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Should you have a waitlist?

​I often feel like I’m jumping through hoops to figure out how to work with someone when searching online.
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A simple contact form or waitlist can solve so many issues – and it’s one of the smartest and quickest ways to capture interest.
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Recently I was searching for a private pilates teacher. I finally found one by googling “pilates near me” and searching the little dots on google maps. The teacher had no social media accounts – just a simple one-page site with the tiniest bit of copy and exactly the expertise I was looking for.​
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SEO still works – especially if you’ve got a location-based business.
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​I filled out a super simple form to get on her waitlist and she wrote back the next saying I was next on her waitlist. A single operator business who only takes on a new client as an old one leaves – and a spot opened up the next month.
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Search > Waitlist > Booked. ​
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It really doesn’t have to be that hard.

Every time I run a program (or even think about running something new), I create a waitlist.

I typically start by creating a simple landing page to capture emails so I can gauge interest and keep a running tally of interested folks. I’ve got a tutorial here that shows you how to create a simple landing page with ConvertKit – but any kind of form that captures an email address will do.
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When I do run my program or offer again, I don’t always delete the old interest list. I’ll clean it out (meaning I’ll remove folks who haven’t clicked or otherwise engaged with my emails) but I’ll keep anyone who’s expressed an interest. I’m always surprised how many people join up the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th time the offer is made. People don’t just stop searching once your offer has ended – and they’ll FOMO opt-in after your cart is closed. So keep those waitlists active to capture future potential buyers.
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​A few things to keep in mind when creating forms or waitlists:

  • Is the waitlist/form hard to find on your site?
  • Does your form use a captcha? (This is when you click those fuzzy pictures to determine which one is the motorcycle before you can send the form – this increases friction, which means less submissions.)
  • Are you making people fill out a long application when you really should have a simple waitlist? (Many users will abandon forms if they’re too long.)
  • Are you asking too many personal questions? (Most users will abandon forms that ask too many private questions.)
  • Are you sending folks to a thank you page after they fill out the form with next steps? (This is great to give them a next action to take and you can track submissions in your analytics).

Pro-tip for the service providers out there – you can CHARGE to put folks on your waitlist. When I offer custom website design, I typically require a 30% deposit to confirm their spot in the queue. It should a big enough amount to make them feel committed to the project. I personally wouldn’t have a paid waitlist longer than 6 months as your prices will likely need to increase in that time frame.

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