A lot can change over the course of a year. But one thing remains consistent—signup forms are a great way to build your email and SMS lists.
Whether you use a popup, flyout, embedded form, or a mix of all three—you’ve likely experienced the power of putting a signup form on your website to collect shoppers’ email addresses.
But not all signup forms are created equal. Some perform better than others, and some are more effective at gathering valuable information you can then use to tailor messages to your subscribers.
The ten signup forms that received the best response from Klaviyo customers in 2021 can give you better insight into what design, copy, and offers convert customers.
Signup form basics: things to keep in mind
A few themes emerged from the top ten signup forms this year:
- Think clean: Your design should be simple. If you’re going to integrate an embedded form into your website, make sure that it fits in seamlessly with your overall brand design.
- Gather wisely: Some subscribers will provide their information immediately, while others may need to build a relationship with your brand before revealing any information about themselves. When creating user journeys, consider the needs of these two different types of customers.
- Use your resources: Are there specific brands that your customers consistently purchase? Maybe you can do a giveaway for one of those items, or try partnering with a brand in your industry where you have a connection.
- Test your ideas: A/B testing your signup forms allows you to determine the messaging that resonates with your audience and what offers work best for your customer base.
The top signup forms of 2021
Here are ten of the best examples of signup forms from this year, along with a few tips to inspire you when creating your own forms.
1. Liaison offers users a discount on their form
Liaison, an eyelash and eyebrow growth serum company focused on natural ingredients, offered visitors to their website a tempting discount.
Customers would receive a 50% discount on their next order if they entered their email address on a form. With this strategy, Liaison can grow their subscriber list—and they also have the opportunity to convert what would have been a one-time buyer into a loyal customer.
Tip: The offer on your signup form can do more than just entice people to join your list. Think creatively about how you can bring shoppers back to your site repeatedly.
2. Wild Fork Foods offers free shipping on their signup form
Wild Fork Foods is on a mission to change the way people shop for and consume meats, sourcing products directly from farmers and delivering them directly to customers.
But for some shoppers, the cost of shipping might deter them from placing an order. To address this potential roadblock, the Wild Fork Foods offered free shipping for an entire year to customers who signed up for delivery and spent at least $150 with the company.
Tip: Craft an offer that does more than just give a monetary or percentage discount—make it applicable to your product and buying experience.
3. 32 Degrees offers a free gift on their sign up form
Apparel and accessory brand 32 Degrees believes in combining value and comfort by providing everyday basics to fit all wardrobes and budgets.
To encourage shoppers to sign up for the brand’s newsletter, 32 Degrees offered a free hat to customers who submitted their email address on the form. While it’s promoted as a “dad” hat, it’s modeled by both a man and a woman, so it’s clear that the hat is unisex. It’s also advertised as being worth $10, so customers understand there’s value in signing up for the company’s newsletter. And who would turn down a free hat?
Tip: If you’re going to offer a free gift to shoppers who join your list, set expectations on your signup form so they’ll know what they are going to receive.
4. Our Place provides a giveaway as a signup incentive
Our Place is the brand that developed the Always Pan—a multi-functional non-stick pan that’s easy to clean and looks stunning in any kitchen.
The brand uses a minimum of text to advertise the promotion, clearly stating the value of the prize in bold text at the top of the form with essential information about the giveaway in the body copy.
The copy includes testimonials from customers, tempting first-time buyers with the chance to win a “life-changing” pan worth $145. This form clearly worked for Our Place—they collected over 200,000 new subscribers.
Tip: Giveaways can gamify the sign up process. Make it a fun experience for site visitors to join your list with the prospect of receiving a free gift in return.
5. Pair Eyewear gives a special offer on their email signup form
Pair Eyewear designs their stylish, high-quality eyewear in-house, so their glasses are available at a fraction of the industry’s average price.
