Can't get people to sign up

11 years ago

30 unsolicited emails is not enough.

Most unsolicited communication goes into the trash.

The fact that you got one signup so far with only 30 emails is surprising.

Email marketing requires large quantities and time. Or an astonishingly good headline and offer. Or both.

Look at it from their perspective:

"Hey, I made a directory!"

"And why should I care?"

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RyanGillam

11 years ago

Originally Posted by Jason Kanigan

30 unsolicited emails is not enough.

Most unsolicited communication goes into the trash.

The fact that you got one signup so far with only 30 emails is surprising.

Email marketing requires large quantities and time. Or an astonishingly good headline and offer. Or both.

Look at it from their perspective:

"Hey, I made a directory!"

"And why should I care?"

This was just a test, I know I need to send out more. The email (which was semi-long) gave a good description of the services that the directory was going to offer. However I am afraid that if I can't convince them now, they aren't going to sign up in the future.

Thanks

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John Durham

11 years ago

Originally Posted by RyanGillam

I run the only business directory for a particular area (and it is a fairly large city and probably one of the most touristy locations in England bar London) anyway, I am launching it on the 1st March. I sent out a batch of emails today (30 of them) to prospective businesses to get on an early bird list. I got one sign up. I have no idea what to do to get people to sign up, the problem is, I live in a different country now. I was going to leaflet in the area but I can't. I know it can be a success, but I need people on my list. Any tips?

Ryan

If you got their email addy's off their websites, chances are most of them dont even check more than a few times per month because they are so accustomed to websites that dont perform that they get trained not check their .com email addresses half the time, and when they do, and its someone selling a web service its like an instant disappointment that its not a customer... You have to do huge numbers... there is a chance you may get something from a campign that small but its a shot in the dark.

Read anything and everything you can by wf poster Iamnameless, he is a whiz with this.

Thanks

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Mister Natural

11 years ago

People don't know anything about the directory, haven't heard of it, and it isn't established.
First you need to get it established as a necessary "must have" location to be listed upon.
To gain respect you might consider donating spaces to local organizations that help the local residents. Worthwhile usually "nonprofit" organizations such as:
Blood Bank
Homeless Shelter
Abused Women & Children
Animal Shelter
Drug Clinics

almost all are "nonprofits" sponsored by donations from,,,, tah dah!,,,, Businesses!

Make a pitch to them that you'll provide free lisitings and updates for life, in exchange for
exposure to their list of sponsor's. Either they introduce you to them or, they furnish you with the actual list.
Don't rule out schools, which normally have a large list of local businesses that donate to their various programs.

Next, you need to get your directory into the news media, and create a mass introduction of their new directory for the local area. And I say "their" because it will help if you personalize it as belonging to them. People have heard of google and they know google is visited by people from all over the world which, does them no good whatsoever. So to really sell that directory it has to be visited by local residents. Web traffic from Tasmania is of no use to anybody.

If you're serious about this thing YOU have to fabricate it into something irresistable.

Thanks

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Tsnyder

11 years ago

Get a cheap Skype international account and start calling them.

As Jason said, I'm amazed you got even one with an email blast.

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Sue McDonald

11 years ago

Originally Posted by Tsnyder

Get a cheap Skype international account and start calling them.

As Jason said, I'm amazed you got even one with an email blast.

Yes I agree - there is no better way than talking to people but I am not sure that all businesses would have skype but it is worth a try.

Yes you need more than 30 emails. Send as many as you can find addresses for. Most businesses have a general email and them the admin staff all have a personal address. See if the website shows personal addresses rather than just the general one.

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Tsnyder

11 years ago

Originally Posted by Sue McDonald

Yes I agree - there is no better way than talking to people but I am not sure that all businesses would have skype but it is worth a try.

Yes you need more than 30 emails. Send as many as you can find addresses for. Most businesses have a general email and them the admin staff all have a personal address. See if the website shows personal addresses rather than just the general one.

They don't have to have Skype... you pay the minimal annual
fee that allows you to call landlines.

