6 Steps to (forensic science) Catch More Opt-ins Than Ever Before

July 31st, 2008 admin Posted in news |

By Alexandria Brown

Remember that when you have new visitors at your website, your #1 goal is to get them on your ezine list! That way you have permission to contact them again and again, educating them about your helpful services and products that they came to learn more about.

But you cant just put up a link that says free newsletter. No one cares! You need to carefully craft an opt-in box that works like a big net, catching the exact type of fish you want as your ideal clients and customers.

Also remember, dont hide your box at the bottom of your web pages. Right now, most testing shows that the best place for your opt-in box is the upper right corner loud and proud!

Here are six simple things you should have in your opt-in box that will help you get more signups than ever before.

1) An Attention-Getting HEADLINE

Remember that online readers SKIM copy - they dont read it word for word. So the headline in your opt-in box may be the ONLY thing they read, which determines whether they sign up or not. So dont waste this space saying something like Free Newsletter or even worse Sign up for our mailing list. Ugh! Instead, tell me the MOST exciting thing your ezine will give me!

Examples:

Are You Ready to Blast Off Your SALES This Year?

FINALLY: Learn How to Keep That Weight Off For Good

Insider Secrets to Writing Novels for Big Bucks

2) A Raving Description of Your Ezine

Work hard at putting together a description of your ezine that gets prospects excited to sign up! Remember theyre tuned into station WIIFM (Whats In It For ME?). Tell them what your information is going to DO for them as well as everything they GET. Examples: How-to articles, quick and easy tips, free resources, insider secrets. Aim for your description to be between 15 and 30 words.

3) A Field to Enter Their FIRST NAME.

Getting peoples names along with their e-mails allows you to personalize your ezine for them. For example, if I was on your list, your e-mail would come to me saying, Dear Ali The subject line could even say, Ali, heres your free tip. Why do you want to do this? Studies prove that having the recipients name in the subject line of your e-mails can increase your open rates by 60%!

The problem is, many people value their privacy and are hesitant to give you their full name. For this reason, just ask for their FIRST name. Its been proven that youll get MORE names from people if you only ask for the first name. (And their first name is generally all youll need anyway.)

4) A Field to Enter Their Primary EMAIL ADDRESS.

Many people have a backup or personal e-mail address that they use just for receiving online newsletters and promotions. The problem is they are often from free e-mail services like Yahoo or Hotmail. These services filter e-mail like crazy, and their mailboxes fill up quickly, so theres a good chance your e-mails wont even reach these recipients.

The solution is, simply ask for their primary e-mail. Its amazing, but simply ASKING them to enter their primary e-mail will get you more quality e-mails on your list! (Youll also get less bounce-backs from undeliverable e-mails. If you get too many of those, it raises a red flag to some spam filter programs.)

5) A BUTTON That Says Subscribe or Sign Me Up Now

Make it very clear what they should click on to activate their subscription once they type in their name and email. Dont use something confusing like a link that says submit form.

6) Your PRIVACY POLICY, right then and there.

Everyones scared to receive more spam these days, so put your prospects at ease. Dont make them wonder what youre going to do with their e-mail addresses. State right next to or below your opt-in form what your policy is. Mine is, We will never sell, rent, trade, or share your e-mail with any other organization. (Feel free to use that yourself.) DONT make people click on a link to read your privacy policy - it looks like you have something to hide. In fact, in some U.S. states, its now required that you state your privacy policy right at the point of opt-in, so its a good idea no matter where you do business.

Want to See a Sample of This in Action?

If youd like to see many of these components in action, see my pop-under box at www.ezinequeen.com/popup.htm.

And if youd like MORE step-by-step instructions on how to get more signups at your website (and beyond) and build your list bigger than ever before, see my SPECIAL REPORT: 101 Simple, FREE and Low-Cost Ways to Quickly Build a Massive EMAIL LIST, which you can learn more about here.

Online entrepreneur Alexandria K. Brown, The E-zine Queen, is creator of the award-winning Boost Business With Your Own E-zineonline newsletters system. To learn more about this step-by-step program, and to sign up for her FREE how-to marketing articles and FREE audio class, visit

www.EzineQueen.com

7 Marketing Lessons We Can Learn From TV Infomercials
By Alexandria Brown

I hate to share this, but I love watching infomercials. And I’ve ordered more than once from them! Everything from cosmetics to a cell phone accessory.

When pressed, my friends admit the same. If you sniff around most people’s homes, you’ll find SOMETHING ordered from an infomercial, whether it’s the Ronco Rotisserie or Victoria Principal’s skincare.

