Do you think of list building pages as a headline, a set of three to five bullet points and an opt-in box? Most of us do. Yet, it's the underlying factors that get people to join your list, factors that you need to consider in order to make your list grow.
Your headline is the first thing people see, so you have to answer their age-old question, "What's in it for me?" The WIIFM question is all-important. If they see no personal benefit from joining your list, they just won't. It's that simple. Consider the title of this article. You want more opt-ins, right? So, you kept on reading. Your list building page is no different. Show them what information you have that they need.
But people still won't join, if you don't make them curious. Isn't your mailbox overfilled with business email? What would make you want to sign up for one more list? You'd have to be pretty curious, right? OK, so tease readers. Remember they don't just want to know the "what," they want to know the "how." You're reading to find out how to get more opt-ins, or you wouldn't be reading at all. You want to know how to do it.
Titles should always lead readers to what they'll discover if they sign up for your list, and they should be pretty tight and punchy. They need to hit readers in the face and make them think, "Oh, I want that." A good example might be, "Kicking the Junk Habit and Making Money." Is it about quitting drugs? No, it's about selling on ebay. But the title may lead people to want to know what the title means. It's a curiosity issue, and it works every time, especially if you use these punchy, weird titles on your list building pages.
You're going to use the same techniques when writing your bullet points, too. As Jimmy D. Brown often says, "Give them incomplete information." Bullet points shouldn't be sentences or absolutely not paragraphs. They should be quick, easy-to-read blurbs, like "Get traffic to your site TODAY even if you're a traffic newbie" or "A few simple skills that can multiply your profits up to 1,000 Times" There is curiosity and implied benefit in both of those lines. Would you want to know more? Don't they make you want to know the "how" even more? Do the same thing on your list building pages.
Also include a sense of urgency. You'll notice in the title above, I used the word "today," which implies that if you do the things I recommend in this article, you'll have more opt-ins right away. Change your "submit" button to read something better, too, like "order your free subscription," or "immediate access." Anything that calls people to action will work better than the plain old submit button.
Great list building pages are crucial to a great opt-in rate. If you have no compelling copy, people just won't read and they surely won't sign up for your list. Let readers know the benefits of being a member of your list, but not the whole ball of wax. Make them wonder, give them a sense of urgency, and draw them in to learn the "how." I'm sure your opt-in rates will increase instantly, and if you do it today, it will happen today. Don't put it off. Make your list building page rock out loud!
