When it comes to digital marketing, social media platforms seem to get all the love. But while it might not be as flashy, email marketing remains one of the most powerful tools for your business when it needs to communicate directly with its audience.
Before you can use this powerful marketing medium, however, you need an audience. This is where a list of email subscribers comes in. These lists are made up of people who’ve given you permission to message them. It’s a vote of confidence in your brand and an invaluable opportunity for you to develop a new customer relationship.
So how do you convince someone to give you their (correct) email address? There are a number of viable strategies.
Let’s look at everything you need to know about how to collect emails for email marketing.
Why collect emails?
Before we get into how to capture email addresses from website visitors, it’s important to consider why you want to gain new subscribers in the first place.
To establish a direct line of communication with potential customers
Email marketing creates a direct link between you and your audience. When someone subscribes, you can ensure your message reaches them without interference from algorithms or third-party platforms.
Whether you want to announce a new product, share some testimonials of others who’ve enjoyed your product or service, or promote a flash sale, emails are a personal and effective way to communicate with potential customers.
To keep your audience informed and engaged
Marketing to a strong email list helps you keep your audience in the loop about your latest updates, promotions, and news. Regular newsletters and targeted emails keep your brand top-of-mind, ensuring your subscribers remain engaged and interested in what you have to offer.
Staying connected to potential subscribers by periodically offering valuable insights is a great way to keep your funnel filled with quality leads.
To send personalized offers
Marketing is most effective when the message relates, very specifically, to the recipient. This is known as personalization and email marketing is perfect for it. The most simple version of personalization is using a recipient’s first name in the subject line or email. A bit of a more advanced tactic is segmenting email messages to different lists based on broad criteria like age or gender.
Even better, though, is sending emails addressed to a subscriber’s first name that contains an offer for a specific product or category that the subscriber expressed interest in. Most WooCommerce email marketing extensions have this or a similar capability.
To yield a high return on investment
Because it costs relatively little to produce, and it reaches interested subscribers directly, the ROI of email marketing tends to be quite high. Some report it as high as 36:1.
This might not take into account the expense of attracting first-time subscribers or the time it will take a small business owner to learn the technical processes if they need to do it themselves.
However, it’s still clear that reaching interested consumers through email is well worth the effort and one of the most essential parts of the digital marketing mix for any size business. You just need to get subscribers and start your first campaign.
What to know from a legal and ethical standpoint
When learning how to collect email addresses, you need to consider a few ethical and legal conundrums.
The importance of user consent and transparency
You have to be honest with your target audience when collecting email addresses. Tell your target audience what you are doing and present them with opt-in forms so they can provide informed consent.
Avoid deceptive practices, such as pre-checking boxes or using vague language on email sign-up forms. These tactics can harm your credibility and even cause inbox providers to send your messages to spam — even for legitimate subscribers. Potential customers should be able to easily subscribe (and unsubscribe) from your email campaigns.
In general, just because you have an email address does not mean you should send it promotional messages. A person should give explicit consent and subscribe to your list.
Compliance with GDPR and the CAN-SPAM Act
The General Data Protection Regulation is a sweeping consumer privacy law in the European Union. It protects the data privacy rights of all EU citizens and can directly impact the way you gather email addresses.
If your company does business in the EU or targets EU consumers, familiarize yourself with the GDPR and adhere to its provisions.
If you do business in the U.S., you’ll need to be aware of the CAN-SPAM Act. Passed in 2003, the law protects consumers and businesses from unwanted electronic email messages. Failing to adhere to either law can lead to fines and other severe penalties.
Privacy policy and terms of service
Ensure your website includes a clear privacy policy and terms of service that outline how you collect, use, and protect personal information. Add details about how you collect email addresses and what you use them for.
Collecting email addresses is perfectly legal and ethically acceptable, provided you’re transparent about it and do your best to protect consumer information. In most cases, you can send transactional messages (order confirmations, password reset emails, etc.) without express permission, but promotional messages should only be sent with consent.
What is needed to collect emails from website visitors?
You’ll need the following to collect email addresses:
1. A website or landing page
Landing pages are web pages you create for a specific campaign or purpose. Users typically end up on a landing page after they click on an ad or other online CTA.
You should build a landing page for every specific campaign designed to collect email addresses. This allows you to hyper-focus the language, visuals, and CTA most impactful to your target audience. As a result, you can expect a much greater rate of success in attracting new subscribers.
This doesn’t mean you can’t also include a lead capture button or sign-up form on other areas of your website. You can, and should, put these in places people expect — in the footer, halfway through a blog post, in the sidebar, etc.
2. A compelling offer or lead magnet
Most people won’t give up their contact info just because you asked them to. It doesn’t matter how great your landing pages are, they probably aren’t going to opt-in unless you give them something of value in exchange for their email.
