Increase Email Subscribers With Popover Forms

Many email marketers have been reluctant to use pop-up ads and other intrusive methods as part of their campaigns. In the past, those pop-up ads have gotten a bad reputation, leading many advertisers to abandon them entirely.

That attitude is changing, however, and new technology has allowed email marketers to get the attention of consumers without the use of intrusive or troublesome ads. Popover forms are rapidly gaining popularity. In many cases, pop-up subscription forms can increase results substantially, making them one of the most powerful tool to increase email subscribers fast.

What sets popover forms, lightboxes or sliders apart is that they do not open up a new browser window like the pop-up ads of old. Instead, these subscription forms appear on the existing screen, making it easy for visitors to subscribe. Popovers generally appear over the central part of the screen, while sliders move from one side to the other.

Why popover forms are effective?
No matter what the format, these forms can be very effective. These popovers work because they provide visitors with something they can use, be it a subscription form or a special offer. This is the difference between interrupting a user (bad) and giving a user what they need (good).

Popovers also work because they put the information front and center, where even the most casual visitor is sure to fine it. It is all too easy for a customer to overlook the link to a special offer or subscription service, even if that customer is actively looking for it. Popovers, on the other hand, simply cannot be missed. If the customer wants to use the form, he or she can.

If not, it is just as easy to close it and get on with things. The key to making popovers work is to make sure they are relevant to what the customer is looking for. Creating a popover form that will solve a problem or satisfy a need is the best way to increase subscription rates and sales. Timing the appearance of the popover properly will further enhance its effectiveness. The increase in subscription rates can be quite significant for sites using popovers compared to those using other solutions. Ernests Vaga, who serves as Product Chief Developer at Mailigen, reports that some clients have been seeing 200 to 400 percent increases in subscription rates. Results obviously differ from company to company, but there is now overwhelming evidence that popovers work when used properly.

If you have not yet thought about using popovers in your marketing, it may be time to rethink that position. These unobtrusive popovers are nothing like the annoying banner ads and pop-up messages that used to so annoy web users. The modern popover form is simple, elegant, unobtrusive, and above all…effective.

How to integrate a subscription lightbox with SendBlaster

*Please be aware that this lightbox installation requires knowledge of HTML and FTP.

In the following steps we show how to set up a subscription lightbox on your web server and integrate it with SendBlaster.

1. Download one of the SendBlaster php mail scripts and follow the instructions to install it.
For example you can install this one:

2. Download this zip file (SB-modal-subscribe), unzip it and copy the folder to your root website.

3. Open script.js (included in the SB-modal-subscribe folder) using a text editor and edit the settings in the “SETUP section”.

In particular:
– set delay in seconds after the page load
– insert form url (path to your subscription form file)
– set lightbox frequency (if you put “7”, your popform will appear again for the same visitor after 7 days, if you put “0” it will appear every time)

4. Add the following code to the header file of your page (or site):

<link rel="stylesheet" href="SB-modal-subscribe/style.css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="SB-modal-subscribe/script.js"></script>

<a href="#" onClick="SBlaunch(); return(false);">launch</a>