When building your marketing strategy, prioritize collecting customer opt-ins over simply gathering data. Opt-ins let you send promotional messages while building long-term relationships. With Omnisend, you can grow your list from day one and manage it effectively.
This article covers how to collect subscribers, organize your audience, and maintain a healthy contact list for better deliverability and engagement.
Growing Your Contact List
Omnisend offers multiple ways to collect opt-ins and expand your audience.
1. Importing Subscribers
Import existing subscribers from a CSV or Excel file. Learn how to Import Contacts from a File.
Steps:
Go to Audience → Contacts or Imports.
Click Add contacts → Import contacts from file → Open wizard.
Follow the prompts to map fields and upload.
💡 Tip: Ensure your list is permission-based before importing. See Compliance: Understand Contact List Management for guidelines.
2. Syncing Subscribers
Connect Omnisend with your eCommerce platform or apps to sync contacts automatically.
Supported integrations:
Ecommerce apps: Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce (auto-sync orders and subscribers);
Third-party apps: Zapier, API integrations (sync from CRMs, event platforms, or custom apps).
Synced contacts update in real time, centralizing your data.
💬 Learn how to connect your ecommerce store or integrate third-party apps.
3. Signup Forms
Signup forms are the most effective way to grow your list organically. Omnisend supports:
Popups (timed, exit-intent, or scroll-triggered).
Flyouts (slides seamlessly into the user screen with similar settings as popups).
Landing Pages (shareable links for social media or ads).
Embedded Forms (placed directly on your site).
Wheel of Fortune (gamified opt-in with discounts).
Quick setup:
Go to Forms → Create Form → select a template.
Customize the design, copy, and fields (email, phone, name).
Set behavior (e.g., appear after 10 seconds or on exit intent).
Enable and publish.
💬 Learn more: Popup Signup Form Guide, Multi-Step Signup Forms, Teaser Signup Form.
4. Checkout Opt-Ins
For Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce users, enable opt-in checkboxes at checkout to collect email and SMS subscribers during purchase.
💡 Shopify users: You can collect both email and SMS opt-ins natively at checkout.
Using Signup Forms: Step-by-Step
Here's how to create a high-converting popup form in Omnisend.
Step 1. Access the Form Library
Go to Forms → Create Form. Browse templates filtered by goal (grow list, promote sale), theme, or form type.
Step 2. Choose a Template
Select a popup form for ease and effectiveness. Pick a design that matches your brand.
Step 3. Customize the Design
Adjust layout, colors, fonts, and buttons to match your store's branding. Use the drag-and-drop editor to rearrange elements.
All forms are easily customizable, so you can seamlessly pick your brand colors and copywriting and start gathering contact details immediately!
Step 4. Write Engaging Copy
Keep it concise and action-oriented. Offer value to encourage signups.
Examples:
❌ "Subscribe to our newsletter"
✅ "Get 10% off your first order - join our email list"
✅ "Unlock exclusive deals and early access"
Step 5. Choose Fields to Collect
Start with email address (required). Add optional fields:
Phone number (for SMS).
Name, birthday, or preferences (use dropdowns, checkboxes, or date pickers).
💡 Tip: Fewer fields = higher conversion. Collect only what you'll use.
Step 6. Use Multi-Step Forms (Optional)
Split data collection into steps to reduce friction.
Example:
Step 1: Email input + "Next" button.
Step 2: Phone number + "Submit" button.
💡 Best practices:
Limit to 1–2 actionable elements per step.
Set the final step's button action to Submit.
Test on desktop and mobile before publishing.
💬 Learn more: Multi-Step Signup Forms.
Step 7. Add a Teaser (Optional)
Teasers are small, clickable prompts (banners or buttons) that open your popup. They remain visible until dismissed, giving visitors control.
How to set up:
Add a Teaser in the form settings.
Customize position, text, and design.
Link it to your popup.
💬 Learn more: Add a Teaser to Your Signup Form.
Step 8. Set Popup Behavior
Choose when and where the popup appears:
Trigger: After 6–10 seconds, on scroll (50%), or on exit intent.
Visibility: Desktop, mobile, or both.
Targeting: All pages, specific URLs, or exclude pages (e.g., checkout).
Step 9. Review Settings
Check:
Scheduling: Always active or set dates.