A lead magnet is a great way to incentivize visitors to sign up for your email list. Showcase your lead magnet on your landing page and let people know that they can access the resource for free in exchange for their email subscription. Common lead magnets include eBooks, webinars, and discount codes.
Though often not as strong, for the right entities, a lead magnet could be the promise of something in the future — early access to a Black Friday sale or exclusive content released on a regular basis.
And no matter what you offer, once a customer completes the sign-up form, send the lead magnet or some sort of follow up to their email address right away.
3. A form to capture emails
Your website or landing page should include a simple sign-up form where folks can input their email address. Make sure the form is easy to fill out without too much hassle. Don’t play twenty questions. Ask the basics so you can avoid annoying your visitors.
We suggest limiting your sign-up form to three or four fields, which can include the person’s first and last name, email address, and an opt-in checkbox. Don’t push your luck by asking for the person’s birthday, phone number, or other information unless absolutely necessary.
4. An email marketing tool or CRM
You’ll need a customer relationship management (CRM) system or email marketing tool to put all of those email addresses to use. Explore several options and find the platform that best supports your email marketing efforts.
5. A source of targeted traffic
Most importantly, you need a source of traffic. If you already have a strong flow of site visitors, then sure, you can add a sign-up form to a conspicuous location on your site.
But it’s not likely to generate a ton of new subscribers unless you have a good lead magnet to accompany it or a particularly eager audience.
Effective strategies to collect emails
After you’ve put the right infrastructure in place, you’re ready to start collecting new email subscribers. Here are some strategies to jumpstart your efforts:
Leverage gamification such as quizzes and surveys
Great marketing should never be boring. The best marketing campaigns and email capture strategies are fun and engaging.
Consider using interactive quizzes or surveys to gamify email collection. People may be more likely to share their contact information if you have quiz results or a prize dangling on the other side.
For instance, you could ask someone to complete a quick 3-5 question survey and offer an exclusive discount code after they submit their results. When they’re finished, thank them for participating and ask for their email address so you can send them their code. At that point, offer the opportunity to also subscribe to your email list — many will!
Implement a timed slide-in or pop-up
A timed pop-up triggers when a site visitor has spent a certain amount of time on your page. They’re a can’t-miss — so use the opportunity to promote your best lead magnet.
Slide-ins are another option. They perform the same task, but slide onto the visitor’s screen instead of popping up out of nowhere. They tend to take up less space and are often more mobile responsive than pop-ups.
You may also want to consider a pop-up that triggers when someone exhibits exit intent. When a visitor seems like they’re about to leave by clicking the “Back” button in their browser or closing the tab altogether, they’re met with a timely message.
Run contests or giveaways that require email entry
People love the chance to win a free prize. Create a truly valuable offer (bonus points if you can tie the prize back to your business in some way) and sensational graphics that demand attention.
This is what you might advertise in your pop-up or slide-in, but you can also promote the giveaway on social media and partner with influencers to get the contest in front of a highly-targeted audience.
Social media platforms are some of the best mediums for these kinds of promotions. Just be sure to send traffic to your site and collect entries through a simple form. When registering for the giveaway, ask people to subscribe to receive special updates and deals through email.
Collect email addresses through webinars and event registrations
Networking events are a great opportunity to gather email addresses. You can host digital meetings or webinars and require users to provide their email during the registration process. This approach is great if you operate in the business-to-business space or have an audience of professionals.
Make sure to record the webinar. You can recycle this lead magnet again and again to keep capturing emails with little extra work.
Capture emails through live chat sessions
If you have live chat on your site, encourage visitors to provide their email address for customer service follow-up and ask if they’re interested in receiving special offers after the chat ends. Make sure your chatbot is programmed to ask this automatically.
Tips to make the most of your email collection efforts
Once you know how you want to collect the emails — through a contest, hosting a webinar, or something else — you can work to optimize your efforts for the best results.
1. Build a clear value proposition
Ask yourself, “Would I give out my email address after visiting this landing page?” If you can’t confidently answer that question with a yes, it’s time to rethink your value proposition.
What are the pain points most common for your audience? Why do they typically buy from you? While you don’t want to offer your solution or product completely for free, you can offer something adjacent. Or help them take the first steps for free.
If you run an ecommerce business, a product giveaway or style guide might be more appropriate.
2. Create a sense of scarcity or urgency
Nothing gets people to act fast like the fear of missing out. If you want people to sign up for your mailing list when they visit your site, create a sense of urgency with a strong call to action.
Use phrases like “Join Now” or put a ticking clock next to your sign-up button that lets them know they’ll get a coupon if they complete the form in the next 15 minutes. Convey that your free gift is only “while supplies last,” or that the deadline to enter your contest is near.
3. Display social proof and trust badges
Build trust by showing that others have already signed up. Include testimonials, subscriber counts, or trust badges from reputable companies to reassure potential subscribers.
