Maximizing Subscribers: Updated Best Practices for Increasing Signup Rates

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Maximizing Subscribers Updated Best Practices
for Increasing Sign-up Rates
Presented By Scott Burns, co-Founder and CEO
GovDelivery Phone [phone] or 866-276-5583
ext. 303 scott.burns_at_govdelivery.com Proactive
Public Communication Roundtable June 19, 2008
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If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around
to hear it, does it make a sound? -Unknown
Philosopher
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Agenda (60 Minutes)

• The Shopping Cart of the Public Sector
• Which usage metrics matter?
• CDC Example
• Critical Recommendations (Updated)
• Subscriptions 2.0 will Multiply Your Reach
• 5 Opportunities
• QA and Discussion

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Ecommerce Websites A Clear Objective
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Make Subscribing Your Agencys Add to Cart

• Validates content Your site visitors have taken
  action to indicate a continuing interest
• Creates a Customer Base
• Reach immediately
• Offer new services
• Announce upgrades
• Provides instant, compelling, metrics about value
  of content

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Email Communication ROI Metrics
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CDC Example
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CDC.gov Email Topic Sign-Up
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Click on Get email updates link on Influenza Page
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Signed up to info. of interest
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Enter email address (password optional)
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Shown other options within CDC
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Cross-Promotion of Subscription Options Within
the CDC
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Growth in Subscriber Base Since Launching
CDC-wide System
Total Subscribers (5/5/08) 105,979
Signed up through GovDelivery Since November 2006
74,663
Uploaded from Existing CDC Listservs
31,316
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More Subscriptions per Subscriber
48.5
1632 Increase
2.8
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HHS, FDA, FEMA, and Fire Administration Promote
CDC Content
EXAMPLE FROM FEMA WEBSITE
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CDC Growing Subscription Base through
Collaboration
Average New Subscribers per Weekday for CDC
122 Growth in Daily Subscription Rate From
Collaboration
After GovDelivery Launch
After Collaboration with FEMA and Fire Admin.
After Collaboration with FDA
Source GovDelivery subscription growth comparing
weekdays before and after setup of GovDelivery
collaboration network.
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CDC.gov Metrics
Launch Date November 15, 2006
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Critical Recommendations(Updated)
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What I Want
From A Few General Topics to Choose From
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What I Want
To Specific Options Across All Categories
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2008 Your Audience Wants Choice

• Typical federal agency has 50-500 different
  types of important content
• Large inventory of content products is a major
  asset
• Citizens increasingly want more choice and
  convenient access

Vs.
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When I Want It
From Updates Available, but Hidden
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When I Want It
To Update Options Presented in Context
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2008 Better Results with Direct Signup

• Use on homepage
• Use for 1-click topic-specific signups (shown
  here)

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Subscriptions 2.0
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Leveraging Web 2.0 Collaboration Network

• Connect with related agencies to reach a broader
  audience
• Takes advantage of proven ecommerce upsell
  concept
• Exceptional results at DOJ, DHS, HHS, USA.gov,
  ODNI, and elsewhere
• Setup in 1 minute
• Voluntary participation
• Future Items/topics tagged or categorized to
  make them easy to find

Every month between 400,000 and 1 million
citizens signup through agency websites using the
GovDelivery Platform
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Web 2.0 Lets You Collaborate and Multiply Your
Reach
Daily Website Visitors
Daily Subscribers
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Example ODNI Promotes DHS.gov Content and FBI
Content
EXAMPLE FROM ODNI WEBSITE
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How Big is the Network for Potential
Collaboration?

• Over 100 State and Local Governments
• Enterprise-wide Federal Participation
• Department of Homeland Security
• Treasury
• Department of Justice
• Department of Labor
• Department of Transportation
• Health Human Services
• HHS.gov / Pandemicflu.gov / SurgeonGeneral.gov /
  etc.
• Centers for Disease Control
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
• Food and Drug Administration
• Bureau of Economic Analysis, International Trade
  Administration (Commerce)
• DOD.mil, Pentagon Channel (Defense)

• Cross-Governmental PortalsUSA.gov, FCIC,
  GovBenefits.gov, DisabilityInfo.gov, Export.gov
• State.gov, Careers.state.gov, State Dept.
  Retirement Website (State Dept.)
• EPA.gov, EPA Office of Radiation, EPA Office of
  RD
• Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA)
• Other agencies
• Federal Reserve Board of Governors
• Federal Reserve Banks, New York St. Louis
• Social Security Administration
• Library of Congress
• Federal Election Commission
• International Trade Commission
• Commodities and Futures Trading Commission
• USAID Global Health Initiative
• Thrift Savings Plan

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5 Opportunities
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Opportunity 1 More Choice More Subscribers
Challenges to Offering Choices Its too much
work to manage! We only update this content
every few months People know when this gets
updated theyll come back to the website

• Opportunity
• Move in phases
• Seek GovDelivery support to identify content
• Explore automation options to limit extra work
• Expect rationale behavior from busy citizens/
  stakeholders

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Opportunity 2 Best Practice Placement and
Labeling
From Updates by Page
To Topic-Based Link Following Best Practice
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Lesson Learned from Private SectorAdd to cart
buttons you choose can make or break a store
Source eCommerce Optimization http//www.ecommerc
eoptimization.com/articles/ecommerce-shopping-cart
-usability-21-best-practices/
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Opportunity 3 Use Your Homepage
From Lower Left hand corner
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Additional Opportunities
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Lesson Learned from Private SectorCross Sell
Must Be Integrated in Process
Source eCommerce Optimization http//www.ecommerc
eoptimization.com/articles/ecommerce-shopping-cart
-usability-21-best-practices/
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Thank You!
For more information email info_at_govdelivery.com
or Scott Burns scott.burns_at_govdelivery.com
[phone] ext. 303