Increase downloads with a great opt in page
Updated October 2023: As a SaaS marketer, you know it takes a significant amount of time and effort to create high-quality lead magnets, like ebooks, white papers and guides. But your lead magnet’s ability to drive downloads—and revenue—depends heavily on how compelling your opt in page (also called a landing page) is.
The opt in page is so much more than just a form to fill out. It has to attract visitors and convince them that they need the content you’re offering. If your landing page doesn’t include the right components AND fails to communicate your lead magnet’s value, your efforts will be wasted.
In this blog post, we’ll answer the question, “What is an opt in page?” We’ll also share the 6 components you need to include in each landing page for it to drive conversions. And finally, we’ll provide 6 opt in page examples you can learn from.
What you’ll find in this post
- What is an opt in page?
- 6 opt in page components to drive conversions [+ examples]
- 6 opt in page examples to inspire you
- Checklist for driving traffic to your opt in page
What is an opt in page?
An opt in page is a page on your website crafted to persuade visitors to fill out a form providing you with their email address. In most landing pages, the visitor will receive a free, downloadable resource in exchange for their email address.
Opt in pages for lead magnets build trust with potential customers. They achieve this by showcasing your SaaS company’s expertise and offering actionable guidance.
6 opt in page components to drive conversions
Here are the 6 components you need to use to create a powerful, high-converting landing page that drives downloads for your B2B SaaS ebooks, white papers and guides.
1. Page title
The page title on an opt in page plays a huge role when it comes to readers deciding whether or not to download your lead magnet—so your title needs to make an impact. The best titles are strong, persuasive and benefit-driven. A great page title:
- Grabs your readers’ attention
- Clearly explains what the ebook will cover
- Tells people what’s in it for them if they download your lead magnet
Opt in page example: Dialpad
What they nailed: This page title grabs the readers’ attention by speaking to their pain of having lots of individual solutions that weren’t built to fit together seamlessly.
What they can improve: The page title would be stronger if it identified the industry or role the ebook is geared towards—for example, “7 Reasons for Corporate Accountants to Ditch the Duct Tape and Embrace the Cloud”.
Best practice to steal: Start your page title with a number to capture your audience’s eye quickly.
2. Images
Incorporating visuals like photos, illustrations and graphics on your landing page helps pique interest in the content. Strong imagery is:
- True to your brand’s visual identity
- Colorful and engaging, but not too busy
- Related to the topic of your lead magnet
Opt in page example: :Copper
What they nailed: This branded illustration is interesting, dynamic and created specifically for the lead magnet. It also clearly relates to the topic of the ebook.
What they can improve: The image header size could take up a bit less vertical space so readers are able to see the meat of the opt in page right away.
Best practice to steal: Ensure that your images reflect diversity as much as possible so readers can relate to your content and see themselves in the content.
3. Benefits
Your landing page should communicate the benefits visitors will gain from downloading the content. A compelling landing page:
- Calls out a problem your audience is facing
- Explains how your lead magnet can help address the challenge
- Provides a sneak peek of the actionable takeaways the lead magnet includes
Opt in page example: Freshdesk
What they nailed: This section of the landing page sets up the situation and the need for a chat support strategy. It also outlines 3 ways readers will benefit from downloading the ebook.
What they can improve: Use numbers within the bullets to be more specific—for example, “discover 5 ways to provide exceptional chat support.”
Best practice to steal: List benefits in a bulleted list and start each bullet with an action verb that describes the benefit the reader will gain.
4. Social proof
Using social proof on your opt in page to demonstrate the importance of your lead magnet topic is a smart strategy for B2B SaaS marketers. Some great examples of social proof on an opt in page include:
- Quotes from current customers raving about how the topic of your lead magnet (for example, marketing operations software) has impacted their business
- Quotes that dispel myths or address objections about the topic of your lead magnet
- Numbers that give weight to the topic of your lead magnet (for example, 10 million people use cloud software for B2B banking)
Opt in page example: Salesloft
What they nailed: By including this quote from an external source at a well-known company on their ebook opt in page, Salesloft establishes credibility for their product.
