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Overwhelmed By Opt-Ins?
By Tiffany | October 23, 2006
I don’t like boxes flying all over my screen when I’m trying to read someone’s sales page. Some of them even make me chase them around with my mouse until I can capture the microscopic X to close the screen. Some even have opt ins once you’re already on the list!
But I do see the value in having a static opt in box on your site - a way to capture the contact information of visitors. Some marketers are walking a thin line with their opt-in mania, and they’re driving traffic to others who take more care in how they accumulate their lists.
I was careful to set up my autoresponder system so that it didn’t spam my list with needless requests or information. I used Aweber to do this. I love how it set up my list. But it’s how I use the names that really matters.
Consumers (even fellow ‘net marketers) are starting to click out of a site when the annoying opt in zooms into the screen and interrupts what they were there to do in the first place - get excited about the product!
But the worst case I’ve heard about lately is when a marketer was already on a list and got an email with a freebie offer. To get this offer, he had to go to a new landing page, opt into a second list, and then gain access.
Isn’t this is a little excessive? They’re already on one list, why make them opt into another? Overkill is the name for it - and whoever had it on their site lost a paying customer because of the aggravation.
When I morphed from ghostwriter to ‘net marketer, everyone told me to email my list every other day. Every other day? Read my blog, get to know me, but I’m not going to spam your inbox that often just to brand my name. I may not ever make it to “guru” status this way, but I’m taking the Golden Rule to heart.
I’ll only contact my list when and if I have something they might be interested in. Until then, I’m sure they have better things to do than read emails sent from me just for branding purposes.
I’d love to hear your take on opt ins - love ‘em or hate ‘em? Scroll down and fill in the comments box and let me know! Oh, and if you happen to cruise by www.TiffanyDow.com to get your free copy of The Multi-Layered Mindset of Web 2.0 Marketing, rest assured that when you opt in, you won’t ever feel overwhelmed by my communications.
Here’s to building your online empire from the ground floor-up!
Tiff 
Topics: List Building |