In order to optimize all of your email marketing solutions, you must continually add new subscribers to your list, and we’ve found no single better tactic than featuring a lightbox or modal popup on your website’s homepage.  

Hopefully you’re already using a modal popup and reaping the benefit, but there’s always room to make it work even harder for you. Here are some ideas we recommend that Listrak clients use to maximize their modal acquisition results:  

• Always, always TEST to find out what works best for your brand. Even if something’s already working for you, it’s very likely it can work even better.
• Bolder may very well be better. There is a definite trend towards larger popups, but of course, this is something that should be tested for each brand.
• Realize that prospective subscribers expect that you will provide some type of value in exchange for their email address.
• There are many ways to incentivize potential new subscribers, so test what works best for your brand. Some clients even find that it works best to offer a choice, i.e., enjoy 10% off your first order or free shipping.
• If it’s not appropriate for your brand to offer an incentive like a discount, gift with purchase or free shipping, be creative. For example, one client offers a bag of free sample products, which promotes the breadth of product they carry at little cost to them. Exclusivity is often incentive enough, i.e. “Be the first to know about new products and special sales.”
• A gift with purchase is an effective incentive and doesn’t have to be expensive.  Many clients opt for something small and light (and preferably branded to keep you top-of-mind) that can easily be dropped in with an order without adding to shipping costs.
• If you offer an incentive to new subscribers on your modal popup, be sure to promote it on your static onsite signup as well for those potential subscribers who may close out of the popup but then realize that they’d like to take advantage of the offer.
• If you offer a discount via promo code and a new subscriber doesn’t use it right away, be sure to offer it again in welcome series emails to prompt a purchase.
• To keep potential purchasers from leaving your site to get a promo code promised in your popup, include the code in the popup confirmation and allow then to keep on shopping.
• While you have a subscriber’s attention, take the opportunity to build your social media following, too. Make sure your modal features the option to follow your brand on Twitter, like it on Facebook, etc. with a simple click.
• Consider using the modal signup as an opportunity to gather some preference information (i.e., categories interested in) as well that will help you to immediately begin personalizing email messages. Don’t request too much info at this point, however, or you risk losing potential subscribers.
• It is imperative that you follow up all new signups with a series of welcome emails. We suggest a minimum of three and even have clients who successfully send eight or more. Don’t be shy – welcome emails reach subscribers when they’re particularly engaged with your brand and therefore enjoy particularly high open and click-through rates.
• Don’t forget, if you’re a Listrak client, an invaluable added bonus to growing your list with a modal popup is that each new address obtained increases your reachable rate for other solutions, which in turn increases your email revenue.