As a marketer, it’s a journey you create. It’s a journey you can tweak and optimize to grow your email list.
And it’s a journey we’re going to take today. From signup to greeting, we’ll dive into what it takes to create an effective signup form and how to greet each new subscriber with the perfect welcome message.
So let’s start at the beginning…
The signup form: converting website visitors into subscribers
One of the most effective ways to grow your email list is to convert website visitors into subscribers. And the best way to do that is with an effective signup form.
With signup form builders like Poptin , it's easy to create a variety of forms that can be customized to your brand and website. You can choose where they are placed on your webpage and how they appear.
These are the nigeria phone number library two most common types of registration forms:
Embedded signup form – These are permanently located on a web page, usually in the footer or sidebar. They can also exist as standalone landing pages.
Pop-up forms – These appear on your website after a set period of time. Or they can be triggered by visitor activity. Exit-intent pop-ups are a great example. When website visitors leave the page, the sign-up form appears.
In most cases, it's beneficial to use both. Place an embedded signup form on your key landing pages: homepage, contact page, etc. And use pop-up forms to grab attention at critical moments. For example, after a visitor has read a certain amount of an article.
Whichever type of signup form you choose, there are some psychological tactics you can use to get more people to convert.
Using psychology in registration forms
In 1984, Robert Cialdini wrote a book called Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. It was based on observations Cialdini made during training at used car dealerships, fundraising organizations, and telemarketing companies. During these three years he spent “undercover,” he defined the six key principles that influence people to say yes:
Reciprocity – giving something to receive something in return
Commitment and consistency – Get people to commit to something and they will stay consistent with that first commitment.
Social proof – people are influenced by the actions and opinions of others
Authority – People tend to obey orders from anyone in a position of authority.
liking – The more you like someone, the more they will convince you
Scarcity – the less there is of something, the more you want it
More than three decades after the book was published, these principles remain fundamental to a successful marketing campaign. And they can be used to tremendous effect on a sign-up form.
Let's take a look at some examples.
1: Content Marketing Institute
Image source: Content Marketing Institute
Image source: Content Marketing Institute
There are a few tactics employed here. First, there's social proof, with the headline "Join over 200,000 of your peers!" This tells website visitors that they'll be joining a large group of people. But not just any old person - "your peers."
People with similar interests and backgrounds. People you are likely to respect and be influenced by.
This clever phrase taps into the human need to belong. And it also creates a sense of FOMO: do you want to miss out on what 200,000 other people just like you have already joined?
Reciprocity is used here as well. CMI is offering a free eBook in exchange for a contact name and email. It is free, exclusive content that is “pushing content marketing forward.” So not only is it highly relevant to the brand and what most website visitors will likely be interested in, but it is also something you won’t find anywhere else.
This signup bar integrated into Backlinko’s homepage takes up the top two-thirds of the page. You can’t miss it!
If that wasn’t enough to get people’s attention, then the power of persuasion will be. In exchange for an email address, visitors will receive SEO tips that Brian Dean (the founder of Backlinko) ONLY shares with email subscribers. This act of reciprocity makes people feel special, especially with the use of the word “exclusive.”
By including a quote from a happy email, the subscriber provides social proof. And the large image of Brian himself does two things: it suggests authority and likability.
As?
Well, the arms crossed over his chest show confidence while his smile makes him seem more personable. Including a picture also makes the transaction more human. As if you were hearing from a real person when you signed up.
All of this combined improves the chances of converting a website visitor into a subscriber.
Example #3: Natasha's kitchen
Image source: Natasha's Kitchen.
Image source: Natasha's kitchen
Giving away freebies is a popular way to attract subscribers to an email list. And in this example, the freebie is a series of cooking secrets via email in exchange for contact information.
There's a good deal of likeability in the form of Natasha's image. It's wholesome and homely, she smiles with perfect teeth and looks straight at you. What's not to like?
The phrases used are also based on the self-image of the target demographic. If you are on this website looking for a recipe, you probably like to cook. And it is not a stretch to imagine that you might want to “be a better cook” or “unleash the chef within you.”
For visitors who relate their self-image to their culinary skills, they would be willing to make this small commitment (register) to be consistent with that image they have of themselves.
And instead of simply hitting the “submit” or “sign up” button, visitors make it clear that “YES, I WANT THIS.” A bold move to improve.
Takeaway Tips for a High Converting Signup Form
Now that we've seen some examples, here's a summary of tactics you can use to improve the performance of your signup forms:
Make your signup form easy to find: Embed a form on your key landing pages, ideally above the fold or in a prominent sidebar.
Use pop-up forms to capture attention: Use exit-intent pop-ups , lightboxes, and slide-ins to request contact details when website visitors interact with your content or show signs of leaving the page.
Influence website visitors with the power of persuasion: combine some of Cialdini's six key principles to persuade more people to sign up.
Experiment with your CTA: “Sign up” is clear and concise, but test different CTAs to entice potential subscribers to take action.
An effective signup form is essential if you want to grow your email list. But you're not limited to just one. And you're certainly not limited to the same form all the time. You can use different signup forms on different pages to send more relevant messages. And drive higher conversions.
But that’s just the first part of the journey. Now that you’ve designed the perfect signup form and visitors are converting into subscribers, what happens next?
You send a spectacular welcome email, that's it.
The Welcome Email: Greeting New Subscribers
First things first: you need a welcome email. Every mailing list should have one. If you're asking people to sign up for your newsletter, the least you can do is say hello to them when they do.
Subscribers who receive a welcome email have been shown to be more engaged than those who don’t. 33% more engaged , in fact.
And a whopping three-quarters of consumers expect to receive a welcome email when they sign up.
The 48 hours after a website visitor registers are the most engaged they will be with your brand. Therefore, not messaging them during this time is a huge wasted opportunity.
But in addition to increased engagement, a welcome email can also help improve your email deliverability.
Customers are more likely to open your welcome email than any other marketing email. This interaction tells inbox providers that your emails are trusted and wanted. This means that they increase your chances of future emails reaching the inbox.
And if you tell new subscribers to expect a welcome email when they sign up, they'll know to check their spam folder if it's not in their inbox. This is your chance to mark their emails as "not spam" and, again, improve the success of your future campaigns.
That's why, now let's look at how.
How to Write an Effective Welcome Email
Break down the anatomy of a successful welcome email and you'll find that they all have these five things in common:
Include customization
Show your appreciation
Explain the benefits
Set expectations
Be clear about your goal
Let's take a look at each of these in more detail.
Include customization
According to research, 82% of marketers report an increase in open rates through email personalization. And if you collect names on your signup forms, it’s easy to add a touch of personalization to your welcome email.
Simply insert a merge tag into your subject line and greet your new subscribers by name. Some trusted subject lines where you can use this tactic include:
Welcome to the [NAME] club!
It's good to have you on board, [NAME]
[NAME], thank you for signing up!
You can also include your subscriber's name in the body text of your email using merge tags.
Another way to personalize your welcome email is by creating different versions of the email for different subscribers. If you have multiple mailing lists and multiple signup forms, create a welcome email for each one. And tailor the message of those welcome emails to fit the journey each subscriber took to get on your mailing list.
