I don’t have a really good way of organizing downloadables and I really prefer online content.

  • Hi Shane – I prefer downloadables so I can access the material at any time, I don’t have to worry about servers being up or down. I also prefer a pdf transcription or summary because I like to go back to something that I found previously in the material. If all I have is a video and I am not sure where the item I am looking for is, I have to watch a lot of video. Where as if I have a pdf, I can scan the material until I find what I am looking for.

    Keep up the good work, you are doing a great job on everything that you do.

  • Hi

    Shane, the alternative to the PDF sounds really good. It will be easy for you and for the customers. Also making updates will be very quick and, as a customer, I will always know that what I am reading is the latest version.

    It will be perfect if it is also easy to print. I love the sites that use PrintFriendly. I think that it is a great tool to have. This way if someone wants to create and save a PDF, they can do it. You can also delete parts that you don’t want, and print only the content that you want to keep always at hand.

    Best Regards

    Sonia

    • Hi Sonia,

      Thanks for mentioning PrintFriendly! I hadn’t known about this before, but I checked it out and it looks like a great little service!

  • Hi Shane,

    I personally prefer to download everything. My internet connection has fair speed but it isn’t great. I share it with 3 other computers and 6 smart phones. Usually only two or three are in use at one time, but it is nice to have everything available locally so I don’t have to worry about traffic on the shared connection and so I don’t tie up bandwidth when I want to review something.

    I often open a pdf while working on a new project/method so I can refer to it if needed. Sometimes I copy chapters/sections/steps into a document to use as a ‘cheat sheet’ or to make a check list. I do this offline for the most part. As far as links, couldn’t all the links in the pdf be redirects through a site you own? That way you just change where the redirect points and the link in the pdf will still work. If the link is to a service that doesn’t exist anymore, put up a short page with an explanation and recommended alternatives and redirect the link to that page.

    I always like to download videos. Once downloaded, I play them using the free VLC media player. This player not only lets me pause or go back to something, I can also set the speed to play faster. Most videos are easily understandable at 1.5 times normal so a 30 minute video can be viewed in 20 minutes. Sometimes I can do 2 times normal and still pick up what I need. This saves a lot of time for me.

    There are times when a site has content on a page that I want to read later. I use (free) Instapaper (http://www.instapaper.com/) for this. It lets me put a “Read Later” button on my bookmarks bar. When I find content I want to read in more detail later, I press the button and the page is saved as both a link and a text document without most of the clutter that is usually on a page. If I want to save it locally, I just copy the (mostly clean) text into a document. Most, but not all, pages render well with it but even if they don’t at least I get the link back to the original.

    • Thanks for your detailed reply, Doug!

      First, let me give a +1 to the VLC player. Best media player ever.

      Thanks for the link to Instapaper, that looks like another interesting app!

  • You’re going to get a lot of flak if you dump PDFs! I hate reading on a screen and like to print and bind the most important info I have .

    I can understand your practical and logical view – and this may even be a legacy issue. Now that there is a PDF of BBP trying to substitute for it is problematic.

    But in your new products it may not be a problem.

    Except that you’ll lose a few sales.

    maybe do a survey…

  • Shane,

    How would having the content in some other format relieve you from the responsibility of informing everyone that there is new content available?

    Could you not just just provide a PDF in a specific location that is always up to date and is always available to the people who have purchased the program.

    I like having the information in a PDF because I can print it and carry it around and read it at my leisure. I can make notes…

    And most important of all I like the ability to have everything in a single PDF because I can search for something and find it very quickly without being forced to manually search through multiple online documents and or videos.

    Shane are these the first steps in turning Backlink Battleplan into a monthly subscription model?

    Regards,

    Jim

    • Hi Jim,

      Good points. Don’t worry, I am not looking to turning BBP into a monthly thing. :D
      All my products are already “membership sites”, I just don’t call them that and I don’t charge a recurring fee. But in terms of the delivery model, they are actually membership sites.

      I would only ever charge for something on a recurring basis if it’s either constantly being updated or if it’s an ongoing service with a high running cost (e.g. SECockpit).

  • I forgot to mention something else I like about having the pdf. When I need to search for something I have the whole plan in a single document and can just search that. Having to search multiple pages online is a pain.

    • That’s another thing I hadn’t thought of at all. Although a good search function online could serve the same purpose. It wouldn’t be as quick, though.

  • I like my stuff online. I can copy and paste what I want into a notepad or word doc. I don’t have to have a copy of every word – just the main points I need to refer back to. So ditch the PDFs – make the details in your life simpler so you can spend you time being creative. Thanks for asking our opinions.

    • Thanks, Chris! Glad to know that you like the idea (even though it seems that “pro-PDF” is currently the majority).

