Featured Post
By Wendy On June 17, 2010No Comments
Visitors to your blog are good. RSS subscribers are better. But the real money online is in your mailing list. Build a large list of qualified buyers, and you’ll see a much higher return on your investment than you will from any other marketing effort. The only question is, how do you build a qualified list?
Present an irresistible offer. The days of getting people to give you their email address with the promise of a monthly or weekly newsletter are gone. You need to offer your readers something of value. Downloadable products like eBooks and special reports are popular, as are software, and even trial subscriptions to membership sites.
Use highly targeted marketing. If your list focuses on gardening, and all your Twitter followers are other Internet marketers, pushing signups on your Twitter account is not going to result in a lot of conversions. Instead, concentrate your efforts where gardeners hang out – online forums, niche blogs, even Craig’s List are all good choices for getting your list in front of qualified, interested individuals.
Get traffic to your opt-in page. Common wisdom says that you need an opt-in form on every page of your site, and while that’s important, it’s even more critical to have a separate opt-in page. When linking back to your site from articles, forums, guest blogs, or ads, link to that page rather than your home page. You’ll see conversions increase dramatically.
Test, analyze, tweak, and repeat. No headline or opt-in page is perfect from the start. Keep an eye on your stats, and systematically change out elements to test performance. You can use scripts to split-test headlines and other parts of a squeeze page, or you can just manually track which ones work and which do not. And keep notes, you’ll want to refer back to them later for other campaigns.
Change your offer, too. Today’s hot ebook will eventually become yesterday’s news, and a new offer will often rejuvenate a quiet list.
Getting sign-ups is only part of your overall list building campaign, however. Once people are on your list, your job turns to keeping them there. Start by living up to the promise you made them. Revisit your opt-in page and welcome letter and make sure you’re doing what you said you would do. Did you promise a weekly newsletter? Then you need to get it out in a timely manner. Regardless of the promised schedule, don’t let weeks go by without contacting your list. An out-of-the-blue email from someone they haven’t heard from in three months will likely result in an unsubscribe.
At the same time, don’t make every contact with your list a sales pitch. Sure, they know they’re going to be marketed to when they sign-up, but they expect (and deserve) some value from being a member as well. It’s impossible to say what the exact ratio of information to sales pitch should be, but you should definitely test and analyze your results until you find the optimum mix for your market.
Building a list and keeping it healthy should be your highest priority as a business owner. Whether your business is selling diaper patterns to new moms, or multi-thousand-dollar software systems to IT professionals, your list is your biggest asset. Treat it well, and you will reap the rewards.
For even more tips and ideas check out our free list building report
photo credit: mccheek
Recent Posts
By Wendy On April 6, 2010
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If you find you’ve strayed from your business goals slightly or are simply looking for a way to refocus and recharge, then these tips will help you get back on track.
1 – Write it down. You may have written your goals down previously, but perhaps your situation has changed or you simply need reminding. This is a good time to write your goals down and start focusing on what it really is you want.
2 – Plan for success. It’s been said that if you fail to plan you plan to fail – a statement that many entrepreneurs have found to be very true. Start planning your success by creating a clear outline of what you would like to achieve on a day-to-day basis. This step, along with a clear list of goals, will help you really narrow in on what you’re working towards.
3 – Set up a dedicated space. Laptops are very convenient but sometimes it’s really worth setting up a dedicated space to work in. This will help you keep all your files and important documents in one place and may also help you set up a clear work routine. In other words, you know that when you sit at that space it’s work time.
This can be extremely helpful, particularly if you’re struggling to stay motivated and focused during work hours.
4 – Create a goals board. Goal boards can be very inspiring. This is simply a board that reminds you of all your important goals and desires. For example, you can print out your written goals and stick them to your goals board. You can then cut out items from a magazine or print visuals that represent those goals. If your goal is to move into your dream home, then cut out a picture of your dream home and place it on your goals board.
You may also want to include pictures of your family and friends and other important reminders that will help you stay focused and inspired. Have fun with it and decorate the board however you choose – it is after all your goals board and should be unique to you.
Staying focused on your goals isn’t always easy, but with a few small steps it’s certainly possible. These tips will help get you started and keep you motivated and focused.
If you’d like even more help refocusing, check out my 6 week self-study course at: http://IMCleanup.com
photo credit: jaytkendall
By Wendy On April 5, 2010
No Comments
Spring is a time of change, renewal and refreshing growth. Why not apply this wonderful season to your website and give it a spring lift. Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing.
1- Change font colors. Font colors have more impact on your visitors and sales than you may think. Use this opportunity to test the effectiveness of a few different font colors. It’s an easy way to change your website, give it a new look, while at the same time maintain a high degree of continuity and perhaps increase your sales and conversions.
2- Update your photo, or add a photo if you don’t already have one on your website. A personal touch, like a photo or a personal audio or video message, is a wonderful way to connect with your visitors. People like to see who they’re doing business with, who created the website and a photo or an image of you helps them make that connection. Spring is a perfect time to update your photo or update your audio or video message. Refresh it and add new life to your website.
3- Add a social networking tool. You can add a twitter feed, a connect with me on twitter, facebook or whichever social networking sites you have a profile on. These small feeds help boost your followers and again they can be a personal connection – people are able to see what you’re posting.
4 – Update your banner ads. If you’re like many affiliate marketers or website owners, they find a few good banner ads relevant to their niche, paste the code in the sidebar and let them be. The trouble is, these banner ads become stagnant. Now is the time to evaluate the success achieved from these banner ads and to update the ones that are working and replace the ones that aren’t.
5- Add a new technology. News feeds, as they relate to your industry, are a fun and valuable technology you can add to your website to add a spring lift. You can also add a new survey, contest or other small bit of interest that also serves to engage your audience and/or provide you with valuable information about your customers.
6- Update and make sure all of your links are working. This can be a tedious task if you have a lot of links however, it’s important because one broken link can send a visitor away. The goal is to keep them on your website, right?!
Spend some time reviewing your website to see where it can be improved. Explore technology available and analyze your customer’s needs and problems. If you can enhance the user experience on your website and add value, go for it.
Want to take your website’s “spring lift” even further? Check out this 6 week self-study course that will help you dust off your virtual cobwebs –> http://imcleanup.com
photo credit: meramerah
