There are many ways to learn more about your customers, but sometimes, the simplest and most effective approach is to ask them directly. You can do this by adding a few input fields to your signup forms.

In this article, we’ll explore how to use Forms and other features to collect valuable customer data and put it to use effectively.

In the first place, all of the Signup Forms Omnisend provides are intended to collect your customers' opt-ins. However, they can also get additional information; ask your customers about their preferences, details, or consent (GDPR or TCPA) they haven't submitted yet.

When using signup forms to the full power, the following data can be collected:

Let's consider the example of the Signup form, collecting both channels' opt-ins (Email and SMS), default properties (first name, birthdate), and a custom property (preferred language).

The default properties can be selected from the menu, while the custom ones should be assigned manually.

Here, you may choose the type of input field and the data format you want to capture.

Your Omnisend contacts can be categorized as new and those who subscribed previously. Two types of Success/Subscribed messages can be shown depending on the contact status. In the Message section of your form builder, you may change the content of the message and offer the discount to all new and already subscribed customers, or those who subscribe only.

When an existing customer submits the form, the information in their profile updates, but the Welcome automation is not triggered. If you wish to trigger this workflow for both new and existing customers, you need to remove the 'First subscription is true' from your trigger filters.

You can assign one or more tags automatically to each contact who submits the form. Tags help categorize your contacts for future targeting and segmentation.

If you’d like to notify customers after they submit a form, you have two automation options:

To notify the person submitting the form, create a dedicated Welcome automation using one of Omnisend’s pre-built workflows. Then, edit the trigger settings to target only contacts who subscribe through the selected form. Here’s how the trigger should be configured:

Within the automation, you may use the collected data to send targeted communication to your customers. For example, you may send the message in the language your customers prefer or send updates on the products the customer selected as a preference.

You may also use this information to personalize the content of the message to attract more attention and send more targeted communication to your customers. Check this article for more information on Personalization.

Unlike other signup forms, the Landing Page form can be shared outside your store. For example, you may add a link to your Landing Page in the Email message, or blog or post it to your social media. It is an exclusive way to attract customers' attention, as they won't need to visit your store.

As one of the options, you may add this page link to your transactional emails, asking customers who didn't subscribe at checkout to provide their opt-in by filling in this form. The same goes for the GDPR and TCPA consent. Some platforms don't have that option, so providing the information to the Landing Page could be the only way to capture them.

You may also collect the information on the Subscriber preference page. However, the link to this page cannot be placed anywhere except for the footer, while the Landing Page can be attached anywhere.