Email is only as powerful as the list you’re sending to.
No list? No leverage.
A slow-growing list? Slow sales.
That’s why opt-ins matter so much. Every lost or missed subscriber is potential revenue slipping away quietly in the background.
And if you’re paying for your traffic (aka ads), you could be wasting some of those ad dollars and harming your ROAS.
But fixing your opt-in process is usually simple.
So in this article, I’ll show you the 5 biggest reasons your opt-ins might be underperforming — and how to fix each so you can turn more traffic into subscribers (and future customers).
| Table of Contents |
| Why Getting Your Opt-In Right Matters 5 Mistakes People Make With Email Opt-Ins BONUS: Test and Refine Fix These to Get More Subscribers What To Do Next |
Why Getting Your Opt-In Right Matters
The opt-in is the gateway to your email list. If you do it wrong, you don’t get the subscriber. And that means, you can’t:
- Get that first sale (front-end)
- Secure repeat business and customer loyalty (back-end)
In other words, your email marketing is dead in the water. Because if your list isn’t growing (to at LEAST replace those falling off)… It’s dying.
Yet on the other hand…
If you optimize your opt-in, you start scooping up more subscribers. That’s more sales and more referrals.
Your gains compound. And it’s all because you overhauled a relatively small portion of your email marketing infrastructure.
5 Mistakes People Make With Email Opt-Ins
I know. Opt-ins seem so simple.
But a lot can go wrong. Many brands make a few basic but costly mistakes that leak signups. Fixing just a couple goes a long way.
Here are the biggest mistakes to avoid (and what to do instead).
1. No Clear Incentive (Or It’s Too Weak)
“Join our newsletter” or “sign up for updates” is not a reason for someone to hand off their email address.
Just think about how many newsletters people are on. They REALLY don’t want another. And even if they do… they might just ignore it.
This is especially true in eCommerce, where customers are there first and foremost to buy something (not read stuff).
The front-end fix:
For the front-end, give the customer something they want. It’s that simple.
Discounts are the most popular eCom incentive. Give the customer something like 10-20% off their first order
But discounts aren’t the only option. Giveaways, quizzes, free eBooks, and more are ideas to test — as long as it’s something the customer wants. You can even market it as a “mystery discount” to leverage curiosity.
Make sure your front-end incentive is visible everywhere. Header, footer, and popup. Even a sidebar if you want.
The back-end fix:
You can’t give customers a discount incentive on the checkout page. They’re already there. So you’ll need to explain what value you’ll provide on the list.
Perhaps that’s product usage tips, niche-related educations, etc.
2. Lack of Opt-In Ease and Clarity
The best opt-in offer won’t reach its full conversion potential if the process is confusing or clunky.
Opting in should feel effortless and take seconds.
Asking for too much information, using vague button copy, and lacking clarity around whether they NEED to input their SMS after the email are some things that create friction in the opt-in process.
The front-end fix
Make the process as short as possible. Slash and burn ALL unnecessary steps. Keep all personal info gathering on one screen per method (one for email, one for SMS).
Be sure it’s extra clear whether SMS is required to finish opting in (such as if you offer an escalating discount for SMS).
Now, many brands like to collect zero-party data. For example, “What’s your #1 weight loss goal?” with 4 options.
I highly recommend this still. You can keep it simple by making their selection as easy as 1 button click. No need to select their choice and then click a “next screen” button.
The back-end fix
Auto-check the opt-in so they have to opt out. But send them a subscription confirmation email so they can confirm they want marketing communications, and make it easy to unsubscribe.
It pays to be extra sure the customer wants to get your emails. And remember, they are more likely to be fine with that if you provide a clear benefit to subscribing.
But you auto-check the box because otherwise, even customers ambivalent to your emails won’t check the box and get them. Whereas if you auto-check, they WILL get them and then can opt out if desired.
Balancing their satisfaction with your list growth.
3. Poor Timing and Placement
A great offer and a smooth opt-in won’t matter if people never see it. A header and footer are a good start, but you need a pop-up opt-in.
The timing must be right, too. You can’t fire it off too early, before they can look around, for example. That can be annoying and could interrupt the purchase.
You can’t trigger it repeatedly, either, for the annoyance reason.
The front-end fix
- Popups: Trigger after key behaviors (scroll %, time on page, exit intent)… NOT immediately.
- Embedded forms: Have header and footer signups on every page. You could do what I do (see the bottom of this article) and put an embedded form at the end of blog posts.
- Sticky bars/headers: Passive signup reminders that aren’t intrusive but stay on screen.
If you have time, you could test popups that are relevant to the general page type the reader is on (such as if they’re on your blog, checking out your store page, etc.).
The back-end fix
For customers at or after checkout, placement and timing mean visibility and seamlessness:
- During checkout: Keep opt-in checkboxes clear, ideally near shipping or payment steps. Auto-check the opt-in box, like I said earlier.