Make sure they know you’ll never sell their information to a third party or send them an overwhelming number of messages. You could even promise a specific volume — “Only two emails a month!”
4. Avoid using CAPTCHA
You should avoid including a CAPTCHA on your lead capture form at almost all costs. CAPTCHAs drive visitors wild. Only 71% of users even try to solve a CAPTCHA. The rest just bounce as soon as they see that annoying box.
Yes, spam is a real problem. It can lead to security issues and definitely clog up your email and submission lists with useless entries. The good news is that there are better options for blocking spam, such as Akismet.
Akismet is an anti-spam solution that works completely in the background. And it’s just as effective — if not more so — than CAPTCHA. In fact, it works with 99.99% accuracy! To date, the tool has removed over 500 billion pieces of spam. That’s not a typo — it’s billions with a “b.”
Without yet another annoyance standing in their way, people will be much more likely to complete the form. So you get better conversion rates without the spam. That’s a big win.
5. Use a heatmap to optimize form placement
A heatmap analyzes how visitors interact with your website. It visualizes the hottest spots on your site so you know where to place sign-up buttons and calls to action. Use these insights to place your email capture form in a high-visibility area where visitors are most likely to engage.
6. Enhance your email capture campaign with video content
Video can stop a visitor’s scrolling in its tracks. Consider embedding a short video on your webpage next to your sign-up form to draw attention and give visitors a chance to scan that section of your site.
Videos can also work well on landing pages — feature your lead magnet to really convey the value in a way only video can. You can also include video testimonials or anything else related to the email capture campaign. The point is: an investment in video content for any part of the campaign is probably worth it. Just be sure to A/B test to see what kind of impact, positive or negative, it actually has. Speaking of A/B testing…
7. A/B test on a regular basis
A/B testing involves comparing two different landing pages to see which one resonates with your target audience. During each test, publish two nearly identical landing pages. Change only one detail, such as the form placement, CTA, or headline.
See which option visitors respond better to, and then move on to the next round of testing. You can do this as much as your resources allow and your performance should get better after each time.
8. Create a compelling thank you page
After a user subscribes, redirect them to a thank you page that reinforces their decision and provides additional value. Tell them what to expect or what to do next.
Frequently asked questions
What is email marketing?
Email marketing involves connecting with prospective customers via email. You can promote your products, share exciting news, or re-engage subscribers who haven’t purchased anything from you in a while.
It’s a great way to build a case for your products or services, stay top of mind, and inspire leads on the fence to go ahead and make a buying decision.
Email marketing allows you to target individual audience segments. You can focus on subscribers who signed up through a particular offer, have shown specific behavior (like buying products from a specific category), or nearly anything else you can think of (as long as you have the data).
Is email marketing suitable for small businesses?
Absolutely! Email marketing is a great strategy for small businesses because it’s affordable and can offer a strong ROI.
Many email marketing software solutions offer tiered pricing. If you’re a small business, you might even be able to start for free!
As you see success with your efforts, you can upgrade to a higher plan and unlock even more great features to power your campaigns.
What are some best practices for designing a landing page for email collection?
Start by identifying your value proposition. Determine why someone would want to give up their email address and ensure you’re providing them with something useful in exchange. Minimize distractions on your landing page like a CAPTCHA. Keep it short and focused.
Include a strong CTA and trust signals. Finally, constantly test and adapt!
What are lead magnets, and how can I create one that appeals to my audience?
A lead magnet is a valuable offer that you provide in exchange for a user’s email address. Think of it as a bartering tool. Customers get something for free in exchange for subscribing to your email list.
Consider your business model and the preferences of your target audience. Ecommerce businesses might send customers a discount code. A B2B company might offer a guide or access to a related tool.
You aren’t trying to make a sale. An email subscription is your invitation to establish a relationship with a new contact and convey your value proposition over a period of time.
Should I use CAPTCHA to protect my forms from spam?
No, not if you want to run the most successful campaign possible.
To get the most subscribers, you need a frictionless sign-up experience. So, while you don’t want your CRM flooded with fake bot emails, you need a better solution: Akismet. This AI-powered tool stops 99.99% of spam without annoying users.
What is Akismet, and how can it improve my email collection strategy?
Akismet is an advanced spam filtration tool that uses the power of artificial intelligence. It blocks 99.99% of comment, form, and user registration spam. To date, the platform has blocked over 554 billion pieces of spam and is trusted by more than 100 million websites.
What types of companies use Akismet?
All types of companies trust Akismet to stop spam in its tracks. Roughly 100 million websites use Akismet, including enterprise brands such as Microsoft, ConvertKit, Bluehost, and more. If some of the world’s biggest brands trust Akismet to beat spam without annoying pop-up CAPTCHAs, you can, too.
Where can I learn more about Akismet’s solutions?
Explore the Akismet website and blog to learn about its features and real-world use cases like ConvertKit. Find out why millions of companies trust Akismet to put an end to spam.
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