Imagine having direct communication with your website visitors—a highly engaged audience ready to hear from you.
That’s the power of solid leads. It’s the most reliable and profitable asset to have in your business.
But how do you build that list and turn visitors into subscribers?
That’s where opt-ins come in—they make it easy to grow your leads by encouraging people to sign up.
In this article, I’ll cover the following:
- What are opt-in forms?
- Types of opt-in forms
- Methods of collecting data with opt-ins
- What is consent in opt-ins?
- How to make your site ready for opt-ins?
- When to show opt-ins on your website?
- Where to place opt-ins on your website?
- How to choose the right tool to create your opt-in?
- How to overcome opt-in challenges?
Let’s begin!
What are Opt-in Forms?
An opt-in form is a simple sign-up form where people share their contact details (like their email) in exchange for something special.
Whether it’s a free eBook, a discount, exclusive content, or a helpful newsletter, they choose to access something that they can’t get without signing up.
Once they fill out the form, they’re essentially saying, “I’m happy to share my info because I want the cool stuff you’re offering!”
It’s a win-win: users get valuable rewards, and businesses get the chance to connect with them directly.
Key Features of an Opt-in Form:
- Email Fields: This is the most common field in an opt-in. Some opt-in forms may request additional information, such as name or phone number.
- CTA (Call to Action): This is a button that encourages you to do something, like “Sign Up Now” or “Get Your Free Gift.”
- Lead Magnets/Incentive: This is something special or free that makes people want to sign up. It could be a free trial, download, or exclusive content.
How Do Opt-ins Work?
Opt-ins are a way for businesses to get consent from individuals to receive communications or marketing materials. Here’s how they typically work:
- Offer: A business provides something of value (e.g., a free guide, newsletter, or discount).
- User submits info: The individual fills out a form with personal information (like name and email).
- Explicit Consent: The individual agrees to receive communications by checking a box or clicking a button.
- Confirmation (Optional): The business may send a confirmation email (often with a “double opt-in” step for validation).
- Storing data: The user’s information is stored securely in a local system or sent directly to an integrated email marketing tool.
- CRM Integration: One of the ultimate advantages of opt-in plugins is their ability to integrate seamlessly with email marketing platforms or CRM like Mailchimp, Kit (Formerly ConvertKit), or FluentCRM.
- Communication: The business sends content based on what the user agreed to receive.
- Unsubscribe anytime: Each communication includes an option to unsubscribe.
How Can It Benefit Your Website?
Here are some of the main benefits of using opt-ins effectively:
Establish a Direct Line to Your Audience: Opt-ins help you maintain direct communication with your visitors, so you can nurture your relationship with them over time.
Drive Traffic to Key Pages: You can direct visitors to your most important pages, like landing pages, product pages, or sales funnels. This helps drive traffic where you need it most.
Turn Visitors into Customers: Opt-ins let you target people who are already interested in your content. This makes it easier to convert them into loyal customers.
Promote Special Offers or Events: Opt-ins allow you to inform your subscribers about special deals, exclusive offers, or upcoming events. This direct communication helps to increase participation.
Stay Connected: Opt-in forms allow you to keep in touch with your audience even if they leave your website. Through newsletters and email campaigns, you can continue to nurture leads and share updates.
Types of Opt-in Forms?
Choosing the right types depends on your goals and the user experience you want to provide. Here are the common types:
Pop-up Forms
Pop-ups are one of the most effective ways to capture attention. They appear in front of the page content and often include a strong call to action. While some users find them disturbing, pop-ups can yield high conversion rates.
Slide-in Forms
These forms slide into view from the side of the screen as a small box. They are less intrusive than pop-ups but still grab attention.
Inline Forms
Inline forms are placed directly within your page content. These are typically used within blog posts or landing pages. Inline forms can feel more natural and less disruptive to the user experience.
Sticky Bars/Banner
Sticky bars appear at the top or bottom of the screen as users browse your website. They stay visible as visitors scroll to provide a persistent reminder to sign up.
Floating Forms
These forms float on the page, usually at the side. They don’t cover the content but remain visible to encourage sign-ups. It’s subtle but effective.
Exit-Intent Forms
These types of opt-in forms pop up when the visitor shows signs of leaving the page. This optin gives one last chance to capture leads.
