Different audiences might be visiting your website daily, but are they returning? Sign-up forms are an effective way to retain web visitors and nurture customers through email marketing. Marketers without a sign-up form are relying on customers seeing your ad again or through your company popping into their head again, which isn’t the most effective marketing strategy. Additionally, not having a strong sign-up form will stop your email list from increasing, meaning it will be a challenge to generate the maximum revenue from email marketing.

What are sign-up forms?

Sign-up forms can be used as a pop-up, full-screen, fly-out or embedded form and they act as a powerful tool to convert casual website visitors into engaged and returning customers. Marketers that implement a sign-up form have the ability to collect contact and personal information. This can include email addresses, contact numbers, names, birthdays and product preferences. This allows for future communication using best practices for email marketing that supports their customer journey, builds brand loyalty, encourages repeat purchases and more.

Pop-up forms

These types of forms appear in the middle of the browser’s window, without taking up the entire screen. Usually, web visitors can still view the rest of their screen around the pop-up and can have the option to click away without interacting. Pop-ups are less disruptive than full-screen forms, but are similar through their eye-catching qualities. However, it’s important to note that too many pop-up forms or forms that pop-up at an inappropriate time can be extremely irritating for the web visitor. This can result in the customer leaving your website rather than converting – you don’t need email marketing tips to know that’s not ideal.

Full-screen forms

Unlike pop-up forms, full-screen forms must be interacted with in order to exit or for the visitor to submit their details. Full-screen forms fill the entire browser window and can earn the highest performance rates, due to its likeliness of being noticed. However, it’s notable that these types of forms are the most intrusive, and full-screen forms that lack simplicity can also be overlooked.

Fly-out forms

Typically, fly-out forms slide out on the edge of the browser’s window and are less intrusive than pop-up forms as they only appear on a small area of the screen. Although fly-out forms are noticeable, they tend to allow audiences to continue browsing without having to interact with them. 

Embedded forms

Embedded forms are by far the least intrusive sign-up form. They do not appear on the browser’s window as a result of an action. Instead, they are placed statically within a specific page of your website (often in a website’s footer). Embedded forms are the lowest-performing sign-up form as they are much less eye-catching and are often something visitors will have to seek out. However, it can be beneficial to have an embedded form for those who have the intention of subscribing.

Tip 💡- Consider using an embedded form alongside another form for maximum exposure. 

Overall, sign-up forms serve as a critical tool in the conversion process by facilitating initial contact, enabling personalisation, building trust, and nurturing new customers with ongoing communication. 

Need help converting web visitors into returning customers with sign-up forms? Here at MIRA we have a team of experts trained in email marketing and we’d love to chat! Get in touch with our digital marketing agency Newcastle today!