Sqeeze Pages are the past

59 replies
Dont get me wrong, I was all about squeeze pages and currently have a few, I couldn't even wait to get them up and yes they do work. But after running for 2 years, and split testing for the last year, also sending a survey to a list of over 3,000 random users across some of my forums, the response where shocking.

The question was very simple:

Which page would you feel more comfortable with (and) what thoughts come to your mind when you see each page.

One page was a multi-page website with widgets, videos and pictures, etc..

The other was a squeeze page, single page, scrolling.

80% said "this one" (The squeeze page) looks like a scam

98% would be more comfortable adding their email to the multipage site.

**Please keep in mind, my squeeze page works, but my regular is converting better**

I just wonder if I have been closed minded or stubborn about my squeeze page, and honestly I think I have been. Please dont flame in this thread, I already understand and get that "YOU" have "proof" your squeeze page is working.

But I want to open a discussion for those that are kind of in my boat so to say.
(^Updated)

Your thoughts?

______
UPDATE FEB 11th

Originally Posted by Daniel Evans View Post

Why are you assuming it's the squeeze page in general and not the design of your specific page and your product?

A squeeze page can't look like anything until you fill it with content.

Stereotypical, bland squeeze pages with poor content / copy can look like scams perhaps....
My squeeze page looks just like yours - Beautiful. My squeeze page works. Again, all im saying is I have tested and spent lots of money on surveys and multiple sites. All i found was people no longer find the "Look HERE" "Last Chance!" "Very LAST Chance!!!" "Your One Click AWAY!" "Only $57!" Or even images that that remind people of a squeeze page, even though they dont know what a squeeze page is.


I in addition to my findings I have confirmed this:

The greater population has a better "shopping" "purchasing" experience on sites like Amazon, or any other known brand name.

The key factor is they are used to the look and feel of these sites

The brain says, "Im comfortable here"

And talk about list building, do you think Amazon has a small list? (Im not talking to anyone directly BTW)

The greater population has found that when you have a "squeeze page" (Like 98% of all you signatures) Their brains, say "Uh Oh, this is not right"

This is what I found, and I understand that many deep down inside know its true but have such a reputation here that prevents you from accepting it.

The economy is bad so I just wanted to share my success story - yes I currently capture emails, and yes I have an amazing email campaign, all with leaving the squeeze page behind. And no it has nothing to do with the sites in my signature surprisingly
#pages #past #sqeeze
  • Profile picture of the author jasonl70
    idea - test and discover firsthand whether they work

    I'm still trying to get my head around the scam part.. fill this out, get X.. where's the scam?
    Signature

    -Jason

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7572805].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author davidtye
      Squeeze pages work well for me and my customers and have done for years.
      Mine are simple single page sites offering a free gift related to my main product. I provide short copy selling the USP and a name & email form for the visitor to fill in and that is that.

      It sounds a little like yours are a bit too complicated? Then again i don't know anything about your offerings so maybe you feel you need multi page squeeze pages with widgets etc. Might be a bit distracting for visitors..
      Signature
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7616077].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Davidstarz
      Originally Posted by jasonl70 View Post

      idea - test and discover firsthand whether they work

      I'm still trying to get my head around the scam part.. fill this out, get X.. where's the scam?
      I also do not believe it is scam unless you are doing it the wrong way. It is just a simple logic, suscribe to my newletter and you will get this free gift.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7633303].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author jenki1
        The squeeze page is the start of your shop window. You are offering them a free product to get them into your shop.
        If you have a quality shop then they are going to be happy and come back again.
        When you have a shop with lousy products or they don't receive the promised product then it becomes a scam.
        You need to treat people the same as how you would like to be treated.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7633384].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author tigertale
          If the squeeze page is for a free report or something fine. I prefer to have some verbiage telling me what to expect and why I would want it.

          If you have a video, tell me something about what is on the video. A lot of them do not give you a clue. I usually click to close and see if I get any written stuff if there is a "Stay on this Page" popup.

          (Side note when I get an email telling me to watch a video that will blow me away and not tell me what the video is about, I immediately unsubscribe).

          Also side note and rant. I like a sales page that has has written words on it. If you have a video fine. Let me read what the video tells me.

          I do not like sales videos that do not give me a clue as to how long it is. Or worse they tell you it is a short video, but 30 minutes later they haven't gotten to the pitch.

