Say More Than "Thank You"

Most Websites are gathering e-mail addresses. When you submit your e-mail address, you will be redirected to a thank you page. There is nothing wrong with it, but that page can do more than saying "thank you."

The Result
A while ago, I added some affiliate links to my thank-you-for-subscribing page. Even though you can close the window or go back to the home page, 98.8% of viewers of that page have clicked one of the links listed. This is astonishing when compared to the click-though ratio of banner ads (other than Google AdSense) on my site, which is about 0.9%. And, 98% is not a stat of one lucky day. It's an average of one year.

They Will Listen
98% sounds unrealistic, but it makes sense. Visitors subscribe to your newsletter because they liked your site in some way. So, they will listen to you as they listen to their friends. When you recommend some places to go, most people will go.

Additionally, you will get better results if you link to a page with one product rather than linking to a page with a lot of products. People who have submitted to you an e-mail address are open minded. This is the time to tell them your recommendation (your favorite product), not to show them options (list of your products).

Note
However, do not use this technique on a thank-you-for-ORDERING page. If you send buyers to another Web page asking them to buy more things, visitors will feel you are trying to suck all the money they have. You may add links on this thank-you page, but be selective which pages you'll send buyers to. I am not saying up-selling won't work. Up-selling does work. You have to up-sell before receiving payments, not after you received payments. Chasers at McDonald's ask, "Would you like to have French fries with that?" when you order a burger, not after you have paid for your order, don't they?