How to Create Superb Sign Up Forms with WordPress + AWeber

By Liz Willits January 21, 2016

Have you ever tried speaking to a crowd when you have laryngitis? You might be totally prepared for your speech, have years of training and coaching under your belt, but it doesn’t matter because you’re missing a crucial element: your voice.

That’s a lot like email marketing. You could have an awesome product, an excellent email marketing service provider, well-written content and beautifully designed emails. But these things alone won’t be enough.

What’s missing? Subscribers. Even with the best tools and intentions, without subscribers you will have a hard time reaching your audience.

But don’t be discouraged. There’s a simple way to start collecting email addresses right now: add a form to your website.

Here are three tips for creating an amazing sign up form for your WordPress site.

What Is WordPress?

WordPress is a content management system that allows you to write, edit and publish content from a central control panel or interface.

Did you know that 25 percent of all websites use WordPress? Considering the amount of website options out there, this is a staggering percentage.

There’s reason for it. A traditional website requires hours of coding to setup, and once it’s ready to launch, you will probably need a coding guru to make even the slightest changes to your site.

This is not true of WordPress. Editing content on WordPress is similar to using a word editor, such as Google Docs or Microsoft Word. You just need to know how to type.

Besides giving you the power to edit content yourself, WordPress has loads of plugins you can install to increase site functionality.

Installing a plugin is like buying a blender for your kitchen. Sure, you could get by with only an oven and a stovetop to cook in your kitchen, but with a blender, you can make smoothies! And who doesn’t love a good smoothie?

While your WordPress site works out of the box (for the most part), plugins are like little upgrades that allow you to do so much more. And while you could conceivably modify your site without plugins, why would you go through the trouble when thousands of developers have already created thousands of free plugins.

What’s one free WordPress plugin you can install today that can really help boost your email marketing? The AWeber widget plugin. With the AWeber plugin, you can publish your AWeber forms to your WordPress site in minutes without any coding, copying or pasting.

When visitors fill out your form, they’ll automatically be added to the AWeber email list of your choice, which means you’ll have more time to do the things you love.

3 Tips for Superb Sign Up Forms

Now that you know how to easily add a sign up form to your WordPress website with the AWeber plugin, we have three quick tips for creating amazing sign up forms!

1. Create Contrast

Your number one goal for any sign up form is for website visitors to fill it out. This means that your form should be eye-catching.

To accomplish this, create forms and landing pages with contrasting colors. Make your form background contrast with the color of your landing page, or your call to action button contrast with the background color of your form.

In this form, BeatCancer.Org uses a green form and a bright green button to create contrast with the white of the landing page. Both the form and the button draw your attention, telling visitors, “This is what’s important.”

2. Keep It Simple

This Jessica Vaughn form literally looks like it would take five seconds to fill out. Why? Simplicity.

With only two fields, you know it won’t take long to complete. The white space creates a clean and uncluttered feel. The large text is easy to read. The button’s call to action text is straightforward and descriptive.

Small things like this add up, and they can be the difference between winning a customer and losing a sale.

3. Use Descriptive and Interesting CTAs

“Click here” buttons are stale. Besides the fact that they’re super boring, they don’t tell your website visitors what they can expect once they click.

Instead of using a space-waster like “Click here,” write calls to action that describe the action you want website visitors to take. So if you want them to download your free guide, use a CTA like, “Download my free guide now.”

Or, in the case of Simply Quinoa, if you want your audience to sign up right away, put “Sign Up Today!” on your CTA button.

Start Saving Time with the AWeber Widget Plugin

To setup the AWeber WordPress plugin today, watch the video below for instructions or check out our step-by-step knowledge base article.

Not an AWeber customer yet? Start for free today!