          I am sick of sales videos that waste my time. I do not want a tour of your big house or your office and I don't want to watch you drive your fancy car. I don't want you to go on and on about how you were broke and in debt and hated your job. I don't want to see your vacation pictures. Why should I watch all that for 20 minutes when you haven't yet told me anything? Maybe you think this make me know, like and trust you. It tells me you do not respect my time.

          No I don't think squeeze pages are dead. If I think there is value in your offer I will bite.

          Or if I somehow get to your blog and like what I see, I may opt-in to your offer that is just there on the sidebar.
          Signature

          Worried about Carpal Tunnel Syndrome? CarpalTunnelMaster.com

          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7636595].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author ProServices
    I am always open to suggestions but I find that if you are honest with what your providing and it's got quality content, then squeeze pages are the way to go. If your giving away a low quality ebook and then bombarding the poor subscribers with rubbish, they will leave.

    So I will carry on doing squeeze pages as long as the end user gets quality information and continue providing quality info to the list. Maybe pitching in an affiliate product now and then.
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7572819].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author ronorr
    I think the video squeeze page is going to work much better in the future and I also Have got 10,000's of emails from 100's of opt-in pages over the last 12 years and fewer people enter their email, but that's not necessarily a bad thing, you only want serious people anyways that want to buy long-term. I see it as a way to weed people out, and my experience is it's more about the relationship prior to entering their email. What if you wrote 100 blog posts for 100 days in a row, do you think people would have to think twice about entering their email? Just get them as subscribers on facebook, or coming back to the blog. The email opt-in is just an fyi because facebook subscribers are easy and getting repeat visitors to a blog is easy.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7572831].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Tahir
    Squeeze pages are anything but a scam. It's like calling an axe a murderer. In a fireman's hand's it can save lives, in someone else's it can wreak havoc.

    The key question is... do they work for building your mailing lists?

    The answer is a resounding "yes". Better than any other list building strategy or technique.

    If you choose to scam your list after you've created it, you can't blame that on the squeeze page that built your list for you.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7572842].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author DiZzYNaTiOn
    I have updated the OP
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7614244].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author amunt
    Originally Posted by DiZzYNaTiOn View Post


    **Please keep in mind, my squeeze page works, but my regular is converting better**
    Your thoughts?
    Totally agree. I had the same experience. Somebody said here what's the scam in getting something for free? - that's irrelevant, it's the perception that counts. Before getting into IM, whenever I came a across a full on squeeze page I would think, if it's so amazing why doesn't it look like other quality 'normal sites'?
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7614514].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Paul Myers
      Asking people questions like that will very often result in bad data. They'll say what they think they're supposed to say, or what they believe makes them sound smartest. That often varies from what they'll do when put in a situation where they have to make a decision.

      Test it. Same traffic source and volume, how many subscribe through each? For each source, how many end up buying something? What are the visitor values?

      Measure actions and results.


      Paul
      Signature
      .
      Stop by Paul's Pub - my little hangout on Facebook.

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7614616].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author denysapu
        Originally Posted by Paul Myers View Post

        Asking people questions like that will very often result in bad data. They'll say what they think they're supposed to say, or what they believe makes them sound smartest. That often varies from what they'll do when put in a situation where they have to make a decision.

        Test it. Same traffic source and volume, how many subscribe through each? For each source, how many end up buying something? What are the visitor values?

        Measure actions and results.


        Paul
        Totally agree Paul!
        Signature

        Don't worry be happy!

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7614838].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
        Banned
        Originally Posted by Paul Myers View Post

        Test it. Same traffic source and volume, how many subscribe through each? For each source, how many end up buying something? What are the visitor values?

        Measure actions and results.
        This. Exactly.

        For my business, squeeze pages are the past, having carefully split-tested in each of 4 unrelated niches over a 6-month period, including testing how often people bought. I found (four times over) that the lists built with an incentivized opt-in on a content-rich site were smaller, better and more profitable than the bigger lists built from the same traffic-sources using squeeze pages. I think it's because of my traffic demographics, and I don't suggest that my findings will necessarily apply to anyone else: you have to test it for yourself.

        http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...ml#post5475859

        And there's a bit more here ...
        Is the squeeze page dead?
        What are the essential things to know about list building?
        Website or squeeze page
        Squeeze Page on Landing Page a Turn Off?
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7615081].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author vickybabe
          For me personally, i have scrapped squeeze pages altogether now and any other form of giveaways for listbuilding.

