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3 Common List Building Myths Debunked!

by Luke McCormack
15 replies
Dear Fellow Warriors

I have read a lot of literature and watched countless many videos both paid for and through the war room (for which many thanks indeed to those kind people!). Throughout my search and experience in building lists in very diverse niches, I have come to conclude the following list building "fads" do not actually improve your squeeze page conversions and may actually harm them:

1. Using a photo: Many IMers preach the use of a photo on your squeeze page to add a personal connection in the eyes of the subscriber. Many of us find this rather cheesy (as evidenced by a recent poll of my subscribers). I am all for connecting with your list but my split testing result (conducted over 6 months) reveal a decrease in subscribers of 11%. Particular pictures far worse, such as the marketer on a beach or standing by a car to show wealth created by his or her product.

2. Only collecting an email address as opposed to a name and email address: I have read many times that only requesting an email address leads to a significant increase in subscribers. The reason given being that people are often hesitant to give out to much personal info on the net. Whilst I do not dispute these claims, I have found that not having the ability to personalize my emails leads to a drop in the uptake of offers and products by my list. I would prefer less subscribers and more profits on the back end than vice versa.

3. Using video: I really like the look of video squeeze pages and have often used them in the past. However in a recent survey of my list, 80% of subscribers stated that they did not watch the video but read the bullet points instead and made their sign up decision based on reading those and not the video.

Of course this post may cause controversy, however in a way it is intended to open up a forum of debate on the subject of squeeze pages and opt in conversions. The above points are based on my personal experience and others may well have differing results and views. I would welcome the expression of such views so that we all may learn.

Best regards

Nigel
#building #common #debunked #list #myths
  • Profile picture of the author oldwarrioruser1
    I guess it all just depends on the reader eh? I personally love videos but like you stated, some people would just rather read. So having the video AND bullet points is generally the better idea if you want to cover both.

    I personally never even thought of collecting JUST the email >_<

    Stuff to think about tho!

    Cheers!
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  • Profile picture of the author E. Brian Rose
    Originally Posted by nigelwhittaker View Post


    1. Using a photo: Many IMers preach the use of a photo on your squeeze page to add a personal connection in the eyes of the subscriber. Many of us find this rather cheesy (as evidenced by a recent poll of my subscribers). I am all for connecting with your list but my split testing result (conducted over 6 months) reveal a decrease in subscribers of 11%. Particular pictures far worse, such as the marketer on a beach or standing by a car to show wealth created by his or her product.
    Placing a picture of yourself and placing a picture of yourself next to a Lamborghini are very different things. There is a lot of research, dating back much further than Internet marketing, that shows that putting a face to the seller will have a positive result.

    2. Only collecting an email address as opposed to a name and email address: I have read many times that only requesting an email address leads to a significant increase in subscribers. The reason given being that people are often hesitant to give out to much personal info on the net. Whilst I do not dispute these claims, I have found that not having the ability to personalize my emails leads to a drop in the uptake of offers and products by my list. I would prefer less subscribers and more profits on the back end than vice versa.
    I agree with this, as I like to personalize my emails.

    3. Using video: I really like the look of video squeeze pages and have often used them in the past. However in a recent survey of my list, 80% of subscribers stated that they did not watch the video but read the bullet points instead and made their sign up decision based on reading those and not the video.
    Surveying them is one thing, A/B testing is another. I am willing to bet that you will have more conversions with a low key video that sums up what the product is and does.

    Of course this post may cause controversy...
    There is nothing controversial about being wrong
    Signature

    Founder of JVZoo. All around good guy :)

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  • Profile picture of the author Zeus66
    I've not done any formal testing, but I am currently using an opt-in box with just the email capture, and the conversions are much higher. In all of my other opt-in boxes, I capture both name and email, so this is my first foray into email only capturing. But these are all IM-related squeeze pages and the traffic sources are identical.

    Just to give you real numbers, the average of all my "name + email" captures works out to 43.4%. The "email only" capture is currently running at a shade under 81.9%.

    You rightly mention being more concerned with conversions on the backend and the worry that not being able to personalize your emails might hurt that. It's too soon for me to report anything on that score with this, but I suspect my conversions won't be hurt at anywhere near a high enough rate to overshadow such a large jump in subscriber conversions. We'll see.

    John
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  • Profile picture of the author Shaun OReilly
    Originally Posted by nigelwhittaker View Post

    2. Only collecting an email address as opposed to a name and email address: I have read many times that only requesting an email address leads to a significant increase in subscribers. The reason given being that people are often hesitant to give out to much personal info on the net. Whilst I do not dispute these claims, I have found that not having the ability to personalize my emails leads to a drop in the uptake of offers and products by my list. I would prefer less subscribers and more profits on the back end than vice versa.
    What specific conversion numbers do you have on the
    e-mail + name vs. e-mail only options?

    I note that on the page in your signature you request
    the e-mail only.

    I normally ask for the e-mail only to get more subscribers
    on the front-end. Plus, I get their name anyways when
    they move onto the more important buyer's list.

    Dedicated to mutual success,

    Shaun
    Signature

    .

