Opt-in pages are the best way to convert website visitors into email subscribers. But how can you create one that works well?
Today we are going to discuss:
- What is an opt-in page?
- What are the key elements of an opt-in page?
- What other elements can you add to an opt-in page?
We will also share 12 great opt-in page examples that you can draw inspiration from.
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What is an Opt-In Page?
An opt-in page is a type of landing page that is designed to get the potential customer to subscribe (opt-in) to your email list.
Traditionally, landing pages were solely focused on getting the visitor to take one specific action.
However, nowadays marketers tend to be less strict about this, which means that landing pages often include elements such as a navigation bar, various links, etc. This applies to opt-in pages as well.
Here are the 3 most popular types of opt-in pages:
#1: Homepage With a Feature Box
It’s a homepage that has an opt-in form at the top. This opt-in form is called a “feature box”.
You can think of it as a hybrid between the traditional homepage and a traditional landing page which allows you to get the best of both worlds.
Example: James Clear’s Homepage
Bestselling author James Clear uses this approach on his website:
#2: Squeeze Page
A squeeze page is the most basic type of landing page that features a headline, an opt-in form, and a call to action, plus a little bit of copy.
Squeeze pages can be homepages, separate pages on websites, pop-ups, or standalone landing pages.
Example: Jon Morrow’s “52 Headline Hacks” Opt-In Page
Jon Morrow, a popular blogger and a world-renowned writing coach, uses this squeeze page for his “52 Headline Hacks” lead magnet:
#3: “Sales Page” Style Opt-In Page
This is a more elaborate opt-in page that has the basic elements of a squeeze page but also features more advanced elements such as more copy, social proof, additional images, etc.
Example: Our “DotCom Secrets” Opt-In Page
We use a “sales page” style opt-in page for our “DotCom Secrets” lead magnet (visit the page and you’ll see the copy, the social proof, multiple calls to action, etc.):
What are the Key Elements of an Opt-In Page?
An opt-in page only has three key elements:
- A headline that conveys the main benefit of subscribing to your email list or downloading your lead magnet.
- An opt-in form that asks for the potential customer’s email address.
- A call to action that makes it clear to the potential customer what they need to do next.
It’s worth noting that 2-step opt-in pages that first ask you to click the call-to-action button and only then show you the opt-in form are becoming increasingly popular.
Anyway, let’s take a closer look at each of these three key elements of an opt-in page…
Headline
A headline should:
- Grab the potential customer’s attention.
- Explain what the potential customer will get out of subscribing to your email list or downloading your lead magnet.
It’s best to think about your opt-in page as the sales page for either your email list or your lead magnet. You need to sell the potential customer on it if you want them to give you their email address.
It all starts with a benefit-driven headline. How will subscribing to your email list or downloading your lead magnet make their life better?
Emphasize that in your headline!
Opt-In Form
The most basic opt-in form is one that only asks for the potential customer’s email address.
Of course, if you want to personalize your emails, you need to ask them for their name as well.
You can also ask for more information, such as the name of the company that they work for, their job title, their phone number, etc. This can help you generate qualified leads.
However, keep in mind that the more information you ask for, the less likely the potential customer will be to fill out that opt-in form. In other words, each additional form field will decrease the conversion rate.
Generally, their name and email address are all you need if you are selling low-touch products that don’t require a salesperson to close the sale.
Call to Action
Once you have presented your offer, you need to let the potential customer know what you want them to do next.
This is the purpose of call-to-action buttons. Note that the copy on them should be offer-specific: “Get Your FREE Weight-Loss Plan!”, “Get Amazing Deals Every Week!”, etc.
Ask yourself: what does the potential customer hope to get when they click that button? That’s what you should mention in its copy.
Avoid generic copy like “Sign Up”, “Subscribe”, “Join” and so on.
You might also want to experiment with the call-to-action button color. It can have a huge effect on the conversion rate!
Example: Performable’s Green CTA Button vs. Red CTA Button A/B Test
When Performable A/B tested a green call-to-action button against a red call-to-action button on their homepage, they didn’t expect to see much difference between them. But guess what?
The red button got 21% more clicks!
Ideally, your call-to-action button should stand out in the overall color scheme of your opt-in page so experiment with various contrasting colors until you find the one that works best.
What Other Elements Can You Add to Your Opt-In Page?
Once you’ve got the basics of your opt-in page covered, you can experiment with adding more advanced elements to it, such as:
- More copy. You can increase your conversion rate by putting more effort into persuading potential customers to subscribe to your email list or download your lead magnet. Just remember to continue emphasizing the benefits of doing so throughout your opt-in page copy.
- Social proof. Consider adding social proof to your opt-in page by mentioning relevant accomplishments, featuring endorsements from well-known people, and displaying “As Seen On” media badges. This can reassure the potential customer that subscribing to your email list or downloading your lead magnet is the right choice.
