List Profit Email Marketing Blog

How would you like to increase the click-through rate of the links in your emails by several hundred percent? We’re not talking about just doubling your click-throughs, but maybe even tripling them.

It’s really very simple. I’m not sure who first discovered this, so I can’t give credit where it’s due. But research has demonstrated that links that “stand out” tend to be clicked much more often.

On a web page, you can put an arrow or small animated graphic next to your link, to call attention to it.

You can also do that in your email, if you send HTML email.

But what are you supposed to do in a text-only email?

Try this ==> http://NitroListBuilder.com

Did you catch that, or just click the link? The trick is the little arrow… the ==> that points to the link. Doing that often increases your click through rate several hundred percent.

You’ll also notice that the link is “in context” and suggests you’re going to learn something by clicking it. Yes, it’s a trick, but it gets people to your website, which is what you want in the first place, isn’t it?

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Learn the Secrets of Direct Email Marketing
http://email-profit-formula.com
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There’s something else that is nearly as effective. You just saw it a moment ago. I just sort of stuck that link in there, right in the middle of the email, without even bothering to reference it.

It’s sort of an “embedded solo ad” for my own product, and it “interrupts” the flow of the rest of the email, sort of like a billboard along the side of a road.

Interestingly enough though, those “interruptive” links that are made to stand out, sort of like an ad, get much higher than average click rates.

You also need to test the effectiveness of the *location* of the links in your emails.  Some audiences are much more likely to click if the link is at the top of the email, while in other markets, the links in emails need to be down towards the end of the email.

And do not overlook the importance of using a “P.S.” for your call to action.  Many people find these to be the most effective links of all.

You can set up simple tracking of your links, using a slightly different destination URL for each link in an email, so you can monitor which ones get the most clicks.

Another, even better method is to “split test” link placement.  Send out two identical emails, one with the link at the top, and the other at the bottom, and send equal numbers to two segments of your list, and track the results.  Then test again, with and without a call to action in your “P.S.”

To Your Success in Profitable Email Marketing!

Technorati Tags: click-through rate, links in emails

More than a few email marketers and opt-in email list builders are up in arms over the recent “Google Slaps”. For those who don’t know, Google suddenly started raising the Adwords bids on certain keywords for certain people back in July of 2006, and has changed the rules again a few times since then.

Folks who were trying to build an opt-in email list driving inexpensive PPC traffic to bare bones landing pages and to squeeze pages have been hit especially hard.

Basically what happened was that Google decided to crack down on people who were bidding on inexpensive keywords for the purpose of sending traffic to a squeeze page, or to a one-page sales letter. They were also after the “arbitrageurs”, who were making money by buying inexpensive Adwords traffic and sending clicks to pages that were crammed with higher paying Adsense ads, in the hopes of profiting for the difference between what they spent for the traffic and what they earned from it.

Most pertinent to us focused on list building was the effect it had on our ability to buy inexpensive Adwords key words and send the traffic to a squeeze page. More than a few folks suddenly found themselves out of the game.

So what do you do? Well, word has it that Google is now using a “Quality Score” to rank your landing page. Some of the factors thought to be relevant include whether or not there are links to a Privacy Policy and a page that provides Contact Information for the site owner. Also thought important are outgoing links to other pages on your site that provide relevant, free content. It’s also thought that you need to provide some free content right on the landing page, and/or a description of what the prospect will get if they fill out your form.

That’s my take on it, at least.

What have YOU been doing for email list building after the Google Slap?

John

Technorati Tags: Google Slap, build an opt-in email list, landing pages, squeeze pages, list building