Jul 28, 2015

A new chapter called UpViral

A new chapter called UpViral

It's 8 in the morning. I'm editing some videos while talking with my team about all of the final preparations for the UpViral launch.

Then it hit me...

It's almost happening.

A new chapter is about to begin.

End of the Launch Cycle

A few years ago I stumbled upon an opportunity that changed my business' focus. As a online marketer I needed various tools to run my business more effectively, so I decided to get those tools created and sell them to others as well. It started with a single WordPress plugin (2011), but I quickly came up with a few more ideas and got those created as well.

After some I started focusing on web-based applications, and created a couple of those as well.And before I knew it, I was trapped in the "launch cycle". Instead of working on a single app, making that better and better while growing into new markets.. I was putting my time and energy into launching a new application every ± 6 months or so.

(note: all my apps are continuously being updated, but there's a difference between "being updated" and pushing for the next level)

Changing the focus

Well, not anymore. Instead of doing what I've always been doing - creating and launching new applications - I've decided to build something ongoing. I thought, "I have to make a dent in the world." Now, for me, it had to be something that I truly, truly believed in. And as a big fan of SaaS (Software as a Service), I wanted it to be able to deliver thriving results to its users - as well as be in line with my very own business goals (e.g. there should be a huge market opportunity for the tool).

The second try

I realized that I already had an idea in place that matched that description: UpViral. In fact, I even started building it - but due to not having the right team in place, it had to be held back. This was 2 years ago, in February 2013 to be exact, and after 2 months I had to pull the plug because I didn't have the right team in place to pull it off.

From there, I devoted myself to other things.

I never forgot

But this UpViral project has always been on my mind.  This "Referral Marketing" strategy (which is the basis of UpViral) was one of the best strategies I've implemented in my business - and I knew it could do the same to others as well.

You see, 3 years ago I tested this concept out for the very first time. I created a simple opt-in page, and gave every subscriber their own unique referral link on the thank-you page. If they'd share it with their friends and 5 of them would sign up, they'd get access to a freebie.

Fast forward to today - 3 years later - that page is still being shared with others, getting me new subscribers and leads every single day. That's just amazing, right?

So it was clear to me... this is the idea I should focus on.

It's finally here

From that point on I spent a lot of time and energy into figuring out what made something like that go viral.  With all the knowledge, skills and experiences I gained, I designed what I believe is the ultimate referral marketing platform.

So about a year ago I devoted my development team to it - and I'm super excited to launch this to you and to the world.

Going forward

The goal of UpViral is to keep making it better, making it something that every business owner will use in it's websites and funnels. It's definitely the new focus of my business going forward.

So.. won't I be launching new products anymore? I probably will - at some point - but it will be with the focus to get new people into UpViral. There are many tools that will go well with UpViral - so launching new products for specific markets is a great way to get these people to use UpViral as well.

For now.. I'll have to dive back into preparing the UpViral launch that's happening next week - but I just wanted to get this blogpost out as a "time capsule" for later on.

If you're reading this... let me know what you think - looking forward reading your comments below!