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 germany business email list 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 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: home page, 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.