Keeping the visuals clean and simple, Pair Eyewear features a photo of a diverse cast of models wearing their products. Next to the photo is a special offer for first-time buyers, followed by an email signup form.
Under the form, there’s a checkbox asking customers if they’re shopping for kids. This allows Pair Eyewear to segment their subscriber list based on their inventory. It also ensures that Pair Eyewear will send marketing communications specific to their customers—whether they’re adults or parents shopping for kids.
Tip: Use your signup form to gather information about your subscribers so that you can personalize your marketing outreach.
5. Bump Boxes creates a sense of urgency on their signup form
Bump Boxes, a subscription-based service that offers personalized products for expectant mothers, uses a sense of urgency with the copy on their signup forms.
The form’s colors and fonts match Bump Boxes’s website, so it’s a natural extension of the brand. Wanting to encourage shoppers to place an order quickly, Bump Boxes makes customers an offer that’s hard to resist. When someone enters their email address on the form, they receive three things: 50% off their order, free shipping, and a free gift.
The countdown clock gives shoppers a set amount of time to sign up, encouraging customers to enter their information quickly.
Tip: Creating a sense of urgency is an effective way to get people to complete your desired CTA—whether that’s shopping your products in an email, text, or subscribing to your list.
6. The Official Shop of Minecraft uses a pop-up email form
141 million people play Minecraft on a monthly basis.1 And since the game has such a popular following, Minecraft’s online store doesn’t have to do much to encourage shoppers to sign up to the store’s newsletter.
Its popup has a simple design, offering customers 10% off their first order in exchange for signing up for their newsletter. Depending on your brand, sometimes keeping things plain and fuss-free is the way to go.
Tip: If your audience is already familiar with your brand, make it as easy as possible for them to redeem an offer—and for them to give you their information.
7. Fast Growing Trees gives a monetary offer
Fast Growing Trees allows people to shop for a wide variety of plants that’ve been nurtured with care before they’re delivered to customers nationwide.
Its signup form includes images of plants in various locations, so shoppers can visualize how it will look inside—or outside—their homes. While the $10 off is the primary focus of the signup form, subscribers will also receive a newsletter from Fast Growing Trees—which could be helpful for a novice gardener.
There are two ways to exit the signup form. A customer can either click an “X” in the upper right corner or hit “NO THANKS.” Both options will clear the popup, allowing customers to continue browsing the site. Some shoppers find popups to be a nuisance, so this is an easy way to create a positive online experience for (almost) everyone.
Tip: Make it easy for your site visitors to navigate away from your popup or close out of your signup form.
9. Hey Dude Shoes offers free shipping
Hey Dude Shoes sells comfortable and stylish footwear for men, women, and kids. The brand is committed to sourcing products made with sustainable practices.
Instead of encouraging people to sign up for a discount or an offer on their signup form, the team at Hey Dude Shoes wants people to subscribe to a lifestyle—and a comfy one at that.
While free shipping is available when customers enter their email address on Hey Dude Shoes’ signup form, comfort may be the most appealing offer.
Tip: Tailor your signup form offer to the thing(s) that makes your brand unique.
10. Caden Lane has a discount offer on the form
Caden Lane, a design team specializing in products for baby nurseries, wastes no time in offering a 15% discount to customers. The signup form appears as the first thing shoppers see when they visit Caden Lane’s site.
The form asks visitors to enter their email along with a phone number, so the team at Caden Lane can text customers who have opted in. And to help personalize content for subscribers, the form has a checklist asking if the visitor is shopping for a boy or a girl.
Tip: Collect email addresses and phone numbers so that you can use an SMS strategy to complement your email program.
The skinny on signup forms
To create a high-performing signup form, you don’t need flashy graphics or long narratives. Most of the time, the simplest forms are the most successful.
By using these brands as inspiration, following signup form basics, and sticking to your brand, you can also watch your signup form submission rates skyrocket in 2022. Take it a step further by using email marketing automations to retarget your segmented list in different ways.