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    • Profile picture of the author Luke McCormack
      Thank you all very much for chipping in with valid points.

      Shaun - I am currently split testing on the sig squeezepage further the email+name against just email and will happily post the results when they become meaningful (i.e. 6 months worth). I like your idea of getting a name when transferring to your buyers list.

      Kcom, LeahButler & David_g - Thanks for your insights.

      Zeus66 - Many thanks for sharing your initial figures on email & name.

      E. Brian Rose - I take your last sentence as it was intended! I agree your photo comments. As stated in this response, maybe the survey was the wrong way to go. I will A/B split test and publish my findings.

      Best regards

      Nigel



      Submp3s - Thanks for posting an example. Your increase is interesting. Maybe I need to revisit this part of my research as it appears from other posters above that surveying my list may actually have been the wrong way to test this.
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  • Profile picture of the author halmo
    I just signed up to a newsletter two days ago where the name was optional (the word "optional" being stated in parentheses). I had not seen that before, but thought it was a good idea.

    As much as (some) people might not like being forced to give their names on the opt-in page, I also tend to believe what was stated above that people are more likely not to buy, or even unsubscribe, if the e-mails are not personalized to them.This way, e-mails can seem more distant and uninteresting over time. (This doesn't mean that I would want the subject line of every e-mail I get from a marketer to start with my name. That just conveys artificial kindness. Although, few marketers do that nowdays.)
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  • Profile picture of the author kcom
    I could see problems with giving your name. Some email marketers, try and act like your best bud for 10 yrs, just because they know your name.
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    • Profile picture of the author Leahbutler
      Originally Posted by kcom View Post

      I could see problems with giving your name. Some email marketers, try and act like your best bud for 10 yrs, just because they know your name.
      I agree. It kinda reminds me of Minority report movie when futuristic scanners caught your personal info from the eye scan and personalized their advertisements right away. It looked so artificual and phony. Now, our nowadays reality also starts looking that way when your "personalization" is only automatic.

      As for the video, I also almost never watch video when there's an option to quickly browse the content.
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  • Profile picture of the author david_g
    Hello Nigel,

    Interesting questions. I'm wondering the same.

    1. About the photos. They are not only used on squeeze pages but more in fact on sales pages. With or without a car, it doesn't matter, but quite frankly I always wonder why. Well, I know what others say, like in this thread. But quite frankly, I would say some people should better not put their photos, for different reasons.
    I won't buy more because I see the face of the seller. I don't know if it's really his/her photo or not and quite frankly I really don't care how looks like the seller. What I care about is the product.
    When you go in a physical shop, supermaket, restaurant etc. you don't know who is the owner, you have no idea how he/she looks like, but you buy there. So, what?
    You go to a restaurant, but you don't visit the cuisine, you have never seen the chef, and will never see him in most cases. But you eat his food. More risky I would say.

    So, why do some need to see the photo of the person selling an ebook or a set of videos?

    2. no name for subscribing. I also noticed that since some time now, more and more often, marketers just ask the email address. Even big names. I don't remember their names but I also noticed this new trend.

    3. videos are annoying. Video is starting to replace sales letter, and I think this is annoying. Because marketers now decide to put online a one hour video to sell their product, and you have to watch the video from the beginning to the end to know what their product is all about. You can't skip some parts, and I have much better to do than to stay one hour in front of my screen to know how much cost their product and what it really does.
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  • Profile picture of the author Robert Puddy
    I think this is the kind of thread Andy was talking about here
    http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...iction-wf.html

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    • Profile picture of the author david_g
      This thread has already disappeared!
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  • Profile picture of the author Dan Bainbridge
    Originally Posted by nigelwhittaker View Post

    3. Using video: I really like the look of video squeeze pages and have often used them in the past. However in a recent survey of my list, 80% of subscribers stated that they did not watch the video but read the bullet points instead and made their sign up decision based on reading those and not the video.
    A poll between your subscribers about what they "like" is not the same as what actually happens....

    Originally Posted by E. Brian Rose View Post

    Surveying them is one thing, A/B testing is another. I am willing to bet that you will have more conversions with a low key video that sums up what the product is and does.
    Maybe it wouldn't actually happen for you, but it did for me - I swapped the bullet points for a video and increased subscription rates by 10%. The only proof / bottom line is in the testing and the actal result.

    Here's my change:
    Signature

    Hypnosis Affiliate Program Pays 50% + $20 Join BONUS
    Real Subliminal Messages Pays 35% (world's largest subliminal site)
    SubliminalMP3s.com Pays 75%

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  • Profile picture of the author Gorilla
    Originally Posted by nigelwhittaker View Post

    The above points are based on my personal experience and others may well have differing results and views.
    That would mean you never "debunked" any "myths" in your OP.

    In reality, you didn't in this case at all.

    What may be true in these niches may not be true in other niches.

    So the subject line was a little over the top. You basically "debunked" what you found did not work for you in your particular niches using your particular strategies.

    The great news, however, is that this all shows you are testing.

    Good job on that!

    ...
    Signature
    "Good and profitable marketing is what you do for people, not to them..."
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