Increase your newsletter signup numbers
If you have a newsletter signup form on your website, then you are no doubt interested in increasing your subscriber numbers. The most effective way to do this is to follow some simple tips and experiment with AB split testing to see which way works best for your audience.
The first tip is about segmentation. Make sure users who sign up via a stand alone newsletter form are flagged differently from users who joined the list through a checkbox at the end of a form. Users who have actively sort out your newsletter form are more likely to covert than a user who has passively not unchecked a subscription box. These users should be targeted differently with your EDMs and possibly recieved more regular updates than other subscribers; perhaps some VIP specials or insentives.
Make sure the newsletter signup box is easily accessible. This doesn't mean it HAS to be above the fold however the more obvious it is the more people will sign up. If you are tight for space then most users will know to find the signup box in the footer. Another successful way to promote the signup is using a popup overlay.
Tell users what they are going to get. It is not appealing enough to say "signup to our newsletter" as the user has no idea what content they are going to receive. Depending on your business it may be a good idea to localise this text (using a GEO IP lookup). With Wiliam for example we could have “sign up to receive information on Web Design in Sydney”, where the location is updated depending on where the user is from. Make sure the text your using to explain the newsletter content is exciting and useful for the user educating them as to why they need to become a subscriber. There is fine line here with overloading the user with content so take care when writing this.
Reduce the fields to no more than two. All you need is the users name and email address (even name may be too many). Don’t ask the user to repeat their email or put in all their personal details as the benefits of receiving this information are outweighed by the fact that the more steps you add the more people will bounce from the process. Keep it simple, users like simple.
Offer an incentive for signing up to your newsletter. If a user is unsure as to if they will sign up then an offer may entice them into subscribing. This could be as simple as a discount on your services or going in the draw to win something. In Wiliam’s case we could offer web design or development services discount for all new subscribers. Again, you don’t want to cheapen your brand but if it helps to get subscribers then it is going to be better for revenue in the long run.