You may think of these often annoying programs as “trash TV”, but think again. Did you realize that they use many of the exact same strategies that we should?

Now, I don’t mean you need to scream at your customers or flash “$19.95″ in blinking digits on your website! Those are gimmicks. But what most people don’t realize is that many of the STRATEGIES that sell the kitchen doohickey gadget are the same ones that can also sell your products and programs.)

Here are 7 of my favorites:

1. They grab your attention.

Infomercials air on the most challenging medium there is out there: television. You’re just a second away from your prospect clicking their remote to the next channel. So they do their best to get your attention right away and KEEP it for as long as possible.

That’s why infomercials give bold statements and emphasize how this doohickey will change your life. You should do this too — stop beating around the bush and make it clear to your prospects how your products and services will change *their* lives!

2. They give tons of real-life testimonials.

You’ll see that TV infomercials have evolved greatly since years ago. It used to be one or two people talking to a camera for the entire time. These days most typical 30 minute spots are over 80% customer testimonials! And that’s for good reason… they are the hands-down BEST way to gain instant credibility.

A great example is for one of those home exercise machines. I noticed years ago they just showed the super-ripped guy using it on the infomercial. Now they show that guy, PLUS dozens of before and after testimonials from real-life guys with beer bellies and real jobs who used the product with success. That was a great move on their part, because c’mon, I just can’t believe that super-ripped guy got that hot looking using it just 30 minutes, 3 times a week!

3. They use personalities.

The most successful infomercials now use celebrity guest hosts. They know this gets people’s attention more than practically anything out there. Pro Activ uses Jessica Simpson. Youthful Essence (a skincare product I love) uses Susan Lucci. Even NutriSystem is now using Dan Marino in their commercials to target men.

You can do the same in your marketing. You can either hire a star, or even better, make YOURSELF the celebrity… by sharing stories, being personal, and having fun with your market.

4. They give an irresistible offer.

It’s rare these days to see an infomercial asking for you to pay for something in full. You’ll mostly see things like “3 payments of $19.95″ or “4 payments of $39.95″. Why? Cash-crunched Americans are always more concerned about cash flow than the total price. They’ll even happily pay much MORE in the end in order to gain a lower monthly payment!

You can do the same. Offer a payment plan for your products, courses, workshops, and coaching. You’ll be AMAZED at the increased response, and it’s easy to do with marketing-savvy shopping cart systems.

5. They give a strong call-to-action NOW.

These folks know that as soon as you change the channel, you’re going to forget about their product. So they make it very urgent that you pick up the phone and call them now or visit their website and order. They usually say something like “If you call in the next 10 minutes you also get…” and they list a few great bonuses.

This isn’t just specific to TV. Everyone would rather put off ANY decision these days, we’re all so busy and overwhelmed! So you need to give people a good REASON to act now, whether it’s a discount that expires, a payment plan that expires, a limited number of products or seats, a special bonus… you get the idea.

6. They sell on continuity.

What’s “continuity”? online newsletter it’s when you make ONE sale that results in multiple charges over and over. For example, because my friends have been raving about I.D. Bare Minerals natural makeup, I recently ordered a kit from their infomercial. Now, every 2 months, I receive a fresh supply in the mail, and my card is charged again. I love it because I don’t have to remember to reorder. They love it because they only had to make ONE sale, and how they’ve got me as a customer forever until I cancel!

Hear me now… continuity will change your life! Consider how you can use this principle in your business. Could you convert some of your current offerings into a monthly membership? Or instead of doing one-shot teleseminars, create an ongoing monthly program? (I did this with my Marketing & Motivation Mastermind.)

7. They repeat themselves. And repeat themselves.

And repeat themselves again! Smart marketers know it takes an average of 9 TIMES for someone to see/hear your message BEFORE they will even consider purchasing! That goes for you too. So many of my clients complain that advertising doesn’t work when they only ran one ad ONCE. Or published ONE newsletter and it didn’t get them results.

Remember it’s the ongoing exposure and repetition that breeds familiarity and trust with your prospects! And that leads to more sales than you’ve ever imagined.

Online entrepreneur Alexandria K. Brown, “The E-zine Queen,” publishes the award-winning ‘Straight Shooter Marketing’ weekly

ezine with 20,000+ subscribers. If you’re ready to jump-start your marketing, make more money, and have more fun in your small business, get your FREE tips now at

EzineQueen.com

13 Steps to a “Slippery Slope” Online Sales Letter
By Alexandria Brown

But here’s the problem: I see many of them trying to sell their e-book, tutorial, etc. on a regular Web page. They list a paragraph about the info-product and give the price, and they expect a slew of sales.

