INTRODUCTION:
This is the beginning of a new series in our email blogs and it’s appropriate we’ve selected a company called Startups.in to review.
Here is a great little company that is just starting to execute its go to market strategy. From visiting their website we can see they are doing a great job of doing quality work. We like that in any company, old or new.
EMAIL MARKETING REVIEW FOR: STARTUPS.IN
We like to deliver 3 to 5 specific areas where we see a company has room to improve their use of email marketing. Areas that the company could put to use right away to see an improvement in their overall marketing effectiveness – simply by using email marketing more effectively.
Here are a few things we see right away.
1. Where is the email optin located on the site?
The first thing we notice is how hard it is to get on a newsletter or subscribe to an information list or to find a free report or whitepaper. We have to scroll down the the very, very bottom of the site to find our form.
I would think if you are going to create a market and be the first in that market, you might benefit from offering some value to your readers beyond this simple form. First, I would move this form to a more visible place on the website (above the fold) and I would create a matching landing page with navigation to it.
I think for a new market, Startups.in would benefit greatly from writing a white paper to describe in some detail the challenges Indian startups are facing and how they specifically can help with those challenges. Essentially, you’re highlighting the problems and showing how you would address them. It’s a classic form of inbound marketing.
Second, I would make sure I told people WHY they should sign up on the list and the BENEFITS they would get from doing so.
In the early days, you want to be building your prospect list as fast as possible.
2. It’s OK to use Feedburner for your email list management but you pay a price.
As soon as I leave my email address, here’s what I am presented with:
It’s a good practice to use the CAPTCHA form in the signup process and what’s very good about this first screen is the message (although it is stock content), tells the subscriber what to expect next. Specifically, I’m going to get a verification message to respond to.
Here is the verification message:
So far so good. (By using Feedburner they do miss out on the opportunity to customize the signup process and have build a better, more personal relationship at the beginning.
3. Make your Verification Process count
As soon as you check your inbox this is what you see:
The good news is there is a verification process and message. The bad news is I feel like I’m part of a formal, structured, impersonal process. There is no personalization. “Hello there,” compared to “Hi Mitch”. That’s why you ask for first name in your signup process.
There is no logo. There is no person who sent me this message. There is no signature file with social buttons. There is no from address that I can reply to in case I had a question or wanted to connect right away.
In short. There is no human touch to this process.
4. Use a Custom Confirmation Page
Here’s the Confirmation Page I am redirected to when you click to confirm your email address:
As I’ve said in other blog posts, this is your first chance to make a first impression. After someone (hopefully in your target market) has taken the time to fill in your form, you need to work to continue to draw them in.
Here’s a suggestion. What if you offered a ‘Free Report’ at the beginning as an incentive to fill in the form. You would tell subscribers they would only have to click on the verification link to get access to the promised report and then this is the page you would deliver this report… as promised. That would increase the desire of your subscribers to complete the process.
CONCLUSION:
Hopefully you’ve learned a few tips on the challenge of growing your list right from the beginning and the difference between simply going through the motions, and making a strong, personal first impression.
One you can build on with your excellent service! Congratulations!