Pop up ad on home page

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Thanks for the clarification, Neil

... I felt obliged to ask

MichaelG.

what pop ups am i missing something!

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Been, gone, all sorted, lessons learned.

Previous posts should explain all.

MichaelG.

R.I.P.

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Edited By Neil Wyatt on 23/06/2015 15:39:26

But not the offer...

**LINK**

I was rung up yesterday by a new subscriber who had clicked on the popup having finally been spurred to go for it!

Neil

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Sorry, Neil ... I did not mean to imply requiescat in pace for the offer

I see that it has found an appropriate home in the right-hand sidebar.

MichaelG.

I agree and maybe one of the Moderators could lock this thread or it might keep popping up - pun intended !

Ian.

> maybe one of the Moderators could lock this thread or it might keep popping up

If every time it pops up it reminds forum users they can subscribe to Model Engineer or Model Engineers' Workshop for just £1 for three issues, why should I be concerned

Neil

why should I be concerned

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Common decency , perhaps.

Because the offer will soon end but newcomers may still reply to a long dead thread and they will keep messaging you !

If you want to advertise that offer in a thread then create one and i'm sure the many of the forum members along with myself will be happy to keep bumping it to the top until notified otherwise.

I originally only created this thread ( didn't see the what have you done thread )as i was concerned that there was something awry and i don't know about you but when I see a popup with some unbelievable offer i get suspicious , i have just gone through the hassle of credit card fraud i thought it may be something dodgy.

Neil,

At your/company's peril ()

Geoff - Well in the mood for this morning

Neil,

For what it's worth: XD 351 and I came at this from different angles, but our recommendations are the same.

I shouldn't need to recite the story, because it's clear from the thread[s], but perhaps I should just mention why I think that 'common decency' should encourage you to lock this thread:

• The MTM Marketing Team had a concept ... a pop-up message to promote a special offer.
• It appears that this was intended to be a 'once-per-visit' event [which would seem reasonable]
• Their design was, however, badly executed and insufficiently tested; resulting in different behaviour on different browsers ...
• Despite some heckling from those who 'couldn't see the problem' ... the Marketing Department was alerted to the fact that they had a 'loose cannon' and they responded promptly and correctly, by aborting the pop-up, and placing an advertisement in the right-hand sidebar.
• So far, so good ... We who had been troubled by the pop-up thanked them, and that should have been the end of the matter.
• However: By allowing this thread to keep re-surfacing, you are causing your colleagues further embarrassment.
• The lessons were learned, and appropriate remedial action was taken; so I think it would be 'decent' for you to let the matter rest.

Sincerely

MichaelG.

I don't disagree with keeping the thread open. I don't think the web site maintainer should be embarrassed about this - in fact they have gained my respect, for what it is worth... not much. There are some quite mature features on this site - cookie policy is very well impelemented (a feature that no one really cares about, can be very annoying, but it's the law). Good job!

As a marketing idea... well, personally I think the whole concept of a popup was dodgy.

It may be worth keeping a thread open so we can discuss what would make people subscribe and what stops them now. Seems like people like talking about anything, not just engineering, and you may get some useful insight: I don't see the offer quite like you summarise. 3 issues for a pound, but you have to pay by direct debit with a minimum duration of 12 months. There is a catch. I don't like any whiff of a catch. (I don't like to realise I'm being done-over by marketing - you got to find a way where I don't notice.)

I really don't like lots of locked threads. Over moderation can be as off-putting as anything else. Good job on the moderation.

Edited By jaCK Hobson on 25/06/2015 08:23:11

Edited By jaCK Hobson on 25/06/2015 08:24:01

Don't you sort of make cash even from unsubscribers by renting advertising space? So I don't think I should be made to feel too guilty for not subscribing?

I like your advertising policy. I only see engineering ads. If you handed complete control over to google then I'd get the same ads I see all over the internet. I'm afraid google is targeting me incorrectly at the moment... I guess someone has been surfing dodgy websites on the same browser (not me honest),

Michael,

Were you really replying to your own post - what about 'letting the matter rest'?

Surely there's nothing indecent about not wanting to hide criticism of one's own company? Surely, it's up to the critics to decide when it's decent to let the matter lie?

As for my colleagues, I'm guessing they won't mind me posting this:

"It’s quite good to read through the comments that have been made" ... "I’ll treat it as a learning experience and see if we can rethink our approach and come up with something different and to include some of our international users at the same time. "

Locking a thread, or deleting it, is is a big step and should be avoided wherever possible. Deleting is hiding something (ideal for defamatory or offensive material) and locking something is trying to forget about it (useful where a discussion starts to undermine the spirit or purpose of the forum).

It didn't work, we put it right - promptly - so where's the shame in that? One aspect of this forum is for discussion of the magazines and (assuming that the vast majority of forum members want to see the magazine and forum continue to be) getting the right approach to attracting new subscribers is in our collective interest.

Finally, thanks for your support, Jack, but you do say:

3 issues for a pound, but you have to pay by direct debit with a minimum duration of 12 months. There is a catch. I don't like any whiff of a catch.

No catch! See the terms and conditions:

Your subscription will start with the next available issue. Please continue to buy your magazine until you receive your acknowledgement letter. Initial 12 month non-refundable contract applies except for special trial offers.

(MY emphasis)

Neil

Check the big red I for information next to the Direct Debit  just before you click 'buy it now'...

See, I got that far!

I don't think your terms and conditions are easily discoverable when needed. Maybe all becomes clear after filling in all my personal details? 

And there is a catch. I know I'll be too lazy to cancel.

All of that put me off. I clicked the same link as the pop-up wanted me to and I still wasn't converted. I probably am one of your key targets. Keep trying.

Edited By jaCK Hobson on 25/06/2015 19:18:52

I've asked for clarification, Jack. I won't get it until the 9-5 team are back in the office

Neil

I assume you can cancel and was confident of that at the time. I, myself, don't need clarification. But, if you want to get more conversions from people who view the offer to people who take up the offer, then take a good look at the process from the position of a grumpy, old, not-going-to-get-suckerd-by-that-again.., too-good-to-be-true, don't-want-to-type-in-personal-details-until-I'm-sure type of person. Not me of course. How did you know I was also in the office?

Edited By jaCK Hobson on 26/06/2015 09:15:00

Hello Jack, fair enough, but this is what I got back anyway:

To quote the copy that goes out on all of our inserts:

“There’s no obligation to continue, so if you’re not 100% satisfied you can just cancel before your last issue and not pay a penny more. If you’re happy (which we’re sure you will be) we’ll automatically continue your subscription at a fantastic discounted rate, giving you great savings on the shop price!”

So provided that they cancel their direct debit before reception of the last issue of their 3 for £1 trial they are fine and won’t continue at the follow on rate or be tied in to the 12 month minimum term, if they don’t cancel before reception of the last magazine of their trial they will continue and be tied to the 12 month contract, after the initial 12 months they can cancel at any point however..

So you can cancel during the trial period, but if you don't then you are on board for 12 issues.

Neil