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Discover the single biggest factor in growing any business and guaranteeing repeat business for years to come that can earn you 10x more.

 

The other day I got two phonecalls from two different guys.

One was a guy that I know well through his emails that I get and various things he mails me from time to time.

The other guy I'd never heard of… Actually he said that we'd met a year or two ago (but I couldn't remember him at all) but obviously I'd not heard from him since.

When you boil it down both of these guys were trying to sell me something (a product, an idea etc) but only one of them was interesting to me – only one of them got my attention…

Can you guess which one?

Haha – yes of course you can.

The guy that I knew – right? Over time he's built a relationship with me, send me cool stuff, given me bits of useful and useable information that has helped me in my business.

So when he calls me up, this guy… Obviously I wanted to know what he had for me this time.

Now for the astute business minded the lesson here is obvious yet I am constantly amazed at how many businesses there are out there that do not ask for my contact details so they can contact me again…

and I'm not just talking about brick and mortar businesses – I'm talking about online businesses as well. Sure not everyone is going to want to be contacted – not everyone is going to want to give out their email address or their phone number to you…but…

If you actually offer something of value to them, give them something good in exchange for those contact details – promise them that you are not going to spam them, or send them rubbish…

In fact promise them that you are going to give them regular, useful, useable and interesting information that will help them in their lives, you're gonna get a few takers right?

Let me prove this to you in a way that is really obvious…

Scenario 1: Let's say you have a widget for sale (why does everybody in these things sell widgets?… Anyway…)

So you sell this widget for $50 and you get a sale when someone buys one – that means you get $50.

No repeat business, unless he comes back for another one – but you can't guarantee that since everyone else is selling these widgets J he can get them from anywhere.

Scenario 2: You sell this bloke a widget for $50 plus you promise to mail him a special report (7 ways to get more from your widgets)… you get your $50 and you get his contact details (and permission to mail him). Awesome!

Then you mail him with an offer of blue widgets, green widgets, widget 2000, a super widget with a turbo technik spoiler etc.

Now he's got super widget lust – he may not have even been in the market for one but now – he's just got to have one!

That means repeat business for you. Over the next 2 years he spends another $500 with you.

Pretty cool right – you've built a relationship, Your the “go to” widget guy. If you hadn't built that relationship you would have made $50 from him and had to spend money, time etc  finding the next customer.

But once you made this small effort of getting those details… you got 10x more from that one happy customer… And He's actually happy about it because now he's got the best super widget in town!

I can't tell you how many websites I go to where I actually want more information – I'm looking for it but they are just not offering it – or asking for my details…

Just nothing!

I'm wanting to do business with them (real people) and they are giving me… a vending machine!

If you want to build a relationship, build trust and build your online empire you have to get yourself a mail system, or ‘autoreponder' (one that fills the antispam laws) and use it!

This one here is the most popular – Get a free test drive today.

 

Make sure you have something of value to offer – create something good exactly for this purpose – help people discover your information and give them what they need!

Then put that offer on your website somewhere obvious. Honestly this is just so important.

There are a ton of places you can put your carefully worded free offer and your form… here are just a few…

1. Above the Header

If one of your top priorities is to build your opt-in email list, wouldn’t it make sense for the form to be the first thing that people see? Since the header is the first thing that most visitors look at when visiting a site, placing an opt-in form right above the header puts in a position of gaining maximum exposure.

2. Inside the Header

Another great place to put an opt-in form is within the actual header. In the image above I have social media icons inside my header, but could have placed opt-in links or forms instead.

 

3. A Feature Box

A feature box is a content box located right below the header. It is usually used to highlight some of your best or most popular posts, but why not use a feature box to highlight your opt-in form instead?

4. Top of Sidebar

One of the most popular locations to place an opt-in form is the top-right of the sidebar.

5. In the Middle of Your Post

People often forget that you can actually place an opt-in form within the body of your content. This is a great location because you already have the reader’s attention. And while you have their attention, you can politely remind them that they can subscribe to your list.

6. End of a Single Post

The end of a single post is also a good position for an opt-in form. By placing the form here, you are not distracting the reader while they are going through your content, but intercepting them as they are finishing reading. It provides a natural flow into the opt-in form without breaking their concentration on the content.

7. The Footer

By placing a form in the footer you can intercept those curious visitors that scroll all the way to the bottom of the screen. The great thing about the footer opt-in form is that it will be visible on every page.

8. A Lightbox Pop-up

Ahh, the dreaded pop-up. Yes most people find it annoying. But the thing is…they still work, and that is why they are still around. The conversion rates for sign-ups through pop-ups are too high for them to go away (especially if there is a good, convincing offer).

9. Signatures (Email, Forum, Etc)

While most people focus on opt-in form placement for their websites/blogs, it is important to remember the only source of possible subscribers!

Most email marketing service providers offer an opt-in link option. This allows you to provide a simple link that leads to an opt-in form.

10. Social Media Pages (Facebook, Twitter)

This one is similar to signatures. Why not use your social media account to drive some potential list subscribers?

You can add a shortened link to your Twitter Bio. Add links to your Facebook profile. Or even create an actual opt-in form on your Facebook fan page with iFrames.

And don’t forget you can send out Facebook messages and tweets with these links as well! 🙂

 

Get started… have a play…

remember every little bit you do toward your end goal today get's you a step closer.