Double Your Newsletter Signup Form Conversions with 3 Proven Strategies
Is your newsletter signup campaign effective? We thought ours was. That is until we actually checked the data and tried different approaches. In this article, we will explain how you can test the same three strategies to increase your conversion rate for newsletter signups by up to 100%.
Drawing from our A/B testing experience, we'll explain how we improved offer clarity, personalized messaging for our target audience, and leveraged incentives with urgency and scarcity triggers. Note that the final stats are individual for every business, so we only provide example statistics based on the results we saw on our website and our client's websites.
We will use one template for these tests. We suggest you do the same, as the whole purpose of A/B tests is to change only one variable. However, you can conduct multiple tests simultaneously or consecutively to improve your results even further.
With that in mind, strap in, and let’s see how you can improve your campaigns.
Strategy 1: Improving Offer Clarity
Hypothesis and rationale
If the online signup form includes a detailed and compelling description of subscription benefits, then the conversion rate will increase because users will better understand the value they receive.
Test setup and variants
Audience: we randomly split incoming website traffic into two equal groups, with one group seeing Variant A and the other seeing Variant B.
Variant A (Control): the existing sign-up form example with a generic call-to-action.
- Headline: “Subscribe to Our Newsletter”
- Description: “Stay updated with our latest news and offers.”
- CTA Button: “Subscribe”
Variant B (Test): the enhanced signup form with a detailed value proposition. Here is an email signup template that converts you can use.
- Headline: “Join Our Community of Insiders”
- Description:
- “Subscribe to our newsletter and get exclusive access to:
- Weekly updates on industry trends and insights
- Special discounts and offers only for subscribers
- Free e-books and guides to help you succeed”
- CTA Button: "Join Now"
Duration: run the test for at least 2 weeks to gather sufficient data, ensuring that seasonal variations do not skew the results.
Metrics to Measure: Newsletter signup form Conversion Rate (CR) of the signup form (i.e., the percentage of visitors who subscribe to the newsletter).
Follow these steps to implement the test on your website:
1. Create a Variant A of an in-line website subscription form using the subscribe form template library and drag-n-drop editor.
2. Set up display rules for Variant A.
3. Create a Variant B.
4. Set up display rules for Variant B.
5. Create an A/B test:
- Track the number of visitors who see each variant and the number of successful signups.
- Watch Conversion Rates.
6. Install the Claspo script on your website using GTM or Direct integration.
7. Connect Claspo with your Hubspot account:
- Map widget fields with Hubspot audience lists.
8. Pay attention to statistical significance. Use Claspo's statistical analysis tools to determine if the difference in conversion rates between Variant A and Variant B is statistically significant.
Results and analysis
After running the tests, compare the conversion rates of both variants. If Variant B shows a statistically significant increase in conversion rate, it can be concluded that clearly articulating the benefits of signing up has a positive impact.
Example results should look something like this:
Variant A (Control):
- Visitors: 5,000
- Signups: 100
- Conversion Rate: 2.0%
Variant B (Test):
- Visitors: 5,000
- Signups: 150
- Conversion Rate: 3.0%
Key takeaways
Assuming the statistical analysis confirms the significance of the results, the test indicates that clearly articulating the benefits of signing up (Variant B) leads to a 50% increase in the conversion rate compared to the generic call-to-action (Variant A).
Based on this, incorporating a detailed and compelling description of the benefits of subscribing can significantly improve the conversion rate of the newsletter signup form. Implementing this change across the site can lead to higher subscriber growth.
In our blog, we’ve discussed ways of improving your pop-up messages and CTAs. We also try to make the messages in our templates as value-oriented as possible. However, templates are just an example; you will need to personalize them for your business and clients. This leads us to our next strategy…
Strategy 2: Personalizing Messaging for Target Audience
Hypothesis and rationale
If the Shopify newsletter form includes personalized messaging tailored to Shopify merchants as the target audience, the conversion rate will increase because users will feel a stronger connection and relevance to the content offered.
Test setup and variants
Audience: randomly split incoming segment traffic into two equal groups, with one group seeing Variant A and the other seeing Variant B.
Segment: if you need to narrow down your audience segment, you can use URL and UTM targeting options. In this experiment, we’ll use URLs of pages created for Shopify Merchants and UTM targeting for those we marked in Ad links as “Shopify merchants.”
Variant A (Control): the existing signup form with a detailed value proposition.
- Headline: “Join Our Community of Insiders”
- Description:
- “Subscribe to our newsletter and get exclusive access to:
- Weekly updates on industry trends and insights
- Special discounts and offers only for subscribers
- Free e-books and guides to help you succeed”
- CTA Button: “Join Now”
Variant B (Test): the personalized signup form tailored to a specific target audience (e.g., e-commerce professionals using Shopify as a CMS).
- Headline: “Exclusive Insights for Shopify merchants”
- Description:
- “Join our newsletter to receive:
- Weekly e-commerce trend analysis and industry insights
- Exclusive discounts on the Shopify App Store and Themes
- Free e-books and guides specifically for Shopify success”
- CTA Button: “Get Shopify Insights”
Note: you can change the widget's design to better resonate with your target audience. For example, it makes sense to change the background color to green for Shopify vendors, as green is their brand color.
Duration: run the test for at least 2 weeks to gather sufficient data, ensuring that seasonal variations do not skew the results.
Metrics to Measure: Conversion Rate (CR) of the signup form (i.e., the percentage of visitors who subscribe to the newsletter).
Follow these steps to implement the test on your website:
- Create Variant A: Use the existing detailed value proposition as described above.
