Multi-step forms are a great tool for gathering more information about your subscribers without overwhelming them. By breaking down a sign-up form into two steps, you can increase conversion rates and collect more data about your audience.
This guide will explain the benefits of multi-step forms, how to create them and provide instructions on creating welcome automation for email and SMS subscribers. Whether you are an experienced marketer or just starting out, multi-step forms can be a useful tool for you. Let's dive in!
Contents
Before You Begin
You can create a multi-step form from a template or add an additional step to any existing form you have - whether it's a popup, landing page, or embedded form.
Multi-step forms are built from the same Items as any other forms, we will only dwell a little about them in this guide, but you can refer here for more info.
The first step of the form is an email opt-in, which is considered a separate signup. This means that views are only counted on the first step shown. If the first step is filled and closed, the second step will not be displayed.
The Wheel of Fortune feature cannot be added to the multi-step form.
Benefits of Using Multi-step Forms
Collect More Subscriber Data: With multi-step forms, you can collect more information about your subscribers without overwhelming them. Customers can fill in the first step, which usually only requires their email address, and then decide if they want to provide additional information such as their phone number, name, preferences, etc. This way, you can gather more data about your subscribers without asking for too much information upfront.
Higher Conversion Rates: Multi-step forms have been proven to increase conversion rates. By breaking down the form into two or more steps, customers are more likely to complete the form. They are also more likely to provide additional information in the second step if they have already committed to the first step. This leads to higher conversion rates and more subscribers.
Easy Collection of Phone Numbers and Emails: Collecting both phone numbers and emails is more accessible with multi-step forms. Customers don't have to provide both pieces of information simultaneously, which can be overwhelming. By collecting the email address in the first step, you can then encourage customers to provide their phone numbers in the second step. This way, you can gather both pieces of information without jeopardizing the email subscription, and customers still receive the discount.
Personalized Communication: With the additional information gathered from the second step, you can personalize your communication with subscribers. Knowing their name or preferences can help you create more targeted and effective email and SMS campaigns.
Setup Process
Omnisend allows you to create a multi-step signup form with ease. The process is similar to creating any other form but with the addition of an extra step to your signup process.
To create a multi-step form, start by building a form with one step. Go to the Forms tab → Create Form → Choose the template you like. The first step should be clear and straightforward and collect your customers' email addresses.
The second step can be used to collect additional information such as phone numbers, names, or preferences. To add a step, press the "+" button. To delete a step, click the "more" button → Delete.
We suggest encouraging subscribers to opt-in to SMS marketing in the second step. Make sure to collect consent for both channels to be legally compliant.
It's also a great idea to further personalize your communication by collecting additional profile information in the second step. However, remember that too many fields in the second step might discourage customers from entering information.
Here are some suggestions on the information you can request alongside the phone number. This data can be gathered with additional items added to the second step like Input, Dropdown, Date, Radiobutton, and Checkbox.
Address: If you have an ecommerce store or provide services that require a physical location, you can ask for the user's address;
Preferences: You could ask the person about their preferences related to your product or service, such as their preferred color, style, or size. This can help you personalize your communications and provide a better customer experience.
Referral source: You can ask the user how they found out about your store to help you determine which marketing channels are most effective;
Feedback: You can include a survey or feedback form (checkbox item) to collect user feedback;
Interests: You can ask the user about their interests to help you personalize your marketing messages;
Demographics: You can ask for the user's age, gender, or other demographic information to help you segment your audience and send targeted messages;
Company information: If you're running a B2B business, you may want to collect more information about the company of the person filling out the form, such as the company name, industry, size, or location;
Purchase intent: If you're selling a product, you could ask the person filling out the form about their purchase intent, such as when they plan to buy, what they're interested in purchasing, or their budget;
Event registration: If you're promoting an event, you could use the second step to collect more information about the person's registration, such as ticket type, dietary restrictions, or preferred session tracks.
💡Tip! You can also run a teaser for your multi-step form 💡
Once you enable the form and it collects subscribers, you can track your results in the Reports and Forms sections. The signup rate will reflect the number of subscribers who sign up in the first step of your form.
Please note, if a customer only submits their email in the multi-step form, this information will be saved right away as they move through the next step.
Welcome Automation for Multi-step Forms
When you have a multistep form in your store, you can capture more information about your visitors and potential customers. However, it's important to follow up with those contacts to keep them engaged and interested in your business.
One way to do this is by setting up welcome automation for contacts who come from a multistep form. Here's how to do it:
Go to Automation → New Workflow → select one of the Welcome emails presets.
The default trigger Sigup via Omnisend form will be pre-selected. It's important to keep the first delay at least 2 minutes because contact subscription to email will be registered right away, so make sure to give them time to subscribe to SMS as well.
Craft a personalized welcome message: Start your automation with a warm and friendly welcome message that acknowledges the information they provided in the multistep form. You can also include a call-to-action that encourages them to engage with your business, such as signing up for a newsletter or following your social media channels.
To keep your contacts engaged, offer them valuable content in your automation series. This can include educational resources, helpful tips, or exclusive discounts. By providing value, you can establish trust and credibility with your contacts.
Finally, it's important to test and optimize your automation series to ensure it's effective. You can monitor open rates, click-through rates, and conversions to see what's working and what's not. Based on the data, you can make adjustments to improve the performance of your welcome automation.
In conclusion, multi-step forms offer several benefits that can help you collect more subscriber data without overwhelming your customers. By breaking down the form into smaller steps, you can increase the completion rate and provide a better user experience.
With Omnisend, you can easily add a tag to your multi-step form and create welcome automation, which allows you to send targeted emails and SMS messages to your subscribers. Whether you want to offer a discount, ask for feedback, or collect additional information, multi-step forms can help you achieve your goals while providing value to your subscribers. Try it out and see how it can improve your email marketing strategy!
FAQ
If a customer enters their email, which is already subscribed (subscribed status in Omnisend Audience), and then enters their phone number (which they don't have in their profile), will they see a success message and receive a welcome email?
Yes, if the customer enters their email which is already subscribed, and then adds their phone number, they will see a success message confirming their subscription through the new channel. They will also receive a welcome email as long as the welcome automation doesn't have a frequency setting on.