          What i am now focusing on is a quality buyers list that actually purchases something from me and then is added to my autoresponder.

          It is just my personal choice, but i would much rather just deal with a buyers list.
          Signature
          Free Wso: Watch As We Rank A Video On The First Page In 4 Minutes Flat - Get Access Here
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7615123].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Paul Myers
            It is just my personal choice, but i would much rather just deal with a buyers list.
            This is a whole other thing, and one a lot of people never quite 'get' about business: You get to choose who you deal with, and how you want to do things.

            Possibly the most important lesson you can learn in this game.


            Paul
            Signature
            .
            Stop by Paul's Pub - my little hangout on Facebook.

            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7615254].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
              Originally Posted by jasonl70 View Post

              idea - test and discover firsthand whether they work

              I'm still trying to get my head around the scam part.. fill this out, get X.. where's the scam?
              For many people, the perception of 'scam' comes from what happens to them after the "get X" part. Like missing that line buried in the TOS about sharing personal data with selected partners - which translates to anyone willing to buy a solo ad or a copy of the list outright. Or the assumption that because someone opted in to get X, you have permission to mailbomb them with affiliate offers for every other letter in the alphabet several times over. Or...

              It's like Ben Franklin once said. "A cat that sits on a hot stove once will never do so again, nor will she sit on a cold stove, either."
              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7615313].message }}
              • Profile picture of the author George Wright
                Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

                A cat that sits on a hot stove
                John,

                Will you please stop promoting your sig.

                George Wright
                Signature
                "The first chapter sells the book; the last chapter sells the next book." Mickey Spillane
                {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7616241].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author minimalseo
            Originally Posted by vickybabe View Post

            For me personally, i have scrapped squeeze pages altogether now and any other form of giveaways for listbuilding.

            What i am now focusing on is a quality buyers list that actually purchases something from me and then is added to my autoresponder.

            It is just my personal choice, but i would much rather just deal with a buyers list.
            I second that. Over the last year, I have resorted to the same approach, and done away with freebies enticed list building through squeeze pages and such. Again, just a personal preference.
            Signature

            "Be water, my friend" - Bruce Lee

            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7632370].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author DiZzYNaTiOn
        Originally Posted by Paul Myers View Post

        Asking people questions like that will very often result in bad data. They'll say what they think they're supposed to say, or what they believe makes them sound smartest. That often varies from what they'll do when put in a situation where they have to make a decision.

        Test it. Same traffic source and volume, how many subscribe through each? For each source, how many end up buying something? What are the visitor values?

        Measure actions and results.


        Paul
        Hey Paul thanks for your reply, but as mentioned, I have tested it.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7631780].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author SFitzpatrick
    A few years ago you could throw up a generic website and people would buy etc... but today there have been a lot of people burnt by those generic long copy sales squeeze pages.

    If you've got a seriously good product, I recommend spending some money and building a high quality site and squeeze page. They can help build trust.
    Signature

    James Schramko Shares His Proven Online Sales System In This Podcast Episode

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7614754].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author TheNewGuy2010
    Maybe YOUR squeeze page did look like a scam. We haven't seen it. Display it for us.

    Squeeze pages are tried and true. People use them because they work.


    Originally Posted by DiZzYNaTiOn View Post

    Dont get me wrong, I was all about squeeze pages and currently have a few, I couldn't even wait to get them up and yes they do work. But after running for 2 years, and split testing for the last year, also sending a survey to a list of over 3,000 random users across some of my forums, the response where shocking.

    The question was very simple:

    Which page would you feel more comfortable with (and) what thoughts come to your mind when you see each page.

    One page was a multi-page website with widgets, videos and pictures, etc..

    The other was a squeeze page, single page, scrolling.

    80% said "this one" (The squeeze page) looks like a scam

    98% would be more comfortable adding their email to the multipage site.

    **Please keep in mind, my squeeze page works, but my regular is converting better**

    I just wonder if I have been closed minded or stubborn about my squeeze page, and honestly I think I have been. Please dont flame in this thread, I already understand and get that "YOU" have "proof" your squeeze page is working.

