Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

I was wondering if there actually were templates because it seems like these all look the same, and guess what - there are! In fact, LOTS of them according to Google, including that generator thing that makes your E-Book look like a real published book.

So I want to hear from anyone using a Squeeze Page template - let`s call this a research project or something like that. What`s your goal? And is it working for you? (Please share your URL if you want. And I promise, just for this one thread, I won`t put my 2 bits in about your site. )

For those who have found them - thoughts or comments? Do they make you more or less likely to sign up and/or buy?

In case you`re wondering what I`m talking about, here`s a definition and an example.

Some discussion on the topic:
This one that compares squeeze pages to extortion I found very interesting.
Do Squeeze Pages work? Link 1, Link 2, Link 3.

Please discuss!

Well, after checking out the article and learning what a Squeeze Page is, I won`t be using one at MY website.

I`d much rather people enjoy my site and not feel coerced into giving up information they don`t want to ~ especially if they have to do this before they even get INTO my site.

I`d rather be able to check out a website and make my OWN decision to opt-in to a mailing list or give my e-mail address to anyone.  I just click out when I come across a site that "squeezes" my information from me before I`m allowed entry!

 

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Yes, I typically have the same response - click off. But I signed up for a few out of marketing curiosity.

So, now I`m on some guys list. Am I reading his emails? Not necessarily. Am I purchasing his products? No. So then, from a marketing standpoint, I wonder if this hurts or helps business. Yes - I`m on the list. No - I didn`t buy. Yes - a lot of people were turned off by the squeeze page and didn`t come back. If they just put the product on the page, allowed me to purchase something, and then gave a follow-up or option to join the newsletter, would that have been more effective? Perhaps, depending on the customer base.

Personally, on my own site, I don`t have direct marketing. I have subscriptions to my blog via readers or email - and many people do subscribe! - but it`s just there, not forced. I do make it prominent to encourage loyal readership, but my focus is not on a "marketing list" - it`s on providing good content to my readers.

This is a great discussion about user experiences on web sites and marketing a web site - let`s keep it going!

It`s a good question.

I think squeeze pages are useful tools if they are used correctly. It also depends on the topic or niche that the website covers.

Oftentimes amateur internet marketers try to imitate successful entrepreneurs without considering their overall strategy. An aspiring internet marketer encounters a squeeze page, it works on them, and they think it is the secret to success.  

If a squeeze page is used as part of a sales funnel then it can work well. The idea of a "sales funnel" being that you attract as many potential customers to you as possible with few barriers to entry, and go through a process of whittling them down until only the serious purchasers are left.

The top of the funnel might be an information website or a blog. The next step might be a reader on the blog. Then a free report or piece of software might be offered in return for the potential customer`s name and email address (on a squeeze page). Then offers for reasonably priced items might given. To those who purchase the reasonably priced items more expensive and significant items might be offered. When some customers decide to purchase the higher priced items they then become what the entrepreneur might consider serious customers. They would be what results at the bottom of the funnel.

These serious customers might be what the entrepreneur was after all along. She might have an even higher priced item to offer them, or some sort of consulting program, etc.

Shawn, you raise a very interesting point.

"Oftentimes amateur internet marketers try to imitate successful entrepreneurs without considering their overall strategy. An aspiring internet marketer encounters a squeeze page, it works on them, and they think it is the secret to success."

This is tactical competition ... where competitors copy each others tactics, even if their strategies are different. Strategic competition is more interesting and, of course, much more difficult.

This is an interesting discussion.  I`ve given a lot of thought to this topic since I have written a product that explains how "squeeze pages" are used and how to create your own easily. 

You could call it an optin page instead.  It`s too bad this page has been explained in the crudest term when in truth it is merely a way of introducing yourself on the internet.

As an example, what reason does a business owner have for giving away valuable information without a way to know who has shown an interest in their information?  When you think of a website in the sense of it being a business - such as any brick and mortar store or office - what other way do we have of communicating with people beyond their simply looking at what we have to offer?

There are two sides to the coin.

On the one hand people could come into a store and browse around just for the heck of it to kill time.  On the other hand, online people can easily get distracted and while intending to return to your site, they have no idea how they even found it the first time. 

You could say they could bookmark the page.  And how many hundred bookmarked pages do you have right now?  Then, the next thing you know, you can`t remember what the bookmarked page was called and you have a ton of wasted time trying to find it again.  By "opting in" on a squeeze page, you will be reminded how to get back to the page through email messages that include the url (if desired).

