In today's digital age, businesses must establish an online presence to engage and connect with customers effectively. But before you consider sending out regular newsletters or automations, you must build a strong subscriber list. And that's where newsletter signup forms come into play.
This article will explore the benefits of incorporating signup forms into your online store. From building lasting customer relationships to driving more sales, we'll discuss different ways how these forms can help you expand your email list.
Whether you're new to email marketing or looking to refine your existing strategy, we've covered you with many valuable tips and insights to help you succeed.
Contents
Before You Begin
We've got different types of signup forms to choose from, including popups, landing pages, embedded forms, and more. Pick the one that works best for you.
Setting up forms can be overwhelming, especially if you're new to it. Therefore, we've shared links to more detailed setup guides for each form type; please make sure to check them.
Your brand is unique, and we want to help you showcase that. Feel free to tweak the use cases to match your store's look and feel.
Don't forget to set up your brand assets in store settings. This will help customize the templates to match your store's style.
Collect Subscribers on Your Website
One of the fundamental ways to utilize sign-up forms is to gather subscribers in your online store. Incorporating popups and embedded forms for optimal results is highly recommended.
Popup forms: These can be used to capture visitors' attention as soon as they land in your store and encourage them to subscribe to your email list by offering an incentive such as a discount or free resource.
For popup forms, it is crucial to consider implementing specific behavior options like delaying the appearance of the popup by a few seconds or showing it after a customer has viewed a few pages. You can do it under Behaviour → Display settings. This is done because customers need time to familiarize themselves with your store before deciding to make a purchase.
Embedded forms: These can be placed directly in your online store, such as in the sidebar or within a blog post, and can be a subtle way to encourage visitors to subscribe to your email list without being too intrusive.
Embedded forms can also be added to blog posts and other pages where customers come to learn more about your products or services. By incorporating sign-up forms into these pages, you can encourage visitors to subscribe and receive prompts to make a purchase. Additionally, sign-up forms can serve other purposes beyond collecting subscribers, such as conducting market research, gathering feedback, offering promotions and discounts, and enrolling customers in membership or referral programs.
Adding additional input fields using Input, Dropdown, Checkbox, and Radio buttons Items allows you to create any type of embedded form you would like to gather custom customer data.
Make a Sale or Collect Subscribers Using Exit Intent Popup
An exit intent popup is a type of signup form that appears when a store visitor is about to leave the page or close the browser window. The form is designed to capture visitors' email addresses or other contact information before they leave the site.
To set up an exit-intent popup in Omnisend, go to forms → Create form → Popup → Behaviour settings → Display → Exit intent.
This setting will work on desktops, tablets, and phones. It is based on scroll speed, so when users are quickly scrolling up the page, forms with exit intent display enabled will be shown.
Below you can find some use cases on how you can use exit-intent popups in Omnisend.
Promoting a Sale: You can use popup exit intent to promote a specific sale or offer to customers leaving your website. For example, you can offer a discount code or free shipping for a limited time to entice customers to make a purchase. If you are planning to promote sale without collecting subscribers, you can use Promotion Form instead, jump here to learn more.
Offering a Discount: In addition to promoting a sale, you can also provide a discount code in exchange for the customer's email address. This can help you capture leads and encourage customers to purchase by providing them with an immediate incentive.
Abandoned Cart/Browse Abandonment Reminders: If you have abandoned cart or browse abandonment automations set up, you can use popup exit intent to ask your customers to subscribe to remind customers of items they have left in their cart or pages they have visited. This can help you recover lost sales and encourage customers to complete their purchases.
Craft Pop-up Experiences for Mobile and Desktop Users
Popups are a great way to grab your visitors' attention and prompt them to take action. However, with more people accessing websites on mobile devices, creating different experiences for mobile and desktop users is essential. You can change the form's visibility under Behaviour settings → Visibility.
Below you will find ideas on using mobile and desktop popups to create a more personalized experience for your audience.
Teasers and Simple Popups: On a desktop, a teaser popup can be a great way to introduce your offer and entice visitors to learn more. The Teaser is a part of the Popup form, which means any Popup form can have the Teaser. You can either add a Teaser to any popup form you already have or create it with a template that can be found in our Forms Library.
However, to avoid overwhelming mobile users, it's essential to keep popups simple and easy to close; therefore, you shouldn't add a teaser for your mobile-only form. This provides a better user experience and can help increase engagement on your site. By respecting your visitors' time and attention, you can also build a better reputation and increase the likelihood of repeat visits.
It's important to consider the viewing experience of your users when it comes to targeting signup forms. While desktop users are more inclined to fill out a form right away, mobile users find it challenging to navigate a form on a smaller screen. Using Display options, you can define Time on the page - just set the amount of time (in seconds) that the visitor needs to spend on your website for the form to appear.
To make the experience better for mobile users, it's recommended to delay the form by a few seconds to give them a chance to explore your website or content before being presented with the form. This can also help avoid frustration if the form pops up immediately and interrupts their browsing experience.
