How Online Shops successfully generate Newsletter Subscribers
Acquiring new customers, strengthening customer loyalty and sustainably increasing sales: sending out newsletters brings online shops numerous advantages. However, newsletters are also extremely popular by customers, as a survey by “united internet” confirms: In the D-A-CH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), approx. 70% of those surveyed have registered for newsletters.
The challenge is to convert unknown visitors into known newsletter subscribers and ideally into paying customers. Newsletters are often suitable for convincing undecided visitors after all. How online shops can increase newsletter subscriptions sustainably, you will learn in this article.
Which channels are suitable for winning Newsletter subscribers?
The first question is which of the many channels online shops should use to generate subscribers. Of course, it is not limited to a single channel, but rather a good combination is more effective. Merchants can use the following channels, among others, to increase their newsletter subscriptions: E-Mail-Signature, Website, Social Media and Popups/Slide-Ins.
Email signature
Obvious and yet rarely used for this purpose: The e-mail signature. For legal reasons, this option can of course only be used if there is already an existing contact. Transactional e-mails, which the visitor receives automatically after certain actions (order, payment, etc.), are well suited for this purpose.
Website
Whether in the navigation, the footer or elsewhere: there are indeed interested shop visitors who are looking for a specific option on the website for newsletter registration. These visitors are extremely qualitative leads. Merchants do not have to convince them of a newsletter subscription first, but simply provide them with uncomplicated access to the registration. Since this access is assumed to be primarily on the website as the most important contact point to the customers, online shops should make the newsletter registration clearly visible on the website.
Popups / Slide-Ins
The appropriate message can be conveyed prominently with popups or slide-ins. For this purpose, a functioning and GDPR-compliant opt-in is required first. The benefit of this channel: It is possible to display the opt-in only to certain visitors and to tailor the content individually to the shop visitor in order to increase the chances of success.
Find out what GDPR-compliant newsletter marketing looks like.
Which incentives are useful for increasing Newsletter subscribers?
Once it has been decided which channels to use, the next question is how to convince potential newsletter subscribers. By far not every visitor explicitly looks for a possibility to subscribe to the newsletter of an online shop. In order to convince shop visitors, 42% of the online shops offer incentives for newsletter subscription⁴. Each incentive addresses a different need of the shop visitors, which is why a personalized form of generation is clearly more target-oriented. There are three main incentives for generating newsletter subscribers: Voucher, Exclusivity and Fear of missing out (FOMO).
Vouchers
The classic method by which online shops successfully generate newsletter subscribers is rewarding them with voucher codes. In this way, particularly price-sensitive visitors can be won as subscribers. However, for visitors who would have subscribed to the newsletter even without a voucher, this incentive means a certain amount of revenue that is not generated.
Exclusivity
To create suitable incentives, online shops can combine newsletter subscriptions with so-called “memberships”. The members then enjoy, for example, the advantage of exclusive or premature access to certain products.
Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO)
FOMO describes the fear of missing something. This effect could be observed for the first time in the social media, but can also be transferred to the marketing sector. When generating newsletter subscribers, a merchant could, for example, create the effect by pointing out that subscribers are always up to date with the latest discount campaigns.
Find out how to use voucher codes profitably!
Responsive Design
78% of online shoppers in Germany state that they use mobile devices to shop online. If merchants use solutions that also work on mobile devices, they reach a much larger number of potential newsletter subscribers. The responsive design applies to pop-ups / slide-ins as well as contact forms embedded in the website.
Increase Newsletter subscriptions with uptain
uptain offers an intelligent solution for generating newsletter subscribers: The Newsletter-Optins. The uptain® ALGORITHM in the background recognizes when a visitor is undecided and presents him a slide-in. With the help of intelligent data processing it determines the needs of each individual visitor and thus ensures the greatest possible success with the appropriate incentives.
- Personalized content: Depending on the website visitor and situation, a distinction is made for example between individual vouchers and FOMO.
- Mobile Responsive: The slide-ins are compatible on all devices and thus reach a far greater number of potential newsletter subscribers.
- GDPR & Privacy: Double-Opt-Ins (DOI) are used to increase newsletter subscriptions in accordance with GDPR guidelines.
Frequently asked questions
Why are newsletters an important marketing channel for online shops?
Newsletters win new customers, strengthen loyalty and increase sales sustainably. Customers appreciate them too: around 70% of respondents in the D-A-CH region have registered for newsletters. About one third of subscribers there bought a product immediately after clicking a deal in a newsletter. For good reason, 95% of the 1,000 top-selling online shops in Germany offer one.
How do online shops get newsletter subscribers?
Combine several channels rather than relying on one: the email signature in transactional emails, a clearly visible registration on the website, social media profiles, posts and ads, plus popups or slide-ins with a GDPR-compliant opt-in. Add an incentive such as a voucher, exclusive membership benefits or a FOMO argument, and make sure the registration works on mobile devices.
How can online shops personalise the newsletter registration for each visitor?
Intelligent data processing makes personalisation possible. The uptain® ALGORITHM recognises when a visitor is undecided and shows a slide-in tailored to that visitor’s needs, distinguishing for example between an individual voucher and a FOMO argument. The slide-ins work on all devices and use double opt-in, so subscriptions are collected in line with GDPR guidelines.
Where should online shops place the newsletter registration on their website?
Place it where visitors expect it and can find it without searching: in the navigation, in the footer or at another clearly visible spot. Some visitors actively look for a registration option, and these are extremely qualitative leads: they need no convincing, only uncomplicated access. Since the website is the most important contact point with customers, visibility matters most there.
Why does newsletter registration need a responsive design?
78% of online shoppers in Germany state that they use mobile devices to shop online. If your registration only works properly on desktop, you lose access to a large share of potential subscribers. Responsive design therefore applies to popups and slide-ins as well as to contact forms embedded in the website. Solutions that work on every device reach considerably more people.
Which channels are suitable for winning Newsletter subscribers?
Four channels are particularly useful, and a combination works better than any single one. The email signature reaches existing contacts, for example in transactional emails after an order or payment. The website should show the registration clearly in the navigation or footer. Social media offers space in the profile description, posts and ads. Popups and slide-ins deliver the message prominently.
Which incentives are useful for increasing Newsletter subscribers?
Three incentives dominate: vouchers, exclusivity and FOMO. Voucher codes are the classic and win price-sensitive visitors, though they cost revenue with people who would have subscribed anyway. Exclusivity works through memberships with early or exclusive access to products. FOMO points out that subscribers are always up to date on discount campaigns. 42% of online shops offer such incentives.
Social Media
Social media plays a major role in the marketing of most online shops. So why not use this channel to generate newsletter subscribers? There is space for this in the profile description, in a post or in advertisements.