To make the most of your e-marketing you need subscribers – the more the merrier. In the final part of a three-blog series on ways to boost your database, Paul Tate of Shortcuts outlines the wonders of the website as a way to increase the number of people waiting to receive your marketing messages:

Make the link
Include a link to opt into your email list, with a persuasive sales message, on every one of your web pages. Give web visitors ample opportunities to opt-in, and make sure you mention all the benefits they will get by signing up, including all the little added extras and exclusive special offers they would otherwise miss out on.

Keep it loose
Although you want to push opt-ins, be sure to make opting out easy at every stage. You want to build confidence and trust in your subscribers, not make them see you as some data-grabbing hard-sell salesman. It’s not so much about harvesting details, but about laying the foundations of a lasting relationship.

Stick to the limit
Avoid trying to get too much info from subscribers at the initial stage – a name and email address will do just fine, thanks. Most people are wary of entering too many personal details and the last thing you want to do is alienate timid browsers, who may then be lost to your marketing efforts forever.

Don’t be shy, go say ‘hi’
Simplify your life and theirs. When someone signs up, send out an automatic welcome email to say thanks for joining your exclusive little club and give them a reward – something special to show your gratitude. This will bring them back to your salon quicker and give them a warm fuzzy glow about your business. Just how you want it.

Engineer successful searches
If you use Google or Facebook advertising, don’t forget to call out your email opt-in to tempt new subscribers. Not only will you get more email addresses to market, you will also grab details of potential clients shopping around for good services.

Get it together
Join up with other, complementary businesses to run joint campaigns. You can trade on each other’s good reputations, tune into the other businesses’ databases and attract a whole new bunch of subscribers – and potential clients.

About Paul Tate:Paul Tate is CEO of Shortcuts Software, which has provided software to salons and spas across the world for over 20 years. Offering software solutions in 9 languages to over 14,000 clients in 48 countries, Shortcuts clients range from multi-site chains and franchises to single-site businesses. Designed specifically for the salon and spa industry, Shortcuts is continually updating the core products with the largest R&D team in the industry and business experts across all major markets.