  • Ken Morgan says:

    I prefer a PDF to online. It’s generally quicker to go through than navigating a website. You can read it offline when you may not have an internet connection.

    • Hi Ken,
      Thanks for your comment!
      Another thing I hadn’t thought of. You’d definitely have to make sure that the pages load nice and quick.

    • I agree Ken. I do a lot of speed-reading too, which actually works best for me on print.

  • Hi Shane.
    First of all, Thank you for the updated PDF to BBP. I’m just getting started on my first run through and I want to get it right the first time.

    Video’s coming soon?

    I would definitely be interested in attending an outsourcing webinar.

    Long PDF’s literally put me to sleep. A dynamic members area would be great for me. I like to have the specific training video I’m using tiled with my work area as I follow the steps and complete the tasks.

    I would like to see email notification of updates and some kind of flagging system to alert user’s of the updated material. Intuitive navigation would be critical.

    • Hi Jay,

      Thanks for your input!

      Yes, the videos are coming soon. As soon as I can get them done, that is!

  • Hi Shane,

    1) The outsourcing webinar will be great, I know that if I want to grow I need to make time for me to take care of the key items and delegate (outsource) what others can do.

    2) As far as the pdf vs membership:
    I get a pdf, I scan through it. If I think it something worth having handy, I print it out. Like your Battle Plan, I did not even think about, i just printed it right away. I like to read things off my computer. Grasp the concept, make my notes on the pdf, flag the items I need to review. etc.. I read the Battle Plan while was eating. Wrote some questions, and then asked you.
    Even the videos I like to download sometimes, when there are videos that I can not pause and play back, if you try, they bring you to the start of the video. You have better control on how you play them when you download them.

    In conclusion, for me, having the membership area with an option to print and with the disclaimer that once printed it might not be the latest revision, will work just fine.

    I do love your videos! I follow them step by step!

    Thanks so much for your dedicated training!

    • Thanks, Olga!

      I think you’re right, it would have to be a combination of online content plus the option to download.

  • Hi Shane,

    I would agree with Ken Morgan. I prefer the pdf. However, I could work with an online version as long as it was print friendly.

    Dave.

  • Phil Gawron says:

    I prefer having a PDF version. Transcripts of videos are also very valuable. I can read the PDF’s offline on my ereader, print easily and “cut and paste” notes for myself. Even though many of us have data plans on our phones, it is still nicer to save and read offline. This is especially true for the videos. Viewing the same video multiple times online eats up one’s data plan pretty quickly.

    Thanks for asking for feedback before making changes. I always admire your straightforward style.

  • I would appreciate an outsourcing video from you Shane. I like your “no hype”
    friendly informative style.
    And Both online and PDF are good as they give more options. Some like reading
    a PDF and others like going online. Big challenge is to keep it simple and
    easy to navigate.

  • Looks like you might have to go the PDf way Shane!

    I suppose a lot of people like the idea of being able to take a way a document to read offline.

    I think I wouldnt mind either as my face is mostly always stuck to a screen anyway!

    The idea of adding a Print-PDF to the ‘online’ might be a good solution that covers both of course.

  • Hi Shane,

    I really would feel better to have a pdf that I can download and read even if I am offline.
    Perhaps you could make a pdf and say in the introduction that all links are to be found in the online version?

    That said, if you really need to free your time – feel free to do it.

  • Hi Shane

    Regarding .pdf vs no pdf, I guess I’m a bit old school. I like to read the printed page. I prefer to keep a hard copy for reference. (sorry to the tree huggers, but powering computers is not without its drawbacks either).

    I DON”T like to find that a document has suddenly morphed, changed, or updated without notice. With a pdf, You can tell me it’s been updated and I can compare the documents to determine exactly what and where the changes are.

    Documented change history is extremely important to me as it is the only way that enables me to entirely grasp the new direction(s) a given topic of interest is moving.

    Just my 2 cents.

  • Graham Nichols says:

    I agree with Martina. I’m kind of ‘dyed-in-the-wool’ when it comes to PDFs.

  • Shane,
    It makes more sense to keep BBP accessible inside the membership site. That way you can keep us current.

    Just my thoughts.

    Curt

  • I much prefer everything to be downloadable. Furthermore, all files should be dated in order to ensure every video and pdf is the latest version. I prefer not having to be tethered to the Internet.

    Putting all of the content within a member’s area is fine as long as it is easy to download.

  • I like the idea of having all the information on the members site. It is also nice to have a downloadable overview of the information so when I am still learning it is easy to find the information I need faster. I would fill better if I was able to download information because who is to say I am going to always be a member of your subscription.

    Thanks for all your help and keeping it real have a good one.

    Corey

  • I am REALLY interested in any out sourcing experiences you have – would love you to share.

