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Willie Crawford Says Squeeze Pages Are Dead?

by Jack Bastide
26 replies
Hey Guys,

Anybody following Willie on Twitter?

He posted a video earlier about squeeze page
pages.

He is saying that they are unnecessary and
actually insulting to your potential prospects

if you haven't seen it yet here it is

https://non-squeeze.s3.amazonaws.com...ueeze-Page.htm

What do you think?

Jack Bastide
#crawford #dead #pages #squeeze #willie
  • Profile picture of the author Jason Moffatt
    I have a 38% opt in rate and 3.9% sales conversion on Easy Video Sales that would argue that point.

    Also keep in mind, these giveaways are pretty much trash most of the time.

    They tend to attract low end users and aren't even worth the opt in a large majority of the time. I'm not saying Willie's offer is crap, but I think the majority of these giveaways taints the IM community and perpetuates a bunch of BS.
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    • Profile picture of the author Jack Bastide
      Originally Posted by Jason Moffatt View Post

      I have a 38% opt in rate and 3.9% sales conversion on Easy Video Sales that would argue that point.

      Also keep in mind, these giveaways are pretty much trash most of the time.

      They tend to attract low end users and aren't even worth the opt in a large majority of the time. I'm not saying Willie's offer is crap, but I think the majority of these giveaways taints the IM community and perpetuates a bunch of BS.
      38% thats it?

      Should have had me do the copy

      Jack
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  • Profile picture of the author Willie Crawford
    I actually implied that under certain circumstances it makes more
    sense to give them the ebook and then ask for the opt-in later
    after proving your expertise. I use a popup generator that pops
    us a subscriber form when they close my ebooks.

    When you have people using email addresses that they close
    as soon as they've downloaded an item, it's obvious that those
    people don't want to be on your list, and haven't been sold
    on you in the first place.

    I agree with Jason on the typical giveaway. So, many people
    just toss in absolute junk that the freebie seekers know it's a
    crap shoot just downloading free items. I only offer items that
    I could easily sell... and then build backend into my freebies.

    I do need to study what Jason is doing.

    Willie
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  • Profile picture of the author Alan Petersen
    I'm not sure about embedding popups in an ebook. No disrespect to Willie but I find that a bit tricky. I mean a squeeze page you know the game. Give up your email and you get something you want (ebook, report, video, whatever). Put tell me that I can get your report opt-in free then you hit me with popups via the PDF--I wouldn't like that.

    In one of my niches (non IM) I deal with baby boomers. If I hit them with popups via a PDF they'll think they have a virus or something that I slipped them. No way would I use that method in that niche. I shudder to think the nasty emails I would get.

    I would like to see stats on the effectiveness but as of right now I'll take the squeeze page over the PDF popups.

    As to the giveaway it all depends. I've just participated in one (Willie's rebrandable viral giveaway) and I thought the gifts and how it was done was top notch. The whole viral twist was awesome.
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    • Profile picture of the author Steve Mount
      Originally Posted by Alan Petersen View Post

      I'm not sure about embedding popups in an ebook. No disrespect to Willie but I find that a bit tricky. I mean a squeeze page you know the game. Give up your email and you get something you want (ebook, report, video, whatever). Put tell me that I can get your report opt-in free then you hit me with popups via the PDF--I wouldn't like that.

      In one of my niches (non IM) I deal with baby boomers. If I hit them with popups via a PDF they'll think they have a virus or something that I slipped them. No way would I use that method in that niche. I shudder to think the nasty emails I would get.

      I would like to see stats on the effectiveness but as of right now I'll take the squeeze page over the PDF popups.

      As to the giveaway it all depends. I've just participated in one (Willie's rebrandable viral giveaway) and I thought the gifts and how it was done was top notch. The whole viral twist was awesome.
      You can view this the other way as well. Someone in the baby boomer category may not like the idea of handing over their information immediately without knowing who they're handing it over too.