    But I want to open a discussion for those that are kind of in my boat so to say.
    (^Updated)

    Your thoughts?
    Signature
    Retired Internet Marketer.
    Gone Fishing....
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7614855].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author napoleonfirst
    Well, when you need to collect leads squeeze pages are the way to go. For selling purposes you need other kinds of pages as well.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7615309].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Troy_Phillips
    Too much stereotyping of the squeeze here.

    Most of my squeeze pages are content rich, two and even three stage squeezes. I am interested in more than just squeezing email addresses.

    Setting up a squeeze that squeezes out the ones I do not want to do business with is very important to me.

    What most consider a squeeze is the pages we all see with a video or ebook on the left, an ar form on the right, and a few bullet points bragging on worn out PLR. Those do work for mass list building. In my case they do not squeeze much past the point of getting the email.

    I have noticed they work better numbers wise in the MMO and especially M2M arena. Some of this comes from marketers being used to them and some of it comes from the marketer having to have what they think they need and wanting it now!

    We need to continue squeezing with the follow up in that situation.

    With a two or three stage squeeze we do not need to go overboard on continuing the squeeze in follow up. Sure we should always be segmenting and funneling but by the time of sign up we know the person is more than likely interested in one broad subject and at least one defined subject.
    Signature

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7615393].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author talfighel
    Squeeze pages still work for me.

    When you don't show them that you are a real person, your conversions go down a whole lot.

    Even after someone subscribes to my newsletter, I direct them to a thank you page where I show them a picture of myself and tell them who I am.

    You need to build some rapport with them right away when they subscribe. If they don't buy anything or open the emails that I send them, that is another subject for another day.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7616218].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author erwin78
    Hi everyone,

    I have a few squeeze pages but now
    It is hard to convert!

    But they are working!

    All the best to you

    Erwin
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7616273].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Vlad R
    I know what you mean. I did a little survey too and a lot of people say that the traditional squeeze page is "scammy." Hell yea dude lets be the next generation and create a next level squeeze page!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7616341].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author ceenote100
    Squeeze pages are the past and they still work.

    It's only a scam if you enter in your name and email and not get your free report or your info being shared.
    Signature
    ► ► ► FREE REPORT!!◄ ◄ ◄


    ★ ★ ★ Introducing THE BRUTAL TRUTH About Internet Marketing! ★ ★ ★
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7616438].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Vlad R
      Originally Posted by ceenote100 View Post

      Squeeze pages are the past and they still work.

      It's only a scam if you enter in your name and email and not get your free report or your info being shared.
      Totally agree! However, if we are targeting your average consumer...That is their first impression! A lot of people say yea...this site looks scammy or this can't be real.... Internet is still young I strongly believe that better and better converting sales pages will be developing.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7616553].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author adisini
    maybe you can sell it in flippa. Squeeze page that sell products from clickbank usually sold about $297 in flipa
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7618343].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author vMartin
    Don't make the mistake of assuming that a "scammy" looking page doesn't convert. In fact, I worked with amazing looking several paged websites versus small squeeze pages and in most cases squeeze pages performed far better.

    Your main focus should be getting their information and pages with just a little text are proven to trigger people to "just want to check", "probably bullshit but just uhmm yeah" and most people that think these pages look "scammy" will still hope for the best.

    It is up to you to blow them away behind this page.

    Squeeze pages come in many forms and shapes, you can make them look as trust worthy as any well known website out there.
    Signature
    PROMOTE OUR NEW PLATINUM CONVERTING OFFER
    AND SKYROCKET YOUR CONVERSION RATES THROUGH THE ROOF 2021!


    CLICK HERE AND FIND OUT Get up to $120 per sale
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7618425].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Randall Magwood
    Squeeze pages work best for some people, and sometimes leading people straight to your sales page is best. The thing about making your squeeze page "work" (in terms of sales) is how you write and craft your emails. Are they helpful? Do they lead your subscribers to click on your link? Alot of things goes into place when doing email marketing. But leading them straight to your sales page makes the action that you want visitors to do obvious.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7618437].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author adsassist
    My understanding is, squeeze pages are to set the mindset in the customer to buy. Once they put in their name and email it will be easier to convert them once they see your thank you page.

    In my case my thank you page is a sales page to my membership. Actually it is 3 pages. It is a mini site to the public. First page is what the membership is about, 2nd is the benefits they will get, and the 3rd is a tour of the membership.

