The communication with already existing customers’ database and gaining a new one is very important for every Magento ® store owner. Newsletters in Magento ® are used for this purpose.
Why Magento Newsletters are important
To hold the status of your online store and provide the customers with constant information about new products and promotions you can use communication by email. It’s almost a win-win way because millions of people check their inbox regularly in order to find interesting promotions or emails.
Besides, the newsletter is a good way to get new customers and business partners. To get this method for promoting your business you need not only to think of the email text but also watch email updates, think of ways for how to encourage your subscribers to want to receive news of your Magento ® store.
How to create a subscription
Initially, subscription to Magento ® is included in the standard platform build and you need only configure it. It operates on the principle of most social networks, in other words, a potential customer registers on your site and enters his active email address in the email address line. This address is put in your database. After this, he will get not only the email about creating his own account but also different interesting promotions.
If this function is disabled on your site, you need to make the following actions:
1. Go to the Magento ® admin panel: System – Configuration;
2. In this section, you should find the Advanced item and open a new page where you select the Mage_Newsletter line in the Enable panel. Please save the changes.
After these changes, having entered your store, a customer will see the subscription application form on the left side where he will be offered the ability to subscribe to updates.
You should remember that when the Mage_Newsletter option is enabled, your potential customer can’t unsubscribe to your newsletter or choose the item “Do not send emails”. It is very important because many customers do not like this system. If you want to give your customers this opportunity, then you should leave the Mage_Newsletter checkmark disabled.
How to move a block
As a standard, the block in which a customer can subscribe to your news is located on the left side, but it is not always convenient depending on your store style. It is great that Magento ® is open source and you can edit the code according to your needs.
Please be careful because you can edit the files only if you have good programming experience. If that is not the case, it would be better to contact GoMage specialists who can configure a Newsletter in Magento ® for you.
At the beginning of working with email configuration, you will see the record on your computer screen in the admin panel. This record will inform you that you are going to make changes to the standard theme. If you are using a bought template, then this window may not open.
After this you can do your work:
1. Go to your hosting in order to find the files of your Magento ® site;
2. After this please open the file on the following path: app\design\frontend\base\default\layout\newsletter.xml
3. This file should be downloaded and opened in the editor. You can use a standard Notepad for this work or a special program called DreamWeaver;
4. You need to find the line where reference name=”right” is written and change it to the following one: reference name=”left”. The quick search can be done with the ctrl + F buttons combination;
5. Save the file and check whether the editions are working.
Please leave your comments under this article, your advice, and recommendations connected with the Magento ® Newsletter block creation. Also, you are welcome to share your observations on customer interest to this Magento ® store function.
