While there are many innovative ways to gather new leads, create email lists, and build brand affinity, don’t overlook the power of email opt-in forms. Having an opt-in form on your website is a fantastic way to encourage visitors to subscribe to your email newsletter. It’s also a great way to receive regular information about your hours, promotions, or new products. But just having an opt-in form in place doesn’t mean people will sign up.
How Can I Make My Opt-in Form Stand Out?
Some opt-in forms have incentives, while others have witty messaging that tempt visitors to fill out their information. While having a unique opt-in form is always helpful, it can be challenging to know how to make your form unique. Here are a few great email opt-in form examples you might consider trying:
Make it impossible to miss. Is the opt-in form easy for a visitor to see? The easier the form is to see, the more likely a visitor will sign up. Consider having your opt-in form live on your homepage or another page with high website traffic. Or, you could consider having a pop-up window when visitors exit the website that gives them the option to opt-in.
For example, Alani Nu’s opt-in form is simple and pops up as the viewer scrolls down the homepage.
Make sure it’s visually attractive. This might be an obvious one, but many non-designers, when they see the word “form,” are going to imagine a simple row of empty text fields. Your form should be visually exciting, well placed, and engaging to your visitor. If it’s clear you put work into your opt-in form, visitors are more likely to sign-up!
Crooked Media has a great example of a visually attractive form that’s impossible to ignore. Plus, it only requires one simple call to action—an email address!
Craft engaging copy: Is the copy clear and attention-grabbing? Does it encourage the visitor to read on? Use compelling copy to engage a visitor and encourage them to take the next step.
The Dollar Shave Club email opt-in form is a wonderful example of this. The call to action is clear and relatable, regardless of the audience. “Getting ready” is something everyone does. There’s one button, and you can’t see any additional information until you press it, making it even more tempting.
Keep things simple. Is your form uncomplicated and easy to use? If there are multiple fields to fill in, are they easy to understand, and do they avoid overwhelming the visitor? Limit as many hurdles as possible by having pre-filled fields, using help text if needed, or asking for as little information as necessary. Most of the email opt-in form examples shown here only require an email address.
For example, hims & hers has a straightforward opt-in form that requests just an email address and subtly highlights social media if that’s your preferred method of connecting with the brand.
Offer value. Does your form offer something of value to your visitor? Does your example show an incentive for a visitor to sign up? For example, can you offer a coupon for first-time subscribers or customers? Perhaps subscribers get access to a free download or exclusive content when they sign up. Consider the past few email lists you signed up for or see what competitors are offering if you’re stumped for ideas.
Another opt-in form example is from La Colombe, a coffee company you may have seen in your local grocery store. Their opt-in form offers a clear promotion when visitors provide their email addresses. It’s easy to complete, and you get a reward!
Email Opt-In Best Practices
Follow these best practices to outshine the competition.
- Make sure your form is placed in the right eye-path to attract conversion.
- Keep things simple and don’t make it difficult to sign-up.
- Opt-in forms should be easy to close.
- Your copy should tell your audience what to expect from your products and brand.
- Test a few opt-in forms to determine which ones work best.
- Offer something valuable in exchange for opting in.
Email subscribers are a gold mine of data that can be used for re-marketing on so many levels. Consider these tips and examples when including an opt-in form to your website to start collecting that pile of gold!
Need help growing your email marketing list or help generating ideas and direction? Contact us! We’d love to learn more about your business.
