An Email List.... Impossible Dream?

Which site is yours? (your sig links?)

One of the sites doesn't have an opt-in form. The other one, has a weird overlay from the video and looks really spammy, not to mention 1/2 the email form is cut off and there's no SUBMIT button (I'm using firefox, maybe different in I.E.)

Why don't you just grab a free or low cost squeeze page template if you're having difficulty with attractive layouts?

Yeah, I found the link on the first site. It's really hidden... You will not get many people to click on that link to even be presented with the opt-in form.

I would put your opt-in form either on the sidebar and maybe at the bottom or top of each of your blog posts, so every visitors sees the offer and where they will submit their email address.

Make it easy to spot

Do adswaps and article marketing to drive traffic to your squeeze page.

Cheers,
iYingHang

Hi Esr,

It's a shame you are not getting as many sign up as you would have liked.

The good thing is you have something to improve on!

It's brave of you to ask for some advice, but it shows great character, as none of us are anywhere near perfect!

On the first site I would add some of your personality. People would be more likely to want to know more if they feel they can engage with you.

On the second site the black and red colors just do not work. I was at an Internet site review meeting earlier this week and they told us large usage of red and black on websites is associated mainly with sites of a certain industry!!!!

I hope this helps, Good luck

Ian

Put an opt-in form on the front page or as a pop-up when someone gets to your site. Test it.

You should do fine.

Sumit.

Hi

you need it to be more obvious and laid out better to get the subscribers rolling in.

I would get a nice one designed via the warriors for hire and start again from there.

kind regards


sam
X

ESR - I think you just need to put yourself in the shoes of your customer / viewer.

What would make YOU sign up for that list?

Think of their demographic, their problem, what solution you are offering.

Just popped in, read your intriguing headline, visited your blog through the link, and read your articles... they are good!

You shouldn't have too much trouble inviting people to subscribe to your list by promising more content like that - delivered by email newsletter.

What's likely missing is:

* visibility (the link is tucked away on the sidebar)
* 'reason why' justification - what benefit will I get from joining your list

Try this. At the end of each of your blog posts, add a line that says something like this:

It's easy to add this in a Wordpress template and have it show up after every blog post.

Hope this helps

All success
Dr.Mani

Squeeze pages should have the optin box on the top fold of the page and must be the first thing the visitor sees.

Don't make the visitor think and only give them two options - subscribe or leave the page, so get rid of all the other blog posts, sidebar links and everything else. Hell, I wouldn't even use wordpress

If you want some premade squeeze pages, I remember someone sharing a free one in the War Room which was pretty good.

Good luck,

Mark

Hey ESR

When i start blogs i mostly use footerads with a free give away. If not i use popups i do with instant popover. I also have a subscribe form in my sidebar just with a normal html widget.

When you´re ready with your set up just go out to do some adswaps. There are many free places outthere.

Cheers,

Patrick

If your form is in those links in you sig, then I did not see anywhere to sign up to anything - so then I can see why you have no subscribers.

Ryan Deiss does some fantastic stuff on squeeze page, Even looking at one of his or Frank Kerns squeeze pages will give you a few ideas.

Also there are a couple of Warriors giving away good listbuilding stuff in the War Room.

I do not see any opt-in form on your site and there is no way that anyone can opt-in.

Your opt-in form must be visible at all times when the visitor comes in.

Tal

Three words - "Video Squeeze Page"

Separate your blog activities from your list building activities.

Have some mystery on the squeeze page to make them sign up.

How long have you been doing this though?
Please remember, marketing is an investment rather than an "expense" (Jay Levinson?)

I agree with everyone else. Must be much more visible.

Put it in the sidebar of your wordpress.

Get the form code, create a new text widget entitled "Get free stuff" "Subscribe to my newsletter and get whatever" or something like that. Paste the code in there. Publish it and move it to the top of the sidebar.

"Plus, new subscribers receive two free gifts that will help drive traffic to your sites and increase your affiliate commissions."

This is very vague.

Will the gifts themselves will drive traffic and increase commissions? More likely, the gifts will (assuming they're good) TEACH ME how to drive traffic and increase commissions. This might sound like I'm being a smartass, but I'm not.

Also, the order of your opt-in box paragraphs. Which is the priority - the discount or the gifts?

The gifts themselves also have to be targeted. I'm at your website for help building my blog, so give me something that will help me do that! Make this gift really high quality, something that will get me started (but of course won't give the farm away - that's what your backend sales are for). Convince me that if I sign up to your list, I'll get some really great blogging advice that will in turn help drive traffic and increase commissions.

Keep your readers in mind, and you will go far. Good luck

The content in the first link looked interesting and I would have been happy to stay a while and read the posts. The sign up link was a bit hidden and obscure.

I opened the second and closed it straight away. I (personally) dislike video, the text is long and monotonous and the colour is bad. But hey, at least you have something to improve on!