Most of the time, I see marketers making the freebie "easy pickins" (i.e. in exchange for the name and email address only) and available whether the main web site ad is seen or not.
We all know that many people set up free web-based email accounts with MSN, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc with the soul purpose in mind of using it to register at web sites and pick up their freebies without ever intending to actually read the marketing that is being sent to these email collection sites.
Copywriting expert Peter Fogel, in his article "Ten Reasons Why People Don't Buy From You," makes this point about reading the ad before getting the freebie:
"Folks are suspicious. They want to know why you are giving them a freebie. When you use free stuff to lure people to your web site, include it below your ad or on another web page. If you list the freebie above your ad, they may never look to see what you're selling."
It's a pretty simple concept, really. That's probably why I had never really thought about the implications of the freebie "placement" on the page.
Fogel is right. First time viewers and folks not familiar with your web site, business, or products are probably suspicious of your motives in giving them something "free." This strategy will help them to see that you're in business for a specific reason. There's nothing wrong with the sales motive for wanting someone to visit your site.
It's when the purpose or reason for the site is unclear that people become highly suspicious of everything you do and offer online.
One way to implement Fogel's suggestion would be to explain what the freebie is and link to it near the end of the sales letter. If the freebie is niche oriented and can be something of value that adds to the product or service being sold, you may be able to use a text link right in the narrative of the page and simply recommend the freebie as a way of learning more about the niche.
The freebie might also be a product or a piece of software that tackles a particular problem within the niche related to the products being sold.
There are many creative ways you can work this suggestion into your web site. Why not give it a try and report back a comment about what you find?
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