Email Sign-ups for tipping website?

[tipsandstats]

Hi,

I help with running a website primarily focused on football betting tips and statistics and we are just starting to get some meaningful traffic to the site - but conversions are still very low.

I appreciate that most users are going to be looking for free tips rather than immediately wanting to sign up to a new sportsbook so we shouldn't expect particularly high conversions but I am wondering what the best way to make the most out of this traffic might be.

Currently we are using sidebar affiliate advertisements along with some fairly discreet announcement bar style pop-ups without a huge degree of success. I have read that a different approach is to focus on gaining email sign-ups as emails can have a much higher conversion rate but I wanted to see if anyone had any advice or experience in this before I start rearranging the site layout etc!

Many thanks!

[PromoteCasino]

Tipping sites are notoriously difficult to convert as I am finding out now. As for the mailing list this is certainly the way to go to build up your loyal follower base to keep them coming back. Although winners should do that anyway. I would move your sign up form towards the top of your page. I quite like your site too should do well in the long run.

[tipsandstats]

Thanks for the advice and for the kind words about the site! I'll go ahead and make the sign-up much more prominent throughout.

Cheers

[Syndicate]

I wouldn't know it was a tipping site - because you have the bookmaker offer is ''in your face''. However, that might be the right idea has the loyalty of a follower is next to negligible.

With regards to your mailing list, we have one with about 7800 (in-house). I'm going to try it out for promoting a single bookmaker in the next couple of days, i'll inform this thread about it's performance.

In some ways i'm optimistic has it's an high value bookmaker which suits our theme. If it was a leisure play such has bet365, i doubt it would work at all.

I think one challenge you have is figuring figure out which customers suits which bookie. We only promote low margin bookmakers and betting agents, and that suits best. In fact, most of our fees come from professional gamblers/syndicates that we lined up with Asian handicap Bookmakers.

Going back to your original question - i imagine a mailing list would work better than social media such, although the likes of Twitter and Facebook might suit a different type. In any case - get the audience to trust you and the sale will become easier.

[tipsandstats]

Thanks for this - really interesting info, and I would certainly be interested to hear how you get on with your trial.

[HodgeyBoy]

I'd definitely recommend developing and promoting your email/newsletter service. Without it you're relying on visitors to keep coming back to pick up your tips. Harvesting their email by offering them something of value in return gives you chances to nudge them and try to convert them a couple of more times.

[iGamer]

Any luck with the mailing list promotion Syndicate? Our site tipsdaddy.com is growing in traffic and I was also considering email signups to increase conversions.