I am a constant student of Internet marketing strategies. And, a tried and true online marketing method is to build an email list. So, from day one, I have been publishing a weekly ezine (e-newsletter) for 10stepmarketing.
Over the past two years, I have tested various ways to build my email list. I have played with the placement and color of the opt-in box on my website home page. I have added an opt-in box to all of my web pages. I have tested a squeeze page - a home page without navigation where the only option to get more information is to subscribe to my ezine.
I have used article marketing and online public relations to drive more traffic to my website. And, I started this blog in 2006 to build upon my online presence, share free marketing information and 10stepmarketing updates, and yes, to continue building my list and provide additional linkbacks to my main 10stepmarketing website.
And, this month I am testing yet another list building method: a hover ad. A hover ad is a form of pop-up that actually floats within the same page as your website home page, so it typically is not detected by pop-up blockers.
Now that may upset some people because it sounds like I am trying to get around the pop-up blockers. But as an Internet marketer, whose livelihood depends in large part on people joining my email list, and as someone who shares online and offline marketing advice with other small business owners and solo-professionals, I must be open to testing new Internet marketing methods. I also offer tons of free marketing information to anyone who joins my email list.
Besides, my hover ad is not an obnoxious pop-up. It is simply an invitation to get my brand new free Ebook, "Top 10 Marketing Mistakes Small Business Owners Make" and a subscription to my free, weekly 10stepmarketing Ezine, that slides in over the top of my website home page.
I will be tracking the effectiveness of this hover ad approach and comparing it to the mailing list opt-in's I received with my standard website home page, and with my squeeze page. For the record, when I moved from a standard home page to a squeeze page in 2006, I TRIPLED my opt-in rate!
By the way, a friend recommended I purchase Corey Rudl's Hover Ad Creator for $97. But after I purchased it, I realized that my email list management service, Aweber, also offers hover ads. So I am testing out the Aweber version first.
I'll be sure to keep you posted on the hover ad results.
Have you tested a hover ad? If so, I'd love to hear how it worked for you. Please post a comment and share.