How Travis Martin launched a niche digital product in just 3 weeks and made $202,000
Travis started TradeIndicators.com in March 2018 and since then he’s made over $202,000 in revenue with Sellfy selling his digital products. His story shows that the best idea can come from the hardest of times, and it can take as little as 3 weeks to grow that idea into a successful online business. We’ve been amazed by his perseverance and heartfelt wish to help others, and we’re certain you’ll be inspired by his story, too.
You’ve created a successful business in the trading niche. To those of us who aren’t familiar with the trading world – what’s your business about?
I code indicators to predict future movements in the trading market that are sustainable and have proven results time after time. I also teach people how to trade the cryptocurrency and Forex markets effectively, with the indicators I code. I have about 11 indicators at the moment and I do around 130 videos a month on TradingView.
How did you start Trade Indicators? Were you a trader before or was it something you discovered recently?
I actually never really thought about trading before. I had relatives who did trading when I was growing up, and that didn’t go too well for them, so I never had the desire to trade.
Then, my wife and I, we went into an investment in early 2018 and lost a substantial amount of money. It was a huge hit on us – emotionally and obviously, financially. I didn’t have a job at that moment and my wife had been working for the first two years of our marriage. I was struggling trying to be an entrepreneur and I couldn’t get any businesses started. It was really hard on me, being the husband, trying to provide and not being able to do that.
I realized I never wanted this to happen again and I don’t want other people to face the same loss that we did. And so, I searched for ways to trade better and I saw people coding indicators and I felt like I could do it better.
It was like one day I heard this voice say, “just try out trading, give it a shot”, and I decided to do it, even though I’ve never coded anything in my life. I taught myself code and, about 3 weeks later, I had the indicators up. Then I found Sellfy and launched my website.
And that’s how the business was born! It was all about trying to find better ways to regain the money we lost and, in turn, creating indicators to help people cut their losses, make some money and be safer when they trade.
So what were you doing before you started this business?
My background is in marketing and I’ve done website design for about 20 years. I also tried a lot of different endeavours in the past, always thinking there was something else more fitting. I’ve tried selling eBooks, video courses, and online coaching. I’ve tried to start a couple of clothing lines, which went fairly well, selling clothes and giving to the homeless people in our city.
I used to work in a freight business, selling space on a truck before doing this. It was the worst job I’ve ever worked in my life, it just wasn’t a good fit. But, it taught me how to deal with stress.
Ultimately, it seems like everything I did beforehand was preparing me for creating this business. It’s been so cool to see how everything I’ve been through has had a purpose. I guess it was the right time.
With all this work experience, did you need to learn any other skills to run Trade Indicators?
I was going into a market that wasn’t out there yet, so I pretty much faked it till I made it. And, even though I had marketing and web design experience, I still had to learn a few things, like coding and making videos.
Actually, the most challenging part was learning how to understand the lingo and the customer service. It was hard having to deal with rejection and disappointment from customers over email and then getting on video being cheery and encouraging 10 minutes later.
It’s about being brave and putting yourself out there and striving to do something you don’t see others doing and just giving it a shot.
How much time did it take to go from the idea to launching your first product and getting sales?
It was about 3 weeks from having the idea to launching the indicators on TradingView and then setting up a store with Sellfy.
I coded the indicators on TradingView and started doing videos telling people how the indicators work. And people started ordering. The sales and testimonials started coming in rapidly and I went from doing 20 to 30 videos a month to 130. If it weren’t for that positive feedback, I would have stopped for sure.
But, at the very beginning, I went through a rough testing phase. I actually had sales for the first month, which was the most money I’ve ever made, which was awesome. And then there were some issues with my indicators.
I ended up refunding everybody for the first month because, at the end of the day, I wanted to be remembered with 100% integrity and honesty. Finally, I started from scratch two weeks after that, with brand new indicators.
Tell me more about your customers and how you reach them.
My target audience ranges from brand new traders to multi-million dollar companies that trade. Mostly males, but we’ve been seeing a lot more females in this space, which has been really great to see.
And actually, my favourite testimony so far was from a female who said “I’m going to quit my job now because I’ve been able to trade and I’m not doing my 9 – 5 anymore”. That was a neat testimony.
TradingView is the main place where I do all my videos, which is where I do marketing on a daily basis by showing how the indicators work. They have about 8 million active subscribers, so I try to get in front of those people. It’s very relevant content for them because they’re already looking for trading advantages. I also post a few YouTube videos and Instagram posts here and there.
How do you figure out your product pricing? We see many sellers struggle with this as they tend to undervalue their products.
This market is somewhat new, so it was trial and error for the first 3 months. I had the indicators at $49 to $59 a piece in the beginning. Then, I started seeing the success people had with it – they were easily making hundreds of dollars in the first two days. I figured we could charge more and that’s when we went up to around $150 to $200 as the average price.
I was also trying to figure out how much money I was taking in versus the time I spent on the business. Today, I do about five hours a day of constant email work and that’s producing around $1000 a day. That’s the sweet spot for me at the moment. Before, I spent about 6 to 8 hours a day and the business was making about $300 – $400 a day. That made me realise I need to up the price and find a balance.
Ultimately, my pricing strategy is to take into account the time I spend creating products and the outcomes our customers are able to achieve. This has helped me cut out the guys who are not that interested and stick to the people who are committed.
Seeing the success you’ve had so far, what are your ambitions for the future?
On a financial level, I’d like to see sales around 50K a month by January 2018. At the moment, we’re averaging at 22K to 30K a month with Sellfy and the other website.
I’d also like to set up a fun and friendly online school that would teach people, within seven days or less, how to go from ‘no trading’ to being a professional trader. We’ve been testing it out and it’s been going very well.
Ultimately, I want to help others become financially independent and live debt free, to pursue passions they have and live a life of abundance, where they’re a blessing to everyone they encounter, whether it be financially, spiritually or emotionally.
What strategies are you applying to reach that goal?
It’s really about getting the word out with affiliate marketers to have their groups know about the indicators. I think we’ll be able to hit our financial goal with this strategy.
How has having this business changed your life?
Having this business has given me a purpose to help others, and has also blessed us financially. My number one goal was to give my wife time off to pursue her own passions. And now she’s been able to quit her job, which is what I’m most excited about. Also, it allows us to travel more, be more relaxed, and give to those in need.
One of the greatest things is the fulfilment that comes from being able to help people. I feel fulfilled knowing that I’ve used my gift to bless others.
What would you tell people who are starting their online business or are thinking about doing it?
I’ll say if you have an idea for a product or a business, don’t wait for it to be perfect – get it out and get feedback from the public. Get a Minimal Viable Product out and see how it does.
Another one would be – always create your product, run your customer service, marketing and management with integrity and kindness.
Also, when you start, set out a written goal, think about what you’re trying to achieve by this. Whether it’s financial freedom or to get your wife off of working so she can have more time to pursue her dreams, you need that goal to pull you through the hard times.
Lastly, surround yourself with people who have achieved what you desire to achieve. Look for a mentor that has done something you’re trying to do and learn from them.
