Sign-up forms: take another look

If we're going to talk about relationships in email marketing, then let's abuse the metaphor a little. The sign-up form is your flirtatious comment, the kind gesture, the body language that encourages someone to enter into a relationship with you (by submitting their email address).

So it better be good.

Otherwise you'll be left in the corner eating peanuts and reading CD covers while everyone else enjoys the email party.

Now there are many established "rules" for sign-up forms, part of what Loren McDonald calls GABPs or Generally Accepted Best Practices.

Problem is few of us follow them.

Perhaps because we designed the form when we first set out on the email marketing journey and then forgot about it.

Or we falsely assume people are desperate to sign up for our messages, regardless of how uninviting we make the prospect (a point covered eloquently by Melinda Krueger in this article).

Time then to take another look at your forms and ensure they tick all the right boxes on the best practice checklist:

• 10 tips for better sign-up forms
• Ten things you should have in your opt-in form

(Also take a peek at recent posts from Justin Premick and Tom O'Leary on sign-up form usability and increasing subscription rates.)

Consider also that relationships and trust need time to develop. You don't expect someone to tell you their innermost thoughts on a first date. There's a lesson there when you consider what information you require at sign-up.

Dylan Boyd has some thoughts on what data you ask for beyond the email address, and explains how you might be better off requesting that information later on in the relationship.

More on list building | Tags: email marketing, email list growth, email address acquisition, sign-up forms, subscription forms

Sign-up for the Email Marketing Reports NEWSLETTER
Twice a month, free, packed with email marketing advice and all the posts from this blog.

Email:      First Name:     
    More info and sample

 via feed | via email | LinkedIn | Facebook

The main website for everything email marketing
Email marketing search engine
Introduction and email advertising basics
Service listings and sources of statistics
Advice on email design and delivery issues

Top 21 email marketing info sources
Outlook 2007 and HTML design
Events and webinar roundup