Welcome Mats
A full-screen form that grabs attention as soon as someone lands on your site. It’s great for offering something valuable upfront (like a discount or free guide).
Methods of Collecting Data with Opt-ins
You can collect users’ information in two ways: single opt-in and double opt-in. Each method serves a unique purpose and helps achieve your goal.
Single Opt-in
The single opt-in is a quick process where users sign up with just one step.
It’s ideal for growing your email list fast but may lead to more fake or less engaged subscribers.
Double Opt-in
Double opt-in requires users to confirm their subscription through an email confirmation. It ensures higher-quality subscribers who are genuinely interested in your content.
This may take longer to build your list, but helps improve engagement and reduces spam.
What is Consent in Opt-ins?
Opt-in consent is when a person willingly shares their contact details, such as an email or phone number, to receive marketing messages.
For opt-in consent to be valid, it needs to meet a few simple rules:
- Freely Given: It has to be their choice—no pressure or trickery.
- Clear and Transparent: The person should know exactly what they’re agreeing to (like receiving marketing emails or joining a newsletter).
- Specific: The consent should be for a clear reason, like signing up for updates or a service.
- Unambiguous: Their action, such as clicking “Subscribe” or ticking a box that says “Yes, send me updates,” should clearly show they are agreeing.
This kind of consent is often required by data protection laws like the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) to ensure that individuals have control over their personal information.
What Are the Unacceptable Forms of Consent?
Consent should always be clear, explicit, and freely given. Here are some unacceptable forms of consent:
Pre-Ticked Boxes: A checkbox for newsletters that’s already ticked when the page loads.
Contacts from Purchased, Rented, or Borrowed Lists: Contacts obtained from third parties (even if they claim to have consented) do not meet valid opt-in standards.
Vague Consent Requests: A form that says “By signing up, you agree to our terms” without saying or providing links to what those terms are.
Contacts from Other Brands’ Forms: If someone filled out a form on another company’s website, that doesn’t mean they’ve opted in to receive emails from your company.
No Easy Way to Unsubscribe: Emails without an unsubscribe link or a complicated process to stop emails are a form of unacceptable consent. Users should be able to easily opt-out or unsubscribe whenever they want.
Someone Emails Directly to You: If someone emails your business directly, it doesn’t mean they’ve consented to bulk email marketing.
Membership: Being a member of an organization or group doesn’t automatically mean someone has consented to receive communications.
How to Make Your Site Ready for Opt-ins?
Here are a few signs that your website is in a good place to start using opt-in forms:
- If you have useful content, like blogs or videos, it’s time for opt-ins.
- A steady flow of visitors means you’re ready to collect leads.
- You Know what you want to achieve, like growing your email list or increasing sales.
- Your website should easily accommodate opt-in forms without disrupting the user experience.
When to Show Opt-ins on Your Website?
Knowing when to use opt-ins on your WordPress website is crucial. Below, we’ll explore key moments when opt-ins can be most effective.
During Promotions or Product Launches
An opt-in form placed at the right moment can encourage your visitors to act quickly. If you’re running a special promotion or launching a new product, opt-in forms can be a great way to get more people involved.
For example, if you’re offering a limited-time discount or a pre-sale opportunity, give the chance to subscribe for early access, special discounts, or notifications.
When Offering Free Resources or Lead Magnets
Lead magnets are valuable resources that you offer for free in exchange for a visitor’s email address. Examples include:
- Ebooks
- Whitepapers
- Checklists
- Webinars
- Templates
- Free courses
Opt-in forms work best when you have something genuinely valuable to offer. Your audience will be more likely to share their email addresses to access the resource.
To Capture Exiting Visitors (Exit-intent Opt-ins)
One of the most powerful ways to use opt-ins is when visitors are about to leave your site.
Exit-intent pop-ups are designed to appear when a user moves their cursor toward the top of the page, typically signaling an intent to leave the site.
This is the perfect moment to capture their attention and ask them to opt in for something valuable.
When Users Spend Significant Time on Your Site
Another key moment to use an opt-in form is when visitors have spent a certain amount of time browsing your website.
The idea here is that the more time someone spends on your site, the more likely they are to be interested in your content or products.
For instance, if a visitor reads multiple blog posts or checks out several product pages, it’s a good opportunity to offer them a way to stay updated.
Where to Place Opt-ins on Your Website?
