Opt- in forms are a great way to capture website visitor information. One of the main reasons we want that information is to provide them with interesting content, to further enhance our relationship with them. But, in order to do that, we need to collect their name and email address… and this is where the opt-in form comes in handy.
The dilemma though, is where do you put that opt-in form? You want to encourage sign-ups, so you want it to catch their attention, however you don’t want to annoy your visitors either. So where can you put your opt-in form?
#1: In your sidebar
This is the most obvious starting point for most site owners – and proves a popular choice, for both site owners and visitors.
#2: On their own page
Dedicating an entire page to your opt-in is a good move to make. It allows you to go into further detail as to why your website visitors may want to provide their name and email address. It means you can also discretely add the page to your website navigation bar too.
#3: Under your posts
This is an often overlooked area for opt-in forms. If a website visitor has spent the time reading your blog post, they are more likely to want more information on that subject. This can also be in the form as a ‘feature box’.
#4: In the footer of your page
This works on the same principle as the option above. If visitors have spent the time to scroll through your content to the bottom of your page, there’s a high chance they’d like to receive more information.
#5: A ribbon across the top of your page
This option works well because it is right across the top of the page – it’s the first thing visitors will see.
#6: In a pop-up
There are several options when it comes to pop-ups. You can have a lightbox pop-up, one that slides in (from the top, bottom or side) or floating panels.
#7: On your About page
This is another often overlooked place for opt-in forms, as they tend to have ‘contact us’ as the call to action. You can however, also add your opt-in form as another option, rather than risk having your visitor leave without completing any call to action.
The important thing to remember with your opt-in forms, regardless of where you place them, is to extensively test them. This is particularly easy if you use the Thrive leads plugin or similar. Look to test only a couple of options at a time and, once you know which is the best for you, test that against another.
[bctt tweet=”Test Your Optin boxes”]
Testing them will ensure you end up only with those that are most effective for you, as opposed to bombarding and annoying your visitors.
How do you currently use opt-in forms? Have you established which ones work for you or have you decided which one you’ll start testing first? If you’d like an easy way to create and test the different types of opt-in forms, we’re affiliates for Thrive Leads and totally recommend you check this cost-effective solution out!
Image courtesy Stuart Miles/DollarPhotoClub