Imagine yourself at a local business networking event.  How often do two people stand and share their valuable tips and information in conversation without the two people introducing themselves?  A well-trained business networker never gives out printed material randomly.  They reserve that expensive, valuable material for people who are interested enough to introduce themselves and give their business cards or some type of contact information. 

Online you introduce yourself to the business owner who is generously giving you valuable information by leaving your name and email before receiving the information.  You can always unsubscribe the second you receive the first email so what`s the big deal?

By introducing yourself before receiving the information from the business owner, you have the opportunity to see what type of other information they send you.  Maybe they have just the program for you but since they are a total stranger, you have no way of knowing that.  When introducing yourself by courteously leaving your name and email address, you are acknowledging that you are not just a freeloader grabbing whatever you can.  You really may have an interest and are exploring who might be the best source for you.

You are acknowledging that you want the information and that in case you resonate with the information, you don`t mind being contacted with more information and offers of products the business owner has put in time and effort to create for you.

We give way too much concern over subscribing to email lists, don`t we?  We act like there is some criminal activity going on if someone expects to know who they are giving information away to.  We act like we suddenly lose control of our bank accounts and our lives just by leaving our name and email to pick up some information we believe we may be able to use.

The reality is, especially when subscribing through a squeeze page, you are almost guaranteed easily unsubscribing.  It`s a law for autoresponder email messages to have an unsubscribe link.  When you receive email because of subscribing through a squeeze page, you KNOW you will be able to unsubscribe because all autoresponder companies have that unsubscribe link in every email that goes out from their service by default.

Brick and mortar stores naturally have to use different techniques to get a mailing list.  They might offer a free gift or coupon where you must enter not only your name and email but your street address and phone number just even receive the opportunity to possibly win the gift, etc.

If not a squeeze page to increase your database of people who have some interest in your topic, what do you suggest?  Just wondering...

Juanita Bellavance
Squeeze Magic

shawnmmcgee - Those are excellent points and a new way to look at it. Thanks!

Juanita - YOU may use e-mail information in legitimate ways, but not everyone does. And if this list is so valuable, there`s a value in selling it. Why protect that information? Are you unaware the billions of dollars lost every year just dealing with spam? I get hundreds of emails every single day - I don`t need more spam.
I think the analogy of introducing yourself at an event is a bit off though. Because I do introduce myself and my products, right on my page. A better analogy would be to only talk to people if they hand you a business card first - because that is the typical use of a squeeze page by my internet marketers. (I don`t know about you, but I don`t work that way online or in person. I establish contact first and then ask you for your business card later.)

If your product is good enough, I`ll come back. If not, no amount you email me is going to make me come back or read your emails. In fact, I signed up for a few squeeze pages a few months ago as a test - in subjects I am interested in. Have I read a single email? No. But if they had it in a blog format with an RSS feed, I could have easily gone back to read all their info with a few clicks ... as it is now, their emails are lost in a mailbox with over 2K emails. What are the odds I`m ever going to read it?

nhgnikole:

These are GREAT points!  Thanks!  Yes, in person I would share with someone without necessarily getting their business card first but I would not give out valuable printed materials unless they showed enough interest to share their contact info.  Many people waste our time and money "pretending" to be interested in what we promote when underneath it they are just wanting whatever we will give them without a purchase.  Then, they toss the printed materials in the trash on their way to the car, etc., never reading it.

As for what you said here:
"And if this list is so valuable, there`s a value in selling it. Why protect that information? Are you unaware the billions of dollars lost every year just dealing with spam?"

There is value in selling a list IF you have in your privacy statement that you may do that.  I know a lot of people use the name of the list or the bonus promotion as their name when opting in so if they were to see an email sent to that name, they would KNOW you had shared their name and they could report you.

I like the integrity of people who just want the free thing to sign up for it and then if they don`t resonate with the first email they receive, they unsubscribe as instantly as that first email comes to them.  I have no reason to want to pretend I have a quality email list when it`s really just people who don`t look at the email and don`t unsubscribe.  That creates a distorted idea of how many you "really" have as loyal subscribers.

I think a lot of the spam lists are coming from some other source than from optin page marketers who are serious internet marketers.  I find they tend to protect their lists.

LifeTranscender:
I like that "everything must go" analogy.  I signed up on your squeeze page too, it was so well done - and your thank you page is VERY effective!  GREAT!

Juanita Bellavance
Assure Your Success

I guess I see it a little differently then.

I don`t see signing up for the email list before I see the product as "relationship building". It seems more like "wall building" to me.