If you have an email list, the million dollar question is often, “How do I get subscribers?”

Sometimes getting subscribers is simply just in how you ask.

I went to Simon Sinek’s website after hearing an interview of him on Marketing Over Coffee (it’s an older interview, but it’s still relevant). I love his simple website design and it’s perfect for promoting his book “Start with Why“. I signed up for his mailing list right after I landed on his homepage; even before I even took some time to look around. Why? Because how I was asked to sign up.

See that in the corner? Instead of the same old boring, “Please sign up for my newsletter” or “Please sign up for updates“, he’s offering “Notes to Inspire“. Sounds a lot cooler than “Please get my newsletter” doesn’t it? Who doesn’t want to be inspired?

The average visitor to your web site will get dozens of requests to do something every time they go online…dozens of requests for their attention. The majority of these requests are blocked out automatically. Why? Because…

1. They have no need for the action or item offered
2. They don’t trust they website doing the requesting
3. They don’t see the request (perhaps the subscribe button or link is too small, or blends in with the rest of the page)

Reasons 1 and 2 are reasons that you can solve with positioning your website correctly and with building your website in ways that make your website more trustworthy (more on that later).

Reason 3 three can be solved partly with great design, like on Simon’s website. An email signup form that is prominent, that it stands out from the rest of the elements on your website, and that is accessible from every page is a lot more likely to get a response.

The other part of making your request for your visitor’s email address through messaging that stands out. Instead of “Join my newsletter” tell your visitor exactly how joining your newsletter benefits them. The phrase, “Join My Newsletter” doesn’t tell your visitor why they should. In fact, it’s focused squarely on you…join my newsletter. Instead, flip that message around to show how joining your newsletter benefits them.

On Simon’s website, he promises a “daily dose of inspiration in your inbox“. Here on the Crafted Webmaster, I promise that you’ll get “10 Steps to More Traffic to Your Art Website“. On the ArtBiz Blog, Alyson Stanfield promises that you will “Join thousands of artists infusing their businesses with new ideas“. This phrase is particularly clever, because it also includes social proof; that other artists already finds value in Alyson’s newsletter. So why not join them? See how that’s more compelling to your visitors?

So your assignment for today: replace your boring old “Join My Newsletter” signup form with a phrase that benefits your visitor. If your phrase also includes social proof (you can find examples of social proof here), so much the better!

P.S. If you do shows or open studios, try this with the signage you use for mailing list and guestbook signups. Don’t be boring in real life either!

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