I had the pleasure of presenting at the Enewsletter World workshop this week with Jeanne Jennings and Ryan Dorhn (two amazing, first-class media experts). In one of our breakout sessions, Jeanne broke down 10 specific ways to optimize an enewsletter landing page.
In our new social media world, email assets are more important than ever before. As content marketers, it is critical that we develop our audiences and build our channels, with a primary emphasis on email in conjunction with social channels like Facebook and Twitter. Why? Theoretically (and legally) the customer names that sign up to our social channels do not belong to us (they belong to Facebook and Twitter). Since it’s public information, that will most likely continue to be the case. Your email database, on the other hand, is a significant business asset.
Here are 10 steps you can take now to optimize your enewsletter landing page to get more customers and prospects to sign up for your content.
- Spell Out the Benefits: On the landing page, clearly list why someone should sign up for your enewsletter.
- Show Them a Picture: Show a sample picture of what they will be receiving (what does the email newsletter look like?).
- Link to a Sample: Link to a sample enewsletter and have that sample open up in a daughter window (don’t take them away from the landing page).
- Sign Up is Above the Fold: If prospects have to scroll down to get to your signup area, there is a problem. Bring the signup above the fold.
- No More than Five to Seven Fields: Less fields = more likely prospects will sign up. Only ask for the fields you truly need.
- Clear Link to Privacy Statement (Below the Fold): Although no one will ever click on it, be sure to have a privacy statement available that has been checked by your legal team.
- Tell Them What You Will and Won’t Do with Their Information: At the bottom of the page, be very clear about how you will use the information they’ll be giving to you.
- Button Says “Subscribe” or “Sign Up” (Not Submit): Words like submit and phrases like “click here” don’t accurately spell out the positive action you want prospects to take. Use “subscribe” or “sign up”.
- Get Rid of Needless Distractions: The landing page for your enewsletter has one goal…to get people to sign up for the enewsletter. Get rid of all the distractions that may take them away from the signup page, such as the general navigation, third-party advertising, house ads or other calls to action.
- Testimonials and Awards Are a Must: Put at least one good testimonial about what a user thinks about your enewsletter. Get permission to use their name and title. Have you won any awards? List those as credibility points as well.
Remember, you want a simple form that shows at least as much value as the information they are giving you (you are trading your content for their name). Don’t overcomplicate the process.
As always, test your changes. The behavior of buyers is not consistent across industries, to be sure to test what works and what doesn’t for you.
