In order to capture email addresses, an opt-in form is required. This is a form that provides the means to sign up for your list. It can be as visually interesting or as simple as you’d like, though an eye-catching form will likely get more attention. There are many different types of opt-in forms including:
Pop-ups – This type of form shows up on your web page while your visitor is reading. It’s great for capturing the attention of your visitor but can also be distracting and annoying to some. It’s best to test this against a static form to determine which your audience prefers. Pop-ups, pop-ins, or pop-over forms can be set to fade after a specific amount of time or you can include a close feature so visitors can click the form to make it go away.
Headers & Footers – The more common of the two is the header opt-in form. It is positioned right below or even inside your header, so it’s often the first thing that your visitor sees. A footer form may be used in conjunction with a header form to give your visitor two opportunities to sign up.
Here is an example of a Header Opt in:
An example of a footer opt in:
Sidebar – In many cases you’ll see a sidebar opt-in form. This form is usually positioned on the right sidebar, at or near the top of the page. It’s been proven to be the most effective position for opt-in forms, however visitors do become accustomed to these tactics and they can sometimes fall flat. Test to see if the right or left sidebar works for you. Here is an example:
In-Text & Comment Forms – There are also forms that you can include within the body of your blog posts or articles. These are often best used with static opt-in forms positioned on your pages. This is because people may not read the entire blog post, which means they could miss the opt-in form. Another type of form to add onto your site is the ability to sign up people when they comment. This is typically done via a plugin that adds a simple checkbox to your comment form.
Regardless of your opt-in form position, you’ll also need to decide which information to ask for. Typically, you’ll see forms that ask for a first name and email, or perhaps just an email address. Occasionally you’ll see people asking other questions, such as “how did you hear about us” or both first and last names. While on the surface it might seem as if getting more information is better, it can also be one more hurdle for potential subscribers to jump, reducing your opt-in rates. Before asking for anything beyond the required email address, be sure to consider if you truly need that information at this time. It might not be worth the drop in sign ups.