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tonyscott

11 years ago

Hi Ryan, I'd be very surprised in 2013 if you were the only business directory for a major uk city and tourist location. Care to disclose the city?

I run a uk authority directory site for a high traffic rural tourist destination and would be happy to help

PM me if you like

Tony

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Edk

11 years ago

Obviously I'm fishing in the dark as I don't know if your email headline was enticing or unenticing. One thing you could do before you send out more is to check as many emails as you can in your inbox(es). Pick the subject lines that really grab you and use them as a template for your own emails. Hope that helps.

Thanks

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kellyyarnsbro

11 years ago

Yeah i agree with Jason, 30 is just too tiny if you wish to have bunch of signups. Why not hire some contractor to do it for you instead.

Thanks
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sandalwood 11 years ago

Ryan,

1 Mar is a few days away so you have time to devote one solid week to canvassing by foot every business in your area. It sounds like it won't work but you already have signed up business so you have some cerdibility. Imagine walking a block in the morning with 30 businesses and signing up 10. How long would it take you to get one hundred?

I don't know your area so I don't know how far apart these biz would be. I know I pick small shopping plazas with 5 to 6 to 10 businesses. You can cover quite a few in the morning alone.

Hope this helps.

tom
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moneyman2010

11 years ago

One of the best ways to get new clients is to make cold calls..I've built my offline business by calling
local businesses setting up appointments and closing the deal..Its very effective..

Thanks

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RyanGillam

11 years ago

Many thanks for the suggestions.

I am now up to 7/30 sign ups. I think they were the easiest sign ups to grab as around that area I am well known by people (worked there for 12 years). I won't disclose the city sadly (for the person that asked). Yes, there are directories for that area but they don't cover the whole city, more just one area and it is literally a 'list' of places to go. This is something completely different.

It will be hard to contact people directly in the area as I now live in Sweden, phone is best bet I suppose. I have something going in the local newspaper by May or so (I have a major event in the pipeline designed to advertise the site, will be a sort of Scavenger Hunt thing).

Finding businesses in this area certainly isn't hard. The small street I used to work on was home to 30-40 independents on its own, with about 20 or so of the streets within close proximity. I counted probably 600 shops, businesses and food places within walking distance. Just a small percentage of those and it should help me take off.

Taken many of your suggestions on board, so many thanks!

Ryan

Thanks

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kellyyarnsbro

11 years ago

How's it going mate, does the plans work? Any update on the signups? How many signups you have now? I bet you're on a roll now.

Thanks
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RyanGillam 11 years ago

Originally Posted by kellyyarnsbro

How's it going mate, does the plans work? Any update on the signups? How many signups you have now? I bet you're on a roll now.

Still at the 7 out of 30 sign ups. I am in talks with the local newspaper to run a story on a 'special event' to start focusing on bringing in not only businesses but tourists/residents of the city onto the site. For the event imagine something like a big scavenger hunt around the city with prizes of course. Hopefully that will spur some people into heading to the site (for a start they would need to sign up to the mailing list to play)

Current subscriptions (and I am relying on my lists as listing a business is free)

Business Mailing List Subscriptions: 7
Customer List Subscriptions: 3

Former list is monetized by offering consulting, sold one website so far out of 7 which is a cool $500 in my pocket Customer list is monetized by sending offers from the businesses signed up to the site and who wish to send out coupons. I am unsure as to what to charge for that, thinking about 5 pence a customer on the list, but unsure yet! I know there are some food establishments willing to pay 10p per subscriber, but shops are willing to pay 5p (this came from a bit of market research in October-November last year when I ran a poll on the site), my best bet is to probably split the list down into the two groups so I can achieve the full amount from both. All in all it is coming along perfectly, I just need the site to generate $12,000 over the year (which is perfectly possible if I combine what companies will purchase from the list, featured listings, extra services (businesses can have mailing list sign ups from their own page) and Google AdWords) and I will be happy This will allow me to use the experience to actually run a website of a similar nature over here in Sweden (which has fewer shops, but they are willing to spend more)
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Can't get people to sign up

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