The first place you should look to build your email list is your website
And there are a number of incredibly effective ways you can do this.
If your website is getting any traffic at all, then you have the opportunity to turn that traffic into new subscribers.
Think about it, your website is real estate that you own. That means you don’t have to pay out of pocket for any subscribers you get from your site. And you know that free = good.
If you have have a website, then you should be using on-page opt-ins to build your email list.
Marketers spend thousands of dollars on Google Adwords or on Facebook Advertising. That’s all good, and paid advertising plays an important part of a serious list building effort.
But make no mistake about it, if you have people coming to your site it’s because you’ve put time and effort into it, and time equals money. So don’t let it go to waste.
In this post I’ll cover:
- The two different ‘types’ of on-page opt-ins
- The seven different on-page optin styles
- Which type of opt-in you should use (and which you shouldn’t)
- How to quickly add opt-ins to your website
The Two Types of Web Page Opt-ins
- Fixed (passive)
- Dynamic (interactive)
Fixed opt-ins are stationary forms placed on a web page that do not require any interaction with your web page visitors. They tend to be less obtrusive to your site visitors.
Dynamic opt-ins are forms that move, or appear after a certain amount of time. They may require that the visitor takes an action before they can consume the content of the page. Because of this they tend to be more disliked by people. But they also produce a greater number of sign-ups to your list.
Harness Your Low Hanging Fruit
I’ve put together a list of the seven most effective on-page opt-in forms to turn website visitors into email subscribers. All of them can be added to your site quickly and easily with simple plug-ins (I’ve added a list of some popular ones at the end of this post).
So without any further ado, and in no particular order, here are 7 ways to entice people to sign up to your list through your website.
1 ) The Feature Box
Type: Fixed
A Feature Box is a large, full-width opt-in at the top of a web page. It’s the first thing a new visitor sees when they come to your website, and is usually on the home page.
It can have a specific call to action, and it can introduce your brand. In the example above from James Wedmore, he provides an incentive to sign up to his list, and introduces his brand at the same time.
Where does it go: It is placed above the fold of the page; usually just below the header navigation, and above the main content on the page.
How well does it work: Excellent – Feature boxes are one of the best performing email opt-ins you can add to your website.
In fact GetResponse reported a 51% increase in conversions when they added a Feature Box to their home page.
How Annoying is it?: Feature Boxes are one of the least annoying ways to entice your website visitors to sign up for your list.
Other Thoughts: Feature boxes are often found across the top of a the home page, but with some software plug-ins, they can be found on any entry page of a website or blog.
2) Sidebar Opt-in Form
Type: Fixed
An unobtrusive rectangular box with an incentive to opt-in to an email list. They are often intermingled with other content, such as Facebook ‘likes’ and over advertisements.
Where does it go: Wait for it… the Sidebar Opt-in form goes on the sidebar of your website or blog.
How well does it work: Reasonably well, but not stellar. It can get lost in the other content.
How annoying is it: Not at all. We are accustomed to ads on the right side of the page. Just look at Facebook and Google. But this is also one of the reasons it does not perform quite as well as other webpage lead generation techniques.
Other Thoughts: The blog sidebar is historically the most common place to add an opt-in form, so it’s the place where most people would expect to sign up to your list.
However, visitors can become blind to this type of opt-in form, which can reduce conversion rates.
3) Popover (or pop-up box)
Type: Dynamic
A pop-up box that suddenly seems to appear out of nowhere while you’re viewing content on a website
Where does it go: Right in the middle of your screen
How well does it work: Exceptionally well
How annoying is it: Very. Of all the means to entice opt-ins from your website, this is probably the one that is most disliked.
Other thoughts: Everyone hates popovers. But the thing is, they work very well.
However, depending on how the pop-over is implemented into the page, they can be used in such a way so as not to annoy the visitor too much.
For example, if the pop-over offers a fantastic incentive, then your visitor may not mind the interruption (note that an offer that simply says ‘sign up for our newsletter’ is not going to cut it here).
‘On-exit’ popovers work well also – that is, a popover that only displays when it’s clear your visitor is about to take a hike from your website. If the visitor is going to leave anyway, you may as well make him or her an offer before they go – what do you have to lose?
4) Notification Bar
Type: Fixed
A long, horizontal rectangular bar
Where does it go: Along the top of a web page. And it stays stationary when the page is scrolled.
How well does it work: Reasonably well
How annoying is it: Low
Other thoughts: Notification Bars are pretty unobtrusive. They don’t interrupt the flow of content like popovers do.
5) Welcome Mat (or Welcome Gate)
Type: Dynamic
An opt-in that overlays the entire page when someone first visits the website
Where does it go: Across the entire page
How well does it work: Very well
How annoying is it: Reasonably annoying
Other thoughts: Welcome gates are becoming more popular, especially with the big name brands. If you are going to use one, better make sure it looks professional, and that you have an enticing offer
6) Slide-In
Type: Dynamic
A small, rectangular opt-in box
Where does it go: As the name implies, it slides-in from the side of the screen. Usually from the right.
How well does it work: Reasonably well
How Annoying is it: It’s not as obtrusive as a pop-over, but not as unobtrusive as a side-bar opt-in. It does not require the visitor to close it in order to consume the content.
Other thoughts: In the same family as the Slide-in is the bottom Slide-Up. Similar idea, but this opt-in appears at the bottom of the page as the visitor scrolls down.
7) After Post
Type: Fixed
A large rectangular opt-in box.
Where does it go: At the end of a blog post or other page content
How well does it work: If the visitor to your site has reached the bottom of the page after consuming all the content, then there is a good chance that they will be interested in subscribing to your list to get similar stuff from you.
How annoying is it: Not at all
Which Type Of Opt-In Should You Use?
A lot depends on the type of site you have. A blog is going to have a different layout than a website for a brick and mortar store.
And remember, you may have repeat visitors to your website – and people who have already signed up for your list. Your goal is to build your email list, but not at the expense of totally alienating everyone who visits your website.
And guaranteed if you use every one of these techniques on the same page you’ll alienate people (and don’t think people don’t do this. Even some of the big names have been known to throw everything on a page at once).
Here is a good rule of thumb – Fixed opt-ins are less annoying, so you can have more of them. You can easily get away with three per page, such as a Feature Box or Notification Bar; the Sidebar Opt-in, and the After-Post.
I would not put more than one Dynamic Opt-in on a page.
Implementations and Plug-Ins
How do you go about implementing these into your web pages?
You could code all the above yourself, but why would you? Fortunately there are a number of tools on the market that make it easy to add opt-in forms to your site quickly and easily, regardless of the type of website you have.
Some of the more popular on the market are:
Appsumo.com
Leadpages.net
Optinmonster.com
Hellobar.com
Final Thoughts
When you are surfing the web, pay attention to the websites you visit and see if you can identify the types of opt-ins on the pages.
Remember, in order for any opt-in to work, you have to provide a compelling offer, such as the chance to receive more great content from you, or a Lead Magnet of some kind.
Your have visitors to your website now. Don’t waste a perfect opportunity to turn those visitors into subscribers.
What combination of opt-ins are you currently using for your website?
Image: Roenigk
Quick ad here as I forgot to mention it in the article above. If you want to know what ‘not’ to do, check out the example for #7 After Post above. Aside from the fact that they say “we’ll contact you when we have something valuable’, which reads to me like ‘we’ll contact you when we have something worth saying…” , check out the rest of the copy. Better to not bother putting something up at all, than to put that up.