Moreover, you can adjust the placement of images based on the device using the Theme Settings → Layout. This tab allows you to select the placement of your images for both desktop and mobile devices. For mobile, you can choose to display images at the top of the form, while for desktop, you can choose to place them on the side and other options.
Discount in Signup Form Success Messages
Adding a discount to your Signup form can be an effective way to incentivize potential customers to sign up for your email list. However, you may want to experiment with different ways to present the discount to see what works best for your audience.
One approach is to show the discount once the customer submits the form by adding it to the success message. You can click on the Success tab at the bottom menu to change the information on success and already subscribed messages.
The success message is shown for successful submissions. You can customize the text to offer the discount in the Signup form by either adding the code or informing the customer about the upcoming emails. This can create a sense of exclusivity and urgency for potential subscribers.
On the other hand, the already subscribed message is shown when a subscribed customer submits the form. If you wish to offer the discount to everyone submitting the signup form, you can add the discount code here to show your appreciation for their continued support. Make sure to add the discount generated in your store admin via Text Item to your message.
Collect Subscribers on Social Media with Landing Pages
Social media is a powerful tool for reaching potential subscribers and growing your email list audience. By promoting your signup forms on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, you can reach a wider audience and encourage them to sign up.
One of the most effective ways to collect subscribers on social media is by using Landing pages. Landing pages are standalone web pages designed specifically for capturing leads and driving conversions. You can create a landing page from Forms → Type: Landing Page → select the template → Use template.
To promote your landing page on Instagram, you can add it to your stories, profile bio or even include a swipe-up link in your posts. On Facebook, you can share the landing page URL on your page and in relevant groups. And on TikTok, you can include the landing page URL in your video descriptions or bio. Use Social media sharing settings to adjust the title and description for your Landing page, and once you enable your form, you will get a shareable URL.
By using landing pages to promote your email list on social media, you can increase your chances of gaining new subscribers and growing your audience.
Just be sure to provide a clear and compelling reason for why someone should sign up and make it easy for them to do so by including a straightforward signup form on the landing page.
Collect Subscribers at Physical Events with Landing Pages
Physical events such as trade shows, conferences, and meetups can be an excellent opportunity to collect new subscribers for your email list. We suggest doing this by using landing pages and opening them on an iPad or tablet.
To collect subscribers in physical events with a landing page, you can create a simple and visually appealing landing page and open it in the browser on an iPad or tablet. Then, you can display the landing page at your event and encourage attendees to sign up for your email list.
To make it easy for attendees to sign up, you can set up the landing page to redirect to the same link after submission, so you don't have to reload it manually every time someone signs up. This way, the next person who comes to the iPad can immediately see the landing page and sign up without any delay. Just add your Landing page link as a redirect link in the Success tab.
By using landing pages at physical events, you can make it easy for attendees to sign up for your email list and increase your chances of gaining new subscribers.
Enhance Your Email Marketing with More Customer Information
To improve the effectiveness of your email marketing, it's essential to gather more information about your customers. With Omnisend, you can easily create a multi-step signup form to collect additional details such as name, preferences, and phone numbers.
Start by creating a form with one step to collect email addresses, then add a second step to gather more information. Click the "+" button to add a step and the "more" button to delete it. Utilizing a multi-step signup form lets you gain valuable insights into your customers and tailor your emails to their specific needs and interests.
Build Your List of "Special Subscribers" and Boost Sales with FOMO
Creating a list of "special subscribers" can be a powerful way to increase sales and foster a sense of exclusivity among your customers. By asking for their phone numbers and offering special deals, you can create a sense of urgency and use FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) to encourage them to buy.
To start collecting phone numbers, consider offering a discount or promotion exclusive to this group of subscribers. By doing so, you incentivize customers to sign up and create a sense of value and exclusivity that can drive sales.
You can also create VIP landing pages on social media to promote your exclusive offers and create a sense of community among your special subscribers. Additionally, popups with teasers can be added to specific pages on your site to encourage customers to join your exclusive list.
By building your "special subscribers" list and leveraging FOMO, you can create a sense of urgency and exclusivity to drive sales and build customer loyalty. Be sure to tailor your offers to this group, and consider offering exclusive promotions and discounts to keep them engaged and motivated to buy.
Boost Your Sales with a Promotional Popup
A promotional popup can be a powerful tool for increasing sales during sitewide sales or clearing out overstock. With Omnisend, you can easily create a popup and customize its display settings (Behaviour → Display) to show it at the right time. You can choose to show the popup based on page visits, time on the page, scroll depth, or exit intent. One button on the popup can link to the sale page, while the other one can be left empty to close the form.
In addition, you can schedule the form to appear at a convenient time for you. You can always show the form, select a start date, select an end date, or choose both a start and end date. By scheduling the form, you can ensure that it is only shown during the specified period, making it a great option for timed marketing campaigns.
With this simple tool, you can boost your sales and improve your marketing efforts.
