In Part I of our series, we outlined a framework for defining audience, brand and culture as a pre-cursor for developing a communications plan. The cornerstone of any such plan lies in a sign-up or opt-in experience that can effectively communicate each of these elements in a way that speaks to the user, making clear your value in the process. Today we present our suggestions for how to design a digital experience that will help you build momentum for your brand and venture.
8 Recommendations For Designing Sign-Up/Opt-In UX
- Keep it simple and straightforward → Less copy is better. Your users will decide quickly whether to continue forward or not, and you don’t want to give them a reason to bail.
- Have a clear call-to-action (CTA) → Be direct and to the point about what you want your users to do, and what they will get in return. Value is very important. It’s easy to talk about the benefits you think you can offer, but your users want to know how it can help them.
- Have multiple CTA buttons → Give your users at least 2-3 chances to submit their info on the page. The more ways to connect, the higher your conversion is likely to be.
- Make sure you’re mobile-friendly → Depending on your audience there’s a good chance most of your users will find you that way, so design for mobile first. This will also help with #1, above.
- Get qualitative input → You don’t need to spend money on focus groups, but send your sign-up process to a small group of friends, acquaintances and get their input. Sometimes it’s just better to get feedback from someone who is not immersed in what you are doing every day.
- Have a follow-up email/message → Make sure your message and brand are conveyed as consistently as they are pre-form fill. The post-fill experience is just as important, as this is only a jumping off point to beginning a business relationship.
- Have a good error message → If a certain field is required or must include certain parameters, make sure you can explain that clearly and concisely to avoid high bounce rates. You should assume that anything complicated may not only turn them away from your page, but possibly your brand as well.
- Test, test, then test some more → It’s less important how you structure a testing plan, so long as you are continually trying to optimize conversion and results. What IS important is making sure you are continually trying to improve the experience, both for your benefit and that of the users you hope to win over.
Posted in Engagement, Marketing Automation