8 Opt-In Offers Your Visitors Can't Refuse

3. Offer downloadable articles.

If your site contains a lot of useful, original, content-rich articles, one of the best ways to collect e-mail addresses is to require that visitors to your site opt in to your list if they want to download those articles in full.

As long as you offer useful information and as long as the downloadable articles contain something that people can't get for free in the version you've posted on your site, you can expect to get a ton of sign-ups using this strategy.

Now maybe you're not comfortable writing, or your business isn't suited to a written opt-in incentive. The following opt-in offers don't require much writing at all:

4. Offer other "downloadables."

Articles aren't the only items you can offer for download on your website. Why not offer e-cards, screen savers, desktop wallpapers or templates that your visitors can use in exchange for their opt-in information?

For instance, if you sell books about pet care, you can offer e-cards or printable greeting cards with photos of cute animals. Or if you sell beach home rentals, you could easily create a screen saver with pictures of some of your most beautiful destinations.

You can even offer a free monthly subscription or members-only area for these special items.

5. Offer a regular contest, puzzle or game.

Depending on the kind of business you run, there's a multitude of different options for this type of opt-in incentive. Some examples include:

• A contest to win one of your products. But remember, don't offer to give away the primary product you sell. People will enter the contest hoping to win--and leave your site without considering an actual purchase.
• A contest to win an item (or a coupon for a percentage off an item) related to your product. Say you sell party favors--hats, toys and streamers. You could hold a contest to win a free birthday cake from a bakery in your area or a coupon for a party rental place.
• A weekly puzzle, game or quiz. The type of puzzle is up to you. You can set it up as a contest and draw a name from the winning entries to award a prize, or you can require that people give you their opt-in information to get the answer.