When working with a client who has an existing website, one of the questions I always ask is “Are you capturing emails somewhere?” It’s surprising how often the answer is no. Or more specifically, it’s “no, should I be?”
For the vast majority of brands and businesses, the answer is yes, your website should be collecting emails in some sort of database/email list. At the very least, a spreadsheet.
But I don’t do any email marketing, people say.
You probably should, and when the day comes when you’re ready to do email marketing, you’ll be very glad that you have a handy list of emails to start with. The good news is it’s surprisingly easy (and free) to start capturing emails through your website.
Before we get to that, however, you likely have another question on your mind…
Is Email Still Relevant?
Again, the answer is yes. Absolutely. It might be more relevant than it’s ever been. It’s natural to assume that because email has been around for so long, it’s lost its relevance. Yet we all check our email regularly. We have to use it to have an account for almost anything. An email address isn’t simply the location of a virtual mailbox. It’s the key to our digital lives.
Even if you’re logging into something with a social media account, that social media account is backed up with an email.
That’s why over half of the world actively uses email, and 99% of those people check their email every day. Nearly 60% of people start their workday by first checking their email. While they may be checking their social media too, they’re far less likely to engage with a social post or ad than they are an email. In fact, the clickthrough rate for email subscribers is 10x higher than social media followers
This is why email marketing is an $11 billion industry.
But is Email Relevant for My Brand?
For most brands, businesses, and organizations, there is an opportunity for email marketing. You don’t need to be sending massive email blasts twice a week. You don’t even need a monthly newsletter. Email offers a lot of opportunities, whether it’s announcing a new product, offering a special, promoting an event, or sharing an important update.
It also allows you to stay connected with people who have shown interest in your brand but haven’t taken action.
Even if you’re not sure you will ever do something with the emails that come through your website, it’s a good idea to keep track of them just in case. With that established, let’s move on to…
How to Capture Emails Through Your Website
If you’re going to capture emails through your website, automation is key. The last thing you want to be doing is manually uploading contact information into a database or spreadsheet if you don’t have to. The best way to start capturing emails is by connecting your website to a third-party email marketing platform like Mailchimp.
There are a number of platforms out there, but in my experience, Mailchimp is one of the best. It’s simple, yet powerful. It’s also free! Well, it has a free plan. It’s also easy to connect to all popular website platforms.
By connecting your website to an email platform like Mailchimp, any contact information that comes through your website via contact forms, sign-up fields, etc. will automatically be added to your email database. From there, you can send out mass emails to these captured addresses with ease.
There’s a lot more you can do with this such as creating separate lists, having automated responders, setting up drip campaigns, and more, but we’ll save that for a future post. As long as you have your website connected to an email platform, you have the most essential step covered.
Congrats!
Now, let’s say you want to start capturing emails at a more aggressive rate. What can you do?
Capturing More Emails Through Your Website
Having some approachable contact forms on your website is a great start to capturing some email leads. More importantly, it offers an easy way for visitors to reach out to you, whether it’s for a simple question, to get a quote, to partner up, or something else entirely.
Because different people have different needs, it’s typically a good idea to have more than one contact form. This allows you to more effectively guide different people on their different journeys.
It also doesn’t hurt to offer a place where people can simply sign up for your email list. Email sign-up forms don’t always get a lot of interaction, but they’re still nice to have as long as they’re non-intrusive.
If you want to be more upfront about getting someone’s email, you’ll need to offer more than “updates on news and future posts.” People can be quite protective of their emails. You’ll need to offer something of value if you want access to their inbox. Ideally, you need to offer something for free.
This is called a lead magnet.
Lead magnets include (but are not limited to):
- White paper or eBook
- Discount on products or services
- An actual free product or service
- Self-assessment
- Free course or webinar
- Marketing or design materials
- Premium resources
It’s important that your lead magnet isn’t fake value. No one wants to attend a webinar that only exists to be a sales pitch. This breaks trust and turns people away. In contrast, offering something of true value in exchange for nothing more than an email address builds trust and shows that you’re legitimate.
With an email address and a little bit of goodwill, you’re much more likely to convert a website visitor into an actual customer/follower/etc.
Are Pop-Ups Good or Bad?
There’s no denying that pop-ups get a person’s attention. Wherever they’re at on a website, a visitor is forced to acknowledge a pop-up when it appears on a screen. The trouble is, most people hate pop-ups. I generally hate pop-ups. You probably hate pop-ups.
And yet…
Research shows that pop-ups generally work. The average conversation rate for pop-ups is around 11%. That might seem low, but when it comes to getting a visitor’s email, it’s actually pretty impressive. These are people you likely would not have gotten if it weren’t for the pop-up. And for everyone else, they can close it and move on.
If you’re going to have pop-ups, make sure they’re not too intrusive. Ensure that the close button is easy to see and immediately visible. And make sure that whatever is in the pop-up is relevant to most people.
Implementing Email into Your Marketing Strategy
Some smaller brands and startups avoid email marketing because they see it as this big, complex initiative that’s going to take a lot of time and money. While it certainly can be that, it doesn’t have to be. As with most things, it’s best to start simple. Get your website connected to an email platform, entice visitors to provide their email, and then go from there.
Whatever you do, always focus on providing value without annoying your subscribers. If you can do that, you should be fine.
And once you have the basics taken care of, you may want to consider investing more in your email marketing. After all, research shows that email marketing generates 4400% ROI for US businesses. If you’re looking to incorporate email marketing into your current site (or a brand new one), we can help with that.
From getting things connected to creating lead magnets to setting up drip campaigns, the content strategists at This Blank Page have over a decade of experience with digital marketing. Contact us today to learn how we can help you reach more people with less effort.