Grow Revenue with Targeted Upsell and Cross-Sell Popups
Upselling and cross-selling is a great way to increase your revenue, and targeting specific product pages can be an effective strategy. By showing a popup form recommending another product that complements the one the customer is already considering, you can encourage them to make an additional purchase.
To get started, identify which pages and products you want to target for upselling or cross-selling. For example, if a customer is viewing a particular product, you can show a popup recommending a related product or an accessory that goes well with it.
Create a cross-selling popup in Omnisend by choosing the Promotion links style in Forms Library → Cross-selling. Then you can add a product picture and link the button to your product. Once done, target your form to be shown on a specific page. Be sure to customize your popups to match your store's style and message, and consider offering a discount or promotion to incentivize customers to purchase.
By doing this, you increase your chances of making an additional sale and enhance the customer's experience by suggesting products that can add value to their original purchase.
Boost Subscriber Collection with Gamification using Wheel of Fortune
Gamifying your subscriber collection can be an effective way to increase engagement and collect more subscribers. With Omnisend's Wheel of Fortune item, you can add fun and excitement to your popups while incentivizing users to sign up for your mailing list.
Just drag and drop your Wheel of Fortune item into the form or use the Wheel of Fortune template from Templates Library. You can then set up the discounts you want to offer on the slices of the wheel. Once users spin the wheel and submit their information, they will be shown the discount they have won based on the slices.
You can also choose the "Use your own discount" option if you want to offer a single discount.
By adding gamification to your subscriber collection strategy, you can encourage more signups and create a sense of excitement and anticipation among your audience. Be sure to customize your discounts to align with your marketing goals, and consider adding other gamification elements to engage your audience further.
Offer Back-in-Stock Notifications for Out-of-Stock Products on Shopify
If your products go out of stock, you can use the Back-in-Stock feature to capture additional subscribers who might otherwise abandon your store. Please note that this feature is only available on Shopify.
Adding a Back-in-Stock form with targeting set to out-of-stock lets you collect both email and SMS subscribers. Depending on your preference, the form can be embedded or appear as a popup with a teaser. Once the form is submitted, customers will receive a notification when the product is back in stock.
Using the Back-in-Stock form can ensure consistent messaging to both prospects and existing customers, making it easier to manage your subscriber contacts. This feature is handy for you if you have a wide variety of SKUs and a loyal customer base, as it can serve as a customer support and retention tool.
Promote Your New Product with a Customized Launch Page
Creating a launch page for your new product is a great way to generate excitement and attract potential customers. Depending on your specific needs, you can use a promotion form type or a landing page.
If you choose to use a promotion form, navigate to Forms → Create form → Style → Promotion links → and pick a template that suits your needs. There are various templates available in the Forms library that you can customize.
On the other hand, if you want to build an entire page, you can use a landing page and customize it using our Items. By doing so, you can promote the benefits of your new product and collect a list of customers interested in getting early access.
Once you have created your launch page, you can share it on social media or send it in an email to reach a wider audience. You can effectively promote your new product and generate buzz using a launch page.
Driving Sales During the Holidays
Using seasonal offers in popup forms to entice customers during holidays and special occasions is a great idea. You can increase your conversion rates by providing exclusive discounts or limited-time offers.
Using templates for your popup forms can save you time and effort. Many templates are specifically designed for different occasions and seasons, such as Christmas, Valentine's Day, Easter sales, etc. You can choose a template that matches the theme of your promotion and customize it with your branding and message.
Scheduling your popup form is a helpful feature that can help you automate your marketing efforts. You can set a start and end date for your form, and it will appear and disappear automatically on your store. This means you won't have to remember to manually turn it on and off, and you can focus on other aspects of your business.
Final Tip 💡Improve Your Subscriber List Quality with Double Opt-In
Double opt-in is an effective way to keep your subscriber list clean and improve quality. By enabling it, you can ensure that no bad email addresses or spam bots appear in your Audience, that all email addresses are valid, and can receive your campaigns and automated emails.
One of the main benefits of using double opt-in is that it protects against spam bots, email scams, and fake subscribers, which can lower the quality of your list. It also assures you that you have a valid email address and a record of the subscriber's consent. Depending on your country's regulations, double opt-in may even be mandatory.
Another significant benefit of double opt-in is that it can lead to higher open rates, lower bounce rates, and lower unsubscribe rates due to having a higher-quality subscriber list. There are no additional costs to enabling double opt-in; confirmation emails are not counted towards your monthly email credit limit.
Enabling double opt-in is easy and can be done in the setup process of your signup forms. Although it is optional on Omnisend, it is strongly suggested that you use it to maintain the quality of your subscriber list. To turn on double opt-in, go to Behaviour settings → Audience management → Enable double opt-in.
It's significant to regularly test and optimize your signup forms to ensure they are user-friendly, visually appealing, and mobile-responsive. By doing so, you can improve the user experience, increase engagement, and ultimately grow your customer base.