<< Using Email Marketing To Drive Traffic to your Website
Set Up for Success
To increase the click-through rates on your email campaigns, you must start by putting the necessary logistics in place. This begins with the optimization of your website’s opt-in form and newsletter archive. The opt-in form should be short, using drop down menus, radio buttons, and checkboxes to make it quick and easy for subscribers to fill out; but it should also capture pertinent information about your subscribers. Gathering a few details, such as geographical area, product preferences, or age, will give you the information you need to send targeted, relevant email messages to the specific subscribers that are most interested in receiving that information. You must craft subject lines that drive people to open your message; and, beyond that, create body copy that inspires people to click through to your website.
Along with the opt-in form, it is important for you to offer an archive of your past email newsletters on your website. Doing so satisfies two core objectives. First, it will increase the number of subscribers by letting your visitors know up front what type of information you will send and what the frequency is. Second, it will help with your organic search engine optimization as newsletters are filled with keywords that visitors use when performing searches.
For example, an online jeweler might offer a newsletter featuring articles on how to shop for diamond engagement rings, how to care for antique estate jewelry, and how to clean sterling silver pieces. The next newsletter could have articles on coin collecting, jewelry appraisals, and orange sapphires – the hottest new trend. Content is king when you are trying to optimize your website for search engines, so adding an archive of your keyword-rich newsletters will certainly help your page rank and will, therefore, help visitors find your site online.
Even if the keywords in your newsletters are not the main keywords for your site, they are still beneficial. In the example above, the jewelry store can tag “clean sterling silver” as a long tail search. Even though it is not the main focus of the site, and it probably is not included in other search engine marketing tactics, it will capture an audience that is looking online for tips on cleaning sterling silver. When someone searches on the term “clean sterling silver”, the jewelry store’s article will appear in the search results and the jewelry store will receive additional visitors to its site. Even though these visitors were not shopping for jewelry at the time of the search, the jewelry store has captured their attention and has given them useful information. Some visitors will take the time to browse through the site and some will even make purchases. Chances are, the visitor will at least sign up to receive the newsletter, which means the jewelry store has gained a potential future customer. The long tail search tactic will lead to a higher volume of traffic on your website, which means new subscribers and new customers that you may not have found through more traditional marketing methods.
