What is a prototype and how do you use it?
Dictionary.com says a prototype is:
“ the original or model on which something is based or formed”
Wikipedia says that a prototype is:
“an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from” and that the word” Prototype derives from the Greek prototypon meaning primitive form”
And that’s exactly how we use prototype in the 6 Steps to Implementing Big Ideas process, except we take the definition a little further.
Forget that big scary word that sounds like it may have a ton of work associated with it. We’re going to focus on the “primitive form” and REALLY take that to heart.
A prototype has two purposes:
1) It should answer the question: What does it look like (or when you visualize it, what do you see?)
2) And, it is the “thing” that allows you to communicate with someone else about your idea
Here’s a prototype of a long-term affiliate marketing process that I use to train affiliates for the Niche Affiliate Marketing System (NAMS) workshop. That’s my Dream / Big Idea…
It’s a very simple drawing.
But it allows me to get the point across when I’m discussing the right way to do affiliate marketing. By the way, the process is not original with me. We have a terrific 52-week affiliate marketing course on which we’ve based our training. (You can get started with our 4-part free affiliate training webinars here.)
This prototype above – let’s call it a drawing – is very simple. But when I’m discussing it with students, I can explain it very clearly and expand on the really big idea: PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS FIRST!
Your traffic sources (1) should NEVER land directly on your affiliate link because you’re building YOUR business.
So, you send them to your Lead Generation page (2) which most of us call a squeeze page. There, you offer them something wonderful – your latest report or video or brilliant piece of content. But to get it, they must opt-in which puts them on your list (3). Now, you have captured the lead. That’s the key element.
And here’s the payoff:
If they don’t like the affiliate offer (5) that you display on your thank you page (4) and most of your visitors won’t, then you can e-mail them about something else at a later date. You haven’t lost the opportunity to market to that group.
But most importantly, you’re growing your list and your business at that same time.
Notice, this drawing doesn’t show you how to build the product, the website, a book or anything that you have to spend a lot of time on.
I have not built any websites, found a market that I want to promote to , or even found an affiliate product that I’m in love with.
All I’ve done is draw the process (that’s the prototype) that will work for EVERY affiliate promotion – I think. Remember, this is a prototype. There’s no investment here except a little time.
Does it answer my two questions?
- Can I visualize the website process for an affiliate product promotion? Yes, I’m showing 5 actions and I can even delineate specifically what those actions are and what the pages look like if I want to take the prototype to the next level of detail.
- Can I communicate with anyone about the Big Idea? Yes, I can walk you through the basic idea with this simple drawing.
Will the affiliate marketing process (The Big Idea / Dream) work? Don’t know. We have to test it. That’s the next step in the 6-step process. But what we’re testing is the prototype, not the finished website.
We’d have to devise tests that could be completed to give us the required feedback our process before we begin incorporating this process into all of our affiliate marketing efforts.
In Part 3, we’ll review the testing models and how to ensure that you’re getting the feedback that will ensure success.
If you missed the earlier parts of this ecourse, the links are included below: