Big Decisions Ahead and a New Mortgage Coach Website Coming Soon!

We are in the process of making our website much more valuable to our Mortgage Coach members and this will require me to change my strategy with my blog www.savageinsights.com.

If you are a reader of my blog, I value your opinion and want to include your feedback in our decision on which direction to go with Savage Insights. 

Here are the possible directions we are considering…

• We will make Savage Insights a password protected free blog that will require a sign-in.
• We will make Savage Insights a Mortgage Coach membership blog that will require you to be an MC member.
• I will completely discontinue Savage Insights and focus all my attention on adding value to the Mortgage Coach Community and member-only site. 

My most important goal is to provide our members with as much value possible – However I am still committed to educating the industry at the same time. I just need to pick my areas where I invest my time very carefully.

If you have an opinion and/or you value reading Savage Insights, please add your feedback and suggestions in the comments section below. 

I will be making this decision at the end of the month and one thing for sure is that the content and direction of Savage Insights will change; the questions is how much. 

Comments

[David Walden]

Some sites will give information teasers that promote the product but limit usage beyond the teaser paragraph to membership. This way you can still use if for promotion of Mortgage Coach but give the content beyond the teaser to the paid user.

[Shawn Anderson]

"We will make Savage Insights a Mortgage Coach membership blog that will require you to be an MC member." would be the direction I would like to see, however, I believe David makes a great point. Having a teaser for site visitors is great marketing and will help promote Mortgage Coach.

[Todd Carpenter]

Dave, I hope you will continue to run Savage Insights as a free blog. Personally, I no longer originate loans, so the chances that I will buy Mortgage Coach are next to none.

Not being a potential customer might make my opinion less important, but I have in the past, referred my own readers (Mortgage Brokers) to your site when you publish a post that I find of value.

That would be very hard to do behind a wall.

[Sk Holt Clark]

I also agree with Dave. You show value to the non-member while promoting membership. Remember "membership has its rewards".

[Jack Schiavo]

It seems that keeping Savage Insights for MC members increases the value of the service to those prepared to invest in their education and growth. We are all working very hard in this market to continue to build our business and anything that provides competitive advantage is important. MC is a great differentiator in the market for presenting to clients. Let's be sure to take full advantage.

[Brent Sute]

Dave, I'd recommend option #1: password protected site. The Savage Insights content helps you sell Mortgage Coach. The case studies are one of your best sales tools! If you have a password protected site, you could then control the readership and solicit the business of non-members who log on. At the same time, you allow members to access the content.

You could always provide member-only material on the Mortgage Coach website as an added membership privilege.

[Tony Coldesina]

Option 3. Quit the blog and focus on the mc platform for members only. The last 6 months have been great.

[Sean Rafferty, CMPS]

Dave, Savage Insights always has great info. The only suggestion I'd add is to podcast the interviews (and perhaps even the blog entries - Dean Jackson of By Referral Only does this, very convenient). LTB podcasts there stuff w/username & password control... so you could do the same w/MC users to if you didn't want to make it public. It's just so much easier and timely if it's podcasted rather than manually having to download.

[Rachel]

I think it would be unwise to stop blogging. I'd password protect the blog. This will allow you to collect contact info on visitors & continue to market to them whether they purchase MC or not. Stopping the blog would be a huge mistake. If time is an issue, post less often or hire/outsource someone to write articles or post for you. You could post once a month yourself, and have another valued 'expert' post once a month...this way the blog is being updated 2 times a month with valuable info...but less work for you.

[Carlos Lopez]

Password-protect Savage Insights in order to still add value to the Mortgage community and show non-users the wonderful tools and value that Mortgage Coach can add to their business and our clients' lives. Because each mortgage professional is not using MC, there needs to be an avenue for them to still be "touched"

[Paul McIntyre]

Hey Dave,
As always thank you for what you do to keep us all growing in the right direction.
Regarding the changes; I have been a faithful M.C. user for many years.
Since joining the "updates" function and getting your "feed blitz", I have read more pieces in the last month from you than in all my past visits to the site combined...
Most of us are too busy to go to CMPS, MMG, M.C., KT, etc. etc to keep up with new tools and information from each of you...but when I get a blast from one of you, I scan it quickly if it is pertinent I take immediate action or move it to do later. Either way, your message is delivered.
I personally feel that if you move it back to the site alone, our bed together will grow cold again...and I KNOW you don't want that ;-)
Much love,
Paul~

[Mike Mullin]

Dave, since I'm a MC member I'm biased - focus on "how to" posts specific to the MC tool. How to market, how to create proposals, etc. Real time stuff that works.

If you do this it won't matter whether the blog is password protected or not - so leave it open to the public. MC members will get what they need and anyone else that wants to peak can. They'll still need to purchase MC to use any of the strategies you'll post.

Thanks for listening!

