The short answer
Subscribers come when you give a concrete reason to sign up and put the form where people already meet you: on your website, at checkout, at the till, on social media. The reason is the part almost everyone forgets: “Subscribe to our newsletter” persuades nobody; “10% off your first order” or “the size guide” does. And never buy lists: without consent they’re unlawful, and they send you to spam.
The problem isn’t the form: it’s the reason
“Subscribe to our newsletter” is the most ignored sentence on the web. Nobody wants more email: people want what’s inside. So ask yourself what someone gets for signing up, today, straight away:
- a discount on their first purchase, or free shipping;
- a useful guide: how to choose, how to store, how to use;
- first access to sales, seats, new arrivals;
- a gift in store, collected by showing the email;
- an invitation to an event or a tasting.
Put the reason in the form’s headline. “10% off your first order” gets sign-ups; “Newsletter” doesn’t.
11 places to collect subscribers
- A form on your website, in the footer and on the contact page.
- A polite pop-up that appears after a few seconds or when someone is about to leave, once only.
- A dedicated sign-up page to link everywhere: your Instagram bio, WhatsApp, your email signature.
- Checkout in your online shop, with an unticked box for marketing emails.
- A QR code at the till, on the counter, on tables, in the window: people sign up from their phone in ten seconds.
- The receipt or the bag, with the QR code and the reason to sign up.
- Bookings: a box to hear about news, next to the confirmation.
- An event: a tasting, a class, a launch. The people who come are the warmest customers you’ll have.
- Useful content: a downloadable guide in exchange for an email address.
- A fair competition, with clear rules and separate consent for the newsletter.
- Word of mouth: “Forward to a friend” at the end of every email, with the sign-up link.
The GDPR and PECR rules, briefly
Collecting emails is easy; collecting them properly keeps you clear of fines and spam folders.
- Consent must be freely given: the marketing box can’t be pre-ticked.
- Say clearly what they’ll get and how often, and who handles the data (your privacy notice).
- Keep proof of consent: date, time, form, the text they agreed to.
- Use double opt-in when you can: it blocks wrong addresses and proves consent.
- People who already bought from you can get emails about similar products if you told them and they didn’t opt out: the “soft opt-in” of the UK’s PECR and of the EU ePrivacy rules.
- Never buy lists or scrape addresses: without consent it’s unlawful, and those lists are full of abandoned addresses.
All the details are in our GDPR guide for newsletters.
How to do it in Spedito
In Spedito you create a form in three versions: a dedicated page, a form to embed in your site and a pop-up, after a few seconds or on exit. For your shop you download the form’s QR code, ready to print. Double opt-in and the consent box switch on with one click, and Spedito keeps proof of every sign-up.
Each form can add a label and start an automation, so the promised gift arrives by itself. With the Shopify or WooCommerce integration, customers who buy and consent join your list without you lifting a finger. Up to 500 contacts it’s all free.
Mistakes that stop your list growing
- A form with ten fields. Ask for the email and, if you need it, the first name. The rest you’ll learn later.
- No reason to sign up, or a vague one like “stay updated”.
- A pop-up that appears instantly and covers everything. On a phone it’s the fastest way to make people leave.
- Leaving new subscribers with nothing for weeks. By the time the first email arrives, they’ve forgotten you.
- Bought lists, or business cards imported without consent.
Frequently asked questions
How many subscribers do I need to start a newsletter?
There’s no minimum: even 50 loyal customers are worth it. A small, attentive list earns more than a big, distracted one.
Can I add my customers to my newsletter?
With their consent, yes. Without it, only people who already bought from you, about similar products, if you told them and they didn’t opt out. You can’t add everyone who handed you a business card.
Pop-up or form on the page?
Both, if the pop-up is polite: after a few seconds or on exit, once only. The pop-up collects more; the form on the page is always there for people looking for it.
Is buying an email list legal?
Not if those people haven’t consented to hear from you. And such lists are full of abandoned addresses that hurt the delivery of all your emails.