When people visit your blog, especially if it’s a business blog, you want people to take the desired action or next step. For some that next step is to opt-in to your email list, check out your new coaching program or product, attend your live or virtual event, subscribe to your RSS feed for blog post updates and more.
One of the many ways to get your blog visitor to take your desired action is by installing and using a Header Notification Bar. As the name suggests this is a ‘toolbar’ that is displayed at the top of your blog, above the header.
Here are 5 Notification Bars that I recommend:
1) Hello Bar The Hello Bar displays a message with a link at the top of your blog. You can customize the color, font type, message and link. You can have this link to an opt-in landing page, product, event sales page and more. There are some restrictions on the free option so check it out to see if it is right for you.
Click here for the Hello Bar Website
2) Viper Bar Very customizable WordPress Notification Bar plugin. You can use the Viper Bar to display an opt-in form for your email Newsletter list, RSS Feed via Feedburner subsciber form, general message with a link. You can also customize the color and font size. Very user-friendly as it relates to downloading and installing the bar and customizing to display on ALL pages of the website. Option to view click stats.
Click here for more information and to download the ViperBar
3) Quick Notice This bar helps the user display a highlighted notice above the header. The header can be set to float so it is still visible when scrolling. There are possibilities to display a message with a link, Facebook and Twitter buttons. You can even set the bar to embed Adsense code.
Click here to download the Quick Notice Bar and to see sample sites using the plugin.
4) Easy Head’s Up Bar Notification bar with a linked call to action. Also customizable. Can be set to show with a special message on specified start and end dates. Ability to display multiple bars which show randomly. You may set the bar to show on the home page only or on all pages.
Click here to download the Easy Head’s Up Bar
5) WP-Topbar Simple header notification bar that can be customized to change the color, text and link. As with most of the other bars mentioned, you can display a call to action message with a link.
Click here to download the WP-Topbar and see screenshots.
Give these bars a try and reap the benefits of increased statistics for your desired call to action.
Thanks for the list. I was really liking Viper Bar until I realized it doesn’t support Get Response.
Yes – I am currently using GetResponse for my email marketing now as well. Had to explore other options. Thanks for your comment.