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Not Testing Your Opt-In Forms and Pages? You’re Leaving Money On The Table

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This may sound a bit harsh, but if you’re not testing your opt-in forms, you’re leaving a lot of money on the table. Let’s start by talking about why this holds true and then I’ll give you a quick rundown of how you can get started with testing. Ready? Let’s roll.

How You Can Benefit From Testing

Testing your opt-in forms and pages allows you to improve your conversion rate. Instead of converting 10% of visitors to your site, some testing and tracking may allow you to make simple changes that result in a 20% conversion rate. That means your list will grow twice as fast.

That means twice as many subscribers who come across the various offers you make them on your thank you page, in your opt-in report and throughout your emails. The end result is that you’ll make twice as much money for the same amount of work you do to build your list.

That’s a big benefit in my book. It’s also gives you leverage. There’s only so much work you can do in a given day to grow your list. If you can improve your conversion rate and just a little, you get more subscribers and thus make more money for the same amount of work.

How To Get Started Testing Your Forms and Pages

Now that you know why testing is important and what a big impact it can have on your list building and your business, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty of getting it done. The good news is that it’s a lot less complicated than you may think.

The autoresponder service you use wants you to succeed and grow a big and profitable list. The bigger the list, the more they can charge you and if you’re making money with your list, you’ll continue to use their service. In other words, it’s in their big interest to get you testing. And that’s exactly why they make it easy for us.

No matter what autoresponder service you use, chances are they have testing and tracking features built into your service. In Aweber for example, it is very easy to make a copy of an opt-in form or page and then set up a split test that compares one version to another. Look through the documentation and help files for your autoresponder service for more information on how to start tracking, or give customer service a call. I’m sure they’ll be happy to help you get started.

Start testing and paying attention to conversion rates. Do what you can to improve said conversions and build your lists faster. It will have a big impact in how quickly your online business grows and how profitable it will be.

Shoe Repairs And Several Other Things When I Was 7

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Shoe Repairs And Several Other Things When I Was 7
My Dad repaired most of our shoes believe it or not, I can hardly believe it myself now. With 7 pairs of shoes always needing repairs I think he was quite clever to learn how to “Keep us in shoe Leather” to coin a phrase!

He bought several different sizes of cast iron cobbler’s “lasts”. Last, the old English “Laest” meaning footprint. Lasts were holding devices shaped like a human foot. I have no idea where he would have bought the shoe leather. Only that it was a beautiful creamy, shiny colour and the smell was lovely.

But I do remember our shoes turned upside down on and fitted into these lasts, my Dad cutting the leather around the shape of the shoe, and then hammering nails, into the leather shape. Sometimes we’d feel one or 2 of those nails poking through the insides of our shoes, but our dad always fixed it.

Hiking and Swimming Galas
Dad was a very outdoorsy type, unlike my mother, who was probably too busy indoors. She also enjoyed the peace and quiet when he took us off for the day!

Anyway, he often took us hiking in the mountains where we’d have a picnic of sandwiches and flasks of tea. And more often than not we went by steam train.

We loved poking our heads out of the window until our eyes hurt like mad from a blast of soot blowing back from the engine. But sore, bloodshot eyes never dampened our enthusiasm.

Dad was an avid swimmer and water polo player, and he used to take us to swimming galas, as they were called back then. He often took part in these galas. And again we always travelled by steam train.

Rowing Over To Ireland’s Eye
That’s what we did back then, we had to go by rowboat, the only way to get to Ireland’s eye, which is 15 minutes from mainland Howth. From there we could see Malahide, Lambay Island and Howth Head of course. These days you can take a Round Trip Cruise on a small cruise ship!

But we thoroughly enjoyed rowing and once there we couldn’t wait to climb the rocks, and have a swim. We picnicked and watched the friendly seals doing their thing and showing off.

Not to mention all kinds of birdlife including the Puffin.The Martello Tower was also interesting but a bit dangerous to attempt entering. I’m getting lost in the past as I write, and have to drag myself back to the present.

Fun Outings with The camera Club
Dad was also a very keen amateur photographer, and was a member of a camera Club. There were many Sunday photography outings and along with us came other kids of the members of the club.

And we always had great fun while the adults busied themselves taking photos of everything and anything, it seemed to us. Dad was so serious about his photography that he set up a dark room where he developed and printed his photographs.

All black and white at the time. He and his camera club entered many of their favourites in exhibitions throughout Europe. I’m quite proud to say that many cups and medals were won by Dad. They have been shared amongst all his grandchildren which I find quite special.

He liked taking portraits of us kids too, mostly when we were in a state of untidiness, usually during play. Dad always preferred the natural look of messy hair and clothes in the photos of his children.