    Once they sign up, they will get another offer to an advance section with in the membership.

    Its all about setting the idea in someones head. It starts with the trust of a name and email. It is a system that people will react to.

    Once someone buys something it will be easier to sell them another. The basics of psychology. How the human mind thinks and reacts to certain things. It starts with a squeeze page.

    So if people are thinking your squeeze page looks like a scam, maybe because it does look like a scam.

    There is a system in psychology to follow, A,I,C,D,A. Attention, Interest, Credibility, Desire, Action.

    This is what my advance section in my membership is about.

    Building relationships are for your list. Squeeze pages, sales pages, and up sales are all about how the human mind works and reacts to (Good Copywriting).
    Signature
    Save Energy With Alternative Energy Today
    Alternative Energy Products At The Lowest Price
    Alternative Energy Today
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7618456].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author ashloren
    I have to agree with the OP. 90% of squeeze pages appear to be "scammy" or "spammy" when I see them too, unless they are on very reputable websites that I am already familiar with. (For example, Copyblogger and Hubspot have great squeeze pages just to name a couple).

    But yeah, I have to agree with your survey respondents. I may pass up a good offer or two by having this attitude, but more often than not, I am just keeping my inbox cleaner and less full of crap to unsubscribe from. Rarely is it worth the opt-in.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7618781].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author RachelLily
    The success of the page was completely dependent on the source of the traffic.

    The down and dirty truth is that squeeze pages (all promise with delivery of the goodies after the opt-in) performed better when the traffic came from direct email marketing offers-ie. people who were already sold on the product or idea. Hybrid (or reverse squeeze) pages performed better when the traffic came from paid or organic search sources-ie. people who were shopping for an idea or product and who weren't quite ready to commit.

    That's it. So the hard truth is that I'm going to be programming squeeze pages for my clients. I can salve my ego with the knowledge that they'll also need a well-formed web presence. Ah well. At least I can make them pretty.
    Signature

    I make $50 every 3 hours. Learn my methods here: eliteincomeprofits.com

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7618834].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author BeeJay
    Out of interest I'm doing a test at the moment where I'm comparing:

    - Opt in on sidebar of a website, no popup
    - Stand alone squeeze page
    - Pop up opt in on website, no sidebar
    - Pop up opt in on website and opt in on sidebar of the website (yup, they are exactly the same)

    The popup on website which also has the sidebar opt in is killing it on this site so far. It's in the green energy niche, just to lend a little bit of context. Not what I expected (oh yeah, and I can track when they use the pop up or sidebar opt in when they both display, not just the overall number of opt ins, just in case that wasn't clear)!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7618869].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Nightengale
    I'm sorry, but DiZzYNaTiOn's premise (and subject line) is positively ridiculous.

    I'm not saying his premise and results aren't valid. But making a blanket statement "the squeeze page is dead" is like saying direct mail is dead. (And I'm really beginning to hate the "XYZ is dead" threads!)

    It's all in how you use it (and what market you're in). A fair number (if not most) Warriors are in some sub-niche of the IM niche, where everyone knows what a squeeze page is and often loathes it.

    So if you're in the IM niche, you may well feel that the squeeze page is dead too. But several people here have made excellent points, including Paul Meyers and Alexa.

    Discounting the squeeze page as "dead" ignores a fundamental IM principle:

    99% of your first-time web visitors will click away, which is why you're trying to get them on your list in the first place: to build a relationship with them and gain their trust. So you need to have one primary goal with your website. And it's NOT to get them to buy something! It's to get them to opt-in to your list.

    It's the same marketing principle of offering a free CD, report, DVD, etc. in newspapers, magazines and infomercials. Give away something of value to your target market, build a relationship with them and then sell them.

    It's all the same!

    So for that purpose, squeeze pages are great!

    However, I DO think that the objections mentioned in this thread highlight some key problems with the way squeeze pages have been done in the past, especially in the IM niche. They really need to be done differently now:

    1. Don't do a "hard" squeeze page. That is, don't keep them out of the rest of your site if they choose not to opt in. Let them in with an "Enter Site" button.

    This is a happy medium between having NO squeeze page (which focuses on your biggest goal with your site: building your list) and keeping people out of your site altogether.

    (For example, if your visitor is a journalist who can possibly give you positive, free publicity and NEEDS to be able to access your site, then they at least have that option.)

