Ways to Capture Email Leads Without Annoying Your Visitors

As a business owner, your email list is your gateway to success – but capturing email leads is not always easy. Many common methods for email lead capture often irritate users. To successfully obtain someone’s email address, you need to offer something truly valuable while being as unobtrusive as possible.

“So how do I do that?” you ask. Fortunately, there are several techniques for email lead capture that won’t disrupt the user experience. Here are some opt-in offers you can implement on your website. Don’t hesitate to give them a try.

1. Show a popup on scroll down

Most people landing on your website come from Google. Thus, you can assume they’re looking for specific information that answers their initial search query. So, won’t a premature popup interrupt their reading? Yes! At first, they only want an answer, not a subscription popup.

This simply means you must delay the popup until after the visitor scrolls down further your page, either below the fold or lower. At that point, users could be more interested in your offer. Make them decide right away as they read through your content. Now present a popup with a captivating proposition.

2. Display a popup on exit intent

Similarly to showing a popup when the user scrolls down, you can set up a popup on exit intent. With this set up, a popup shows up when the user’s cursor moves toward the edge of the browser window. The mouse movement signals that the users wants to leave the website.

An exit intent popup is your last chance to convert abandoning visitors into subscribers, so take this opportunity to present them with your best offer. Additionally, exit intent popups grab the visitor’s attention quickly and can convert really well.

3. Use a subscribe box

If you think popups could disturb visitors to your page, try this: simply set up a regular subscribe box. While the box serves the same purpose, it won’t grab as much attention as a popup.

Subscribe boxes are best positioned at the end of the content, but you may add them at the top of a page too. See what works with the flow of your content and what fits with the design of your page.

4. Use a subtle slide-in

Another, seemingly more “polite” email lead capture method is to display a slide-in once a user scrolls down your page. The slide-in emerges from a bottom corner, making it less intrusive than a popup. Its entrance is eye-catching yet subtle, avoiding the feeling of hijacking the screen.

A common practice is to trigger the slide-in after three-quarters of the page has been scrolled. Since slide-ins don’t disrupt the user’s reading experience, they serve as a more gentle approach to email lead capture on your website.

5. Display a floating sticky bar

A floating bar at the top of the screen is a great way to grab attention. It converts well because it scrolls with the page and remains in the user’s line of sight the whole time. They also don’t obstruct the browsing experience.

Floating bars can be animated to gain even more visibility. Not sold on the “animated” idea? Make it less showy by introducing it after a user scrolls a certain amount of the page. All in all, the bar is a handy way to give users quick access to your offers.

6. Add a sidebar

A sidebar, similar to a floating bar, is another option to considerately capture email leads. This bar is usually displayed on the right side of the screen.

You can make your sidebar sticky, which scrolls with the page, too, but, if you think the sticky sidebar annoys people, you can always provide an “X” button to close it.

You can also show sidebar Calls To Action on all your blog pages. Why? Users who visit your blog are already interested in your content.

7. Launch a dedicated landing page

Did you know that a dedicated landing page can boost your conversion rate by up to 50%? To optimize your landing page, though, whether it offers a discount or newsletter signup, you should follow some basic “rules”:

• Ensure the design is elegant and try using contrasting colors.
• Provide a large, colorful CTA button.
• Add “social proof”, such as showing the number of subscribers you have (especially if it’s greater than 10,000).
• Sprinkle the page with vibrant images and compelling copy and you should be good to go.

8. Offer a content upgrade

A content upgrade is a two-step way to capture email leads. The way this works is, you post an article with a CTA to offer users a more comprehensive article on the same topic. The content upgrade CTA provides upgraded value as a reward for subscribing.

For example, you write a post “Top 5 Ways to Save Money” and you also have a resourceful PDF “50 Proven Tips to Save Money.” To get that PDF, users must enter their email in a subscription box on the shorter article’s page.

9. Let the user take initiative

You don’t have to show the subscription field in a CTA right away. Leverage the power of the Zeigarnik effect. This is a psychological principle that states that those who initiate are more likely to finish the process.

Implementing this principle is straightforward. In your CTA, ask a compelling question such as “Do you want to grow your traffic?” and add “Yes” and “No” buttons. If the user clicks “Yes”, take them to your landing page. In the process, users took initiative and will likely subscribe to your content.

10. Vary offers based on user interest

No matter the type of CTA you use, adjusting your offer based on user’s interests – which pages the user visits – is ideal.

For example, a home improvement website may have several different CTAs depending on the post topic. A blog post from the “kitchen” category may show a popup related to tile styles. Another blog post from the “attic” category could offer attic remodeling ideas in a popup. Think about your content and what offers you can give based on that content.

11. Incorporate gamified popups

Engage visitors by adding an element of fun through gamified popups, such as spin-to-win wheels or scratch-off cards. These interactive experiences grab attention without being overly intrusive, making visitors more likely to provide their email in exchange for a chance to win a discount, freebie, or special offer.

Gamification not only makes the process enjoyable but also taps into the human desire for rewards, creating a positive association with your brand and increasing the likelihood of conversions.

12. Embed email capture in blog posts 

Place email capture forms directly within relevant blog posts, offering visitors a seamless way to subscribe while reading. This method feels more natural and less disruptive, especially when paired with valuable content, such as exclusive tips, updates, or additional resources related to the post.

By embedding the form at strategic points, like after offering a solution or insight, you capture the visitor’s attention at a moment of peak engagement, increasing the chances of sign-ups.

If you use these email lead capture techniques wisely, more people will be willing to subscribe to your newsletter or sign up for your offer. Focus on providing a seamless reading experience and high-quality content, and the rest will follow.

You don’t need to display an intrusive popup immediately when visitors land on your page. With some planning, you can identify the ideal time and place for a CTA that reaches the right audience.

These email lead capture methods are just one aspect of conversion rate optimization. Explore 11 popup strategies, image optimization tips, and website speed optimization tips to boost your conversion rate. Happy conversions!