An opt-in page is a type of landing page with one goal - to collect the email address of a visitor to the page.

In today's post we'll cover why you need to use an opt-in page, and we'll share some of our favourite examples of opt-in pages to help inspire your own design.

By the end of this article, you'll be armed with everything you need to create your own opt-in page from scratch.

The main purpose of getting a visitors email address is to build a relationship and to help you make sales.

Opt-in pages have one clear objective in order to ensure that the visitor remains focused on your conversion goal.

In short, the more engaged and motivated the visitor is in opting in, the higher the opt-in rates will be, which is the key to having a lucrative list and allowing you to nurture the relationship further.

This is crucial for building authority and trust, which will later, allow you to sell your products and services and generate revenue in your business.

Opt-in pages have evolved throughout the years as landing page builders have improved, but the core components remain the same.

In fact, the more simple your opt-in pages are, the better your opt-in rates will be.

A good opt-in page will typically have 4 core components:

The main objective of a headline is to grab the reader’s attention.

In order to write a compelling headline, it’s important to know the wants and needs of your potential customer.

Knowing this will allow you to write a headline that explains how your product or offer solves the problems your audience is facing.

The better you’re able to identify the problems and solutions of your target audience, the more likely they will be to opt-in to your email list.

Here are some example headline frameworks to help you get started:

Our post on constructing a good headline can give you more guidance as you start to write your own headlines.

The main goal of bullets and features is to describe all of the benefits that your visitor will get for opting into your email list.

Typically, this could be a free download like a lead magnet, a mini course or access to a webinar.

As with headlines, spending time writing good bullets will drastically improve opt-in rates and ensure that you build a list of targeted email subscribers who want to learn more from you.

Here are some bullets you can use to help you get started:

The lead form is where your visitor will enter their contact details in order to gain access to the lead magnet or opt-in incentive you’re offering.

Typically, this will contain the name and email field.

In our experience, reducing the number of fields will result in a higher opt-in rate. You may wish to test collecting only email - this just means you are not able to personalise your emails to prospects on your list.

The goal of the call to action is to encourage the visitor to complete their opt-in and subscribe to your email list.

We recommend using enticing phrases and words that encourage the desired action.

Some examples may include: “Send me my free gift”, “Give me access”, “Yes, show me more”.

As you can see, in looking at the 4 key components, all of them put together are geared to encourage and invoke the desired action.

When used in combination, it is very powerful and will ensure your get the most out of your opt-in pages.

Of course, the best way to showcase this is by way of example…

We’ve compiled a list of 11 of our favourite opt-in page examples; highlighting key sections that stand out, breaking down what we like and what could be improved.

In this example, Todd Herman uses a long-form landing page to promote his lead magnet.

He includes his offer above the fold, which is the first thing visitors will see upon landing on the page, which is crucial for highlighting the purposes of the page.

It gives visitors the option to opt in and to skip reading through the page contents.

What we liked:

What can be improved:

Gemma Bonham-Carter’s Launch Email Swipes is a great example of a 2-step opt-in landing page. A 2-step opt-in uses an opt-in form that appears after the visitor clicks the initial call-to-action button.

This is a great strategy for increasing visitor commitment by encouraging them to take an extra step.

Upon clicking, the visitor is shown the opt-in box with a call to enter their contact details.:

What we liked:

What can be improved:

This landing page from Absolute Dogs uses a simple design laid out with a compelling image of the free lead magnet that is offered for subscribers.

While the headline doesn’t explain the features and benefits as effectively as it could, it does include a detailed description of what’s on offer, which includes a simple opt-in area below the text.

What we liked:

What can be improved:

This clean opt-in page design from Affise uses a bold headline to instantly highlight the goal of the ebook they are offering. This is combined with illustrations which convey the Affise brand to the visitor.

Upon clicking on the call-to-action button, you’re taken to a lightbox page with instructions to opt in. The illustrative branding is continued through to this opt-in form section.

What we liked:

What can be improved:

This landing page from Adam Hayley's Online Trainer Education stands out with its high-impact colour palette and ebook design image.

The page uses a benefit-driven headline that clearly targets a problem of this audience (closing new clients). It's supplemented with a sub-headline that gives a timescale (on the first call) to further drive home the benefit to the visitor.

This is again, an example of a 2-step opt-in page with the visitor being shown a popup with an opt-in prompting to subscribe.

What's interesting to note here is Adam has also included a phone number field for capturing a subscriber’s phone number.

This is especially important if you’re a salesperson and looking to close deals over the phone.

What we liked:

What can be improved:

If you’re a business with a B2B focused product, this landing page from Airtable is an example of a clean opt-in page which collects more business data.

In B2B and enterprise sales markets, you often will need to collect more information which can help you identify your leads and make future sales approaches.

What we liked:

What can be improved:

Alex Mandossian’s opt in page showcases the power of a headline and bullets, underlining keywords in the text to highlight the key benefits.

He also includes an anchor link on the call-to-action button that smoothly scrolls to the opt-in form.

This is great if you have a one-page website and is a great way to provide easy navigation in your content.

What we liked:

What can be improved:

Most opt-in pages do not include elements of social proof or testimonials and are commonly seen on sales pages in order to increase the credibility of a product being promoted.

In this example, Allison Prince uses endorsements and social proof on her landing page to promote her free offer, which is likely to improve opt-in rates and build better trust with her subscribers.

What we liked:

What can be improved:

In this example, Alex Charfen has created a beautiful opt-in page that uses a simple colour combination along with a nice layout.

He gets straight to the point in his headline by explaining the main benefit of his free lead magnet.

Keeping the same theme, he uses powerful bullets, highlighting keywords in bold with a clear call to action.

Similar to Allison’s example, he includes real testimonials from previous customers to help raise his authority and trust, which will naturally improve opt-in rates.

What we liked:

What can be improved:

In this example from Real Estate Skills, the opt-in page includes a big and bold header that is nicely aligned on the very top of the page.

This makes it the main focal point for the reader to see and learn more about the offer.

Alex also uses a clever method in encouraging visitors to click by disguising a clickable image as a Youtube video.

What we liked:

What can be improved:

For this final example, Ryan Wegner demonstrates the importance of having different elements of a page properly aligned. This makes it easier for the eyes to navigate and will greatly impact the visitor's decision to take the desired action.

Ryan also includes a contact email at the top of the page for any visitors who have any questions, which is a great way for showing empathy and care.

What we liked:

What can be improved:

As you can see, creating a winning opt-in page isn’t that complicated. By following a few set criteria, you will be able to easily set up your own opt-in pages and begin building a list with ease.

Here are our takeaways:

• Focus on your headlines: Making sure that it connects with your readers by highlighting features and benefits will ensure that you connect with your visitors, which will increase opt-in rates.
• Use bullets to explain the key benefits: Your description is a chance to shine and help your offer stand out. Spending time on what will help your visitors, will greatly impact their decision to opt in.

• Use Social Proof: Including endorsements from other places of authority and customers will massively improve trust and will better be able to sell to your customers later on.

• Use a 2-Step Opt-In: Always get your visitors to commit as this will condition them to open and read your emails.

• Limit the content: By reducing the content down to its bare minimum so that it only includes what’s required, will greatly increase engagement and will help you improve conversions.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this article. If you have any comments or questions, please leave them below. We always love to hear your feedback.

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