Tutorial: Using Get Response to Add an Opt-In Box to Your WordPress Site An Opt-In Box is... An opt-in box (also called an opt-in form) is a form that can be added to your website to collect email addresses for marketing purposes. The following is an example of an Opt- In box: Many websites utilize opt-in boxes to gather contact information on potential customers or website users. Website visitors are invited to enter their names and email addresses to subscribe to newsletters or specials. This often leads them to a special "freebie," like a free article or e-book. When someone inputs his/her information into an opt-in box, it's stored in a database by your email service provider. This way you can compose a list of leads to send out newsletters, promotions, coupons, etc. Creating Your Opt-In Form To create an opt-in box, you must first create an account with the email service provider of your choice. For this particular process, you should use Get Response as this provider. Get Response is located here. 1
After you've created your new account, log in and click on "Web Forms." A drop-down menu will expand, from which you should pick the "Create New" option. The next page allows you to choose the design for your new opt-in box. First, choose a template. This will determine the overall look of your opt-in box. 2
There are a variety of templates from which to choose for your opt-in box. When you find the template you'd like, a preview box will appear that will show you the full template and present available color schemes. 3
If you decide you don't like that template after all, click "Cancel" to choose a different template. If you're satisfied, choose your color scheme and click "Apply." Once you've chosen your template, scroll down on the same page to the section that showcases potential options for what to include in your new opt-in box. 4
The default opt-in box requires website visitors to put in their email address and name, but you can also add extra fields that you would like included by using the navigation column on the right side of the page. 5
To add a field (such as phone number, state, etc.), simply click on information you want to add and use your cursor to drag it over to the desired position on your opt-in box. 6
After adding the new field, a box will open, and you'll have the option of removing or editing the field. 7
You may add as many fields as you choose, but the more concise your opt-in box is, the more likely visitors are to actually fill it out. You should only ask as much information from the visitor as is necessary. For example, if your marketing plan includes emailing customers, there's no need to ask visitors for their physical addresses or phone numbers. If your campaign centers around direct mail marketing, however, you should add the address field so you can collect that information from your visitors. To adjust your opt-in box's "Headline," located at the top of the box, click on "Edit Header." You will open up a box that will allow you to enter your own, unique content. When you're satisfied with your opt-in box's appearance, click on "Save Web Form" and then choose "Next Step." 8
On the following page, you can change the settings for your opt-in box. 9
Changing your web form's name is optional, but we do recommend that you keep the remainder of the default settings on this page, as automatically determined by Get Response. When you're finished and ready to move on, click "Save Webform" and then choose "Next Step." On the final page, choose the "I will install my web form" option. 10
Now, copy the code shown under "Show JavaScript Code." 11
You can do this by highlighting the code with your mouse, right-clicking your mouse, and selecting "Copy." 12
Installing the New Form on Your Website Once you have the code copied, you're ready to install the new opt-in form on your website. Login to your WordPress backend by adding /wp-admin to the end of your website address. For example, if your website URL is www.mywebsite.com, you can navigate to your WordPress backend by typing in www.mywebsite.com/wp-admin. Then, simply login with your username and password. After you've logged in, you should see a screen similar to this. (If you don't see this, click on "Dashboard"): Focus on the "Email Opt-In Form" box. It should be empty as of now. 13
In this empty box, paste the code that you just copied from Get Response. Paste by right-clicking in the box and selecting "Paste." 14
Scroll down and click "Save Changes." Your opt-in box should now be up-and-running on your website! When a visitor decides to "opt-in," his/her information will be automatically saved in your Get Response account. In other words, you can log into your Get Response account to view the list of opt-ins and send out emails or other materials. If you need help managing your opt-in list or learning how to send bulk emails, contact Get Response or visit the company's support page at https://app.getresponse.com/support.html. 15