subject: Turing Visitors Into Regulars: 5 Tips For Obtaining Email Addresses [print this page] While getting an Internet surfer to your website through appropriate use of marketing, blogging and article promotion is a good start, if you cant get them to give you their email, you may never see or hear from them again. Obtaining those precious email addresses is the holy grail of online businesses. Here are some tips you can use to up your compliance rate.
Focus on the Experience
The Internet isnt the new and exciting thing it was just a few short years ago. The standards people have for websites have gone up dramatically. As a result, if you dont have a professional, approachable website, no one will give you the time of day. If you cant look at your website objectively, ask someone else to do it.
Make it Fresh
As stated above, the bar has been raised on websites. If you have the same information that is found on every other website, there is little incentive to come to your page. Seek new trends, find new products, find new ways to present the same materials and you will have a better chance at scoring that all important e-mail.
Offer Access in Various Ways
If you are selling information then you want to make it accessible not just on your website. Provide formats that work on smart phones, PCs, tablets and so forth. Record your message in video format, as written documents and as podcasts. When people find they can access your content anywhere, they are more likely to listen.
Give Value
Just as providing the same old message doesnt really give visitors any incentive to sign up and hand over their email address, asking them to give you something for nothing wont work either. You have to offer something that will incentivize the process. A free downloadable e-book, a coupon on their next purchase or a discount for signing up on your Facebook page are all good options.
Dont Overwhelm
When you do obtain email addresses the last thing you want is for your subscribers to abandon you. If you dont have an email address, how will you maintain contact?
Be very selective in how often you send emails, texts or tweets. You want your messages to be special, so people are inclined to read them, not delete them.
Staying in touch with clients is important if you want to ensure that they return to your site for their purchases. The Internet is filled with dozens of sites which offer pretty much the same thing you do. Make yourself unique and you will draw the audience you want.
