How Web Design Can Improve Email Collection Rates

How Web Design Can Improve Email Collection Rates

Photo by KOBU Agency on Unsplash

You’ve probably heard the saying “dress for the job you want, not the job you have.” Well, the same principle can be applied to your website. If you want to increase your email collection rates, then it’s time to start thinking about your web design. 

A well-designed website isn’t one that is colorful and flashy. It’s the one that loads fast and is easy to navigate. It doesn’t matter if you spend a thousand bucks for all the design, widgets, or plugins, if the forms were difficult to fill out, or it took forever to submit, your visitors would not even bother filling out the form at all. 

A well-designed website will help persuade visitors to hand over their email addresses, which can then be used to cultivate a relationship with them and convert them into customers.

“Cool. But, how does web design have something to do with email collection rates?” you might ask. We’ll find out the answer. Let’s dive in!

Email Collection Rates: What Makes a Web Design High-Converting?

Before we get into the nitty-gritty detail, it’s important to understand what makes a website appealing to visitors so they can confidently submit their email addresses.

Websites have always been an ideal place to collect emails and grow your email lists, boosting the bottom line of your business. Of course, it’s not all about looks. You need to make sure that the website also provides a great user experience if you want visitors to stick around long enough to fill out your form.

There are many web design factors that go into making a high-converting website design, but we’ve narrowed it down to five of the most important ones:

Layout

The layout of your website is one of the most important factors in determining how well it will convert visitors into email subscribers. The layout must be easy to navigate and the forms should be easy to fill out. If the form is difficult to find or takes too long to submit, your visitors will lose interest.

Design Elements

The design elements of your website also play a role in its conversion rate. The use of color, typography, and images should be used to support the message you’re trying to communicate. If they don’t support the message or are used in the wrong way, they can actually have a negative effect on your conversion rate.

Speed

Another important factor in website conversion rates is speed. A website that loads slowly will lose visitors, so it’s important to make sure your website is optimized for fast loading times.

Forms

The forms on your website are another important factor in determining its conversion rates. The forms must be easy to fill out and the fields should be minimal. If the form is too long or contains irrelevant questions, your visitors will immediately leave.

Calls to Action

A website’s calls to action are also important in determining its conversion rates. A call to action is a button or link that tells your visitors what you want them to do. It must be clear and concise so your visitors know what action to take. If the call to action is unclear or confusing, your visitors will not know what to do.

How Web Designs Improve Email Collection Rates

Now that we understand what you should at least bring to the table for designing a website that effectively grows the email list, we’ll break down how the design itself can be a significant factor in helping visitors to convert to leads or even prospects.

#1. Good Design Have an Improved Usability

When a website is easy to use, it typically means that the layout is simple and the forms are easy to find and fill out. This makes it easy for visitors to navigate your website and quickly submit their email addresses. 

A well-designed website will minimize distractions and keep the focus on the form so visitors can easily complete it. It means that you can design a form that doesn’t require too much information, making it easier for visitors to complete.

#2 Good Design Loads Faster

As mentioned above, how quickly your website loads is a major factor in its conversion rate. A slow-loading website will lose visitors, so it’s important to make sure your website is optimized for fast loading times. At least 37% of visitors bounce when your site takes five seconds to load.

You can improve the speed of your website by minimizing the use of images, using a compressed file format such as JPEG, compressing the size of product demo videos (if you have any), and reducing the number of requests your website makes.

#3. Good Design Eliminates Anxiety

In this digital world, everyone is concerned about their privacy. When you ask for someone’s email address, you’re asking for a lot of personal information. 

If your website doesn’t look trustworthy, how could they not feel anxious about giving away their personal information to you? Especially if they don’t even know who you are or what you’re going to do with their information. 

Good design can help to reduce this anxiety by providing a trust mark or seal of approval, as well as using secure connections. When visitors see that your website is trustworthy, they will be more likely to submit their information.