    Few things irritated me more about visiting a site only to be faced with a hard squeeze page with no way to get to the rest of the site without opting in. I often had specific, legitimate reasons for not wanting to opt in right away, but still couldn't access the rest of the site! Grrrr!

    2. Your offer needs to be strong and compelling:

    Originally Posted by ashloren View Post

    I have to agree with the OP. 90% of squeeze pages appear to be "scammy" or "spammy" when I see them too, unless they are on very reputable websites that I am already familiar with. (For example, Copyblogger and Hubspot have great squeeze pages just to name a couple).

    But yeah, I have to agree with your survey respondents. I may pass up a good offer or two by having this attitude, but more often than not, I am just keeping my inbox cleaner and less full of crap to unsubscribe from. Rarely is it worth the opt-in.
    Ashloren makes this point very well. Her opinion is that most offers aren't worth the opt-in. But Copyblogger's and Hubspot's are.

    You're being measured (and found wanting) against the likes of Copyblogger and Hubspot!
    Which means YOUR squeeze page and offer needs to be strong too.

    And I mean SUPER strong. In the IM niche, there are few things that move me anymore. So your offer has to go above and beyond and be super enticing.

    One way to do this is to offer something physical that you mail out to them. You can do it for free, or charge shipping and handling. Just play with it and see what works best for your audience.

    Yes it's more costly, but still valuable. Competition is forcing you to up the ante.

    I think it's easier in non-IM niches to be enticing because this method isn't as common. But online or off, giving something for free to a targeted prospect is ALWAYS a good way to get their information, start building a relationship with them and then sell them.

    It's a tested model and it works, in ALL niches and markets.

    3. Your web design needs to be GORGEOUS.

    Originally Posted by vMartin View Post

    Don't make the mistake of assuming that a "scammy" looking page doesn't convert. In fact, I worked with amazing looking several paged websites versus small squeeze pages and in most cases squeeze pages performed far better.

    Your main focus should be getting their information and pages with just a little text are proven to trigger people to "just want to check", "probably bullshit but just uhmm yeah" and most people that think these pages look "scammy" will still hope for the best.

    It is up to you to blow them away behind this page.

    Squeeze pages come in many forms and shapes, you can make them look as trust worthy as any well known website out there.
    As Paul Meyers pointed out, don't confuse what they SAY with what they DO. You have to test it.

    And yes, design matters, period. It needs to look professional and beautiful. And credible.

    Unfortunately, a lot of IM websites have a certain "look". You know, the cheesy 3-D image of an e-book (don't forget the dropshadow!), a blaring red headline, and a ridiculous abstract image of a person (or people). (Not to mention ridiculous income claims.)

    It's all the same. If I've seen one, I've seen a hundred.

    I think that has a lot of to with what makes it seem scammy to people. The sheer design of it screams "Scam!" or "Too good to be true!"

    Think of the difference between the look of Small Business Opportunities magazine and Entrepreneur magazine. Small Business Opportunities looks cheap and a little cheesy. Entrepreneur looks like a "real" (credible) magazine for real entrepreneurs.

    It's a bit intangible, but very real.

    Imagine you're looking for a CPA firm to do your taxes. If they offered a tipsheet on "157 Small Business Owners in [Your City] Overpaid Their Taxes Last Year. Don't Be One of Them! Learn 10 Ways to Avoid Overpaying On Your Taxes This Year," how do you think that squeeze page would look?

    You can imagine it would look very authoritative and credible! No IM smarm or cheese allowed.

    And because it's 1) a professional services firm ("An accounting firm, for Pete's sake!") and 2) it has a professional design (obviously done by a real design firm and not a highschooler working out of their mother's basement), you're VERY likely to submit your name and e-mail address, no questions asked.

    I have a "soft" squeeze page on my site and will periodically swap out the exact offer. But I WON'T be doing away with the squeeze page entirely. The design is gorgeous. I went out of my way to avoid that cheesy, get-rich-quick look and set a standard of professionalism.

    My own mentor is a multi-millionaire and she also uses a soft squeeze page for her site.

    Online or off, making a free or low-cost offer to get someone onto your list to sell to them (later) is a tested and proven strategy.

    Making a blanket statement that "squeeze pages are dead" is simply ridiculous!

