Marketing Strategies

Elements of effective registration programs

One of the most common and cost-effective ways for marketers to grow their email subscriber base is through the use of online registration forms. While many brands have registration forms on their websites, not all of them use the best approach to optimize conversions and promote continued subscriber interactions.

To help brands design a frictionless and effective registration program, we audited a number of best-in-class web registration programs from leading brands. In this blog post, we highlight one of the examples from the audit and call out several components that make it effective.

King Arthur Flour is a leading resource of top–quality baking products. Fittingly, their passion for baking is prominently visible throughout the email registration process. From the sign-up pop-up to the preference center page, the copy and visuals were designed with the user’s interests in mind. Here are the elements of their registration program that stand out:

Interstitial or Pop-up Window

King Arthur Flour employs a pop-up window on their homepage which contains a single form field that prompts site visitors to fill in their email addresses. The call-out to sign up for the brand’s email program is short, straight-forward, and sets clear expectations for the type of communications new subscribers will be receiving. It effectively captures consumers’ attention and encourages signups, without driving visitors away.

Confirmation Message

Upon submission of the sign-up form, new subscribers are immediately shown a confirmation message within the opt-in window. The message uses punny contextual language to confirm receipt.

Welcome Campaign

After consumers have opted into their email program, King Arthur Flour sends a welcome message to greet new subscribers. The visually enticing email introduces subscribers to the brand and shares the types of messages they can expect to receive.

Call-out to Preference Center

In addition to greeting new subscribers, King Arthur Flour’s welcome message includes a prominent section that encourages new subscribers to visit their preference center page and share additional details about themselves in order to make their email experience more personalized.

Content Type Management

The preference center page is where users can select the type of communications they would like to receive. King Arthur Flour’s is a great example of a user-friendly and delightful preference center page. By combining fun copy with purposeful use of icons and color, the page looks clean, yet inviting to subscribers and encourages them to share their information and preferences for baking.

Unsubscribe-All Option

Specific to the preference center page, the unsubscribe-all option allows subscribers to instantly opt-out of all brand communications instead of having to check the box for every type of message.

Mobile Responsive

Not forgetting to consider mobile viewership, King Arthur Flour designed its preference center page to be mobile responsive. All creative, including form fields, renders properly in both desktop and mobile environments and functions without the need to zoom or pinch.

The Human Element

Throughout the new subscriber registration process – in the sign-up pop-up, welcome emails, and preference center pages – King Arthur Flour incorporates copy with contextually relevant and conversational tone. This gives the brand a human voice and helps add a little fun to the registration experience.

The elements above are just a few of the components that make up an effective registration program. New subscriber registration is the key to building and continuously growing your audience so taking the time to carefully plan and implement it will not only increase conversion rates but also help keep subscribers happy and engaged in the long-term.

To learn more best practices and view all 20 examples of registration programs that convert, download our Registration Lookbook.

Gurjit Sandhu
Marketing Manager

Gurjit Sandhu has been in digital and direct marketing for over 6 years, delivering marketing and event management solutions in both fast-paced corporate and entrepreneurial environments. Energized by strategic thinking and the power of marketing technology, she collaborates closely with cross functional teams at Data Axle to spearhead multi-channel communications that highlight product innovations.