Growing your e-mail list with the addresses of existing and prospective customers who would like to receive information of value and take advantage of your online offers is a key to e-business success. Once customers have "opted in" to be on your e-mail list, they can then be sent a well-written e-newsletter with great information on it that clicks right through to your web site for additional information and online shopping. Besides getting great information, an additional incentive for signing up can eligibility to win a prize in a monthly, specially promoted contest. This can also add a lot of value and featured product exposure to advertisers if you get them involved.

The logic is sound but the practical challenge, however, is how to do this intelligently and cost-effectively in your already busy brick-and-mortar retail environment? The problem is that no one there is even likely to be thinking about joining your e-mail list and visiting your web site, and many customers still may not realize that your informational e-newsletter web site exists at all. How do you get people to sign up?


McLendon Hardware, Inc's new Country E-Mailboxes ready for placement in their six retail stores.
At McLendon Hardware, Inc., we worked closely with the McLendon's-On-the-Web management team to develop a great solution: The McLendon Hardware, Inc. "Country E-Mailbox Sign-up Program". Here's what we did:

For placement in each of McLendon's six retail stores, we modified actual country mailboxes by putting 10 x 13 in plywood signs on top with some great incentives for signing e-mail list members up: getting great information via the McLendon Join-N-Win e-newsletter and web site....and a chance to win a specially promoted and advertised product.

On the blue sign is McLendon's hallmark orange lettering that calls out "Get Great Info! ...and a Chance to Win". As prospective e-list members come closer, they can then read a reprint article about the latest actual Join-N-Winner with his or her actual gift shaking the hands with an store manager, so they can concretely understand, what's potentially in it for them if they sign up.

Right next to the reprint article is special gummed e-mail sign-up pad with a privacy statement on it and a specially mounted pen. We also cut a special slot in the mailbox where the signee drops the sign up form right in after completing the sign-up form. Special vinyl cut lettering tags the www.McLendons.com web address and communicates what needs to be done: "Sign Up Here to Join-N-Win!"

There is also a special padlock on the mailbox for security...and to communicate e-mail security to prospective e-list members. Mounted on 4 x 4 posts and a 35 lb concrete pier block, these country e-mail boxes don't take up highly valued counter space, and can be centrally located near the checkout area where customers are waiting in line and can see and partake of the offer.

Look out world, business on McLendon's great website and e-storefront is about to grow again!