Signup Forms help you collect subscribers, grow your contact list, and drive sales. This guide covers different practical strategies, from basic popups to advanced targeting, so you can choose the right approach for your store.
Whether you're new to email marketing or optimizing an existing setup, you'll find actionable tips to increase signups and improve conversions.
Before You Begin
Choose the right Signup Form type for your goal: Popup, Landing Page, or Embedded Form. Explore Omnisend Signup Form Types.
Set up your brand assets in store settings to match forms to your store's style.
💡 Tips:
Customize templates to fit your brand. You don't need to start from scratch.
Test forms on mobile and desktop before publishing.
Collect Subscribers on Your Website
Use Popups and Embedded Forms to capture email addresses as visitors browse your store.
Popup Forms
Popups grab attention when visitors land on your site. Offer an incentive (discount, free shipping, or resource) to encourage signups.
Best practices:
Delay the popup by a few seconds so visitors can explore your store first.
Show the popup after a customer views 2–3 pages (go to Behavior → Display settings).
Use exit intent to trigger the popup when visitors are about to leave.
Embedded Forms
Embedded Forms sit in sidebars, footers, or blog posts. They're less intrusive than popups and work well for content-heavy pages.
Add custom fields (dropdowns, checkboxes, radio buttons) to collect preferences, birthdays, or other Contact data. Learn more about the form builder items.
Target Non-Subscribers with Personalized Forms
Show Signup Forms only to visitors who haven't subscribed yet. This avoids annoying existing contacts and improves conversion rates.
Create a segment of non-subscribers:
Go to Audience → Segments → Create segment → Create from scratch → Select Subscription status is not subscribed to email channel.
Create a targeted Signup Form:
Go to Forms → Behavior → Targeting → Visitor targeting options → Select Target by Specific Segment → Include your "Non-Subscribers" segment.
💡 Why it works: You reach the right audience at the right time without disrupting existing subscribers.
Hide Forms from Paid Traffic Using Source Targeting
If you're running paid ads, you may want to exclude those visitors from seeing Signup Forms. This is useful when:
Paid traffic already converted through a landing page.
You want to tailor the user experience based on traffic source.
You're testing different offers for organic vs. paid visitors.
Go to Behavior → Targeting → Source Targeting → Select the platforms you want to exclude (e.g., Google Ads, Facebook Ads).
Under UTM Targeting, enter the specific UTM parameters associated with paid traffic (e.g., utm_source=paid). The form won't display to visitors with those UTM parameters
💡 Why it works: You avoid showing the same offer twice and create a cleaner experience for paid visitors who may have already seen your promotion in the ad.
Use Exit Intent Popups to Recover Abandoning Visitors
Exit intent popups appear when a visitor is about to leave your site (based on scroll speed or cursor movement toward the browser close button).
💡 Use cases:
Offer a last-minute discount to encourage a purchase.
Collect email addresses in exchange for a discount code.
Remind visitors about items in their cart (pairs well with Abandoned Cart automations).
In your popup form, go to Behavior → Display → Select Exit Intent.
💡 Tip: If you're running a sale without collecting subscribers, use a Promotion Form instead.
Collect Subscribers on Social Media with Landing Pages
Landing Pages are standalone pages designed for lead capture. Share them on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, or in email campaigns.
Go to Forms → Type: Landing Page → Select template → Use template.
Where to share:
Instagram: Add to Stories, bio, or swipe-up links.
Facebook: Post in Groups or on your Page.
TikTok: Include in video descriptions or bio.
Customize the title and description under Social Media Sharing Settings to optimize for each platform.
Customize Popups for Mobile and Desktop
Mobile and desktop users behave differently. Create tailored experiences for each device using Behavior → Visibility settings.
Desktop:
Use Teasers (small, clickable banners) to introduce offers without interrupting browsing.
Show detailed forms with multiple fields.
Mobile:
Skip Teasers – they clutter small screens.
Delay popups by 5–10 seconds (go to Display → Time on page) so users can explore first.
