Things we love: Smart opt-in signup forms

How to make your email signup forms convert into happy subscribers

Every week, I sign up for a couple more email newsletters. (Yes, my inbox is starting to get really full. That’s a subject for another time.) And I’m always on the lookout for signup forms done well. This might strike you as odd, but the email opt-in signup form often foreshadows content to come.

If a company doesn’t give much thought to their opt-in signup form, it could mean that their emails will be similarly lacking. On the other hand, a company that’s taken time to give shape to the signup process is sure to care about reader experience every step of the way.

Take Social Fresh, for example. Their signup form is embedded in the sidebar of their homepage. It’s clean, simple and easy to find, without taking up too much real estate on the page. Best of all, it includes a Find out more info link to let you know what you’re signing up for. Giving subscribers a sneak peek before they commit is a lovely touch.

But the best bit comes after clicking subscribe: an email signup confirmation page that’s quirky and full of helpful — and strategically smart — information.

The email confirmation signup page includes:

• A link to past issues of the newsletter, so you can take advantage of all of the great content they’ve already created.
• A short explanation of the newsletter’s content and sending frequency. They’re setting subscriber expectations right off the bat.
• Solicitation for content ideas, including the hashtag you can use on Twitter when sending ideas. It’s a direct way of asking for feedback while reinforcing their social media presence.
• A link to their website’s RSS feed, if you’re interested in even more content from Social Fresh.
• And a picture of a really happy dog. You’ve just got to feel good about signing up for Social Fresh when you see that dog.

Create an experience for your new subscriber

While Social Fresh isn’t an Emma customer, you can still follow their lead, and create a signup process that’ll stick in the minds of your subscribers. Check out our simple email sign up form with step-by-step instructions. Consider customizing  the email form using Javascript if you’d like it to match your website’s look.

Pay attention to the “Thank You” screen that folks will see after clicking to sign up. Here you can create links to prior newsletters, provide information about your newsletter and tell folks where they can find you on Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites.

If you have any questions along the way, let us know. And if you run across particularly fabulous signup forms, share them here!  Share it with us at #emmatwitip – we’ll see you there!

+++++

Want more behind-the-scenes technical info? If you dig Python and open source, geek out with our engineers and developers over on our tech blog.

Take a look at Emma Tech today!