The Opt-in Page is an essential tool for a Lead Generation strategy that aims to find qualified contacts (leads) to transform into customers. Do you want to understand what an Opt-In page is in detail and how to design one that is truly capable of converting? Here you will find the answers you are looking for.
What is an Opt-in Page?
An Opt-in Page is a landing page that aims to convert users into useful contacts for the company. It can be a special page on the website or it can be an independent page and can be sponsored with Social ADS and/or Google ADS , in order to intercept quality traffic and people really interested in the content.
The Opt-in Page is a fundamental Digital Marketing tool because it allows you to bring people closer to your brand and guide them along the conversion path you have planned for them. Because – before starting to write, send, publish campaigns – you planned it, right?
The advantages of an Opt-in Page [or why create it]
The benefits of the Opt-in Page are fundamental to the conversion process. The first of these is that it focuses on a single product or service, tells about it, describes it, reassures it and does so without external distractions. People's attention is alive and exclusive only for that content and will be directed towards the fulfillment of a specific action. And this is the second important advantage of the Opt-in Page.
Everything is focused on that content, on the specific goal and on that specific action.
Now let's try to understand how to create and write an Opt-in Page capable of converting.
10 tips to create an Opt-In Page to catch leads
Designing and creating an opt-in page that can convert is a job that requires analysis, testing and skills that integrate. Below are 10 suggestions that I have collected in these years of work in which I have integrated my professionalism with that of many other User Experience experts, Engineers, Designers and web planners.
1. Who is it you want to catch ?
The first thing you need to be clear about when planning and writing an Opt-in Page is the person you want to reach. Who are you talking to? You have to conduct research, analysis, interviews and tests. You have to analyze in detail not only the need that your target person wants to satisfy, but also the intimate reasons that underlie this realization, the motivations and emotions that drive them to act. And what are his tastes? What are his habits? What vocabulary do you use? This work will be useful for you to find the right communication angles and to speak her own language , involving her with empathy.
2. Concentrate all the content of the Opt-in Page on the product and/or service of interest
What is the goal of your Opt-in Page? Find leads by offering them an e-book? Or offer a free demo? Or invite them to play a quiz with you and get their email in return? All communication on your Opt-in page must focus on the product/service you offer , the advantages you guarantee the user, the benefits and how important it is to him .
Focus the content on these aspects and do not introduce distractions that can divert the user's attention and interest.
3. Focus on the benefit and incentive, detail them well and highlight them
What concrete and real benefit do you offer the user? What incentives can you put on the table in order to finally convince him to take action? Benefits and incentives are a fundamental aspect in the construction and copywriting strategy of an Opt-In Page.
The secret is to make people feel that they are getting more than they are giving. Highlight benefits and incentives both in words and design.
4. Never forget a great title and subtitle
Title and subtitle are two fundamental elements for an Opt-in Page to capture leads and a good Copywriter knows this well. The title attracts attention and the subtitle enriches it and persuades you to continue reading.
The title must summarize all the content of the page in a clear, concise, empathetic and attractive way and the subtitle must detail its benefits and advantages and include the levers of persuasion. I'll tell you more about these below. Remember that the aim of the title and subtitle is to make people perceive with conviction the advantage that people will obtain, the benefit they will derive from it.
5. Write the right Call To Action
But what is the right Call To Action? I could tell you that it depends on your target audience, what you offer and who you are (your Brand Identity). But, in general, the right Call To Action has 3 main characteristics:
- he is speaking
- clearly and briefly illustrates the benefit
- reassures the user about what he will receive and about the improvement he will get in the future by performing that specific action.
Advice for you. My suggestion is to precede the call to action with an account of the benefits people will achieve and a call to action that serves as an introduction to the actual call to action.
6. Where to place the Call To Action on the Opt-in Page?
There are different schools of thought on the matter. There are those who argue that the Call To Action should be placed immediately, above the Fold, there are those who say it must be inserted at the end of a navigation path that persuades the user and induces him to complete the 'action.
Given that in digital everything depends - and this is why you always have to test - I usually opt for inserting the Call To Action at the first appropriate moment , at the top of the page, and then at the end . At this moment the user has very clear advantages, opportunities, improvements and benefits that he will obtain. He just has to act.
If the Opt-in Page requires a certain in-depth analysis and is therefore long, I evaluate the possibility of inserting a third one halfway through, but also in this case it is necessary to understand whether or not it is the case to introduce an element which at that given moment could create a friction in the user's navigation and persuasion path. And that could dissuade him rather than convince him. The rule is one: prefer fluidity and naturalness and postpone the action until the final moment.
Advice for you. Always remember that the button where you place the CTA must be of a color that stands out from the entire context (page) in which it is inserted and must be placed in a comfortable, relevant and distanced position with respect to the other elements, so as to be immediately obvious.
7. Use the levers of persuasion
The Levers of Persuasion are a manual to handle with care if you want your communication to be truly persuasive . If you haven't already done so, you need to read Robert Cialdini's beautiful book, Weapons of Persuasion : he explains how and why we come to say yes .
These are the persuasive levers identified by Cialdini that you must know how to exploit adequately in your communication:
- reciprocity . If you give me something – let's say an e-book, a tutorial, a special discount – I feel compelled to reciprocate your gift (perhaps by leaving you my contact details)
- Commitment and consistency. When we make a commitment or make a choice, the need to be consistent with ourselves and to prove ourselves consistent and confident to others leads us to confirm the commitment made
- Retry Social. We live in tribes because man is not a solitary animal. We need to feel similar and accepted, which is why we tend to replicate the choices of our fellow humans. To feel equal and included
- Sympathy. We are more inclined to indulge in a person we like, who we feel sympathy for, who we feel are akin to us
- Authority. Our culture and upbringing lead us to have respect for people we perceive as authoritative. This is why testimonials and influencers work
- Shortage. It can be of time, of money, of quantity. The principle is that the scarcer something is, the more its perceived value increases, so the more we end up wanting it
- Contrast. Also known as retreat after rejection , it occurs when we take action after comparing two nearby items and that comparison brings out the qualities and convenience of one of the two.
8. Content Usability: (also) form is content
A good Content Manager knows this: the form of content is itself content. The shape speaks, communicates, says and does. That's why when you create an Opt-in Page you must leave nothing to chance, starting with the design of the page, which must be taken care of by a Designer expert in User Experience (browsing experience). Equally fundamental is how you present the words you write, the images, the videos, the forms and all the contents (we speak of Content Usability ). What form do you decide to give them?
In particular, it is essential that:
- the structure of information and content is clear, immediate and easily understandable and usable
- the written words can be scanned quickly and that even in this preliminary operation the user is able to immediately understand the advantages he will obtain
- the contents must be distributed in paragraphs , each of which must contain specific information
- you need to use headings and subheadings wisely to attract attention, communicate the main point of the paragraph and organize the content
- take care of the lines and colors of the text
- white spaces at the right time are essential both to create a moment of pause and to highlight specific information or elements
- bold and italics are also needed, but without ever being excessive.
9. Head
The best strategy to optimize positions, colors, images and/or videos, texts and Call to Actions and promote conversion is to test. You can conduct A/B Tests that allow you to compare two versions of an Opt-in Page in which you change only one element, the one you want to test. This way you can evaluate and define what performs best and optimize conversions, costs and budgets.
10. Comply with GDPR regulations
An aspect that is still underestimated but which allows you to make a difference also in terms of reputation is compliance with the GDPR legislation. Each contact who subscribes to the mailing list must consent to the sending of your newsletter twice: the first time when they fill out the contact form on the Opt-in Page and the second time through the specific e-mail you will send .