7 Steps to an Email Opt-in Page That Works

Email marketing works.

In fact, it’s still the best online method for converting prospects into customers or clients.

A critical part of the process begins, however, before a single email is sent. You’ve got to get people on your list in the first place.

This happens most effectively at a landing page specifically designed to convince the right people to sign up.

Some people call these opt-in landing pages “squeeze” pages, which, in addition to being a derogatory way to think about the process, is also technically incorrect.

Here’s a quick Internet marketing history lesson.

A squeeze page was originally a very specific type of opt-in page that required you to supply an email address just for the privilege of reading a sales letter. If you didn’t buy immediately, you got follow-up pitches.

Sounds crazy now, huh?

But things were easier back then, until hucksters and charlatans abused the privilege and people fought back.

I’m about to show you how to win the trust and interest of prospective subscribersdespite any initial misgivings your audience may have.

Let’s jump right in.

1. Who do you want?

The first step is crucial, and yet time and again I see people plow ahead without a clear understanding of exactly the type of person they want on their email list.

Without a clear and detailed understanding of who you want, you can’t craft a message that resonates strongly enough to spark interest and gain trust.

Take a look at our Internet Marketing for Smart People opt-in page, for example.

The exact same course benefits could attract your typical “get rich quick” business opportunity type. But instead, the message is positioned squarely against that type of person, and aimed at people who are willing to put the effort in.

Take the time to figure out who you really want on your list in terms of your ultimate goal, which is likely to be moving enough of them to customer or client. Then and only then will you know how to “speak their language” with your opt-in copy.

2. What do you want them to do?

Your email opt-in page has one goal — to get people to sign up to your email list.

Every word and element of the page should support that single action. If it doesn’t, lose it.

That means lose your typical sidebar.

That means lose those links in your copy.

In many cases, that means creating a page so focused on the opt-in that you take an approach that’s different from your normal site design.

One page, one action. That’s it.

3. What are the essential elements?

No exceptions, you absolutely must have:

1. The headline: You’ve got to instantly catch attention with your headline.
2. The benefits: You’ve got to tell by teasing, usually with fascinating bullet points.
3. The call to action: You’ve got to expressly tell people to sign-up.
4. The opt-in form: You’ve got to have a way for them to sign-up.

You might also need number 5 …

The Proof: In this case, proof should be of the social kind. Number of subscribers, subscriber testimonials, reviews and media mentions, etc.

Whether or not you need to add in proof depends on a number of criteria, including the strength of your brand and the traffic source.

For example, if you’re driving existing blog subscribers to a focused email list, your good reputation (hopefully) precedes you. If you’re using Google AdWords to drive traffic, you likely have no reputation on your side and you’ll need everything you’ve got.

4. What incentive should you give?

It’s always been a smart tactic to offer an up-front incentive, or “ethical bribe” to convince people to sign up for your list.

This could be a free report, webinar, audio seminar, or other instant-gratification freebie.

In many markets, this strategy still works just fine. In others, you’ll face savvy subscribers who snag your incentive with an alternate “trash” email address, or simply unsubscribe immediately.

The better approach is to focus the incentive on staying subscribed.

Offer that report over time as a series of emails from your autoresponder, break the video or audio into parts, and always entice subscribers with what’s coming next.

The key is for people to realize that you’re giving more than you’re taking (pitching), and they’ll happily stay with you much longer.

5. How long should your copy be?

Same as it ever was: As long as necessary, and no longer.

In the case of an opt-in page, the essentials have to be there — headline, benefits, and call to action. But going back to step one, a bit more copy will help you better target the exact type of person you want on your list.

Again, look at the IMfSP page … we lead with three paragraphs of positioning before stating benefits, presenting the sign-up form, and then provide more copy for people who want more information.

You can follow this format, or use testimonials to round out the second call to action and opt-in form.

And don’t forget to reassure people that you respect their privacy.

6. How much information should you ask for?

This one’s easy.

The less form data you ask for, the more people sign up.