What they can improve: Testimonials are even more powerful when accompanied by a headshot. Salesloft could also add more context around whether Mary is a customer.
Best practice to steal: Highlight testimonials as pull quotes to draw readers’ eyes to them faster.
5. Single conversion goal
Including a strong, clear call to action (CTA) on your landing page can increase your conversions by 80%. A great CTA:
- Uses clear, concise language
- Guides your reader to the specific action you want them to take next
- Pops off the page with eye-catching design
Opt in page example: Five9
What they nailed: This “View Demo” CTA is short and sweet and specific. The pink button jumps off the page.
What they can improve: Always aim for active language. “Watch Demo” is a bit more active than “View Demo”, which is a bit more passive. Try A/B testing to see which version performs better.
Best practice to steal: Use a brightly colored button to make your CTA stand out.
6. Short contact form
Score a touchdown with your contact form by keeping it short. Don’t ask visitors for too much information—just the basics, like:
- Email address (this is the bare minimum)
- First name (this is helpful so you can personalize emails to your new lead)
Remember that asking for additional information could make filling out your contact form seem like too much effort, which would cause you to lose leads.
Opt in page example: Helpjuice
What they nailed: Helpjuice knows their audience’s time is valuable. This contact form doesn’t ask for much, just a name and email address.
What they can improve: Use an asterisk (*) to show that these fields are required.
Best practice to steal: Combine first and last name fields into one field to make your download form shorter—or just ask for a first name.
6 opt in page examples to inspire you
1. Headline for your opt in page
The best opt in pages have attention-grabbing headlines. Your headline should convey the urgency of downloading the content on the page, like this example from CrowdStrike:
You can test headline copy for your SaaS landing page using Coschedule’s free headline analyzer. The tool evaluates how well your headline will drive traffic and shares.
2. Persuasive copy
Compelling, benefit-driven landing page copy can boost your conversion rates. This example landing page from Splunk shows readers how they can achieve the same success as heavy hitters like Nasdaq, Slack and Dominos by downloading the content.
3. Social proof
Opt in pages that include customer logos allow you to leverage social proof to drive downloads. You can also use social proof to demonstrate the caliber of your customers or the size of your user base. Or, include testimonials to increase your credibility, like this example from Paycom.
4. Relevant images or graphics
“Well-chosen images can provide support for the copy and make it more persuasive. They can also be used to make your landing page easier to skim. This helps the potential customer to quickly figure out what it is that you are offering,” says this article by Clickfunnels.
Your landing page should cater to visitors who prefer visual content, like this example from HubSpot.
5. Opt in page form
The best opt in pages have short forms that make it easy for visitors to give you their email addresses. Your form shouldn’t ask for any sensitive information that could deter someone from filling it out. This example from Okta knocks simplicity out of the park.
6. Call to action
Your opt in page should include a call to action (CTA) that guides your visitors to where you want them to go next. This will improve your chances of converting visitors into subscribers. Your CTA should be clear and easy to spot, like this example from Workday.
Opt in page checklist: 8 ways to drive traffic
Congrats! You now have all the information you need to create a powerful
opt in page for your lead magnet. Your next step? Getting eyeballs on it. Here’s how:
- Promote your lead magnet on social media
- Write a blog post that teases the lead magnet
- Showcase the lead magnet in your newsletter
- Include CTAs to your lead magnet in related blog posts
- Optimize your the page for search engines
- Share it in industry Slack channels and other online communities
- Promote your lead magnet through guest blogging
- Boost traffic to your page with paid advertising
And check out these landing page examples for good measure.
Need help with your B2B SaaS ebooks, white papers and guides?
Uplift Content is a boutique content creation studio that works with high-growth B2B SaaS companies to develop well-written, informative and actionable content that generates leads.
