Last week, we announced that Atom mobile app users can now customize their mobile sign up form with their logo, background color, text and more. The possibilities are nearly endless, and customizing your sign up form is just plain fun. But did you know that a great-looking sign up form can do big things for growing your business too?
Why bother customizing your sign up form?
People love visuals – 90 percent of the information transmitted to our brains is visual. A great-looking, branded sign up form will do a better job communicating the value of your business and help you get more email subscribers. That’s why creating a sign up form is such an important first step in getting started with email marketing!
Whether you’re creating your first or your fiftieth form, there are a few best practices you should keep in mind if you want to attract more subscribers. Here are four tips for creating a brilliant- looking sign up form that gets real results.
It sounds like a no-brainer, but it’s worth saying: every business communication you make, from your website to your email signature to your sign up form, should reflect your brand.
Consistent branding looks professional and builds trust with people who don’t know very much about you. If you’re just getting started, choose elements in your form that best reflect who you are. If you have an established look and feel, stick with it.
Check out this pop-up form from Tiny Designer.
Sometimes, pop-up forms can be intrusive if they’re not done correctly, but this one doesn’t feel intrusive at all. So what is Tiny Designer doing right? For starters, all of the colors, styles and fonts you see on this form also appear on their website, so the form feels like a natural part of the user’s experience. They even include the cartoon characters that appear on the website, making the form feel fun and friendly.
Learn more about building your brand.
In the wise words of Peep Laja at Conversion XL, “No one wants to be the only idiot filling [out] your stupid sign up form.” So if you have the social proof, use it! Social proof makes people feel good about signing up for your list. It gives them confidence that you’re not a spammer and that they’re making the right choice.
This sign up form from LeadPages sits on top of their blog and is visible no matter which blog post a visitor clicks.
They have plenty of social proof – 140,000 subscribers is a lot of people! If you don’t have an impressive subscriber list already, skip the social proof until you have it. In the meantime, you can include details about what subscribers can expect to see in their inbox from you.
Tell people what they’ll get.
… and how often they’ll get it! ContentVerve tested two forms – one with no description of what subscribers would receive and one that included a description. The form that told subscribers what they’d get saw 83.75 percent more sign ups than the form with no description.
Use your headline and description to tell people exactly what they can expect in their inbox. To really rake in those sign ups, include an incentive offer. It doesn’t have to be anything crazy – an exclusive discount like Gypsy Warrior offers will do just fine.
Want some extra credit? Create a dedicated subscribe page that goes into even more detail about why people should sign up for your list. You can share this page across social whenever you want to give your list a boost. Check out how The Expert Vagabond does it.
Seven reasons to subscribe, blatant flattery (“Subscribers are smart & hot”) and a free ebook? I’m sold!
In one case study, using possessive language on a CTA button increased clicks by 90 percent. Phrases like “Send me updates!” or “Start my free trial” or “Download my free templates” help your soon-to-be subscribers connect with you.
Here’s an example of how Nerd Fitness uses possessive language on their CTA button.
You can also use your button text to remind people of what they’re getting. Social Triggers uses the button on their sign up form to remind people what they’re signing up for and reinforces that it’s free.
When it comes to your CTA text, you have very few characters to work with – make them count!
Try out one of these tips in a sign up form split test – here’s how to run quick and easy tests. The outcome will depend entirely on you and your audience, so don’t get discouraged if you’re not seeing the results you were looking for. Keep testing until you find a sign up form that works for you. Then test some more!
How do you customize your sign up form for better results? Share with us in the comments!
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I have to agree with just about everything on this page. The graphics in the optin boxes really make them pop!
Great article. Thanks for the useful info.
I’m glad you found this post useful, Mike!
I like this article. The information is useful. I will try to change my sign up form.