Email marketing tip #7: 9 + 1 deadly pitfalls that can kill your list building efforts

Believe me, there are a lot of ways to screw it up, so pay great attention to the following issues, because they can literally kill your list building efforts.

1. Using poorly designed and structured opt-in formsYour squeeze page and your opt-in form is the primary "doorway" into your email marketing system and if it fails to convert visitors into subscribers, all your list building efforts will go in vain. Here are the most important rules:

• keep it clean and simple
• minimize - or even better, eliminate - any additional external links to avoid possible distractions and confusions
• use professionally designed templates with nice, clear, fast-loading layouts
• craft a short, but clear value proposition and use a strong call to action
• give them a damn good reason to join and communicate clearly the instant benefits
• assure their privacy

2. Asking for too much information or using a long, complicated, time-consuming sign-up process

You need to make the opt-in process as simple, short and painless as possible. All you need is a name and an email address.

Yes, the more information you have on your email subscribers, the more you can segment your email list(s) and the more effective it will be in returning results. BUT, the moment when a visitor joins your list is not the right time to ask him/her for a great deal of information! You can - and you should! - do so later on a second screen after you have captured their email information, or even better, in your welcoming email or another follow-up email.

3. Chasing quantity

It's a fact: marketers are obsessed with numbers. It's natural. The more you see your subscriber lists increase, the happier you are.And it's right, IF you are focusing on the right numbers that are really meaningful to your business.

Having a large list is important, but ... isn't always a good thing. If your subscribers aren't interested in your offers your email list is completely useless. What I am trying to say here: your ultimate goal is to drive revenue and you should always remember, that leads are only a means to that end. What really matters, is to have a high conversion rate at a low subscriber acquisition cost!

So, don't chase quantity when you are trying to build your email list! It's all about quality and engagement. In fact a "smaller", well-trimmed - therefore much more responsive - list probably will improve your conversion rates. The bottom line: building large email lists isn't enough; you need large responsive email lists with active, interested prospects.

4. Using valueless or irrelevant incentives

If your free bonus isn't worth the price tag, your list building efforts will go in vain. So, think hard about your incentive and ask yourself the following two questions: is it something your ideal customers would be excited to receive? how valuable is it really?Always keep in mind:

• don't go fishing without a hook!
• don't go fishing without a hook ... and a good bait!
• there is no one-size-fits-all bait!

As I already said: give them a DAMN GOOD REASON to join!

5. Using only one sign-up form

If you are Lionel Messi or pope Francis, one sign-up box probably will suffice. Otherwise, you'll have to place multiple opt-in forms at well-chosen strategical locations on every single relevant and important page of your website. Period.

With that being said, you should also keep in mind, that using too many opt-in forms or lead generation methods can have an adverse effect as well! Yes, you should use multiple well-placed opt-in forms, a reliable lead generation software and a smart exit-intent technology, but you'll have to find the perfect balance between a reasonably persuasive approach - including a fair combination of static and dynamic opt-in forms - and a good user experience.

6. Using powerless "default" call to actions

You may have heard already terms like "reader blindness" or "banner blindness". What do they mean? It's quite simple. It's about our "ability" to ignore, to omit or to neglect something that permanently appears or exists around us.

Twenty years ago every single word pronounced by your fiancée was important and melodious. Today, it's just another - barely audible - voice. A rumble in the background, which - sometimes - could interfere with the voice of the sports reporter.

A continuous repetition or something that is omnipresent everywhere will generate stolidity and indifference. This is why the regular sidebar email sign-up boxes have become practically useless. And this is why the traditional "standard" call to actions are so inefficient! Using call to actions like "Subscribe", "Submit", "Join", "Sign Up" or - Lord, please forgive me - "Click here", won't help you to get new subscribers!

7. Not using a lead generation software

Many marketers complain that their email list isn't growing fast enough, or even worse, visitors aren't signing up at all. What they usually forget to admit: they aren't using any lead generation software, because they are not ready to invest a few bucks to get the desired results.

Well, hear me out: without an efficient lead generation software there is no such thing as successful list building! A well-converting lead generation software is a MUST even for the most successful and well-known marketers, bloggers or companies! Even for Messi and pope Francis. Building an email list without using a lead generation software is like riding without a horse ... Pointless.

8. Neglecting tracking, testing and research

I will never stop emphasizing the importance of testing. So, let me say it again: test, test and test!

Turning on a sign-up form or setting up a squeeze page is not enough, and using blind guesses instead of research and testing is guaranteed failure. Want growth? You need to regularly check and test which options are working better for you!

Putting aside Google Analytics - which is always the most obvious free solution for tracking and analytics -, there are many very affordable and extremely efficient and user-friendly testing platforms out there.

9. Buying or renting email lists

Buying or renting email lists is undoubtedly the easiest, fastest and most efficient method to ... kill your whole email marketing. Most likely those email lists aren't real, and even if some addresses are real and valid, those people never signed up for receiving emails from you.

As you can imagine, that's a guaranteed shortcut to become a spammer. Do you really want to pay from your own pocket just to get banned and penalized? Do you really want to throw money out the window to get a completely useless email list with thousands of invalid or non-existent email addresses? FORGET IT!

10. Never getting started! giving up too easily!

This trumps ANY other mistake you could possibly make. Read this article again, take a big breath, and ... JUST DO IT! Every journey starts with one step ...