How to Make Forms with Mailchimp & WooCommerce: Grow Your Email List and Boost Sales
Introduction:
Building a thriving online store with WooCommerce is a great first step, but attracting and retaining customers is where the real work begins. Email marketing remains one of the most effective strategies for nurturing leads, driving sales, and building brand loyalty. Integrating Mailchimp with your WooCommerce store allows you to automate your email marketing efforts, and forms are a crucial component of that process. This article will guide you through creating different types of forms with Mailchimp and embedding them on your WooCommerce site, helping you grow your email list organically and connect with your customers more effectively.
Main Part:
Why Use Mailchimp Forms with WooCommerce?
Integrating Mailchimp forms with your WooCommerce store offers several benefits:
- Grow your email list: Capture valuable email addresses from website visitors, allowing you to nurture leads and promote your products.
- Segment your audience: Collect data through your forms to segment your audience based on interests, purchase history, and other factors.
- Automated marketing: Trigger automated email campaigns based on form submissions, such as welcome emails or abandoned cart reminders.
- Personalized communication: Use the data collected to personalize your email marketing efforts, increasing engagement and conversions.
- Track performance: Monitor the success of your forms and email campaigns to optimize your marketing strategy.
- The plugin often automatically adds a “Subscribe” checkbox to the WooCommerce checkout page, allowing customers to easily subscribe to your mailing list during checkout.
- You can also leverage the plugin to sync customer data with your Mailchimp audience.
- Some plugins offer additional form building capabilities.
- Keep it simple: Don’t ask for too much information. The fewer fields, the higher the conversion rate. Only ask for what’s essential (e.g., email address, first name).
- Offer value: Explain what subscribers will gain by signing up (e.g., exclusive discounts, early access to new products, helpful content). Consider offering a small incentive like a discount code or free shipping.
- Mobile-friendly: Ensure your forms are responsive and look good on all devices.
- A/B testing: Experiment with different form designs, placements, and incentives to see what performs best.
- GDPR compliance: Be transparent about how you’ll use the collected data and provide a clear opt-in option. Include a privacy policy link.
- Strategically place forms: Don’t just stick a form on your homepage and hope for the best. Consider placing forms on:
- Product pages
- Blog posts related to your products
- Landing pages dedicated to specific promotions
- The checkout page
Creating and Embedding Mailchimp Forms in WooCommerce
There are several ways to create and embed Mailchimp forms into your WooCommerce store:
1. Embedded Forms (Built within Mailchimp):
This is the most common and straightforward method. Mailchimp provides pre-designed form templates that you can customize.
* Steps:
1. Log in to your Mailchimp account.
2. Navigate to “Audience” > “Signup forms”.
3. Choose “Embedded forms”.
4. Customize the form’s design, fields, and behavior (e.g., single, classic, slim). Consider adding fields like “First Name,” “Last Name,” and relevant product categories or interests.
5. Copy the generated HTML code.
6. In your WordPress dashboard, go to “Appearance” > “Widgets”.
7. Drag a “Text” widget (or “Custom HTML” widget) to the desired location (sidebar, footer, etc.).
8. Paste the Mailchimp HTML code into the widget.
9. Save the widget.
2. Pop-up Forms (Mailchimp):
Pop-up forms are a great way to grab attention, but use them judiciously to avoid annoying visitors.
* Steps:
1. Follow steps 1-2 from the “Embedded Forms” section.
2. Choose “Subscriber pop-up”.
3. Customize the form’s design, timing (when it appears), and behavior (e.g., exit intent, scroll percentage).
4. Connect your WooCommerce site by following the on-screen instructions to add the Javascript code snippet to your website. Mailchimp will automatically detect your WooCommerce site and handle the form’s display.
3. Using a Plugin (e.g., Mailchimp for WooCommerce):
The official “Mailchimp for WooCommerce” plugin offers deeper integration and often simplifies form management.
* Installation and Configuration:
1. In your WordPress dashboard, go to “Plugins” > “Add New”.
2. Search for “Mailchimp for WooCommerce”.
3. Install and activate the plugin.
4. Connect your Mailchimp account by following the plugin’s instructions.
* Form Creation:
Best Practices for Effective Forms
Customizing Forms with Code (Advanced)
If you want more control over the appearance and functionality of your forms, you can customize them using CSS and JavaScript. This is particularly useful for embedded forms where you’ve pasted the Mailchimp HTML code into a widget.
* CSS: Use CSS to style the form elements (e.g., fonts, colors, button styles) to match your website’s branding.
#mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; }
#mc_embed_signup .button { background-color: #007bff; color: white; }
* JavaScript: Use JavaScript to add custom functionality, such as form validation or dynamic content updates.
// Example: Simple form validation (needs adaptation to your specific form)
document.getElementById("mc-embedded-subscribe-form").addEventListener("submit", function(event) {
var email = document.getElementById("mce-EMAIL").value;
if (email == "") {
alert("Please enter your email address.");
event.preventDefault(); // Prevent form submission
}
});
Important Note: When using code, ensure you are proficient in CSS and JavaScript. Incorrect modifications can break your form or website. Always back up your website before making any code changes.
Conclusion:
Integrating Mailchimp forms with your WooCommerce store is a powerful way to build your email list, engage with your audience, and ultimately, drive sales. By following the steps outlined in this article and implementing best practices, you can create effective forms that attract subscribers and boost your marketing efforts. Remember to continuously test and optimize your forms to maximize their performance and ensure they align with your overall marketing goals. Experiment with different form types, placements, and incentives to find what works best for your audience and your WooCommerce store. Finally, stay compliant with data privacy regulations to build trust and maintain a positive relationship with your subscribers.
