subject: Are Website Newsletters a Thing of the Past? [print this page] Are Website Newsletters a Thing of the Past?
Website newsletters are typically used to inform those who have signed up to receive it what is going on with the website or company. The newsletter may include recent happenings, updates, specials, coupons or other information that the website owner wants Internet users to know. Website newsletters used to be very popular with Internet users, but things are starting to change. If you issue a newsletter for your website, you may have noticed a decline in the number of people who are signing up to receive it. Here's why:
People are used to them and they are not finding as much value in them as they used to. Internet users can now go to coupon websites to find deals and they frankly do not always know what they are going to get when they sign up for a newsletter.
Website owners take advantage of those who sign up for newsletters. Newsletters should only be emailed out to website users when there is something substantial to report or say. People don't want to be receiving a newsletter from the same website every couple of hours that are pointless.
Internet users do not feel that they are gaining anything from giving a website their email address and junking up their inbox. If you want someone to sign up, then you need to give them an email or newsletter that is worth receiving.
People associate a newsletter with boring. The term "newsletter" does not sound exciting and it also does not inform users of what they are going to be receiving.
Now that you know why some Internet users consider website newsletters a thing of the past, here is how you can fix it so you can get more people to sign up:
Explain in the newsletter sign up box what the user is going to be getting if they sign up. Even if your newsletter vary from issue to issue, it helps if you give a general description of what the Internet user is going to gain from receiving it.
Do not send out newsletters just for the sake of doing so. Make sure the email is full of useful information that people want to know about.
Offer an incentive if people sign up. A free e-book, coupons or a demo of something is a great way to get people to sign up.
Make sure you inform the user that they can opt out at any time. People are nervous to sign up for something if they feel that there is a chance that they cannot get out of it.
Don't call it a newsletter anymore! While it sounds simple, just renaming it and calling it something else that invokes excitement or interest can do wonders.
Website newsletters are not a thing of the past, but people are more picky these days on the emails they receive and what they sign up for. Website owners need to change with the times and how people use the Internet in order to stay ahead in the game.