We tested asking for first name and email address against email address only, and the latter won. Now, we only ask for an email address (go figure).

If your business goals dictate getting more information, like a mailing address and phone number, so be it. Personally, I’d get the prospect on the list first, and then send valuable content that culminates with a call to action that asks for that information via a contact form.

The more trust you build, the more people open up to you. And you get to communicate with prospects regularly, which means it’s no longer an all-or-nothing situation.

7. What works better?

Everything above represents tried-and-tested wisdom for email opt-in pages.

But when it comes down to what specifically works for you and your audience, only your own split-testing will tell the whole truth.

Changes to headlines, button colors, and other tiny tweaks can make a big difference when it comes to your opt-in rate. Just don’t forget step one above.

In other words, tweaking your landing page to get the absolute best opt-in rate doesn’t mean much if you’re attracting the wrong people for your ultimate goal ofselling something.

You need to make sure you test within the bounds of a well-targeted premise that resonates with your intended audience. Remember the first step at all times.

Opt-in pages made easy

Often, people are well aware of best practices for creating an effective opt-in page. And yet they don’t follow some of them (especially split-testing) because it can be a pain.

Our Premise Landing Page System for WordPress makes creating and split-testing opt-in pages a snap, and features easy integration with Aweber, Mail Chimp, and Constant Contact.

Plus, you’ll never attract the wrong crowd to your list with the Premise Guide to Effective Copywriting — a 23-page manual and hour-long audio seminar included at no extra charge.

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Write effective website copy

Your website content should do more than just present information. It needs to engage the reader, boost your search engine rankings and reinforce your brand. According to Tina Judic, managing director of Spring Digital, there is one golden rule: keep it simple!

Firstly, the web is an active medium — we use it to achieve things. If your site doesn't grab and hold attention, visitors need only click their mouse to go elsewhere. Patience is not a virtue often found online.

Secondly, the amount of choice available means people behave differently online. They rarely read site pages word for word. Instead, site visitors will often scan the page, picking out individual words and sentences.

One chance to impress

Once the visitor has arrived, you will only have a couple of lines (or even words) to ignite their interest. It is often tempting to employ clever headings to do this. You should, however, remember that web users rely on scanning, and clever phrases can often cause confusion.

In the same vein, convoluted writing and complex words are even harder to understand online. It's best to ignore jargon and boastful subjective claims ("best ever"). Web users are busy. They want to get the facts, fast.

This does not mean your copy should be boring; far from it. In fact, the shorter and more simple the language, the greater its impact can be. For example:

"We understand the entire web journey from start to finish, and design our websites with both SEO and user conversion in mind"

is not as engaging as:

"Our websites convert searchers into visitors, and visitors into customers."

Yet both essentially say the same thing.

What about search engine optimisation (SEO)?

You will need to identify and include keywords, alt tags and titles to make sure your content is found. Constantly repeating keywords can, however, not only attract the attention of search engine "duplicate content filters", but also means your readers, who are largely scanning content, may miss critical facts and figures.

It is important not to put all your eggs into one basket. Ranking number one on Google won't do much good if your site is confusing. So ensure you strike a balance between SEO and content clarity.

Form and function

Website readers will not sit and read through long paragraphs. Start with a headline followed by a short overview highlighting how your product or service will benefit the customer, rather than simply how it works. After that, it's important to vary the layout with:

• subheadings
• summaries
• quotes
• bulleted lists

It is also important to remember that web content is a conversation. People buy from people. Your content should appear as a direct dialogue between you and the reader. In an actual conversation, addressing the customer by name is best. When this is impossible (as in web copy) — "you" is the next best thing, so use it lots.

Bringing it all together

Above all, make sure your web copy is scannable, objective and concise. Use simple, convenient layouts to hold attention. Help them trust in you by avoiding overblown or clichéd statements, and make sure they can understand what you're telling them quickly, using straightforward language.

Ensuring your web copy gets to the point not only helps sell your products and, services, it reflects positively on your brand and can even lift your SEO rankings by avoiding repetition.

Keep it simple...

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