First, you know you need an email list, right? And you know what to write about? Now it's time to work on increasing the size of that list. I was listening to a podcast about how a popular food blog grew their traffic, and they just happened to mention HelloBar.  I had noticed it on other blogs I follow, too, like Quick Sprout. I was working on some changes like improving my images, so I figured I'd give it a try. I spent about 15 minutes setting it up, and didn't think too much of it.

I thought of it as just an experiment and figured I'd take it down after a month. However, after only a week, I noticed a huge difference. This one small change tripled my monthly email sign-ups. (Oh, and did I mention it was free?!)

Hellobar features I love:

• There's a free option. Enough said.
• Very customizable. Everything from colors and styling to targeting and goals.
• A/B split testing! This means you can test out multiple versions and see which one works best. This is a great way to choose the call-to-action wording for any other email opt-ins on your site.
• Analytics that tell you where your top converting traffic is coming from and how to improve your sign-ups.
• User-friendly interface that makes creating the opt-in super easy (+ fun!)

4 Other Ways to Increase Your Email Sign-ups

1. Opt-in Pop Up Box - I don't love the idea of these, but when done well, they can be effective without hurting your traffic.
2. Add a sign-up box in your header or sidebar, preferably above the fold (what people see before scrolling down)
3. Add a sign-up at the bottom of your About page
4. Promote your newsletter on social media

Do you already use an opt-in bar? If not, I'd love to know how this works out for you!