      Providing the content to the customer and then simply "popping in" with a quick offer to get even more content makes more sense. You've supplied them with the book for free (no catch at all) so they feel more comfortable with you and actually want to learn more.

      Now, if the pop-up was unrelated to the book such as a internet marketing book with a Viagra pop-up... then yeah, I can see that as being tricky.
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      • Profile picture of the author AndrewCavanagh
        It depends a whole lot on how your prospect gets to your website whether you should use a squeeze page or not.

        Keep in mind the purpose of a squeeze page is to get accurate contact details so you can follow up with your prospects.

        If the prospects arriving at your web page have been told they'll get a valuable gift, have been told they can trust you (by someone they trust) and have been told all they need to do to get the gift is give over their email address (and you'll only send them more valuable information by email) then a squeeze page is probably a good idea.

        On the other hand if your prospect is being barraged with a ton of free offers in exchange for his email address and most of those offers are junk then you might want to build some trust before you ask for an email address.

        There are many ways of doing this.

        One really obvious one would be to have your free product split into 2 parts.

        You give away the first part as a gift without requiring an optin but to get the second part they have to enter their name and email address in an optin page (link to that optin page is in the free product).

        You'll get less subscribers this way but the quality of subscribers is likely to be much higher.

        You can also sell master resale rights to the first part of your product creating a viral effect.

        Of course for this to work you need to be sure both part 1 and part 2 of your product are exceptionally good quality.

        Kindest regards,
        Andrew Cavanagh
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        • Profile picture of the author Jason Moffatt
          I love it that Andrew is almost never rigid in his outlook on things and always takes a variety of variables into account before forming an opinion.

          What is true for one marketers funnel may not apply to the next, and Andrew seems to always take that into account instead of making blanket statements that apply to everyone.

          It's a very rational approach that is good to have.
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          • Profile picture of the author gareth
            i want to try giving them the ebook but when they first use it they are prompted to register(opt in) and get the password.

            My ebook aint junk though ;-)
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            Serial Entrepreneur
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            • Profile picture of the author Rob Canyon
              JoMo,

              Love the stats.

              But everyone knows that Surfer Dudes and Sombreros are a natural magnetron to squeeze pagers lurking on the net around 4:46am PST... especially on Thursdays.

              I prefer to do like Willie but with a twist... I use the RAP script, put my product in one folder (current one is converting at 8% - 9% consistently) and then build a totally awesome and relevant free report and put it in another folder and have affiliates send visitors to the free report with their aff links.

              Then because my script cookies visitors with their links (last cookie rule), they get paid when the customer is ready to buy.

              If you've got a killer free report, a relevant product that converts well and an affiliate program to die for, who's got time to collect the names of visitors that don't buy.

              The Hurricane method is killer... PM me if you need to know more.

              Cheers,

              Rob
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              • Profile picture of the author Willie Crawford
                Originally Posted by Rob Canyon View Post

                The Hurricane method is killer... PM me if you need to know more.

                The Hurricane Method... I like that. I also use something similar.
                I'm constantly testing.

                I only recently discovered the pdf popup generator, but have
                been giving people the direct download links, with built-in
                backend for a while.

                Killer report in my sig file :-)
                Willie
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                • Profile picture of the author MikeAmbrosio
                  I participated in a recent giveaway and based on Willie's advice I simply sent them to the product download page without requiring the opt in first.

                  But I also gave them an option ON that download page to opt in for more quality free stuff.

                  I was surprised at how many people actually took me up on opting in for more info. Almost as many as the number I usually get REQUIRING them to sign up to get their free gifts.

                  Further still, on the download page of the SECOND set of free gifts (after opting in) I had subtle ads/links to one or two of my other products and even made a few sales.

                  Now, I have NOT tested the retention, so I don't know how many stayed on my list. I guess I should go check - it's been a couple of months now...