The right strategic placement can significantly improve the chances of conversion. Here are the key places to display opt-ins:
- Top of the Page (Header or Hero): Display forms at the top so visitors see them right away. Use clear calls to action like “Get Your Free eBook.”
- Blog Posts and Landing Pages: Add forms at the end or middle of blog posts to capture interest as they’re already invested in your content.
- Pop-ups Triggered by User Actions: Use pop-ups that appear when a user scrolls or tries to leave the page.
- Footer and Sidebar: Place forms in the footer or sidebar for a subtle and non-intrusive option.
- Checkout Pages: Capture leads from engaged customers at the point of purchase.
How to Choose the Right Tool to Create Your Opt-in?
You must use a plugin to create amazing opt-in forms. When choosing a plugin, it’s essential to consider some factors. Here’s a simplified guide for selecting the right opt-in plugin.
Essential Features to Look For:
- Easy and Quick Creation: Look for a plugin that has a simple drag-and-drop creation process like Canva.
- Unlimited Templates: Plugins with lots of premade templates help you a lot to generate ideas and build your opt-ins fast.
- Advanced Customization: Pick a plugin that lets advanced customization for opt-in forms.
- Cost-Effective: The plugin should be cost-effective. This means maximum results with minimum cost.
- Targeting: Choose a plugin that lets you show opt-ins based on various user behaviors (like exit intent or time spent on a page).
- Analytics: Ensure the plugin helps you track performance (how many people signed up and more).
- Outstanding Support: Look for a plugin that offers good customer support if you run into issues.
- Email Integrations: Ensure the plugin works well with email marketing services (e.g., Mailchimp, ConvertKit).
- Mobile-Friendly: Your opt-ins should work well on phones and tablets. So, the plugin should support responsiveness.
It’s rare to find all of these features in a single plugin, but luckily, there’s a fantastic option called WowOptin.
How to Overcome Opt-in Challenges?
There are a few problems that make it harder to get people to sign up. Let’s look at some common challenges and simple ways to fix them.
People Don’t Want to Sign Up (Low Engagement)
Sometimes visitors don’t want to give their email addresses because they don’t know if it’s worth it.
They might also find pop-ups annoying or just ignore them. This is called “low engagement” when people don’t sign up.
Low engagement can also occur if visitors don’t see an immediate benefit from subscribing.
To overcome:
Offer something visitors really want. They’ll be more likely to sign up, if they get something useful.
It could be a free eBook, a helpful guide, or a special discount.
Communicate how you will use their information. Reassure them that you won’t spam them and that they can unsubscribe at any time.
Opt-ins Aren’t Working as Well as Expected (Low Conversion)
Many times opt-in forms don’t convert well due to:
- Poor design
- Bad placement
- Inappropriate timing or
- Not meeting the audience’s needs.
Experiment and Improve:
As mentioned earlier, try placing opt-ins above the fold or within blog posts, and experiment with their timing.
Use exit-intent pop-ups that only appear when a visitor is about to leave the page.
Even they would be more effective if triggered by certain actions.
- Like scrolling halfway down the page or
- Clicking on a specific link.
Show opt-ins after the user has spent some time browsing., not as soon as someone arrives on your site.
Try different types of opt-in forms to see which one works best for your audience. Consider testing different designs, call-to-action text, and offers.
Small changes, like adjusting the wording or button color, can make a big difference.
Not Using Analytics to Optimize Results
Another challenge is not taking full advantage of the data and analytics available. Without tracking performance, it’s difficult to know what’s working and what isn’t.
To overcome this:
Use opt-in form plugins that come with built-in analytics features.
Track key metrics such as the conversion rate, how many people see the opt-in form, and how many actually subscribe.
With this data, you can identify patterns and areas for improvement. For instance, if you find that your pop-up is being displayed too often but isn’t converting well, it might be a sign to adjust its frequency or trigger settings.
Solving these problems gets more people to sign up through your opt-in forms.
Summing Up!
A good opt-in form can make a big difference. They are super important for any website aiming to build a strong and engaged audience.
If you use opt-ins the right way—by offering something valuable at the right time and in the right place—you’ll see more people signing up.
And don’t worry if you’re just starting out! With the right tools like WowOptin and a little practice, you can easily set up forms that work.
So, take your time, try different placements, designs, and timing, and you’ll start seeing great results with your opt-ins!