- Setup Display Rules for Variant A
- Create Variant B: Customize the Signup Form: Tailor the messaging specifically to e-commerce professionals.
- Setup Display Rules for Variant B
- Create the A/B Test:
- Track the number of visitors who see each variant and the number of successful signups.
- Monitor the Conversion Rates.
- Install the Claspo Script on Your Website:
- Use Google Tag Manager (GTM), WordPress Plugin, Shopify Plugin, or direct integration for implementation.
- Connect Claspo with Your HubSpot Account:
- Map the widget fields with HubSpot audience lists to ensure seamless data integration.
- Pay attention to statistical significance. Use Claspo's statistical analysis tools to determine if the difference in conversion rates between Variant A and Variant B is statistically significant.
Results and analysis
After running the tests, compare the conversion rates of both variants. If Variant B shows a statistically significant increase in conversion rate, it can be concluded that personalizing the message to the target audience has a positive impact.
Example results should look something like this:
Variant A (Control):
- Visitors: 5,000
- Signups: 100
- Conversion Rate: 2.0%
Variant B (Test):
- Visitors: 5,000
- Signups: 175
- Conversion Rate: 3.5%
Key takeaways
Assuming the statistical analysis confirms the significance of the results, the test indicates that personalized messaging tailored to the target audience (Variant B) leads to a 75% increase in the conversion rate compared to the generic value proposition (Variant A).
Based on the A/B test results, incorporating personalized messaging tailored to the target audience can significantly improve the conversion rate of the newsletter signup form. Implementing this personalized approach across the site can lead to higher subscriber growth and better engagement.
Since our inception, we’ve advocated for personalization and tried to help entrepreneurs and businesses better cater to their audience with personalized content, including pop-ups. You can read more about personalization strategies in our blog article.
Strategy 3: Leveraging Incentives, Urgency, and Scarcity
Note: if your newsletter subscription conflicts with the primary goal (sales or request submission), offering a combined value proposition is a good solution.
Hypothesis and rationale
If the signup form includes incentives, urgency, and scarcity triggers such as limited-time offers and discount promo codes, then the conversion rate will increase because users will feel a sense of urgency and added value.
Test setup and variants
Audience: randomly split incoming website traffic into two equal groups, with one group seeing Variant A and the other seeing Variant B.
Variant A (Control): the existing signup form with a detailed value proposition.
- Headline: “Join Our Community of Insiders”
- Description:
- “Subscribe to our newsletter and get exclusive access to:
- Weekly updates on industry trends and insights
- Special discounts and offers only for subscribers
- Free e-books and guides to help you succeed”
- CTA Button: “Join Now”
Variant B (Test): the enhanced signup form with triggers for incentives, urgency, and scarcity.
- Headline: “Get 20% Off Your First Purchase — Limited Time Offer!”
- Description:
- “Subscribe to our newsletter and receive:
- A 20% discount promo code valid for the next 48 hours
- Exclusive access to subscriber-only discounts and offers
- Weekly updates on industry trends and insights”
- CTA Button: “Claim Your Discount”
Duration: run the test for at least 2 weeks to gather sufficient data, ensuring that seasonal variations do not skew the results.
Metrics to Measure: Conversion Rate (CR) of the signup form (i.e., the percentage of visitors who subscribe to the newsletter).
Follow these steps to implement the test on your website:
- Create Variant A. Use the existing detailed value proposition as described above.
- Setup Display Rules for Variant A.
- Create Variant B. Customize the Signup Form. Include a limited-time discount offer and emphasize urgency and scarcity. Use promo code component
- Setup Display Rules for Variant B.
- Create the A/B Test:
- Split traffic between versions
- Track the number of visitors who see each variant and the number of successful signups.
- Monitor the Conversion Rates.
- Install the Claspo script on your website:
- Implement it using Google Tag Manager (GTM) or direct integration.
- Connect Claspo with your HubSpot account:
- Map the widget fields with HubSpot audience lists to ensure seamless data integration.
- Pay attention to statistical significance. Use Claspo's statistical analysis tools to determine if the difference in conversion rates between Variant A and Variant B is statistically significant.
Results and analysis
Calculate the conversion rates for both variants to determine which performed better.
Example results should look something like this:
Variant A (Control):
- Visitors: 5,000
- Signups: 100
- Conversion Rate: 2.0%
Variant B (Test):
- Visitors: 5,000
- Signups: 200
- Conversion Rate: 4.0%
Key takeaways
Assuming the statistical analysis confirms the significance of the results, the test indicates that using incentives, urgency, and scarcity triggers (Variant B) leads to a 100% increase in the conversion rate compared to the detailed value proposition (Variant A).
Based on the A/B test results, incorporating incentives, urgency, and scarcity triggers, such as limited-time offers and discount promo codes, can significantly improve the newsletter signup form's conversion rate. Implementing this approach across the site can lead to higher subscriber growth and better engagement.
Incentives, urgency, and scarcity triggers are all parts of FOMO-marketing tactics, which can significantly boost your conversions. We discuss FOMO tactics in depth in our blog, so feel free to get inspired.
Conclusion
The strategies we've explored in this article offer powerful ways to boost your newsletter signup conversions. Focusing on the clarity of the offer, personalizing messaging, and leveraging incentives with urgency and scarcity triggers can potentially double your conversion rates and significantly improve the quality of leads generated.
You can conduct many other A/B tests, especially when using Claspo. Our built-in A/B testing tool allows you to try different messages, formats, display rules, etc., to determine what works best for your business. Try Claspo today to stop guessing and start testing!
