What does an effective sign-up form contain? 

Part and parcel of being a web design business owner or entrepreneur is knowing how to make the websites you deliver to your clients stand out from the crowd. A client with a great performing website which helps them generate leads and make sales is likely to lead to valuable referrals – indispensable when you’re starting a web design business. One of the often overlooked ingredients in this mix is the sign-up form.

If your web design template contains a contact or opt-in form, having the following few tricks up your sleeve could mean your web design projects really exceed your customer’s expectations by making it easy for them to gain email subscribers and build marketing lists. And, with those opt-in forms flooding in, your new web design business is likely to receive a glowing review!Try these tactics to create effective sign-up forms on your next project: 1. Set out a value proposition It’s all too easy to get lazy when plugging a contact form into a website template. Sure, you need to have the standard forms such as name, email address, phone number and message but, that’s not really a huge incentive. With the addition of a value proposition however, that subscribe form becomes a lot more compelling. This doesn’t even need to be complicated or take any extra web design time. All you need to do here is add a line or two above the form itself which sets out exactly what’s in it for the subscriber. Spell out the value proposition to make it hard to resist completing and submitting the sign-up form. 2. Be clear on next steps Don’t leave any room for doubt. If your goal is to deliver a stellar opt-in form to help your clients monetise their new website, help subscribers understand what will happen next. Tell them what they should expect to receive and when. Is it an email with a link to download for example? Spell it out. 3. Show them what they’re missing If you want to build credibility and increase urgency, you need to use that opt-in form sitting on your newly built website to show visitors what they are missing. Create a sense of this by sharing how many other subscribers are already signed up and benefitting from the service or subscription on offer. A simple sentence such as “100,000 other business owners are already transforming their marketing with our actionable weekly marketing tips” is succinct, effective, credible and creates a sense that the subscriber is missing out (and potentially falling behind the competition) by not opting in.