This is Inbox Hacking, a free newsletter with Email Marketing insights, tools, & tactics sent twice per week. Join marketers from the NBA, Stanford University, & BASF, and sign up for a Free subscription. Today’s feature compares how big brands are utilizing online sign-up forms so you can increase conversions.
Labor Day’s this Monday, Inbox Hackers. Not too late to use a holiday campaign.
Not too late to improve your online sign-up forms either. Our feature reveals a side-by-side comparison of 6 brands to show you where their forms shine and stumble. Let’s dig in…
Quick Insights for Higher Conversion Rates
⚡58% of consumers respond positively to ads/forms personalized to their interests/behaviors
⚡The highest conversion rates happen with forms using just 2 form fields (Drip.com)
⚡ The average web form only converts about 2% of visitors
Form Comparison 1: Constant Contact versus Form Assembly
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Constant Contact gets points for giving viewers 2 options (webinar or free trial), form is always visible during scrolling, CTA is a specific benefit to viewer. Loses points for colors not matching on linked pages.
Form Assembly uses a chatbot versus pop-up form. Points for 3 pre-populated options— keeps viewers from having to type a choice, and they ask for email address quickly. Loses points for putting the X at top right (muscle memory makes us automatically close the form/chat screen).
Winner Constant Contact.
Form Comparison 2: Litmus versus Search Engine Journal
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Litmus uses Chatbot (home page). Points for 3 pre-populated options and makes it easy to say no (low pressure). Also, prevents automatically closing chat (X is on bottom right).
Search Engine Journal entices viewers with 2 specific benefits of their webinar, uses AI buzzword, button is 3D (see this hack on 3D), & the linked landing page exactly matches the form’s design.
Winner by a nose – Search Engine Journal
Form Comparison 3: Publift versus Buzz Sumo
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Publift gets points for targeting me with USA case studies, take “me” there button, but loses points for the linked page having no case studies at the top… they were halfway down the page!
BuzzSumo uses a small pop-up on blog page for a free trial. Points for using the word “free” and a concise compelling one-liner to entice clicks. Deduct points for putting no, no, no in my head… just before the CTA for free trial. The nos were benefits (no credit card, no obligation, no commitment) but readers often misunderstand negative copy, so getting readers to say “yes, yes, yes” before the CTA could be smarter. And those 3 benefits? Are really just 2 (commitment & obligation are the same thing!).
Winner BuzzSumo
Higher Conversion Rates Wrap-up
You can learn a ton from other brands’ forms, sign-ups, ads, and calls-to-action.
Best to test and tweak constantly because there is no 100% sound advice that works forever. And remember, if you only increase conversions by one or two percent… that will make a big impact over the next year.
*I don’t suggest making it hard for people to close out your pop-ups. But the top-right X is toooo easy. Make it clear how to exit but avoid muscle memory reducing your conversions.
Have Subscribers Stopped Opening Your Emails?
It’s not you, it’s them. Subscribers have a lot going on. And a lot of incoming email!
Over time, it gets harder and harder to keep subscribers engaged.
Inbox Mailers figured out the best way to re-engage inactive subscribers. Emails triggered while readers are opening other emails.
We proved this re-engagement worked consistently through billions of email sends. Subscribers are more likely to open an email that’s triggered while they are actively opening other emails.
If your subscribers have stopped opening your emails or your engagement is slumping, schedule a free demo of Inbox Mailers. You’ll see how to re-engage your list, lift open rates, and improve deliverability.
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Knowledge Base
💪Knowledge is power, but first, monkey K9 playtime.
How do your campaigns stack up vs Litmus’ August favs?
👩⚖️Advertising lawyer explains CAN SPAM compliance
See if these LinkedIn changes affect your brand
🤑Outside-the-box email strategies (for finance industry)
Tips→ competing for inbox eyeballs during peak email season
🦄When your CTA button inspo runs out
Are people babies or are workplace emails passive-aggressive?
Follow Inbox Mailers…
Self Help
Bags of useless rocks are heavy. Cumbersome. Not very stylish to carry around.
Weird how we not only keep them handy. But go out of our way to circle back and pick ’em up. Sometimes we even pay good money for stuff that weighs us down!
‘Weird’ is too kind. It’s idiotic. Why do we do that?
* Inbox Hackers Shout-out:
📢Andy at Binghamton University
📢Kim at Designs for Health
Facts and Stats
- The top-performing 10% of forms produced a 42.35% conversion rate (OptiMonk)
- Segmentation strategies can increase revenue by up to 760% (Validity)
- Conversational pop-ups had higher conversion rates vs full-page pop-ups 20% vs 14.4%
- 23% of workers said passive-aggressiveness has played a role in their decision to quit a job (Preply)
Bonus: ____% of B2B buyers say they do not fill out online forms. Answer is 97% (6Sense)
Not Good Enough Anymore
Solid subject lines alone won’t always get your emails opened.
Because subscriber inboxes have 33 other emails with solid subject lines too.
Why should they choose your email?
Aha! Having time to read yours makes all the difference.
Inbox Mailers triggers your emails when subscribers are actively making time to read emails.
*sponsored→ thanks for supporting
Get Hacking
Why are marketers terrified to send email campaigns on weekends? Especially B2B?
It makes no sense when our biggest challenge is crowded inboxes. Weekend inboxes are not crowded! 🛎🛎🛎
So test weekend sends. Easy test→ Resend campaigns to those who did not open M-F.
Please forward Inbox Hacking to your email marketing peeps. Next to having kids, it will be the best thing that ever happens to them🤩.
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