Wrong.

You need a special sales page that has a “slippery slope” sales letter.

Remember that game Chutes & Ladders? If you landed on a space that had a chute on it, you just went down, Baby. No turning back. That’s how your sales letter should be - a “slippery slope” that pulls in the reader because it’s so compelling and interesting.

Here’s a basic outline of the 13 elements you want to include. To see an example of them all in action, visit MY own sales page at www.BoostBizEzine.com.

1. Limit your navigation.

The visitor should not be distracted by links that take her to your bio, other products, etc. The idea is to keep her on this page, reading your copy and leading her to order. So on this page, only have navigation that relates to the product (e.g. FAQs, Order now).

2. Give a powerful headline.

Your headline can make or break your sales. If it’s not compelling, your visitor will click away. Here’s an easy headline formula: “How to _________ So You Can ____________.” Make sure the 2nd part gives a big benefit, for example, “double your business” or “gain peace of mind.”

3. Discuss the problem the prospect has, or incorporate your own story.

Marketers call this “pushing the ‘ouch’ button.” First discuss the problem or pain that the reader has, and then lead in to how your product will solve it. Or share your own failure-to-success story that the reader can empathize with.

4. Tell us who you are.

If I’m going to buy your stuff, I’d like to know why you’re qualified to write about this topic. Give me the feeling that you’ve learned a lot about this topic and want to share it with me.

Even add a picture of yourself and an audio greeting, like I did. These help the reader instantly feel like she knows you better, increasing the “trust factor.” And people buy from those they feel they know, like, and trust!

5. Use bullets like mini headlines.

Lay out everything I’ll get from your product. Don’t just list your table of contents verbatim! Turn each point into an exciting secret. For example, suppose your e-book features 5 tips on how to save money on groceries. That bullet could read, “Revealed: 5 ways you can save hundreds of dollars on your monthly grocery bill.”

6. List plenty of testimonials.

Show your prospects they won’t be the first to buy. It’s more effective to weave-in testimonials throughout your sales letter than to have a separate section for them. Give each person’s full name and Web address, and for extra power, post their photo and an audio testimonial as well.

7. Tell us why your product is such a great value.

How does the price of your product compare if I hired you one-on-one? For example, your manual is a great value at $49 if an hour consultation with you would run me $250.

8. Throw in a few great bonuses.

Offer special bonuses (preferably created by you) that are so good you could sell them alone if you wanted to. It could be a list of resources, a collection of articles, extra tips on a certain subject, or a free consu1tation.

9. Give an unconditional guarantee.

This puts your prospect at ease, giving her no reason to NOT buy. A few turkeys will take advantage of your generosity, but the amount of sales you GAIN from this strategy dramatically outweighs the risk.

10. Request immediate action by having a limited time offer just click online newsletter service.

Some sales pages use trick scripts to make it seem like the offer always ends on that day at midnight, but I find these insulting. If you really will be raising your price soon (and you always should be), list the exact date and stick to it. Otherwise just say it’s an introductory, limited-time offer.

11. Make it ABSURDLY CLEAR what to do next.

Nothing bothers me more than when I’m at a Web site, I have my credit card ready, and I can’t find the $%#@& order link! Make your order process idiot-proof. Example: “Cl1ck below to 0rder n0w on our secure server.” Also sprinkle in order links throughout your page — some people will be ready to buy before they get to the bottom.

12. Make one last plea.

In your P.S., right after your signature, emphasize that I should act now. For example, “Don’t miss out on this great 0pportunity. Remember, you can buy n0w and change your mind at anytime.”

13. Don’t forget your contact information!

Readers WILL have questions, so provide an e-mail address on your site that you or someone else will check at least daily. Also, don’t you feel better buying from a Web site that lists a real address and phone number?

Want More Detailed Step-by-Step Help, With Examples You Can Model?

See my quick-start audio program, “The Secret, Simple Formula to Writing Web Copy That SELLS”.

Online entrepreneur Alexandria K. Brown, “The E-zine Queen,” publishes the award-winning ‘Straight Shooter Marketing’ weekly ezine marketing with 20,000+ subscribers. If you’re ready to jump-start your marketing, make more money, and have more fun in your small business, get your FREE tips now at

www.EzineQueen.com

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