  • Hi Shane,

    Thanks for the Sunday Update.

    I think it’s a great idea to put all content online in a member’s area and not sending out -updated- PDF’s all the time (I don’t really like mail attachments anyway)

    Good easy navigation would be a must!

    Things you may want to consider:
    – Sending an -automated- email to clients whenever you make an update to the online content (without a PDF attached)

    – Including a possibility to create ones own PDF from -part of- the online content. (Clients could create PDF’s themselves by installing software that creates a PDF instead of printing content on paper. To me, it seems like a nice(r) option to include this functionality within the member’s area)

    Keep up the good work! :-)

    Anant

  • Doug Ison says:

    Videos are better for me but PDFs will do. I’m easy. :)

    • Thanks for your comment, Doug!
      I also prefer videos and that’s what most of my products consist of. :)

  • Hi Shane,

    When I buy a new product that I have spent time researching my preference is to download it and print off. Then I can detach myself from the computer and my office and go and read it somewhere. Whilst I’m reading it I like to highlight and mark the pages for easy reference, to do the same in a blog post style would be very difficult.

    Cheers

    Ren

  • Hi Shane,

    Thanks for the free update to a great course.

    I would like the option to be ble to print the content out – I dont mind if it is a PDF or if it is generated from online content by me clicking a button.

    If you do go down the pdf route, you can end the file name with the date
    e.g. “Back Link Overview 20011 Jul 10” and then we would easily be able to tell the date of our version of the pdf and compare it with the latest version of the pdf on your site.

    Thanks once again.

    Mike

    • Hi Mike,

      Thanks for your comment! Downloadables plus dates makes sense. That’s a good idea.

  • great idea. I have heard great things about wishlist member. Video is a great idea and hosting all the videos on your server is great idea.

    • Hey Art,

      I personally use Digital Access Pass for the membership setup. It’s my favourite among the ones that I tested, but I never did test Wishlist, because it was missing a few features that I wanted.

  • when its free what can you expect.> Wondering whats easier to make .Is pdf send out or central free membership easier to set up. hhhmmm I”d want simple and easy . And more time for myself. If that makes sense.

  • Shane,
    I also am very interested in outsourcing. I have listened to John Jonas, but my issue is spending $97 a month in additional to $250-$300 for the employee. Am I being foolish?

    • Hi Lenny,
      With outsourcing, you do have to be willing to spend a bit of money. It’s been my experience that you get what you pay for, so while very cheap work is available, it’s often very low quality work. Even when hiring people from the Phillippines, you’ll still be better off paying a little more to get the right kind of people.

  • Online manuals – YES. Definitely. We can print our own PDFs from the post. (On a Mac, I just go to “Print” –> PDF) No need for you to create PDFs and go through all that hassle.

    Thanks.

  • Shane,
    You sound like you are in the bathroom.
    If you move the microphone (a lot) closer it will solve the problem.
    Cheers.

    • Hi Glenda,

      Yeah, that’s the issue with facing the window, as I’m doing now. The sound bounces right back at me. :)

  • I love the idea of centralized, updated, printable online content. If I have a choice, I always prefer to read a hard copy or watch a video. Reading online is a pain.

    I guess my age is showing.

    Olivia

  • Hi Shane,
    I am a PDF preference person as well. I also like to read away from my computer. On-line site content is fine. As far as videos, some people like me may also be on limited download plus speed issues – so to have a download option is nice. This option saves data usage (and the waiting to access site/downloads to happen) when watching videos multiple times. The downside is not knowing if materials have been updated.
    Cheers,
    Linda

  • Shane,
    I think it would be good if the content were online and also downloadable if someone wanted that as an alternative. I like to download some things and highlight/annotate with my own comments.

    Also if this was just a generic change on the site for this or that, say something minor, then I probably wouldn’t expect a notification in my email but if something were a major change/update/serious modification I would still appreciate a notification in my email for a heads up.
    Thanks
    Clarence

  • Hi Shane

    I had this idea a long time ago and have used it on some projects and I asked colleagues about it too because it made sense to me. However, it gives poorer results. I did not understand this until I bought someone else’s product and it was delivered in this way.

    The first clue is in PDF, the P stands for portable, WordPress or HTML sites are not truly portable and I think this affects a human instinct we all have, POSSESSION. When we buy something we want to have something to show for it and a login doesn’t quite cut it.

    I know when I buy a course the first think I do is download the whole thing onto my laptop (not my desktop) because I schedule “learning time” every day. Even if the video is not easy to download I will use tools to grab it because I want to be able to access it in my own time in a quiet “learning conducive” place where there is probably no web access. For example I recently travelled to Germany from the UK, I was able to get through 2 complete courses and write up actions/ideas from those courses in waiting areas, on buses and on the plane.

