Mailtrap made a multi-step survey a required part of signup. Counterintuitively, this added friction had no negative impact on conversion rates. The collected data on user intent, role, and marketing attribution proved invaluable for segmenting users and focusing on high-value cohorts, informing both product and marketing strategy.

For businesses heavily reliant on email, adding SMS marketing is not just an incremental improvement. Data from MailChimp shows that customers see a 16.5x ROI multiplier after launching their first SMS campaign. This demonstrates the immense value of communicating with customers across different channels where they are ready to engage.

Instead of presenting all form fields at once, use a two-step process. The first step asks only for an email address, a low-friction action. This allows you to capture a lead for remarketing even if the user abandons the second step.

During a launch, subscribers may not want the current offer but still value your content. Instead of a global unsubscribe, provide a link to opt-out of that specific promotion only. This retains subscribers while allowing you to market more aggressively.

A welcome email is more than a confirmation; it's a prime opportunity. Capitalize on the user's peak engagement by immediately including a call to action. For e-commerce, this should be a direct prompt to start shopping, as that is likely why they subscribed.

Instead of viewing them as separate efforts, businesses should link customer retention and acquisition. By unifying data to better re-engage existing customers via owned channels like email and SMS, brands increase lifetime value. This, in turn, reduces the long-term pressure and cost associated with acquiring entirely new customers.

Despite high costs and compliance hurdles, SMS can be a massive revenue stream, akin to email marketing 15 years ago. MarketBeat successfully leverages it for offers, finding a phone number is 5-10x more valuable than an email address.

Extend your automation beyond the inbox. When a user joins your email list, automatically add them to a custom ad audience for educational or retargeting campaigns to stay top-of-mind. Simultaneously, add them to an exclusion list for top-of-funnel acquisition campaigns to avoid wasting ad spend on existing contacts.

Start with a single field asking only for an email address. This low-friction entry point secures a lead for retargeting even if the user abandons the form. Subsequent, more detailed fields are presented only after the initial, low-commitment step is complete.