5 Ways to Instantly Increase Your Opt-in Rate
Whenever someone new visits your website, your #1 goal is
to get them on your email list. That way you have a method
of keeping them up-to-date on your latest offerings, so
when they’re ready to hire you or buy your product, you’re
right there in their inbox.
And having a way for them to join your list that is both
simple and effective will dramatically increase both your
list numbers and your sales.
Here are the three biggest mistakes I see regularly on
business websites:
1. Not having a way to capture your visitors. Most people
don’t bite on the first pass, and once they click away,
it’s unlikely they’ll be back. Don’t lose them by not
having a way for them to sign up for your list.
2. The opt-in box is buried. If your visitor can’t find the
form to sign up, then how can they?
TIP: Testing shows that the upper right-hand corner of your
webpage is still the best spot for your opt-in box.
3. The sign-up form says something unenticing like “click
here for mailing list” - ugh!
So, here are 5 proven ways that you can instantly increase
your opt-in rates:
1. Give your visitor only one choice.
Some of you may have heard of a 1-banana or a single action
website, which is exactly that. You’re giving your visitor
only one option - sign up for your list via your free
ezine, special report, checklist, ebook, etc. They get
their freebie in exchange for giving you their email
address.
One of my clients recently implemented this idea for her
coaching business, which was a big leap of faith for her. I
just got a joyful email from her saying that she’s noticed
a substantial increase in her opt-ins since!
It works, so don’t be afraid to try it. And by the way, a
testimonial or two on your 1-banana website doesn’t hurt
either.
2. Write enticing copy.
Remember that people tend to skim what they read online, so
make sure you have an attention-getting headline and some
additional brief copy describing the benefits your visitor
will receive by signing up for your list. As always, make
sure it answers the most prominent question in your
visitor’s mind, “what’s in it for me?”
3. Have only two form fields: First Name and Primary Email
If you capture someone’s name along with their email
address, you can easily personalize any future
correspondence with them, which is proven to increase open
and response rates. In other words, if you address
something to someone individually, they feel more connected
and are more likely to respond well to your mailings.
If you ask for a Primary Email address, many people will
give it to you, as opposed to a back-up email address that
they hardly ever check. And You’ll get higher quality email
addresses simply by asking them to give you their primary
one, which means you’ll have less bounce-backs and your
emails will actually get through to the people who asked to
receive them.
Only having these two form fields makes it a snap for
someone to sign up, and you want to make it as simple as
possible for your visitor to do so.
4. Have a clear submit button.
Like having a 1-banana website, you want to make it very
clear what it is that you want your visitor to do. Have
your submit button say something like, “subscribe” or “sign
me up now” or “send me the ecourse” (that’s what mine says).
5. Share your privacy policy.
Share your privacy policy on the same page, and keep it
simple. Something like, “We will never share your email
address, period.” will work wonders for alleviating your
visitors’ fears of getting lots of spam.
Follow these 5 easy-to-implement strategies and you will
dramatically increase the number of websites visitors who
sign up for your list!
—————————————————-
Alicia M Forest, MBA, Multiple Streams Queen & CoachT,
founder of http://www.ClientAbundance.com , and creator of
21 Easy & Essential Steps to Online Success SystemT,
teaches self-employed service professionals how to attract
more clients, create profit-making products and services,
make more sales, and ultimately live the life they desire
and deserve.
For FREE tips on how to create abundance in your business,
visit http://www.ClientAbundance.com
Written by SEO Tipster on June 13th, 2006 with
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