Here are 7 steps that will help accomplish this.
1. Use original material. If they see that you are displaying
the same content as similar sites. they aren't going to stay
around for very long.
2. Start out with an attention-getting headline and
and introduction that captures their attention. Let
them know what is going to be found on your
website. It doesn't take long for today's surfers
to decide if this page is going to be worth further
attention.
3. Make sure your visitors know just what they will
find on your website. They are looking for information
on a certain subject and they need to know that you have
their possible answers. Therefore be sure to use the
keywords that best fit your web page because when your
visitor clicks on a keyword with his browser he wants
to find the corresponding content.
4. Be sure you have numerous cross links to various
pages on your site so the visitor can browse through it. If he finds it helpful and pertinent he will be more
inclined to bookmark your site and come back again.
Be sure your links are well designed to catch the
reader's eye.
5. Design your site so your pages can load quickly. Don't
load it up with too many pictures and long blocks of text.
Leave enough "white space" so one's eyes can be drawn
down the page. Articles should be broken up into short
paragraphs and adjust your text so it is easy to
read--not too small nor too light. Difficult in reading
the content will discourage a visitor from continuing.
6. Proofread your pages so you don't make grammatical and
spelling mistakes. You need to appear a professional. If
you are not sure of the effect the page is presenting
let someone else take a look. Forums are a good area to
ask members to view your site or particular page.
(You will probably receive all kinds of opinions!)
But you should definitely get some valuable help.
7. Offer your visitors freebies--ebooks, software, articles
etc. that they can download from your site.
Ask them if
they would fill out a survey which could help you find out
for what type of information they are looking, or ask
if they would like to sign up for your newsletter.
If a visitor does nothing else than to become one of
your subscribers and be put on your opt-in email list
you have won the first battle.
Now that you have a means to add to your opt-in list by way
of your website, you also need to build your list in other
ways, especially if you don't yet have too many hits on your
site. That takes time but by building your list you will
increase them.
Here are 5 more possibilities outside your website.
1. Advertise a free ebook. You can have it downloaded from your
site as mentioned before or you could have the visitor send
you an email and you could attach the ebook to an answering
one. This ebook doesn't have to be more than 7-10 pages.
2 Advertise your newsletter and send responders to your list via
your autoresponder which will take care of the opting in and
startup of your emails. Be sure any email, whether yours or
your autoresponder's has an opt-out feature.
3 Use email signatures, which you can add to the bottom of
your emails. In 3-6 lines you put your name, short description
and appropriate link to your site or offer.
4. Send an email to an individual email address and either
ask the recipient if they would like to sign-up for your
mailing list or offer the option to decline from any
future mailings. Be careful here because anyone receiving
your email could consider it to be spam. To me this is
the least desirable method.
5. If you have a newsletter in which you have just about
exhausted your material and want to start another newsletter
on a different area you could send a broadcast and invite
anyone nearing the end of your letters to change to the
new newsletter.
You may be able to keep some of those who are
ready to make a change. You won't gain any new subscribers
really but you may be able to keep some of those you might
otherwise lose.
Let them know that you are proficient in
different areas.
As your knowledge about Your Opt-in List continues to grow,
you will begin to see how Your Opt-in List fits into the
overall scheme of things. Knowing how something relates
to the rest of the world is important too.