Posted in Internet Marketing Strategy	October 30, 2006

By Kim Mateus , Managing Editor Mequoda Daily and Library

Online marketers have four powerful tools for converting website visitors to email newsletter subscribers:

1. OFINs or Order Forms in Navigation are added to the page template in the top, left or right navigation areas and are usually driven from an advertising server.
2. OFIEs or Order Forms in Editorial are added to the main content areas displacing editorial content. They can be at the top, middle or bottom of the article and there may be several OFIEs in a longer story that repeat the same offer.
3. Floaters are interstitial layers that "float" on top of a website page obscuring some of the website content. The effect is similar to a magazine blow-in card. Floaters always generate the highest conversion rates of any form of conversion architecture we've tested.
4. Text Links are links in editorial or navigation that lead to a Rapid Conversion Landing Page and are the best form of persistent conversion architecture.

All of the above are entry points into the conversion flow. They may link to the Rapid Conversion Landing Page or to the first data collection page in your order flow—depending on the amount of information the user has received about the offer.

Here are some websites that use the above-mentioned tools:

Mequoda Bookstore and its use of OFINs: http://books.mequoda.com/

PC World and its use of OFIEs: http://pcworld.com/article/id,127702/article.html

Better Homes and Gardens and their use of Floaters: http://www.bhg.com

MarketWatch and its use of Text Links (look in their masthead—they use them for outside advertising): http://marketwatch.com/

Other Mequoda Daily tips related to OFIEs, OFINs, Floaters and Text Links:

Place Online Order Forms on the Bottom of Every Content Page

Using Floater Order Forms to Increase Landing Page Conversion Rates

How to Increase Click-Through Rates (CTR)