Audience management: Auto-tag subscribers (e.g., "Popup Sign-Up").
Double opt-in: Enable to confirm consent (recommended for GDPR).
Legal consent: Add a checkbox for GDPR compliance (found under Legal consent in the Items menu).
Step 10. Save and Enable
Preview the form on desktop and mobile. Make adjustments, then click Enable form to activate it on your site.
💡 Measure your form success in Reports → Forms.
Managing Your Contacts
Once you've grown your list, organize and maintain it for better targeting and deliverability.
Understanding Contact Profiles
All contacts who provide an email or phone number appear under Audience → Contacts. Each contact profile includes:
Personal details (name, location, birthday).
Subscription status (subscribed, non-subscribed, or unsubscribed per channel).
Tags (custom labels for organization).
Segments (dynamic groups based on behavior or data).
Web-tracking data (activity, orders, product views).
Click any contact to view their full profile.
Segmenting Your Contacts
Segmentation lets you send targeted messages to specific groups, improving engagement and sales.
Segment criteria:
Channel subscription (email, SMS, push subscribers);
Shopping behavior (purchase frequency, cart abandonment, VIP customers);
Message activity (opened last email, clicked link, never engaged);
Profile data (location, birthday, custom fields).
Example segment: "Customers who purchased in the last 30 days but haven't opened an email in 14 days"
💬 Learn more: Creating Segments.
Using Customer Tags
Tags are manual or automated labels you assign to organize contacts.
How to add tags:
Manually (from contact profiles).
During import (map a "Tag" column).
Via signup forms (auto-tag signups).
In automation workflows (tag based on actions).
💡 Use cases:
"VIP" for high-value customers.
"Webinar Attendee" for event participants.
"Cart Abandoner" for cart recovery messages.
💬 Learn more: Organize Contacts with Tags.
Leveraging Web-Tracking
Web-tracking captures customer activity, orders, and product views. After connecting your store to Omnisend, you'll see:
Pages visited.
Products viewed or added to cart.
Purchase history.
💡 Track customer activity with Omnisend Live View.
Keeping Your List Healthy
A clean list improves deliverability and engagement.
Best practices:
Collect organically: Use signup forms and checkout opt-ins (never buy lists).
Send quality content: Provide value to keep subscribers engaged.
Target communication: Segment your list and send relevant messages.
Clean regularly: Unsubscribe inactive contacts at least twice a year. Use the Contact List Hygiene score (in Audience → Contacts) as a guide.
💬 Learn more: Email List Cleaning.
Troubleshooting Common Popup Form Issues
If your popup isn't working as expected:
Verify the final step's button action is set to Submit.
Check form configuration (Popup vs. Embedded) and teaser settings.
Click the
!icon in the top-right corner to view specific setup errors.
Next Steps
Now that you've grown your list, engage new subscribers with a Welcome Workflow. Deliver promised discounts, introduce your brand, and build relationships.
💬 Recommended: Set Up a Welcome Automation.
FAQ
How do I redirect subscribers to a thank-you page after they sign up?
Landing page forms support automatic redirect. In the form builder, go to Success → Behavior settings → check "After subscribing redirect to" → enter your URL.
Popup, flyout, and embedded forms do not support auto-redirect. Instead, add a button to your success message that links to your thank-you page.
Is disclaimer text alone enough for GDPR compliance, or do I need a checkbox?
You need a checkbox. GDPR requires explicit consent, which means subscribers must actively check a box to agree to receive marketing emails. Pre-checked boxes and disclaimer text alone do not meet GDPR standards.
In Omnisend forms, add the Legal Consent block to include a GDPR-compliant checkbox. Subscribers must check it before submitting the form. You can customize the consent text and link to your privacy policy.
Why isn't my popup form showing on my website even though it's active?
Check these common causes:
Device visibility: Go to Behavior → Visibility and confirm it's set to "All devices" or the correct device type.
Display conditions: If you've added UTM parameter filters, the form will only show on URLs matching those parameters; remove filters to display site-wide.
Browser cache: Clear cache or test in incognito mode.
Plugin conflicts: Temporarily disable other popup or form plugins.
JavaScript errors: Open the browser console and look for errors preventing the form from loading.
Don't hesitate to email [email protected] or chat with our Support Team for guidance.