If you are someone who does internet marketing you are probably aware of how important building an email list is. You are also aware of how important scrolling opt-in boxes are when someone visits a website. This means the email box moves with them when they scroll up, or down, on the page.
Recently I asked GetResponse, my email newsletter provider, how to implement a scrolling opt-in box. To my surprise and disappointment they do not offer a scrolling feature for email sign-up forms.
Then, low and behold, a few days later I was searching around the GetResponse help/tutorial portal to try to figure out how to do something else. I happened to visit their blog and guess what they have on there? A f$*&^*& scrolling opt-in box. Here is a screenshot of it below;
The email opt-in box, which is nicely designed, will follow a user if they navigate up or down on the GetResponse blog page until they click the right “X” in the top right corner to make it go away. While quite annoying, this is EXACTLY the feature I want to use on my websites which utilize GetResponse as the email newsletter service. (Yes, everyone says they don't like them but these email marketing tactics are effective or people wouldn't use them.) Apparently the a@#holes at GetResponse will not provide scrolling email opt-in boxes to paying customers. I guess they reserve the best email marketing tools for themselves so not even their customers can compete with their massive email lists.
I called them the other day to complain about not being able to utilize scrolling on my websites while GetResponse enjoys this feature themselves. The support representative was marginally helpful and seemed a little confused. He basically just said, “I couldn't really tell you why this is but I'll send a request to the developers.” Really, WTF? The developers clearly know how to implement this right now but just don't want customers to use scrolling.
I had considered using DadaMail or phpList before deciding to go with a paid email service. I'd even considered other open source email newsletter software. I assumed it would be less time consuming, hassle, and I'd have more features with an email company like GetResponse. I guess I was wrong about that.
What do you think of the fact that GetResponse has a scrolling email form on their own blog but does not offer it to customers?
UPDATE – Here is GetReponse responding to an email about this.
We are considering adding this option in the future. There are no definite
decision yet- we are in the process of collecting feedback and passing it
on to the IT.
