Need a bit of help with my site

by moonape

Posted: 14 years ago 14 replies

INTERNET MARKETING

Hi guys,

Pleasure to be part of this community, with so many experts and marketing enthusiasts around.

I write a blog about online self-promotion methods for creative freelancers at Red Lemon Club. (You'll have to use my signature or Google as I can't post links yet :s).

I am shortly to launch an ebook guide through the site shortly. I get about 100-200 visitors per day on the site, but it does not convert well with new subscribers to the mailing list: only about 2 a day (although I am getting many new fans on the facebook fan page, so this could have something to do with it).

I need to know whether it is something to do with the way the mailing list is advertised in the sidebar, whether I should have a separate landing page etc

Any ideas and feedback on the site in general would be appreciated!

Also, keep in mind that if any of you would be interested in eventually being an affiliate for the ebook that will be sold through it (I'm pretty confidant I have a hungry market for this book), pm or email me and I'll happily get you involved.

Alex

#bit #conversion #creatives #mailing list #promotion #site

RebeccaL 14 years ago

I cant even see your email sign up form, its too far down the page. Make it more prominent, like on top of your content, then you'll get sign ups.
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automoversny 14 years ago

I cant see it either
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Online Business Cookbook 14 years ago

Yes to creating a "sign up for the newsletter" dedicated page. Do not call it 'newsletter' come up with a good name. For one of our businesses that focuses on starting a cleaning business, we called it the Cleanzine. Offer services and gifts that they can only get through the newsletter. We offer a free book of tips that is 88 pages long. So make it a really good carrot. We also run newsletter only specials.
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Adam Carn 14 years ago

Firstly I would like to say you're very talented with your illustrations. And I love the names of your sites "Ape On The Moon" and "Red Lemon Club." Very creative.

Yes I see your opt-in box on the right. What I suggest is you make it stand out a bit more. Maybe use a yellow box or something. Or even better put it in the header, next to your logo. You shouldn't have to scroll down to see it. Also I think you don't need that much text, keep it short and punchy. Hmm yeah, just try any make the whole opt-in thing more attention grabbing.

Hope that helps.

Thanks,
Adam
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- moonape 14 years ago
  
  Thank you for the responses everyone, and thanks for your kind words, Adam, much appreciated. I will look into either brightening up the opt in box on the right or setting up a whole new page for it.
  
  I was a bit concerned a while back that certain things weren't appearing on the site, such as the opt in box or the tips book illustration.
  
  @automoversny can you not see any form of sign up area for the mailing list?
  
  @Online Business Cookbook thanks for your recommendations - I will definitely look into this. My question to you is whether you can see that I do offer a free book with the mailing list subscription. It's a free report listed just before the opt in box. Do you see this?
  
  Cheers, Alex
  
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  Ape on the Moon for Contemporary Visual Arts!
  
  Red Lemon Club: Fresh Ideas for Happy Freelancers
  
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2very 14 years ago

Hi Alex,
been to your site,
but why should I join your mailing list?
If you give me a reason I can't refuse I might join.

in the mailing list page you give some reasons to join (even if they are not strong enough),
why don't you put those in the sidebar and the sign in form should be in the sidebar as well.

if you want people to sign up, you need to be more agressive and give something of good value, something that your visitors need, and also put a popup when people leave your site, to try and get their email.

I noticed that you haven't got a contact form either and you are selling goods!
that's bad, a contact or support page is a must have!

I also notice that you are using wordpress, I don't know what shopping cart you are using, but there is one which is free wp-e-commerce plugin, and you can have nice permalinks which you haven't got now.

take care,
Ezio.
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fredjr1978 14 years ago

Hey, looks like you and I are kind of doing the same thing. Good luck to you, were getting there...
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- Jill Carpenter 14 years ago
  
  I agree - mailing list sign up needs to pop a bit more AND you should have another link somewhere near the bottom to it as well. Right now I scroll down the page to the bottom, look at all kinds of pretty things, and forget you have a mailing list (on the ape site).
  
  I'd recommend you send a blast out to your readers, and put a poll up somewhere asking them what they'd be most interested. A short guide to something or other - and then yes, add that in the lure for the sign ups - and the added bonus is they get the newsletter.
  
  Pretty funky what your "add to cart" does.
  
  On both of those sites, I think joining some blogging directories like blog catalog will bring you some really nice traffic.
  
  Thanks
  
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  rosetrees 14 years ago
  
  Wow - I love apeonthemoon.
  
  For the Red Lemon Club - The first part of the first page is just a picture of a man screaming. Reduce the size of the (non) speach bubble and wrap your text around the picture - so you can see both.
  
  The picture alone gives me no reason to want to scroll down and read the rest of the page.
  
  Can you reduce the depth of the header graphic and reduce the size of the subscribe box, so that the mailing list sign-up appears more obviously on the first page, above "the fold" (ie, I don't have to scroll down to find it).
  
  Thanks
  
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mattlaclear 14 years ago

The best thing you can do is to come up with a giveaway offer your site visitors would enjoy reading. If you don't have anything of your own put together you can use you can look for a good product with Master Resale Rights. Then put up a landing page that offers the giveaway and advertise that instead of your newsletter on your sidebar. On the first email you send them with the download link to the giveaway you can let them know you are going to "send them a very special unadvertised bonus the next day" as a p.s. at the end of the email. Then you send them the first issue of your newsletter. Just make sure you let your subscribers know on the first issue that it is the very special unadvertised bonus you promised to send them. Then queue up your subsequent newsletter to be delivered at whatever time frame you want. Running a campaign like that is pretty clean and you'll be surprised at how many new subscribers you'll get. I know I was when I started doing it.
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- moonape 14 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by mattlaclear
  
  The best thing you can do is to come up with a giveaway offer your site visitors would enjoy reading.
  
  Originally Posted by 2very
  
  been to your site,
  but why should I join your mailing list?
  If you give me a reason I can't refuse I might join.
  
  Hi 2very, mattlaclear and others - I'm a little confused - a lot of you seem to think I don't have any giveaway to entice mailing list members. Is it that you cannot see that I have a free report as a giveaway under the opt in box, or that you think this isn't enough?
  
  Also, I'm not selling anything yet through the site - that is why there is no shopping cart or contact form just yet, but that will come.
  
  Thanks avenuegirl for your comment - I will definitely use your tips.
  
  (I have moved the opt in box above the fold since my first post, if anyone is confused!)
  
  What do other people think I need to do, looking at the site as it is, to increase the conversion rate? I'm considering putting in another separate landing page for the mailing list too.
  
  Is anyone else not seeing the free report i'm advertising in the sidebar?
  
  Alex
  
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  Ape on the Moon for Contemporary Visual Arts!
  
  Red Lemon Club: Fresh Ideas for Happy Freelancers
  
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Vic Shake 14 years ago

You have to move your opt-form up make your blog full screen- more better appealing graphics to make it " Dummy Proof"
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misterkailo 14 years ago

People care about the free tips to get exposure online than your weekly newsletter. You want words about the free report to go first.

Also, I have to scroll down a little bit just to see the form. The form must be in-your-face as soon as people see your website.
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- moonape 14 years ago
  
  Thanks everyone for their feedback.
  
  I have to say I really am enjoying this game - it's a science.
  
  MoonApe
  
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  Red Lemon Club: Fresh Ideas for Happy Freelancers
  
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Need a bit of help with my site

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