                  Mike
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                  • Profile picture of the author SolomonHuey
                    As has been stated many times already, I feel each method has their own advantages and depends largely on how you run your business.

                    Somehow I missed this video by Willie though, so I'm glad I stumbled upon this thread. Another method to write down in the good 'ol notes!
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                    • Profile picture of the author lakshaybehl
                      Welll...

                      I have been saying the same thing for ages... Just that no one has noticed.

                      I have actually got concrete data to support the fact that many people that do not sign up for free stuff actually do go ahead and buy if presented with the offer directly.

                      Apart from that, CB has changed the model from first cookie to last cookie. That makes it completely reasoned.

                      Squeeze pages work at an average mof 35% or below (That's what most people say). Although one of my squeeze page has been consistently converting at over 65%, I still prefer to give a free ebook to position myself as an expert.

                      Willie for sure is an expert at this, and he has seen the power in hitting on somebody's senses hard enough before asking names and email ids. And I am following him.

                      John Reese in his book "Rebirth" has also said that squeeze pages are highly over rated.

                      I, for one, would rather have a list of 20 customers if the choice is between 20 customers and 60 subscribers.
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                      • Profile picture of the author Josh Anderson
                        They have never been "alive" to me ;-)

                        I don't like them and I like subscribers that did not want to be on my list in the first place even less.

                        I prefer to get people to my sales copy as fast as possible so that it can do its job rather than turning away 20-70% of visitors at the door before they have a chance to read the copy just because they did not want to opt in.
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  • Profile picture of the author Willie Crawford
    There's no denying that "brute force marketing" can work.

    I often see myself as my own customer, and then reflect
    upon my reaction when I hit a squeeze page... or am
    confronted with other tactics.

    If I'm left with an overall negative feeling, I don't use
    the tactic even if it could... in the longrun add to my
    bottomline.

    Only time will tell, but I believe that this gets me a better
    quality of customer... and starts "the relationship" off on
    a better footing.

    Used improperly, I don't doubt that embedding a popup
    in a free pdf could backfire. However, the user only needs
    to dismiss the dialogue box, and if they've just enjoyed
    reading an ebook that I've written, I do "believe" that they
    will stay long as a subscriber.

    You can see that a lot of what I now do is based upon
    feelings. That's admittedly not very scientific.

    The video at:
    https://non-squeeze.s3.amazonaws.com...ueeze-Page.htm
    was actually designed to give a few of my Twitter followers a
    sneak peak :-)

    Willie
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    • Profile picture of the author Jesus Perez
      Originally Posted by Willie Crawford View Post


      The video at:
      https://non-squeeze.s3.amazonaws.com...ueeze-Page.htm
      was actually designed to give a few of my Twitter followers a
      sneak peak :-)

      Willie
      Willie,

      I just realized I'm part of a demographic that snoops on people's bookmarks on Camtasia videos! Not sure if you realize this, but you just promoted or "social-proofed" IAJVB and TIMIC.
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      • Profile picture of the author jasonl70
        wow.. what a ton of neat ideas being passed around here! I love both Andrews ideas, as well as willie's pdf pop-up!

        Looks like I have some new ideas to implement this week

        FWIW: I actually added a free downoad link directly to one of my squeeze pages a while ago (no opt-in required to download it), and my opt-ins went up.
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        -Jason

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        • Profile picture of the author DavidPreston
          I would agree with both Andrew and Willie.

          If you can get them some great information first
          and THEN ask if they want more...

          Rob's deal is they get the info without putting any
          info in. They then go to salespage pre-sold and are
          then dropped into your list after they buy.

          Sure, it cuts down on the size of your list but the
          list you build is, well....killer.

          Build credibility first and they ask you to get on the
          list. Not a bad idea...

          David
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      • Profile picture of the author Willie Crawford
        Originally Posted by BlueSquares View Post

        Willie,

        I just realized I'm part of a demographic that snoops on people's bookmarks on Camtasia videos! Not sure if you realize this, but you just promoted or "social-proofed" IAJVB and TIMIC.