    Michelle
    Signature
    "You can't market here. This is a marketing discussion forum!"
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7618919].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author writeaway
    Good idea. I'll check out multipage sign up forms and see if this pans out.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7631825].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author ishanr
    I agree with what you are saying. I think when it's just a squeeze page, people do not have any option other than give you their email or close the page.

    Giving people at least 3 different options puts them at ease as they know they can NOT give their emails and do something else.

    As far as I have seen, making a squeeze page with high incentives for the user to submit their email, name etc., and having a link or two to some article, picture from my website has increased subscribers tremendously. If the incentives are good enough, most people will actually subscribe and not click on the other links. But, if I take those links out, my conversion rates drop as many people simply close the page.

    Hope it helps... Was my first ever post on the Warrior Forum...
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7631850].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author tomerep
    First off, if you are a traditional information marketer selling courses, coaching programs etc., then a squeeze page may work for you in many cases. If you are trying to get people to opt-in for a webinar or a live event, then a squeeze page may be the perfect strategy to drive sign-ups.

    However, if you operate a traditional brick & mortar business, or if you sell a product or service outside of info marketing, I would suggest using squeeze pages sparingly if ever.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7632030].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Dustin Lyle
    The thing about squeeze pages that most people don't understand initially, is that they aren't and shouldn't be just for unsolicited traffic. The people visiting the squeeze page should already know exactly why they are there, they should know (even before seeing the page) that they want what it is that the squeeze page is promising... "quid pr quo".

    The difference between unsolicited, uninformed traffic and solicited informed traffic (those that know whats behind the page) represents the difference between 10% conversions and 50+% conversions... or 4-5X performance difference.

    Comparing the two traffic types are like apples and oranges... You really can't even test conversion rates unless you know the traffic type.
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7632086].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author howtogurus
    I always test 5 levels of pages, very basic squeeze page to complex multi-page. Different page styles seem to work for different audiences. I never rely on just one option, always test and test again.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7632131].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author mikemeth
    i think they still work good but sure they work the best with newbies and not with experienced marketers but you really have to test that for yourself and what works the most with your target audience
    Signature
    Cheapest Fiverr Backlink Services : HIGH PR Links, AMR Submission and More *TOP RATED SELLER*
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7632141].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author winsoar
    I've always found that long form sales letters work much better, and rank higher. But if you can create an actual website that serves a utility purpose for your target market - for example a keyword tool would work great in the IM niche, that is a great way to capture users details and upsell your main offer.
    Signature

    Visit my official blog: James Winsoar and learn how to generate 30+ new FREE leads a day on auto-pilot!

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7632186].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author paul nicholls
    Squeeze pages work absolutely fine you just have to be a little different and be specific on what you are giving away

    The squeeze pages which i think are a complete waste of time are the ones with just an opt in box saying "enter your email here to find out how to make $735.76 per day

    Using pages like these yes your conversions from prospect to customer will be pretty dreadful because you have absolutely no idea what they are interested in apart from making money online which is far too broad

    Instead if you used "learn how to create and set up your first wordpress blog in just 2hours"

    This is a different story because they are way more targeted and you know exactly what they are interested in

    I will continue to use squeeze pages until my sales start to really fall off which i honestly cannot see happening any time soon

    The bottom line is be different, unique and honest and don't hide behind your pc

    I use videos on my squeeze page and it works fine for me. I use a video because it conditions people to get used my voice and my videos because all of my products are video courses too

    Also if someone doesn't like my voice or the way i speak then that is cool, i would rather them didn't opt in anyway because if they feel like this at this stage then they are more than likely not ever buy from me anyway because as they say "people only buy from people they like"

    Paul
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7633270].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      Originally Posted by paul nicholls View Post

      I use videos on my squeeze page and it works fine for me. I use a video because it conditions people to get used my voice and my videos because all of my products are video courses too.
      I hope all y'all caught this. It's important.

      Paul didn't say "I use a video because Joe Gooroo said I had to" or "I use a video because I read on a forum that videos are best"...

      He has a good reason. People who respond well to his video are likely to respond well to his products. And vice versa.

