|
Make a Simple Lead Capture Page
by Mitch Hopkins
You read it dozens of times "The Money is in the List"
Well, without one, your promotions take a big drop in ever being read. So, how do you get that list? If your headline in an e-mail ad is good enough, it will get opened. But if all you are doing is promoting some affiliate site with a direct link to it, you are missing a golden opportunity. They might join your offer, be in your downline, but what about being able to follow up with more opportunites, or you find a better deal later on. Not every program allows you to freely contact your people, especially with other programs.
Maybe you use some of those 'list building' programs that allow you to mail randomly once a week only. Or to only those you have personally referred. Once you perform your weekly mailing to the random list, usually very small at that, you loose those folks forever. You don't even know who they are or if they are even interested in the same type of marketing programs you are. That is not targeted marketing at all. It's like trying to sell hunting supplies to an anti-hunter.
So what you need to do to make the most of those mailings is not to sell your product going directly to the site, but create a lead capture page. Or as some call it, a squeeze page.
But don't bother buying some program to make one for you. It's too easy to make your own.
All you really need is a webpage, a good autoresponder, and be able to write the barest HTML code. Then it's just a matter of writing up your ad, setting up your autoresponder once and mail. If you can't write HTML, there are many places to learn.
In fact, take this little tutorial e-book and you'll learn all you need to know.
HTML Teacher
I mentioned a webpage. It can be on your own site or a free website page but you'd want one without a bunch of other advertising. You want just a short direct to the point page. Here is what I mean. I made this page as an example. You are free to use it as a template for your own. Right click on a blank area, click on 'view source' and that will show you the simple HTML code I used. Click on 'edit', then 'select all', then 'copy', then paste into notepad and save it to your computer where you can find it again. Name it lead sample or something like that so you can recognize it. Change the code to your links and use your information and you are done. Here is the page, very simple, effective:
lead page sample
Done laughing yet? I know, it sure isn't pretty. But that is the kind of page you send out to get people to opt-in to your list.
You only give a very brief message, a signup form that ads them your list and the autoresponder sends out your information to them.
No long ad, your form is right there so it's easy for your viewer to see, you give out a bonus to help them want to continue on, they are informed you will send out more information to them and they will be aware they can get off your list at any time. Safe, simple and it works.
You can of course dress up the lead capture page any way you want.
Ad a small graphic, put your Google Adsense ads on the top if you use Google and put in more contact information. The choices are unlimited and up to you. Try to keep the page length as short as possible though, you are not trying to sell from this page, just collect their information.
Your first ad leading up to someone getting to that page could also include the fact you have a free offer just for looking. You also don't want to put all your eggs into one basket so to speak.
Don't tell all your benefits, just describe enough about your product to make them a bit curious. Tell them what your product can do, how it will help them out (not you) and stay away from the 'hype' only type message. We are all bombarded with outrageous claims of fortunes in 3 months. Be a 'millionaire by Christmas' doesn't cut it anymore. Actually, many times you don't even have to 'name' the product or program in your initial ad. That along with effectivly describing some of the benefits can be enough to have people continue on for the information.
Now you won't convert everybody. Figure out how to do that and by next months' end you'd own the world. But if you just advertise a common link that everyone on the 'net' has seen, you are going to get nowhere. Kinda like playing a card game with your hand up so all can your cards. Don't be deceiteful, just a curiosity creator.
---
Maybe your short ad could say something like this:
Subject: Discover How To Get The Advantage You Want
Ad Body: Affiliate Marketing, when done correctly, is your best opportunity to succeed online today.
We give you the tools and resources you need, all backed by the longest running affiliate program on the Internet to date.
40% payout affiliate plan, Commissions paid instantly,
Training from top marketers, Ready to use promotional tools.
Get all the details now!
(Your link to your lead capture page goes here)
In this case:
lead page sample
P.S.
Limited time offer enclosed. Get a free 9 volume video set that shows you how to market effectivly, build a selling website and has resale rights.
---
Notice it never mentioned the name of the affiliate program.
It gave you an idea of what it's about, what it pays back, what you expect to receive and made you curious. It also has a free product you may might want to use and learn from and a promotion tool for your own marketing.
All designed to get your prospect to sign up into your list for future promotions. Had you just blasted out the same old ad, well, you've been doing that so tell yourself how well it works.
It works, or it doesn't. If it doesn't, work on it. Just made my own quote there.
Don't use the same ads as everybody else in the program.
Not that they are bad, usually are fairly well written, tested out and will work. But they get seen so often the effectiveness is gone. Be sure to be honest in your ads. Don't stretch the truth by saying tons of free software and e-books if there is only 1 or 2 of each. Give out a free website and then they find out they have to pay hosting fees and register a domain name, too.
To help yourself out even more, use a tracking system on your ads. You'll need to know which ads work, and where they work. I never used them at first, but as time goes on, you just loose track of where your new people came from. You can't tell which ad brought some success, which totally failed. Also, by using a lead capture page, you can compare your sign-ups to what the affiliate program shows, and know you are getting the correct credit for your efforts.
And as an added bonus to that, your affiliate link won't be showing so as some people do, they cut off your ID, sign up or buy, and you are left with nothing. They don't get your affiliate link until they sign up to your list. And by tracking your ad, you'll have a record of how many times your ad was clicked on. If none or very few, you'll know you need to work on your ad. If a lot but no sales, maybe your affiliate link isn't cloaked well enough and people are chopping your ID off, or worse, going right to your download link, getting your product free and even passing it out to their friends for free.
That does take more work on your part, but it is a business and if you don't control it, nobody else will and you are setting yourself up to fail in the end. Treat it like a business, keep track of everything and if you think you can just throw some ads around and make a lot money, better re-think why you are doing any of it at all. Just for the fun of it?
Article by Mitch Hopkins
Editor, ezIncomeMakers Newsletter
I also run ezincomemakers.com
as a great place to start or improve your internet marketing
and website experience.
List Building Made Easy! __________________________________________________________
| Resource Editor, ezIncomeMakers NewsletterI run 4 websites, have been on-line and marketing for 5 years. |
| Website URL http://ezincomemakers.com | |