Popups. Opt-ins. Ads. Push notifications.
Digital natives are no strangers to these things. While these features have a non-spammy place in the digital sphere, too often things like popups are a nuisance to your customers.
But hey, your website is clearly not the problem right? Your stuff is perfect!
It’s really tough to know if your branding is too intrusive. After all, as a small business owner, you value the blood, sweat, and tears put into your business and marketing. It’s hard to realize that your customers might not be as interested in a last-minute sale promotion as you are, but that’s the reality.
Promotion is essential to growing your business, but it shouldn’t put off customers. Here are a few ways to ensure your promotions aren’t too intrusive.
Phone a stranger
Your friends and family know how hard you work for your business. There’s a chance they might sugarcoat it if your online presence has room for improvement. If you want honest constructive feedback, it’s best to ask an unbiased third party.
If you’re worried your last-minute sale popups are too much, use a free online review tool like Criticue. To have your website reviewed, you have to first review another site owner’s site and offer constructive feedback. Another user will review your site for ease of use and let you know if any elements are too much.
Analytics
Although sometimes you need an outside opinion, you also have a variety of tools at your disposal to evaluate branding yourself. No matter what analytics software you’re using, you have access to a ridiculous amount of data on your website user experience.
For example, what’s your bounce rate? If 90 percent of your site visitors leave within ten seconds of landing on your site, that’s a sign that something needs to change. You can also check out your average time on page per unique user. If people are leaving within 20 – 30 seconds, it’s worth taking a second look at your website’s overall use experience.
Are you bugging users with a popup the second they visit your site? Do you have a full-page opt-in offer that prevents people from seeing what your site is actually about?
Analytics won’t necessarily tell you the source of the problem, but you can pinpoint where you have issues. Google Analytics is a great free analytics platform to get these important insights. If you’d like to learn how to use Analytics more in-depth, you can take the Google Analytics certification course.
Heatmaps
The best way to know if your branding is too intrusive is to hear from your users directly. But how can you actually hear from your people without pestering them for feedback?
Heatmaps are a business owner’s best friend. This online tool anonymously records each website session on your site. You can see what users are reading and clicking on. Rely no more on numbers and charts – watch an actual video recording of how people use your website.
Heatmaps are a great option even if you’re not paranoid about intrusive branding. You’ll learn more about what users want and how effective your promotions truly are.
Most heatmaps are paid tools, but they do offer free trials to see if it’s right for you. A great option is a free trial with Mouseflow.
Email etiquette
Email is an essential part of branding your business. The way you manage your email list can make or break the relationship you build with users. Don’t violate the sanctity of your customers’ email addresses by sending a barrage of countdown deals to them.
How often are you sending emails to your list? What are you sending them? If you’re sending multiple emails a day, or even in a week, ensure that you’re providing great value to your email list. There’s nothing worse than getting five spammy “Buy my stuff!” emails in a day. Watch your timing and your language to avoid bothering your email list.
The bottom line
When it comes to promoting yourself, remember the Golden Rule. Any time you create a popup, send an email, or offer an opt-in freebie, ask yourself if it’s something you would appreciate receiving.
At the end of the day, your customers are people just like you. Appeal to them by providing value instead of intruding with spammy self-promotion. In return, they’ll give you more of their trust and hard-earned dollars.