      If you look at the squeeze page for Paul Myers' Talkbiz News, you'll see that it's long and text heavy. The opt-in incentive is a 112-page PDF, all text. Paul's newsletter is usually fairly long and sent in plain text. In other words, if you don't respond to the squeeze page, you aren't going to like the newsletter anyway, so better to filter yourself out now.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7633323].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Jonwebb
    I dont understand why they consider it to be a scam.... at least you found out what your target customer wanted.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7636627].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author brentb
    I never register at squeeze pages, they usually are junk! However they do work. I use squeeze pages but a little different than most others but same principle. Take everything off the page that is confusing or leading away from the opt in, so the only choice is opt in or exit. Theory is if an equal percentage are going to click on any outbound link, 50% subscribe (click submit), 50% click close, but if you introduce some links and a menu now you find 10% click submit on the form, 10% click close, 10% click a menu link to an article etc etc....
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7636987].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author thedanbrown
    It's all about testing...

    This comes down to so many more things than just thinking regular squeeze or multi-page minisite...

    Just test and you will find the best option for your target market.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7638742].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author myob
      Although "squeeze pages" as described by the OP (single page, scrolling) may be a quick and easy method for building lists of subscribers, I have found that conversion rates to sales are comparatively very poor relative to a fully engaging website. The common practice of taking weeks, months or more of sending freebies and warm fuzzies to build "relationships" before making sales can be rather arduous.

      Conversions are largely driven by relevance, clarity and urgency. It would be difficult to deploy these essentials within a single squeeze page. Many marketers seem to be trying to hide the fact that they're trying to get visitors to buy, but people really are savy enough to know that you are going to eventually hit them up with promotions.

      A series of successful and consistentally mutually beneficial transactions are a much more powerfully effective method for establishing relationships. Ideally, visitors can be quickly screened and qualified for your offer by being lead through guided attention within a content-rich website and effective autoresponder follow-up.

      This process is called selling.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7639019].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Daniel Evans
    Originally Posted by DiZzYNaTiOn View Post


    80% said "this one" (The squeeze page) looks like a scam

    98% would be more comfortable adding their email to the multipage site.
    Why are you assuming it's the squeeze page in general and not the design of your specific page and your product?

    A squeeze page can't look like anything until you fill it with content.

    Stereotypical, bland squeeze pages with poor content / copy can look like scams perhaps....
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7638780].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author DiZzYNaTiOn
      Originally Posted by Daniel Evans View Post

      Why are you assuming it's the squeeze page in general and not the design of your specific page and your product?

      A squeeze page can't look like anything until you fill it with content.

      Stereotypical, bland squeeze pages with poor content / copy can look like scams perhaps....
      My squeeze page looks just like yours - Beautiful. My squeeze page works. Again, all im saying is I have tested and spent lots of money on surveys and multiple sites. All i found was people no longer find the "Look HERE" "Last Chance!" "Very LAST Chance!!!" "Your One Click AWAY!" "Only $57!" Or even images that that remind people of a squeeze page, even though they dont know what a squeeze page is.


      I in addition to my findings I have confirmed this:

      The greater population has a better "shopping" "purchasing" experience on sites like Amazon, or any other known brand name.

      The key factor is they are used to the look and feel of these sites

      The brain says, "Im comfortable here"

      And talk about list building, do you think Amazon has a small list? (Im not talking to anyone directly BTW)

      The greater population has found that when you have a "squeeze page" (Like 98% of all you signatures) Their brains, say "Uh Oh, this is not right"

      This is what I found, and I understand that many deep down inside know its true but have such a reputation here that prevents you from accepting it.

      The economy is bad so I just wanted to share my success story - yes I currently capture emails, and yes I have an amazing email campaign, all with leaving the squeeze page behind. And no it has nothing to do with the sites in my signature surprisingly
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7658831].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Raydal
    "Squeeze pages" is too broad a term to make such a sweeping
    statement as "they don't work anymore". There are long, short,
    video- and a host of other style and types of squeeze pages.

    There are whole studies on how to build and optimize a landing
    page. so the bottom line would be testing various squeeze
    pages against others along with against other types of pages.

    -Ray Edwards
    Signature
    The most powerful and concentrated copywriting training online today bar none! Autoresponder Writing Email SECRETS
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7638807].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author clintmyers
    Yeah, I think people are more and more thinking everything is a scam because they have tried so many different things.
    Signature

    Clint Myers

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7639064].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author DiZzYNaTiOn
    I have updated the OP with the new info.... More to come
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7733700].message }}

Trending Topics