In my “Guerilla Tactics” free subscription (sign up from the home page of www.ArmitageInc.com ), I offer tips and advice on what NOT to do on your website. (Trust me, I tell you what TO DO, too! I wouldn’t leave you hanging out there.)
But even after all these years, I still see the Mother Lode Biggest Website Mistake all the time … no prospect-capture device. Without a prospect-capture device that allows people to opt-in with their emails, you can’t build a list to market to!
I see so many businesses spend so much money and time putting a web site together, yet they’re still not asking the prospect to express interest and get involved in that business’ product or service. You’ve GOT to give them something to sign up for (that’s preferably FREE!). This is the easiest, most efficient and absolute highly leveraged way to begin collecting your loyal niche audience.
As you probably know by now, I’ve never been a big Facebook fan for this very reason – no ability to capture the people who are most interested in interacting with you! All well and good to have 3,000 people LIKING you … or even 30,000 people liking you, but only one man in the world is collecting all those email addresses being submitted to Facebook, and the last time I checked, that man isn’t YOU.
Happily, though, we direct-response marketers have found a way around the dreaded “send my prospect’s hard-earned email to some other entity before I can rightfully obtain it for myself” condundrum. Take a look at my latest Facebook FanPage for my “other business:
http://www.Facebook.com/BestofLagunaBeach
I just launched this page a couple days ago and, thanks to my ever-efficient circle of programmers, we’re receiving a number of new sign-ups to the same subscription form advertised on the actual site: http://www.LagunaBeachBest.com
So, see? Even when you thought it wasn’t possible, prospect capture is ALWAYS possible.
Respect your business and do yourself a favor – let your prospects tell you they’re interested via a simple name and e-mail address offer. You’ll be helping your prospect immediately with whatever you’re offering, and that prospect has now become a part of your VERY valuable Golden Database.