- After purchase: Offer opt-ins for product education, exclusive offers, or loyalty perks in order confirmation and shipping emails.
4. Not Optimizing For Mobile
Although a lot of eCom is mobile-optimized these days, many opt-ins (especially popups) feel built for desktop:
- Small text
- Awkward form fields
- Slow loading times
- An impossible experience trying to close the pop-up
Yet…
About 57% of eCom sales came from mobile devices, according to Capital One. They predict that’ll hit 63% by 2028.
Oh, and 61.9% of ALL global web traffic is from smartphone users. 31.6% of US web traffic is mobile.
So if your opt-ins aren’t optimized for mobile, you’re leaking a LOT of easy signups.
The front-end fix
Mobile-friendly isn’t enough. Mobile-first is. That means:
- Large, easy-to-tap buttons and form fields
- Popups that don’t block too much screen space or feel claustrophobic
- Fast load speeds (slow popups = instant closes)
- Clear, concise copy that gets to the point (screen space is limited)
Test your opt-in on different devices, starting with mobile. Then, make sure it looks good on desktop.
The back-end fix
Checkout opt-ins matter, too.
The mobile checkout process itself, as well as opting in or out, should be painless.
Also, ask only for the necessary info. Don’t add extra. Extra info isn’t a huge deal for desktop, but given the extra work typing takes on mobile…
Even one unnecessary form field could cause checkout abandons and lost opt-ins.
5. No Welcome Sequence OR Post-Purchase Flow
Many brands make the mistake of collecting the email… and then going silent.
Whether it’s a new lead or a new customer, no immediate follow-up means momentum is lost — and so is interest.
By the time your next promo hits, they may have no clue who you are.
You also lose out on opportunities to make sales, of course.
This is especially true on the front end. People who give you their email are expecting emails because, well, they handed you their email!
The front-end fix
On the front end, you need a Welcome Flow. This hits the customer’s inbox RIGHT when attention is highest.
They just voluntarily opted in, they’re waiting for their incentive (if not provided in the opt-in), and many are curious about the brand.
Your Welcome Flow thus:
- Thanks them and welcomes them
- Tells them about the brand
- Highlight your products
- Show why you’re different from other brands
- Sets expectations for being on the list
The top goal is to close that first sale. But these emails help accomplish that while setting up a strong relationship early…
And if the sale doesn’t occur, the customer knows to expect more emails.
The back-end fix
Whether someone opts in on the back-end or is already on the list… you need a Post-Purchase Flow.
This:
- Thanks them for their order
- Overcomes buyer’s remorse (by hyping them up for taking action and getting them excited for their order)
- Helps them achieve a quick win with their product
- Upsell/cross-sell complementary products
- Show them around other parts of the brand (like your loyalty program)
- Get a review and referral from them
- Encourage them to become a long-term loyal customer
The Welcome and Post-Purchase flows have the same kind of goal (engaging with opt-ins), but for different types of people.
One turns signups into buyers, the other turns buyers into repeat customers.
BONUS: Test and Refine
Even if your opt-in is doing decently well, there’s often room to enhance performance.
But like everything else in email marketing, small tweaks can unlock big wins.
- Test different incentives: Discounts vs. free gifts vs. exclusive content
- Test form copy: “Get 10% off now” vs. “Claim your mystery discount”
- Test popup timing: 5 seconds vs. exit intent vs. 50% scroll
- Test visuals: Image-heavy vs. minimal
Setting up tests for some of these (like popup timing) take just a few seconds. Others may take a few minutes, but regardless, it’s not a huge time investment.
And yet, as I’ve seen with clients, small changes can cause big lifts in:
- Opt-ins
- Email engagement
- Purchases (especially on that Welcome Sequence)
Even modest increases in opt-ins can compound over time.
One other note is to test opt-ins for specific things (like products or pages) when you have time. Up to you to consider strategically what would make sense.
Oh, and you can also create promo-specific opt-ins, like BFCM.
Fix These to Get More Subscribers
Opt-ins aren’t that complicated, but they require a bit of care.
If you’re making even one or two of these mistakes, you’re likely leaving plenty of subscribers — and future customers — on the table.
That’s good for you, though. A few simple fixes could lead to a nice uptick in subscribers. And every one of those new subscribers could turn into a one-off or even repeat buyer.
The result is more revenue, a better ROAS, and more sustainable growth.
So take a closer look at your opt-ins. Fix what’s broken. Test new elements occasionally.
And make sure you’re not just growing your list… but doing it in a way that sets you up for long-term sales and retention.
What To Do Next
- Share this article with someone who might find it helpful (or entertaining).
- Get my free eBook using the form below to learn the 5 things stopping you from turning “one-and-done” customers into repeat buyers.
- Reach out to me if you have a sizable email list and make less than 20% of your revenue through email.