Email and Newsletter Optin
No sales copy is complete without a box for an email opt-in, which lets people sign up for your newsletter and get future communications. An email list is the key to a successful online business and is the single best thing you can do to grow any online or offline business. The trick is that you need to create a good entry point to get those emails.
Page Popovers
One of the most effective methods of collecting email addresses is to use a page popover, which is an HTML effect that brings up an on-the-page popover with an email address entry form on it when the reader attempts to leave the page. The popover needs to offer something of value to your reader for free in exchange for their email. The free offer can be anything but the most common are PDF resource guides and reports, and video or audio file courses. This is not the same as a popup and is far more effective. Make sure your popover is a complete newsletter signup pitch with details about the free offer and can either be set to popover when your reader tries to leave the page or set to trigger after 15 seconds or so.
Placement of a Static Newsletter Box
Your website should also contain a static newsletter box, placed high on your page (above-the-fold) so anyone coming to your site will see it within seconds. The goal is to get the email address before someone who is not quite ready to buy leaves your site.
When creating the signup newsletter box, make it colorful with a great attention-getting headline and an attractive image.
Using Bullet Points
If your copy isn’t easy to read and quickly scannable, you won’t have many conversions. Using bullet points, short paragraphs and headlines can produce the perfect page. The bullet points should list the specific benefits they will receive by signing up for your newsletter. For example, if you have a 10-page report, list out what “secrets” and “insider tips” they will learn.
The Non-spam Notice
Although getting an email address is easier than a credit card number, many customers will still be protective because they don’t want to get spam. So, tell them upfront that “We hate spam and your email is safe with us” type of thing. Some marketers will tell you not to bring attention to the spam issue, but readers are already thinking about it so diffuse it right from the start.
Headlines and Images to Drive Action
Every time you try to drive an action from your reader, you’re writing a miniature sales page. The first fold is a mini–sales page designed so your reader will want to keep reading. The product description is a mini–sales page that convinces them to read about your product. And your newsletter opt-in box is a mini–sales page that convinces them to give you their email so they can get more information. You need to sell them on it and the best way to do that is by using images. Provide images of the free report or the 5-part video-course you’re going to offer, etc., and include a great headline that outlines the key benefits of the report/course.
