Question: Why is nobody signing up for my newsletter? I know thats where the money is, but I just cant get anyone to sign up. What can I do? Signed Yoo hoo Anyone there? Dear Yoo hoo Anyone there?
Please dont feel badly. I actually get this question a lot in my consulting business. Its a very common problem and, fortunately, one that you can start improving today. Here is the short version of the checklist I go through with clients when examining ways to fix this problem. 1. Where do I sign up?
The first thing I do when Im helping a client is to play the game called Wheres the signup box? If it takes me more than half a second to find the newsletter signup form, then weve got work to do. Your signup box should not be a challenge to find. If it is, its defeating the purpose. So, put it front and center in the top third of your page. Its not even a bad thing if you have it on your page gasp twice. Also, most people have pop-up blockers now, so dont rely on a pop-up to get you a parade of traffic. Pop-ups and pop-unders are great, but they cant be the only ways to get people on your list. 2. What am I signing up for?
The next thing I check is the copy in the signup box. If your best sales pitch is Sign up for my mailing list or Sign up for our newsletter then forget about it! It used to be years ago thats all you needed to say, but now people need a little more explanation and encouragement. Will you be providing tips, ideas, freebies, coupons, resources or advice? Let me know what Im getting into before Ill hand over my email address. And it better be good. 3. Why should I sign up?
A little bribery can go a long ways. Will I get a bonus for signing up? Do you have a special report or a freebie for me? No? Well, get to work. Theres a lot of competition out there, so dont be afraid to offer a little extra to your visitors. 4. How do I sign up?
The last item on my checklist is the sign-up procedure. If youre using a service that makes me jump through too many hoops, then Ill probably give up and move on to something else. Yes, double opt-in is good, but programs that make you join and jump too many times are just ridiculous. Plus, if youre asking for too much information (like my telephone number), Ill likely pass. Theres no email list worth me getting phone calls during dinner. It doesnt matter how good your mailing list is. So, there you have it. Start with this quick checklist to see immediate improvement in your sign-ups. As far as getting traffic to your site to see your signup box thats another article in the making. |
