Marketing Blagger

Please can one of you internet marketers explain to me why every single ebook advertised is priced as “not $497, not $297, but all for the bargain price of $97…”

I read this corker today:
“Tune into this ultra-comprehensive blueprint of remarkable traffic producing material not for $997 (like the old standard), not even $497 or $297.

I’m raising the bar this time. Tap into the money-making skill of traffic generation for the super low price of just… $97.00!”

Does this pricing actually work? Could we apply it to other markets, for example:

Buy this VW Beetle, not for £997, not even £497, or £297. I’m throwing out the rule book, this giant of car classics is yours for the super low price of just…. £97.00!

Surely anyone reading that would run a mile..? That car’s not going to get you off your drive way, let alone to the local shops. Does that mean our friend’s “blueprint of remarkable traffic producing material” isn’t going to pull in punters as well?

Did anyone else find the news today that £1 now buys you $2 US Dollars great news?

For me it is anyway. I’m off on holiday to Indonesia in about 6 weeks and US dollars are normally the best currency to pack for South East Asia. This means I’ll get more from my spending money. Business wise, most of my clients are UK or Europe based and therefore I shouldn’t lose out on the pound being more expensive, in the short term at least anyway. Probably the same story for many small businesses.

It’s not such a bright story for the blue chips or exporters though. Check out the news in the Times today. Essentially if you sell products in the US, or to countries with currencies linked to the US dollar (which many in South East Asia are), your products will become more expensive on the ground and therefore less competitive.

Could it also be a sign of tougher economic times ahead in the UK? The Bank of England is struggling to stifle a rising rate of inflation, soaring house prices and with an election on the not too distant horizon, it could get interesting.

Can your business cope with these bigger macro-economic conditions? Are there things you can do now to better prepare?