- Relevant images. A picture might not be worth a thousand words when it comes to opt-in pages but you can use images to support your copy and make it more persuasive.
Of course, there are more elements that you could add to your opt-in page but they are less important than the ones we just covered.
12 Opt-In Page Examples
Okay, so now that you know what elements you should include in your opt-in page, let’s take a look at some great opt-in page examples…
#1: Jon Morrow’s Smart Blogger Opt-In Page
Jon Morrow, the previously mentioned blogger and writing coach, uses this opt-in page as his Smart Blogger homepage:
And when you scroll down, you see a collection of their most popular posts:
This combination of:
- A squeeze page above the fold
- Links to popular content below the fold
…is an increasingly popular homepage design choice!
#2: Derek Halpern’s Social Triggers Opt-In Page
Derek Halpern, a popular blogger and an online marketing expert, uses this opt-in page as Social Triggers homepage. Pay attention to how his personality shines through!
Above the fold, he displays a feature box:
Below the fold, he offers helpful resources:
Then there’s a creative slideshow with the latest blog posts:
Then there’s some social proof:
Finally, at the very bottom of the page, there’s the footer that features the most important website navigation links:
#3: Derek Halpern’s Social Triggers Exit-Intent Pop-Up
Remember how we mentioned that squeeze pages can be displayed as pop-ups?
Well, it seems that the most popular type of pop-up is the exit-intent pop-up which is shown to the visitor when they are about to leave the website.
Its popularity makes sense given that it’s the safest option as far as pop-ups go.
After all, the potential customer has already decided to leave, so you aren’t risking anything by making one last-ditch attempt to get them to subscribe to your email list!
Take a look at this exit-intent pop-up that Derek Halpern uses on Social Triggers:
Note the button copy:
- “GIMME THE FREE EBOOK”
- “I REJECT THE FREE EBOOK”
The latter is a psychological trick that might make you stop and reconsider. Do you really want to “reject the free eBook”?
You can experiment with this approach on your own opt-in page. Just make sure that it doesn’t come across as manipulative.
People are generally okay with factual statements such as “I reject the free eBook” but they tend to see stuff like “I want to be fat”, “I want to be broke”, etc. as manipulative.
Just because someone doesn’t want to download your lead magnet doesn’t mean that they are giving up on their goals!
#4: Noah Kagan’s OK Dork Opt-In Page
Noah Kagan, the founder of AppSumo and Sumo, uses this opt-in page as his OK Dork homepage:
Noah is known for being a laid-back, down-to-earth guy, which is reflected in the way he presents himself on his opt-in page. This is another great example of letting your personality shine through.
Of course, it’s also important to exercise common sense and take your target audience into consideration. Otherwise, you might end up alienating potential customers.
Noah’s target audience is fellow entrepreneurs, a crowd that doesn’t take themselves too seriously. That’s why the casual vibe works so well!
#5: AppSumo Opt-In Page
And here’s the homepage of one of Noah’s businesses, AppSumo:
Note how compelling the headline is:
“You’re never paying full price for software again”.
And then there’s the subheadline that explains how it works:
“We’ll send you the hottest deals straight to your inbox so you’re always in on the best-kept software secrets.”
See how it makes you feel like you are about to join the cool kids that know all the “software secrets”?
And then there’s the call to action:
“Send Me Deals”.
Much more persuasive than “Join” or “Subscribe”, right?
#6: Brennan Dunn’s “Double Your Freelancing” Opt-In Page
Brennan Dunn teaches freelancers how to make more money on Double Your Freelancing. Take a look at his homepage:
The headline makes it clear what you should expect:
“‘Fluff-free’, straightforward advice on how to start or grow a freelancing business.”
The call to action indicates that there’s more than one lesson:
“Get Lesson #1 ->”
And the “As featured on” media badges serve as social proof and boost Brennan’s credibility.
The guy has been featured on Forbes, surely he must know what he’s talking about, right?
#7: Scott H. Young’s Opt-In Page
Scott H. Young is a popular personal development blogger.
He’s also the author of “Ultralearning”, a book about accelerated learning techniques.
Take a look at the opt-in page he uses as his homepage:
The headline makes it clear what Scott’s blog is all about:
“Ideas for learning, working, and living better.”
Note how Scott also mentions that he has been blogging since 2006. This boosts his credibility. He’s been at it for nearly two decades now!
Meanwhile, the “As Seen In” badges serve as social proof, giving him even more credibility.
#8: Taylor Pearson’s Opt-In Page
Taylor Pearson is an entrepreneur and the author of “The End of Jobs”.
He also has an email newsletter where he shares his thoughts on various business-related topics as well as interesting links that he has come across recently.
Here’s the opt-in page that he uses as his homepage on his website:
The headline summarizes Taylor’s main focus:
“How can you better invest your time and money in the face of uncertainty?”
