10 Essential Elements for Your Opt-In Forms

Denise Cox lists these 10 ten elements she thinks are essential for your opt-in forms:

1. The ability to sign up should be on every page of your website and your emails.
2. Samples of past issues.
3. Give subscribers as many choices as you have available, e.g. frequency, monthly mailings AND event alerts, or just monthly, etc.
4. Tell people very specifically what they’re signing up to.
5. Tell people how often they’ll hear from you. Keep that promise.
6. Easy to sign up / sign off.
7. Test the form to make sure it works!
8. Let people choose between html and text and maybe even a mobile version.
9. Add a link to your Privacy Policy: tell people very clearly what you do with their data and the tracking information you collect.
10. Once they’ve signed up, send a note acknowledging that they are now on the list.

Source: Denise Cox's blog

Comments

[dreamweaver]

Just thought I'd post a link to Jeanne Jenning's book The Email Marketing Kit over at SitePoint for people who are new to Email marketing. I used it when I first started and it has some great tips and techniques for maximizing your email campaigns.

http://www.sitepoint.com/launch/c6ac756/3/84

[Michael D Price]

I just wanted to add on to your list.

It is also very important that you provide your subscribers with detailed whitelisting/confirmation instructions.

I have created a script specifically for aweber customers which allow them to create customized landing page confirmation and/or whitelisting instruction based on what email provider they signed up with.

I know I have seen a dramatic change in my confirmation rates by using this technique.