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Is it easier to collect emails with a membership website?

by Inersha
7 replies
I've got an information website (custom, non-wordpress) that receives 70,000 visitors a month.

I'm thinking about creating a free membership section for the sake of collecting email addresses. I currently offer a free ebook download (in a box in the sidebar) as an incentive to subscribe to my "newsletter", but I want to replace this with a feature of free MP4 downloads of educational videos if you become a member.

Do you think membership would be a more effective strategy over the free ebook offer for email collection? I know it's tricky not knowing the specifics, but is there any general advice? Pros and cons?

I have a list of 6,000 subscribers built up in Aweber from this ebook offer. Is there any reason why I shouldn't try and integrate the membership system with Aweber on top of the current list? Are there better options?

My plan was to use a $25 membership script from codecanyon and get a coder to integrate it in to the site and combine with Aweber. Good idea?

(Note: I may post this question to other forums on the Internet, so don't be surprised if you see it elsewhere. But just to let you know I'm posting it here first because I thought I'd get the best response.)
#collect #easier #emails #membership #website
  • Profile picture of the author 1stargeneral
    Banned
    Originally Posted by Inersha View Post

    I've got an information website (custom, non-wordpress) that receives 70,000 visitors a month.

    I'm thinking about creating a free membership section for the sake of collecting email addresses. I currently offer a free ebook download (in a box in the sidebar) as an incentive to subscribe to my "newsletter", but I want to replace this with a feature of free MP4 downloads of educational videos if you become a member.

    Do you think membership would be a more effective strategy over the free ebook offer for email collection? I know it's tricky not knowing the specifics, but is there any general advice? Pros and cons?

    I have a list of 6,000 subscribers built up in Aweber from this ebook offer. Is there any reason why I shouldn't try and integrate the membership system with Aweber on top of the current list? Are there better options?

    My plan was to use a $25 membership script from codecanyon and get a coder to integrate it in to the site and combine with Aweber. Good idea?

    (Note: I may post this question to other forums on the Internet, so don't be surprised if you see it elsewhere. But just to let you know I'm posting it here first because I thought I'd get the best response.)
    I don't buy the idea. You better make you use of the squeeze page and offer the free stuffs you use to offer as before.

    That is my opinion though
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  • Profile picture of the author Vector Graphics
    You could integrate a free membership but I still think it would be easier to capture email addresses with your free downloads. Do you have a squeeze page? Do you use a pop up on your site?

    Have you been promoting any offers to your list?
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    • Profile picture of the author brentb
      I like the membership idea a lot. It sounds like the value you create is in what your site offers, not so much the free ebook and/or mp3. You probably gain nothing by people viewing and only when they give their email, so it shouldn't matter if 50% of the people are going to bounce if you get 1000% more emails.

      Plus memberships are great because you can always cancel or upgrade users. Maybe members get 2x the info available or extra credits or something and you still offer a teaser to free users. But if their email is fake or becomes undeliverable you can cancel them to try and get them to put in a new email.

      Just some ideas. Your visits don't mean anything if you aren't making use of them. So focus on getting value in return from your visitors. Don't focus on the needs of people looking for free info.
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      • Profile picture of the author Inersha
        Originally Posted by PlrGraphics View Post

        You could integrate a free membership but I still think it would be easier to capture email addresses with your free downloads. Do you have a squeeze page? Do you use a pop up on your site?

        Have you been promoting any offers to your list?
        I don't have a squeeze page or a pop up. Just a sidebar with the free ebook offer, and I don't totally love the ebook as it just includes a handful of standard tips. That's why I thought about membership, as it will be genuinely useful and may make the user feel more "committed" to me and what I have to say.

        I've not promoted many offers. I've got an autoresponder series set up but I rarely broadcast. I try and only recommend stuff that I honestly believe in. I've under-utilised the list so far, so I think they're in a good enough state to be "sold" to if I work on it.

        Originally Posted by brentb View Post

        I like the membership idea a lot. It sounds like the value you create is in what your site offers, not so much the free ebook and/or mp3. You probably gain nothing by people viewing and only when they give their email, so it shouldn't matter if 50% of the people are going to bounce if you get 1000% more emails.

        Plus memberships are great because you can always cancel or upgrade users. Maybe members get 2x the info available or extra credits or something and you still offer a teaser to free users. But if their email is fake or becomes undeliverable you can cancel them to try and get them to put in a new email.

        Just some ideas. Your visits don't mean anything if you aren't making use of them. So focus on getting value in return from your visitors. Don't focus on the needs of people looking for free info.
        You nailed it. Thank you. Thanks for your thoughts.
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        • Profile picture of the author wordwizard
          Why not upgrade your ebook offer and make it into something people will be salivating over and happily giving you their email address for.

          Also make sure it's something that makes them see you as an authority, and promise them more valuable info in the form of e-courses etc.

          That should get your conversions up - and get people to open and read your follow-up emails too.

          You can then offer them a membership site (maybe with free access) where you can add more content regularly and sell them tools and other such things.
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  • Profile picture of the author joshcoffy
    I would highly recommend a 'lightbox hover' email capture. I quadroupled Flight Drummer's Magazine optin rate since adding it and they only cost $15-$20 on Code Canyon!

    I also have a paid membership site with members in 13 countries, so I am pretty familiar with memberships! My advice to that would be that you must provide enough value for them to sign up as a member. Also- what will they be able to do as members? If they get perks that non-members dont, then it may help increase optins.

    Squeeze pages are a must for the eBook and a lightbox hover will greatly increase your optins! You could even offer the eBook on the lightbox hover.

    Hope that helps!

    -Josh
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  • Profile picture of the author WillR
    If you are not getting enough people to optin for your free ebook then the best solution is to come up with a more powerful free offer.

    I have done the free membership thing before and you need to be careful. The more stuff you give away for free the less likely it is people will buy your stuff or the products you recommend because they have so much free stuff to go through.

    I always suggest you keep your lead generating freebies as simple as possible. One short video or one short report. Keep it simple and make sure it is something that can be consumed very quickly -- within just a matter of minutes. Freebies should be all about quality of information, NOT quantity.

    Then they will be ready to buy your paid products.
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