What Is an Opt-In Page?

By Robert Stanek

When it comes to marketing your business, one of the keys to bringing in potential customers and encouraging repeat business is to keep your name, service, or product in front of them. One way to accomplish this is by getting a visitor to agree to receive correspondence from you through an "opt-in" page. Here is a general overview of opt-in pages and some simple tips to create one that draws attention and response!

Opt-In Page Elements

Opt-in pages will often vary in their content, depending on the goal of the business and the information that the customer wishes to receive, but most opt-in pages will have at least a few of the following common elements.

• The Sign-up or Opt-In Form: This is a basic form page that allows the user to share their contact information with the business site. This will normally always include an email address, but may also have other optional fields, such as mailing address and mobile number (for text messaging opt-in). Additionally, this page should include a place for the user to check mark what they wish to receive, such as promotional or sales emails, newsletters, product updates or recalls, etc. Finally, many opt-in pages will also have a short paragraph listing the company's privacy policy or personal information sharing guidelines.
• Confirmation Page: The confirmation page would follow the submission of the opt-in page, providing an affirmation to the user that their information has been received. Many sites include a copy of what information was provided, so that users may double check to ensure all submitted contact details are accurate and spelled correctly.
• Welcome or Thank you Email: The final element of most opt-in pages is a welcome or thank you email sent to the contact, using the newly acquired email address, to let your new contact know that you have received their request and to welcome them to your mailing list. This is also a great place to include any information about unsubscribing, should the user decide to in the future, or share any current promotions of sales with them. In some cases, businesses will offer a one time discount code or special offer in exchange for an opt-in, and this code or coupon is then attached or embedded in the welcome email.

Opt-In Page Tips

If you are ready to create your page, here are some tips to help you get started!

• Catchy Headline: When someone lands on your opt-in page, the first thing they will see is the headline. Make it is attention grabbing and interesting.
• Incentive Offering: People want to know "what's in it for me?" By offering an incentive of some kind, you will encourage more opt-ins. Ideas include: a free trial or subscription, a discount or promo code, tips or educational information, etc.
• Short & Concise: When creating the content for your opt-in page, try to keep it as simple and as straightforward as possible. Using bullet points, paragraph breaks, or headlines and subheads also makes the content reader friendly and easy to navigate.
• Less Is Often More: Many people are apprehensive about handing out too much personal information. In order to maximize your opt-in response, asking for less information is best. Many sites only require an email address, but give the option of including additional information.

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