[Clint Anderson]

Hi Dave;

I really enjoy your product. It has been the saving grace in several transactions as far as putting things on 1 clear and understandable form. I have felt that the website kind of takes away from the value. When I pay my fee to use the software, that is really all I am getting. Anyone can get on the website and get all of the training and strategy ideas. I have always thought my money would be well justified if the content was membership protected. It would also allow mortgage coach users to have a better advantage over the competition. When you pay for something to set you apart, and the competition has free access to the info, it some what taints the purpose. Please don't get me wrong, I am not bitter or upset, I just think my money is better spent in this membership protection situation. I like the idea of having savage insites be membership protected.

[Susan Rogers, CMPS]

David Walden has the right idea. By all means promote MC via a "teaser paragraph" but make the details available to the membership. Whatever you do, though, don't discontinue the blog, the Coaching Forum and all the training in the form of those terrific conference calls. When I get notice of any new content regarding use of the software or the Marketing Machine, I drop everything to listen in. That rather recent addition has educated me more than anything else on the many ways MC and MCMM can be used to set myself apart from the crowd. Thanks for everything you and the MC staff do for us, your loyal members!

[Ed Gray]

Hi David:

I very much appreciate your blog. I login every few days to see if there is new comtent. The case studies are extremely valuable. Of course, to implement any of the strategies brought forward in the case stidies you must be a MC member. Thus, I believe the blog should be available to MC members only.

[Steve]

Dave,
I think option #1 would be the wisest selection.
I agree, (as one response said) to implement any of the strategies brought forward in the case studies you must be a MC member. However, I disagree that the blog should be available to MC members only.

[Lance Anderson]

Dave, I hope you keep this as a free site with password required. As an intro to more effective internet marketing you can send your subscribers to http://HOTFORPROFITS.prospectblazer.com
Thanks, Lance

[Felisha Mason]

My compay has used MC for 8-9 years now, though we are taking the company in a new direction and need a dashboard that is customizable with filter options (i.e.do you have a retirement plan data)so that our LO's can input all client data in ONE LOCATION (and then import to Point, Nylex etc). Do you see MC going this route, or can you (or anyone)suggest a program that imports/exports MC that has customizable capability?
Thanks.

[Tyler Osby]

Hey Dave!

Obviously this is only my opinion, but - I would keep it open to the public. I think your site helps stir a lot of interest on what mortgage coach is and what it's capable of for loan officers that aren't already using it.

If you're wanting to make a 'User Only' site, I would strongly recommend to utilize a message board format (much like what Loan Toolbox has implemented).

I subscribe to many blogs (industry related and others), but NONE of them require usernames and passwords.

If this is becoming too much of a drain on your time (which I can appreciate), I could see you shutting the blog off completely. If you're just trying to target subscribers, I don't think you want a blog, I think you want a forum (password protected of course).

I know it's super tough to determine your ROI on blogging. I think the largest benefit of blogging is to create a community and give other 2.0 originators a place to 'point to' when we see a handy post that we think is worth a closer look for our readers.

I respect your decision either way... I'm just not sure if making the blog exclusive is going to accomplish what you want it to (at least from what I can tell).

Hope all is well Dave! Looking forward to seeing you out in Vegas.

Tyler

[Michal Ann Joyner]

I think the information should be password protected for members only. The weekly conference calls, blog and software are my lifelines which I pay for to belong. I guess I feel that those who don't pay to belong should not be privy to that valued information. Just my thoughts.

[Clayton Bagwell]

Hi Dave,

Since you didn't specify what types of changes you intend to make to the Mortgage Coach membership website, I don't see the connection to what you want to do with your blog. If you are going to keep it open and free, I don't see the purpose of adding a login and password protection. Unless you are just trying to find a way to track how many people visit and read your blog (but I am sure that there are other website monitoring tools that will do that for you). For those of us who are new and/or struggling in this industry, any professional, free information is invaluable and motivational. I have been reading your blog for almost a year and it frequently gives me a boost of encouragement that keeps me going. I will admit that I am not a Motgage Coach user, but it is on the top of my list of "required" tools to obtain when I can afford it. At that point, then I can see having access to members only information that is not presented to non-users/members. So if it comes down to how to best spend your time, marketing for new members or finding the best way to retain your current members, then that is a call that only you have all the information to make. Good Luck.

Clayton Bagwell

[Tim Walko]

I can only speak for myself, I bought Mortgage Coach mainly because of your blog, Savage Insights. Sure your web site has a lot of great stuff, but how does someone really get comfortably in taking that first step, unless they can "hear" the success that so many others are having with this great tool. Not only is it a great marketing peice to new users, not only is internet bloggging a huge part in todays technologically advanced market, but I find this blog to still be a major part of why I love being a Mortgage Coach member. Learning from other great LO's and utilizing their success stories is helping me become a better LO. I like what Dave said, about using it as a teaser for non member visitors, and then let the members have full access through a sign in.

[Mike Saunders]

Dave
Definitely keep the blog up....but password protect it!

[James Massey]

Choice #3 can be modified as follows: Create a status of "Future Mortgage Coach Licensee". This is the equivalent of "free, no-charge status". This enables the non-paid visitor to study. By calling this "future licensee", then the intention is set that following a period of study they are to pay the licensing fee and be a full member.

[Ed Gray]

Dave:

I am missing your posts. Could you let us know when you are going to resume your posts?

Thanks

Ed Gray