14 Ways to Increase Your Opt-ins

An effective email marketing program is key to driving traffic and revenue on your site. But how and where do you inspire visitors to sign up for that email list?

1. Use “Lead Magnets” to Get People Excited About Signing up for Your Email List

Employ “lead magnets” to entice potential customers to sign up for your newsletter and/or promotions. These are special incentives that convince users to sign up for your list. For example, you might:

• Give away a free sample
• Offer a free gift
• Provide other types of content they’d normally have to pay for.

Think of it this way: People aren’t willing to give out personal information for nothing. You need to offer something valuable to convince them to sign up for your email list. The most effective method is to give something that’s useful, relevant, and exclusive.

Below is an example from Hello Fresh. By clicking the “Claim Offer” button, the shopper gets access to 16 free meals plus free shipping, and Hello Fresh captures a new email subscriber.

2. Use popup Opt-in Forms

Another way to increase your opt-ins is by using popup forms. You can add these to your website and set them up so that they appear on specific pages and/or at certain times. This will allow you to target the right audience, which means more conversions for you!

Be sure to offer an incentive for signing up, such as 20% off a first purchase. Popups are also great for growing your email list because it can be programmed to trigger immediately or after a certain amount of time on the page.

Below is an example from MeUndies. When the shopper initially visits the site, this popup immediately appears offering 15% off their first order after signing up with their email.

4. Add an Opt-in Bar on Your Homepage

Another idea to increase opt-ins is by adding an opt-in bar on your website’s homepage. This will make it incredibly easy for people to sign up, and they won’t need to search all over the page looking for a link or button that they can click on.

This opt-in bar should be prominently displayed, so it’s the first thing people see when they visit your site. If you’re using WordPress as a content management system (CMS), there are plugins available to help with this.

Below is an example from the technology company, Offline. A banner bar sits above the hero with a simple call to action – sign up with your email to be the first to know about updates.

5. Offer Something in Return

Offer something in return for new subscribers signing up. This could include discounts, free shipping, coupons, and other incentives that will convince people to give out their email address and sign up for your list.

Think about what it is you’re selling and how you can incentivize the customer – even if it’s not tangible. For example, you could offer helpful tips or strategies they wouldn’t otherwise have access to. People like getting an extra bonus just for signing up, so this approach can easily double your opt-in rate!

Below is a great example from Macy’s. When you land on their site, they immediately offer 25% off your next purchase by simply signing up for their promotional emails.

6. Make Exclusive Content Available Only to Subscribers

This is a great way to get people who are on the fence about signing up for your newsletter. They’ll want access to exclusive content and information that’s not available anywhere else, so they’re more likely to sign up.

There are tons of ways to do this. For example, you could offer a free eBook, a discount, or a look at your exclusive new arrivals for that season. Everyone loves to feel like a VIP, and it’s a great motivator for new subscribers.

Below is an example from Madewell. Madewell’s popup for opting in for their newsletter offers sneak peeks and exclusive access to new arrivals for the season, which also creates excitement and buzz among subscribers.

7. Integrate the Opt-in Form With a popup Chat

You can set up a popup chat that asks the visitor if they have any questions or want more information about your product/service and then direct them to an email opt-in form. This type of interactive messaging is becoming increasingly popular with eCommerce businesses because it allows the customer to get more personalized attention.

8. Use Facebook Retargeting Campaigns

Another idea to consider is utilizing Facebook retargeting campaigns. These will allow you to target people who have visited your site and offer them something exclusively available through these ads. This will incentivize them to visit your site and can help increase those opt-ins when they get there.

Below is an example from Zenefits. A sponsored ad to download an HR checklist acts as a lead magnet to gain more email address opt-ins after downloading.

Even if someone doesn’t sign up right away, retargeting campaigns keep your brand at the top of their mind, making them more likely to come back and eventually subscribe.

9. Place Subscribe Links on Key Pages of Your Website

Place subscribe links on key pages of your website. You want to make them visible on all the right pages so people don’t have to go out of their way to find them. For example, make them available on your Contact Us, About Us and/or FAQs pages.

10. Track Your Progress and Analyze the Results

This item is one OuterBox is passionate about. We highly recommend you track your progress and analyze the results of what you’ve changed. Use tools like Google Analytics to track how many people are visiting your site, what pages they visit, where they leave or click more, etc. Look for anything that could be standing in the way of users signing up. If things don’t work quite right the first time around, circle back to your data to find out why.

Source: @googleanalytics

11. Place Contextual Text Links Under Posts

Another good idea is to place contextual text links under posts so people know where they can get updates. For example, if someone reads about a beverage you sell, tell them about your email list right there while you have their attention.

12. Offer Incentive for Sharing Social Media Profiles and Pages

Here’s another great idea: Consider how to offer coupons or discounts in exchange for sharing and following your social media profiles and pages. This is a great way to get more opt-ins because it’s something that people will actually want to do.

13. Consider a Referral Program and Reward Your User

Consider offering a referral program. How does this work? Let’s say Bob signs up on your site for your newsletter. He then goes ahead and refers 10 other people who sign up, too – he’ll get rewarded for it, and you will, too.

Outdoor Voices referral program opt-in

14. Make Your Opt-in Forms Mobile-Friendly

Making your opt-in forms mobile-friendly is another way to increase the number of people who sign up on your site. This makes life easier for new subscribers since they can sign up anytime, anywhere. This option should be made readily available to people on all mobile devices.

Mobile friendly pop-up from Bombas.com

Ready to Move the Needle?

Now that you have some ideas on how to increase opt-ins, try implementing them into your site and see how they perform. But remember: Unless you track your results, you’ll be left guessing which changes are making the most impact, meaning you could be leaving valuable revenue on the table. Use Google Analytics or another tracking service to really see what’s going on – what’s working? Is there something that can be improved? If so, how? Track things like page views per visit, bounce rate and time spent per visit – these are some examples of things that will make a difference in your campaigns.

Rely on OuterBox for Online Marketing Solutions

We hope these tips helped you think about implementing opt-ins more effectively on your e-commerce site. If you need of a bit of help getting started or maturing your site, contact us for a free, personalized consultation on how to help you grow your e-commerce site.