One wrong way to get email subscribers

Are you currently collecting emails from visitors on your website?

Are you satisfied with how many people ‘sign up to your newsletter’?

We’re going to look at the right way which you should be doing, and the wrong way which you should definitely stop.

The wrong way to get emails

People won’t give you their email address simply because you ask for it. Therefore, it is important to free yourself of the false idea that simply putting up ‘subscribe to our newsletter’ will get you the subscribers you want. There is not enough incentive, pressure or reason for them to give it.

Therefore it is critical that you re-think your entire system and remove this and replace it with something more workable.

Better ways to collect emails

1. Directing your visitors to fill out contact forms, as opposed to calling in. This way you can harvest their email address and begin a conversation with them via email. By doing this you’re able to give them information, articles, video, etc; something you can’t do over the phone. And you can always follow up with them afterwards.
2. Offer some very valuable free content in exchange for the email. This does NOT mean ‘our free newsletter’. This has to be something which will enhance their lives and something they really want to have. Be willing to spend some time creating a really valuable product, and then give it away for free.
3. In your store, at checkout, offer %15 discount for getting their email.
4. Buying lists. This has some good point and some bad points. One advantage is it gives you a large database which you can contact right now, to get your message out, and convert the recipients into buyers, without having to wait for your email addresses to gradually trickle in organically. The down-side is you might get flagged as spam by many recipients as they are not expecting your unsolicited email.
5. Create an online contest on your website. People can enter the contest by submitting their name and email. You then get a database of emails out of it. You should make the contest worthwhile however. Be willing to spend a few hundred dollars to give the winner an iPad Mini, etc. When the contest is over, be sure to alert all applicants via email, and then offer everyone a 15% discount of your services as a consolation prize. This way everyone wins and you foster a good relationship.
6. Feature special offers on your website (coupons, etc.), which require the visitor to send his email in order to receive a coupon.

Add a QR code to all your printed materials, and have it take them to a link where they can sign up to receive coupons and incentives from your company, by providing their email.