Subscriptions. Calls to action. The classic Sign-up form. They are the heart and soul of your small business’ marketing strategy—to gain information about potential prospects and begin the process of conversion to a sale. Without an effective call to action, your entire content marketing effort is in vain. Without a winning sign up form design, you are kissing potential leads goodbye! The sign-up form is the most important factor to a potential customer committing, or turning away- so let’s get it right!

How do you make a more effective call to action and increase your sign ups? Here are a few simple suggestions to make the most of your sign-up form:

 

Choose Direct Language

This is no time for soft, wishy-washy word choices. Be decisive. Make statements instead of asking questions. It’s the difference between “Would you like to subscribe?” and “Subscribe here.” The first offers room for refusal, while the second is interpreted as an imperative and is more likely met with the desired response.

 

Contrasting Colors Attract Attention

If your call to action disappears in the sea of your page, it’s more likely to go unnoticed. Use strong, contrasting colors to make your sign-up stand out from the rest of your web design. It will catch the user’s eye, making them more likely to follow through.

 

Make Click Areas Bigger

Research shows that user interfaces with a larger call to action click area receive more response than those with smaller click areas. Don’t be afraid to go for the bigger button so your user doesn’t bypass your sign up option.

 

Expose Form Fields

If completing the sign-up requires a user to click away from the page they are currently on, they’re more likely to ignore it. Choose a call to action that shows the sign-up field right on the current page, allowing the user to sign up and then continue on with their browsing.

 

Use Fewer Form Fields

Asking for too much information can make your user uneasy. First of all, it feels like a homework assignment. That wall of information to fill in is just too much work, and users will likely decide it’s not worth it. The added problem with too many form fields is that it feels intrusive. “Why do they need that much information?” your user asks. “What are they going to do with it?”

Simplify your sign-up form with as few fields as possible. If you can, request only an email address. That’s plenty of information to get your product in front of your user on a regular basis, and you can work to gain more information from there.

 

Try Progressive Disclosure

If your product is one that does require gaining more information in the sign-up process, use progressive disclosure to avoid the upfront feeling of dread brought about by a long sign-up form. In this method, by only showing users one question from your form at a time, you can ask more questions without creating the overwhelming sensation typically brought about by long sign-up forms.

 

Offer a Gift

It may seem like a cheap trick, but it works. People love free stuff. It doesn’t even particularly matter what the free stuff is. Discounts on a product? A free e-book? Just the proposition of an offering will soften your call to action and make it seem like a perk.

 

Avoid Too Many Links

Links are often interpreted by users as calls to action, especially when they contrast from the rest of the text and draw attention. And if you draw your user’s focus in too many directions, your sign-up gets lost in the crowd. Minimize the number of links and keep the majority of your user interface in a single color scheme so that your sign-up form garners the most attention on the page.

 

Could any of these suggestions improve your site’s sign-up process? Have you tested and tried any of these methods? Share your experience with us in the comments.

Want more tips on how to optimize your entire website? Here’s our list of the top 12 ways you can improve sales and leads by optimizing your business’ website.

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(How’s that for a direct call to action?!)

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