    The other problem with a web page is that it is not always logical because of hyperlinks, that alone has made me unsubscribe from membership sites. The other aspect from a user point of view is that you may have read V1.1 of a website but you will not be able to see the differences in 1.2, so you will think you have read the page but there will be new content that won’t be obvious.

    Shane, what you need to get to grips with is CHANGE CONTROL and if you are going to develop software you need to work the way software companies do. So rather than updating your existing PDF’s, create new ones that are “updates” to the original and point out to the user what has changes. So you might say, “in V1.1 we discussed using Myspace but we would now recommend Facebook for this purpose” and so on.

    This approach builds on what has been learnt, you may still have to create new content for new subscribers, again borrow from the software world where an “update” is a minor revision and an “upgrade” is a major revision.

    Another consideration is IPR, it is a lot easier to protect a PDF than a webpage, sure you can use technology to achieve this online but it often reduces the accessibility and leads to refunds.

    There is also another “human” aspect which is the way people work. Mary Scarborough put it very well in her excellent Adwords course (http://www.guerillappc.com), she said that she had to have PDF’s while her husband much preferred videos. Now we know that men respond to visual stimulation and women prefer imagination, so this makes a lot of sense. Could you afford to lose ay segment of your market?

    So my suggestion to you is to keep ALL formats and change your production methodology, this may be more work but you will please more of your customers and keep more as a result.

    Whilst it is true that “you can’t please all of the people all of the time” the best way to please as many people as possible is to treat them as individuals and meet their needs.

  • Hwy Shane,

    Sorry for being a dumb ass but I can’t find the new PDF? Logged in and can see NEW BB Video Download – NEW BB Video Download – Updated Videos Only.

    Cheers,

    Hugh.

  • Shane

    The idea of latest information online is ok. Printable is a must for me as I print, file and refer back. Only issue which has already been mentioned is making sure you know when an update has been made. There needs to be a method to show clearly the revision number and date uploaded.
    Without trying to make it more complicated is there some way of ticking a box by way of an acknowledgement so each member knows that they have seen the revision?

    Thanks

    Richard

  • Hi Shane. This is a fantastic feedback session!

    Abother angle I wanted to mention was always having an easy way to download the video content going forward.

    I download all of my online video to a local media server and then watch them on my main TV. This is generally a better experience all-round, but essential for easier and more comfortable viewing when watching with others (no corwding around a single PC monitor!) ;)

  • I’m a great proponent of the pdf format. Like many of your correspondents I like to print it out and read later, away from the computer where I’m not distracted by other stuff. I appreciate that it’s more work (unless you outsource it) but in my view it’s essential.
    I also prefer the logical flow from start to finish that a pdf gives, instead of jumping around all over the place with hyperlinks etc.
    Personally I can live without the videos, in my experience they take up far too much time per unit of useful information they contain.

    I’m only writing this because your material is so useful, so whatever format it’s in, I’ll probably read it…
    John

  • Hi Shane,

    Your proposal is a good idea, I’ve been a member of other sites where the same thing was attempted. As J Wilson said above, better make sure in the online version that you always point out somewhere what has been changed. That was always the problem with other such sites I’ve been a member of – it sometimes was not obvious when reading a page what had changed since the last time. I would still like to have the option of generating a PDF if necessary and of downloading the videos. I am also one who prefers to study at times when I am not online.

  • Wayne Cochrane says:

    Hello Shane,

    You can add my vote for the downloadable files for a whole lot of the reasons that other commenters have already iterated.

    I will not buy a product if I know it is not downloadable.

    A non-downloadable product has almost zero value for me. Online stuff leaves me cold.

    I discovered that I seriously dislike the membership model several years back.

    Wayne.

  • Ahha the million dollar question what content mediums to provide! Now we have an IM training website and this was something that we considered a lot before doing any content at all.

    We decided to go with streaming video and PDF’s with detailed screen shots. This was based on research at the time. So far we haven’t made the videos downloadable but looking at this thread and a survey (that I will talk about in a minute) done recently we should.

    Fortunately I belong to a private forum and they have some pretty hefty lists. They asked this very question to those lists. The results were roughly this.

    PDF top preference (70% plus)
    Video 2nd (a few % behind) I forget the exact numbers :)

    Downloadable video and mp3’s etc all quite a long way behind the top two. I expected that the results would be the other way around video first and pdf’s second!

    I think this thread seems to pretty much be saying the same thing.

    Thanks
    Lynne

  • Hey Shaner,
    I prefer the downloadable PDF version. A lot of the time, with PDFs, I download them, and if I don’t print them out, they get forgotten about. When I print them out, I will bring them with me wherever I go…my kids’ sports practice, to the beach at the cottage etc…
    Ttyl,
    Alex

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