Note how he shares a specific number as social proof to reassure you that his newsletter is worth your time:
“Over 36,104 founders, investors, business owners, and executives subscribe to my newsletter to get research-backed systems on how to make better decisions about investing their time and money.”
Sharing how many email subscribers you have can be a great idea provided that the number is at least somewhat impressive. Probably best to wait until it’s 1,000+.
#9: Content Mavericks’ Opt-In Page
Content Mavericks is an online education company that teaches people how to get more traffic with less content.
Take a look at their opt-in page:
The lesson here is that you don’t need a fancy opt-in page if you have an incredible lead magnet.
Who doesn’t want to know how Chris von Wilpert (the company’s founder) made $100,000 from one blog post with only $688.71 in ad spend? We sure do!
Also, note how he bolsters his credibility with a screenshot of a message from Noah Kagan, the previously mentioned founder of AppSumo and Sumo.
It’s probably safe to say that people in Content Mavericks’ target audience tend to be familiar with Noah and look up to him, which makes this piece of social proof especially powerful.
#10: Brian Dean’s “SEO That Works” Opt-In Page
Brian Dean is the founder of Backlinko and a world-renowned SEO expert.
He only opens enrollment to his flagship online course “SEO That Works” a few times a year. What can you do until then? Join the waiting list!
Take a look at this opt-in page that Brian uses as the homepage of the “SEO That Works” website:
The headline tells you what this course is about:
“Get Higher Rankings and More Traffic With a Step-by-Step Blueprint Created by Backlinko.”
Note that the opt-in page copy is short and to the point. It’s not salesy at all despite promoting an expensive info product.
In other words, Brian doesn’t seem to be trying hard to get you to join the waiting list. Why is that?
It’s because he is one of the most respected people in the SEO industry. Potential customers who visit the “SEO That Works” website already know him, trust him, and want to learn from him.
That’s the power of “selling without selling”!
#11: Matthew Hussey’s Get the Guy Opt-In Page
Matthew Hussey is one of the world’s leading dating coaches for women who have a YouTube channel with over 3 million subscribers.
Take a look at the homepage of his website Get the Guy:
Note that the Get the Guy feature box includes a video which makes sense given that Matthew has so much experience with this medium.
Moreover, due to the popularity of his YouTube channel, the odds are that someone who has decided to check out his website has already seen at least a few videos of his.
So continuing with the same medium makes the transition from a YouTube viewer to a website visitor to an email subscriber smoother.
Do you also feel comfortable in front of the camera? Then you might want to consider using video format to pitch your lead magnet!
#12: Nick Stephenson’s “$0 to $1K Per Month” Opt-In Page
Nick Stephenson is a bestselling author and a business coach. He teaches fellow writers how to market their books.
His “$0 to $1k Per Month” opt-in page is a great example of a “sales page” style opt-in page.
Above the fold, you see:
- A benefit-driven headline: “$0 to $1k Per Month: Author Marketing Training”.
- A benefit-driven subheadline: “Free Seven-Day Course: How to Build Your Author Business to $1k Per Month – And Beyond.”
- A quick description of what you will learn in this course.
Note how “$0 to $1k Per Month” is a great course title because it sets a goal that is both specific and achievable.
A broke writer who can’t sell any copies of their book is unlikely to be motivated by goals such as making $10k per month or six figures a year.
To someone who is struggling financially, that might seem like so much money that it might as well be a “gazillion dollars”. Completely unrealistic.
But a thousand bucks? Well, that seems doable.
Right below there’s a video:
And then there’s the first piece of social proof that comes in the form of a testimonial from a NYT bestselling author:
Below the testimonial there’s another quick description of the course:
Then there’s Nick’s bio which also serves as social proof.
Note how he mentions these two facts:
- “USA Today Bestselling Author”
- “Helped over 75,000 authors grow their careers and book sales”
This serves to reassure the potential customer that he knows what he’s talking about!
Then there’s another testimonial from a different NYT bestselling author. See how the “I rarely endorse anyone, ever, for much of anything” statement makes you more likely to trust it?
Below that testimonial there’s a breakdown of the course content:
And then there’s a section that introduces the bonus course that is followed by a call to action:
Nick then explains what is included in the course in more detail:
And below that, there’s the final call to action.
As you can see, Nick has put a ton of work into:
- His lead magnet
- His opt-in page
Will it pay off? We don’t know.
But given that the “$0 to $1k Per Month” lead magnet is super valuable to his target audience, we would wager that it will!
Converting Website Visitors into Email Subscribers is Just the First Step!
We hope that these opt-in page examples gave you some ideas for your own opt-in page.
But you need to remember that persuading a potential customer to give you their email address is just the first step.
You still need to convert that email subscriber into a paying customer and then into a repeat customer. But how can you do that?
This is where sales funnels come in:
A sales funnel is a system designed to convert visitors into leads, leads into customers and customers into repeat customers.
Building a sales funnel for your business is the best way to make the most out of the traffic that you are getting!
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