How do I use my site to generate an email list?

I am getting relatively steady views to my website, but visitors are not joining my email list. I want to create a more opt in email list rather than always sending messages to my personal network. I've put links on various pages, added a link to my email signature. What other ideas do you have?

7 Bizniks have posted replies

Posted by Judy Dunn, Seattle, Washington | Jun 10, 2008
Hi Jen,

We are redesigning our website right now and will include some of these strategies when we relaunch. Most of them we are already doing. I'm sure there are more, but just off the top of my head:
1. Sounds like you have good traffic to your website right now, but we always push our e-tips and website address in all advertising and have a signature line that appears with all our Biztalk comments (as supporting members).
2. A banner/prominent sign-up box on the home page.
3. A button to click on to see a sample issue.
4. A "Learn more..." link that takes people to our e-tips sales letter.
5. Offer a free gift (report, e-book, etc.) for signing up.
6. A contest/giveaway/for a limited time (sign up and be entered in a contest to win...xxxx)
7. Invitation/encouragement to "forward to a friend if you found this useful" (message on each e-tip issue that goes to current subscribers).
I am sure the bizniks who specialize in e-marketing have all kinds of other great ideas.

Side note: Perhaps this is a topic for a post all its own, but I read on Copyblogger a discussion about the use of the word "subscribe."

The blogger questioned whether we should use it in the context of something free, citing the dictionary definition of "to pledge, as by signing an agreement to give or pay a sum of money as a contribution, gift or investment."

Though they were talking about blogs, the author's subscription rates increased 254% after he substituted "get" for the word "subscribe." It got me thinking. Would you get the same results if you did that with an e-letter?

Web Copywriter & Blogger
Posted by Jen Vondenbrink, Foxboro, Massachusetts | Jun 10, 2008

Thanks Judy! These are great tips! I appreciate the simple straight forward approach. Keep me posted on the success of your website changes when it launches.
Posted by Laura Roeder, Los Angeles, California | Jun 12, 2008

The most successful tactic I've seen is offering a free report or ebook with sign-up. The headline needs to be really catchy and grab people's curiosity.
Posted by Jen Vondenbrink, Foxboro, Massachusetts | Jun 12, 2008

Thanks Laura! I'm going to try this. I just put together a three step process to help people get organized, I think I will format and use that.
Posted by Shari Sultana, Burlington, Ontario Canada | Jun 17, 2008

Hi Jen,

I looked at your site. Why don't you try moving the opt-in from the bottom of your site to the top. It will be more visible there and that might help your conversion rate.

Just a thought!

Shari
Posted by Jen Vondenbrink, Foxboro, Massachusetts | Jun 18, 2008

Hi Shari - thanks for the advice. I will do that today.

Jen
Posted by Elge Premeau, Portland, Oregon | Jun 23, 2008

Even with the link at the top of the page, I'm willing to bet most people don't see your newsletter sign up link. I was looking for it and had a hard time finding it!

I would recommend bringing it into the body of the page and putting the form on the page instead of a link to the form. In the sign up box, tell the reader what they will get in your newsletter in addition to their free gift for signing up. The trick is to make it compelling in as few words as possible.