        I follow a very simple rule taught to me by my friend Paul Elliott, which
        is "never leave to chance anything over which you can exert control"
        so maybe I changed all of my bookmarks prior to making that video :-)

        Willie
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        • Profile picture of the author Kelvin Brown
          Originally Posted by Willie Crawford View Post

          I follow a very simple rule taught to me by my friend Paul Elliott, which
          is "never leave to change anything over which you can exert control"
          so maybe I changed all of my bookmarks prior to making that video :-)

          Willie

          That should be "chance". Just in case there are non-english native speakers here.

          "never leave to chance anything over which you can exert control"

          BTW> Willie, I run an autoresponder service, and Steve was kind enough to test and verify that the software will work with followup101.com. So, I will be recommending it as a tool to use. It will be up to the individuals, through testing to see if it works for them. I can say that I will personally be using it.

          Kelvin
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          Kelvin Brown

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          • Profile picture of the author Rob Canyon
            Tim,

            You're right on the money in my books. Willie puts himself in the mind of a customer to understand what they want to generate more sales and I tend to do the same with affiliates.

            Josh has it right too. I've got to get them to my sales copy asap. But if an affiliate doesn't have the courage to straight recommend a product then sending his/her list to a free report that cookies the visitor is the next best thing.

            Lack of courage is not what you think.

            If a person has a small list and hasn't built a rhythm of communication and promotion with that list, there's a good chance straight promotions will cause some people to opt out. Not a good thing if you have a small list.

            Whereas a free report like the one in my sig file is very easy to giveaway.

            Fact remains, if I as a publisher can't help an affiliate to communicate with their visitors about my product, they'll stop promoting because there's no money in it.

            Squeeze pages have their place, but are more often than not reserved for those that don't have their publishing hats on IMHO.

            Cheers,

            Rob
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    • Profile picture of the author Greg Cooksley
      Originally Posted by Willie Crawford View Post

      There's no denying that "brute force
      marketing" can work.

      I often see myself as my own customer, and then reflect
      upon my reaction when I hit a squeeze page... or am
      confronted with other tactics.

      If I'm left with an overall negative feeling, I don't use
      the tactic even if it could... in the longrun add to my
      bottomline.

      Only time will tell, but I believe that this gets me a better
      quality of customer... and starts "the relationship" off on
      a better footing.

      Used improperly, I don't doubt that embedding a popup
      in a free pdf could backfire. However, the user only needs
      to dismiss the dialogue box, and if they've just enjoyed
      reading an ebook that I've written, I do "believe" that they
      will stay long as a subscriber.

      You can see that a lot of what I now do is based upon
      feelings. That's admittedly not very scientific.

      The video at:
      https://non-squeeze.s3.amazonaws.com...ueeze-Page.htm
      was actually designed to give a few of my Twitter followers a
      sneak peak :-)

      Willie

      Hey Willie,

      That's a refreshing approach to optin marketing....

      I think that so many people have learnt the "brute force" approach
      and consequently really annoy their subscribers...

      Learn something new every day....cool

      Regards

      Greg
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  • Profile picture of the author TimGross
    Two important points I haven't seen mentioned here:

    1) The results "gurus" get are not necessarily the results YOU get... Their large lists know them, they're trusted more, people are more likely to opt-in to their squeeze page.

    -That can easily mean the difference between squeeze page success for them and failure for you in imitating them.

    2) A forced squeeze page may cause potential affiliates to not promote you (Including me). Again, this will cause problems for you more if you're not a recognizable name.

    (Think about it: You see an offer on Clickbank you're considering promoting, and then realize they're using a squeeze page... Maybe the offer actually converts badly, and they're just using it to nab your subscribers and then promote other things to them that won't earn you a commission. Again, it's a potential issue if you're not a recognizable name.)
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