How to increase my visitor/subsribers conversion rate?

[Agota]

Hey, guys!

I want to focus on increasing my e-mail list and have number of subscribers as the most important metric of my site. I want to increase my conversion rate - not sure how, though.

I launched my website on april 4-5th and had 1090 unique visitors so far (now I get 70-150 visits a day). However, I have only 23 subscribers so far. I'm not very happy about this conversion rate.

I added a text widget with the information about the coming newsletter (it comes out every Friday).

I'm planning to make a freely downloadable book with the content of my newsletter after around three months and hopefully spread the word in that way - but that in future and I need subsribers now!

I got an advice of doing splits tests, so I'll experiment with various newsletter forms and see if pop-up subscription window will make things better. What else I can do? Thank you for your help!

[Natural]

Yes, a real free gift - the downloadable book will help massively I think - because it is much more tangible than just a "newsletter" no one really wants to give their email just to be on a newsletter... do you?

If I were you I would get some kind of free gift to offer in the meantime, but if that is not possible then so far I don't think your "call to subscribe" is very appealing:

Get fresh thoughts every Friday!

... It should be benefit driven... what are the benefits of subscribing, what extras will they get, what is unique, what can't they get anywhere else? Change the title I think should be the first step... but like you say, expiriment with a few... also expiriment with the colour of the signup area...

Another thing you could do is add a popup... even if you don't like them they will get you subscriptions - perhaps just an "exit popup" - if they're going to leave anyway then what do you have to lose right? Oh, yeh, a subscriber

Hope some of that helps
Dan

[rawxstasy]

Originally Posted by Agota

Hey, guys!

I want to focus on increasing my e-mail list and have number of subscribers as the most important metric of my site. I want to increase my conversion rate - not sure how, though.

I launched my website on april 4-5th and had 1090 unique visitors so far (now I get 70-150 visits a day). However, I have only 23 subscribers so far. I'm not very happy about this conversion rate.

I added a text widget with the information about the coming newsletter (it comes out every Friday).

I'm planning to make a freely downloadable book with the content of my newsletter after around three months and hopefully spread the word in that way - but that in future and I need subsribers now!

I got an advice of doing splits tests, so I'll experiment with various newsletter forms and see if pop-up subscription window will make things better. What else I can do? Thank you for your help!

I think you are doing great for only being up for two weeks. I've had my site up for four months and am thrilled that I am getting 15 visitors a day.

Your website is awesome! I don't know what else you can do. Just be patient.

[Agota]

Thank you very much!

I guess I'll add a pop-up subcription window (once I figure out how to do that) and offer free preview version of my e-book for subscribers.

Let me know if anyone has more ideas!

[danthony]

If you must add a popup subscription window, look for popup domination. I've increased subscribe rates by 367% by using that thing (didn't even know that was possible).

Also, come up with a nice free report or video or something with a cool cover. Make it look enticing for a reader to want to optin. Too many people are doing the newsletter thing. It's good to have when just starting as at least you are capturing some visitors, but a free lead magnet is better at converting.

[Agota]

Awesome, danthony, I'll take a look at it! Thanks!