Use simple, single-field forms (email only).
Collect Subscribers at Physical Events with Landing Pages
Use Landing Pages to collect email addresses at trade shows, pop-up shops, or in-store events. Print QR codes that link to your Landing Page – visitors scan and subscribe on the spot.
Go to Forms → Type: Landing Page → Select template → Customize for your event.
After publishing the form, go to Landing Page → Copy form link → Create a QR Code using the form link.
Add the QR code to flyers, posters, table tents, or business cards. Include a clear call-to-action: "Scan to get 15% off your first order."
💡 Tip: Display Live Signups on a Screen
Show real-time subscriber activity at your event to create social proof:
Go to Success message → Behavior → After subscribing redirect to → Enter your Landing Page URL (copy from Link to your page field).
Open the Landing Page on a display monitor or tablet.
Each time someone subscribes, the screen auto-refreshes and shows the success message, encouraging more signups.
Why it works: Physical events put you face-to-face with customers. A QR code makes it easy to capture their contact information without manual entry. Displaying live signups creates excitement and shows momentum.
Collect More Contact Data with Multi-Step Forms
Multi-step forms collect information in stages. This reduces overwhelm and improves completion rates.
Example flow:
Step 1: Collect email address.
Step 2: Collect phone number, preferences, or birthday.
Even if visitors don't complete Step 2, you still capture their email in Step 1.
Best practices:
Limit each step to 1–2 actionable items (one input field + one button).
Use Next for Step 1; use Submit for the final step.
Test on mobile to ensure smooth flow.
Boost Engagement with Wheel of Fortune
Wheel of Fortune turns your Signup Form into a game. Visitors spin a wheel to reveal their discount – creating excitement and increasing signups.
Go to Forms → Create Form → Popup → Select Wheel of Fortune template.
Set discount amounts (10%, 15%, 20%, free shipping). You can also add "losing" slices like "Better luck next time" to control costs.
Control how often each prize appears (e.g., 20% win free shipping, 50% win 10% off, 30% lose).
Add your discount.
💡 Why it works: Gamification increases engagement by making signups fun. Visitors are more likely to complete the form because they want to see what they've won.
Improve List Quality with Double Opt-In
Double opt-in requires Contacts to confirm their email address before they're added to your list. This protects against spam bots, fake emails, and typos.
Benefits:
Higher open rates and lower bounce rates.
Valid, engaged subscribers only.
Compliance with regulations (required in some countries).
Confirmation emails don't count toward your monthly email limit.
Go to Behavior → Audience Management → Enable Double Opt-In.
Advanced Strategies
The following use cases are powerful but require more setup. Consider exploring them once you've mastered the core strategies above:
Upsell and Cross-Sell Popups: Show product recommendations on specific pages.
Back-in-Stock Notifications: Capture subscribers for out-of-stock products. Learn more.
FOMO Campaigns: Build "VIP" lists with exclusive SMS offers.
Holiday and Seasonal Promotions: Schedule forms to appear during specific dates. Learn more.
FAQ
Which Signup Form type should I start with?
Start with a Popup Form offering a discount (e.g., "10% off your first order"). It's the fastest way to collect emails.
How do I avoid annoying mobile visitors?
Delay popups by 5–10 seconds and skip Teasers on mobile. Keep forms simple (email only).
Can I collect both email and SMS in one form?
Yes. Add both an Email Input field and a Phone Number field. Use Multi-Step Forms for better completion rates.
How do I track form performance?
Go to Reports → Forms → Open your dedicated form's report to see views, submissions, and conversion rates.
Should I enable Double Opt-In?
Yes, if you want a high-quality list and compliance with regulations. It slightly reduces signups but dramatically improves engagement.
Does Wheel of Fortune work better than standard popups?
Gamification typically increases engagement by 20–30%, but test it for your audience. Some brands see better results with simple, clear discount offers.
Our award-winning Support Team is available to assist you through the in-app chat or by email at [email protected].