Ever wonder why everyone—Ramit Sethi, Tammy Camp, Andrew Warner, and DIYthemes—began using the Hello Bar?
It’s a remarkable way to grow your email list, and it’s FREE. Heck, in the past 30 days alone, the Hello Bar helped DIYthemes gain an additional 1,180 email subscribers.
So, keep reading and I’ll show you how we did it.
Why Hello Bar Works
When people visit your website, they’re laser-focused on finding what they need. In most cases, they’re looking for something specific, but they’re willing to check out something else that grabs their attention too.
And that’s where Hello Bar comes in…It’s a nicely designed, full-width bar that spans across the top of your website—like on DIYthemes—that helps you grab attention without being obnoxious.
If you use the Hello Bar, or start using the Hello bar, the following 3-step process will help you maximize you results.
Step 1: Offer a Tangible Bribe
The Hello Bar is a great way to grab your reader’s attention. However, once you grab it, the text you put in the Hello Bar should encourage your visitors to click the link.
Easy enough. The question is, how can you maximize the amount of clicks you get?
In my testing, a Hello Bar with a tangible promise (ebook, webinar, etc.) got 28% more clicks than a Hello Bar with an intangible promise (free updates, more news, etc.).
For example, on the DIYthemes marketing blog, we specifically say “Download Your Free 33-Page Ebook Nonverbal Website Intelligence” and that converted 28% higher than “Don’t Forget to Sign Up for Free Email Updates!”
Note: Some people, like Tim Ferriss, use the Hello Bar to promote products. I think this works for people with powerful brands. However, if you’re working with an emerging brand, you’re better off using it for lead generation.
So, now that you’re generating more clicks, where’s the best place to send those clicks?
Step 2: Send Hello Bar Traffic to a Landing Page
A few years back, a simple opt-in form with a promise was good enough for gaining new email subscribers. However, since everyone does that these days, you have to step up your game and “sell” free.
As you no doubt guessed, the best way to do that is with a landing page.
What do I mean by landing page?
Quite simply, a landing page is a page on your site that has one main goal, and in this case, that goal is to get an email in exchange for the tangible product you promised.
For example, at DIYthemes, we promise an ebook to get clicks. When people click that link, they arrive at a page that primes the ebook further, and then offers it in exchange for an email.
Overall, this is a good tactic, and the last I checked, it converts around 70% of the people who hit the page. Not great, but this leads me to the final section…
Step 3: Maximize the Conversion Rate Of Your Landing Page
I’m a big fan of split-testing because it’s the only way you can be certain that what you’re doing works. Unfortunately, constructing the perfect landing page takes work, lots of testing, and time (oh, and good split testing software).
However, there are four simple tips that almost always increase your landing page conversion rates. They are:
1. Eliminate Distractions – Your landing page should have no distractions (no sidebar, navigation, etc). When you want people to give you their email, don’t give them any other option and conversions will go up.
2. Include a Prominent Call-to-Action – The truth is, most people look for visual cues that grab their attention, and a call-to-action button above the fold does just that.
3. Create Active Text – If you want people to click your call-to-action button, use active text like “Download Your Ebook,” “Watch the Video,” or as we do on the DIYthemes pricing page, “Register and Download.” In our experience, this converts best.
4. Minimize Content Width – When most people create landing pages, they tend to use the no-sidebars option in WordPress. Unfortunately, that makes your content too wide, uninviting, and daunting (read more here). So, make sure you limit your width to no more than 600 pixels.
The Bottom Line
Will everyone who uses the Hello Bar get 1,180 emails in 30 days?
Probably not, unless they have traffic similar to the DIYthemes marketing blog. However, adding the Hello Bar will help you attract people to your list that you may not have gotten otherwise, and that’s a win.
Do you use the Hello Bar? If you do, what were your experiences so far?
Update: All of the free beta exclusive beta invites have been given out. We went through 500 of them, and I’m sorry if you missed one!