Here’s an example from Curata that includes trust seals from Marketo, eloqua, and Salesforce on their lead generation page. It helps their visitors submit their emails confidently and worry-free.

#4. Good Design Eliminates Confusion

The design of your website can also influence how confused visitors feel. If the layout is confusing or the forms are difficult to understand, visitors will be more likely to leave without providing their contact information. It’s important to make sure all of the elements on your website are easy to understand and the layout is simple.

#5. Good Design Focuses on the Goal

When you’re designing a website, it’s important to keep the goal in mind. What are you trying to achieve? Is the goal to get visitors to submit their email addresses or is it something else? 

Once you know what the goal is, you can design the website around that goal. This means focusing on the layout, design elements, and calls to action that will help visitors reach that goal. For visitors themselves, they will appreciate a website that is designed with their needs in mind.

#6. Good Design Communicates a Clear Message

Your website’s design should support the message you’re trying to communicate. If the design doesn’t match the message, it can confuse or distract visitors from what you’re trying to say. It can also cause them to lose trust in you. 

Use images and fonts that match the tone of your message and make sure the layout is easy to understand. The calls to action should also be clear and concise, so visitors know what they need to do.

Look how Wishpond nailed their sign up page design. They keep the copy brief and clear, so they can get their visitor’s attention and make the email submitting process much easier.

#7. Good Design Is Consistent

A well-designed website is consistent in its design. This means that the layout, fonts, colors, and images are all used throughout the website. When everything is consistent, it creates a unified, professional look and feels that helps to build trust with your visitors. 

So, when you’re designing your website, make sure to use a consistent design throughout to build trust with your visitors. It will also make it easier for them to navigate your website and find the information they’re looking for. 

A consistent design also makes it easier for visitors to remember what they saw on your website. When everything is in the same place, it’s easier to find and remember.

#8. Good Design Is Memorable

If a website is well-designed, it will create a positive impression for visitors– that’s how they’re more likely to remember it. In other words, good design stands out from the crowd and catches people’s attention. 

When people remember your website, they’re more likely to visit it again in the future. This means that you can increase your chances of converting visitors into email subscribers by designing a website that is memorable and easy to use.

#9. Good Design Can Persuade

A website that has a well-designed layout and uses the right design elements can persuade visitors to hand over their email addresses. 

The use of color, typography, and images can be used to create an emotional response in your visitors, which can then be used to persuade them to convert. For example, if you want to create a sense of urgency, you can use a countdown timer. 

Take a look at this example from Synapse who creates FOMO for its visitors and potential attendees, so they convert. This design tip works especially well for offers that are only available for a limited time.

#10. Good Design Includes Social Proof

Including social proof on your website is a great way to increase the trust of visitors. Social proof is the psychological phenomenon that occurs when people are influenced by the actions of others. According to the stats, 97% of consumers saying online reviews impact their purchasing decisions.

When you can show your visitors that other people have already subscribed to your email list, it will persuade them to do the same. This is why many websites with a high-converting design include social media buttons. They allow you to show your visitors how many people have already subscribed and make it easy for them to do the same.

Below is an example of social proof that Casper included on their website design– showing how happy and satisfied their previous customers are with their mattresses.

Wrapping Up

Web design isn’t just about making a website look good. It’s also about making sure it’s easy to use and helps visitors reach their goals. When all the elements of a website are working together to create a positive user experience, helping you to improve conversion rates. 

This means that more visitors will be persuaded to hand over their email addresses in exchange for your content or product. A well-designed website will keep visitors engaged and interested, which will result in more conversions.           

Author

Andre Oentoro is the founder of Breadnbeyond, an award-winning explainer video company. He helps businesses increase conversion rates, close more sales, and get positive ROI from explainer videos (in that order). 

Twitter: @breadnbeyond

Email: andre@breadnbeyond.com 

LinkedIn: Andre Oentoro