Hey there, fellow WordPress user! Are you ready to seriously boost your email list growth and sales? Then it‘s time to consider adding an optimized welcome mat to your site.
Welcome mats are one of the most effective ways to convert casual visitors into subscribers and customers. In fact, a well-designed welcome mat has been shown to increase conversions by up to 86% compared to a standard popup (Source: WisePops).
Crazy, right? A single welcome mat could potentially double your email list with the traffic you already have. No wonder top brands and bloggers swear by them.
In this ultimate guide, I‘ll show you exactly how to create your own killer welcome mat in WordPress step-by-step. I‘ll also share 10+ high-converting welcome mat examples from a variety of niches so you can model the pros.
By the end of this post, you‘ll have all the tools and strategies you need to craft a welcome mat that wows your audience and skyrockets your key metrics. Let‘s get into it!
What Exactly is a Welcome Mat Anyway?
In case you‘re not familiar, a welcome mat is a full-screen call to action that appears to visitors when they first land on your website. It‘s designed to immediately grab attention and get people to take a specific action, like joining your email list or claiming a discount code, before they start browsing.
Unlike a standard popup that only covers a portion of the screen, a welcome mat temporarily hides your entire page until the user either signs up or clicks a "no thanks" button. This puts your offer front and center, making it nearly impossible to ignore.
Here‘s an example of a simple welcome mat from Backlinko:
Notice how the welcome mat takes over the whole screen with a clear headline, benefit statement and email signup form. There‘s no missing it!
Why are Welcome Mats So Effective?
There are a few psychological reasons why welcome mats tend to convert so well:
They capitalize on the "novelty effect". When someone new visits your site, there‘s a small window of time where they are most receptive and curious. A welcome mat allows you to make a strong first impression and get your message seen while interest is piqued.
Singular focus. With no other distractions on the screen, your call to action becomes the sole focus. Visitors have to make an immediate decision to either opt in or close the mat. This is much more effective than a sidebar form that can easily be ignored.
Added context. Unlike a generic "Subscribe for Updates" CTA, welcome mats give you room to provide value proposition. You can clearly articulate what someone will get in exchange for their email and set expectations.
Implied social proof. Presenting your offer confidently above all your other content positions it as something special that visitors shouldn‘t miss out on. It‘s like saying "this is so valuable that we‘re putting it at the very top!".
Still not convinced? Check out these welcome mat success stories:
- Entrepreneur Ivana Taylor saw a 1,375% increase in signups using a welcome mat compared to her previous popup. (Source: BounceX)
- After implementing a welcome mat, blogger Nikki McGonigal‘s conversion rate jumped from 0.4% to 5.5% – a 1,275% increase! (Source: AWeber)
- eCommerce site Maître Gims got a massive 25.09% conversion rate on their discount welcome mat. (Source: Wisepops)
The numbers don‘t lie. When executed properly, welcome mats flat out work. So how can you create one in WordPress?
How to Create a Welcome Mat with OptinMonster
The most flexible way to add a welcome mat to your WordPress site is by using the OptinMonster plugin. OptinMonster is a powerful conversion optimization toolkit that allows you to easily build all types of campaigns like popups, slide-ins, fullscreen overlays and more.
Here‘s a quick step-by-step on creating your first welcome mat in OptinMonster:
- Sign up for an OptinMonster account (Pro plan required for fullscreen mats)
- Install the OptinMonster WordPress plugin and connect it to your account
- From your WP dashboard, go to OptinMonster » Campaigns and click "Create New Campaign"
- Select the "Fullscreen" campaign type
- Choose from 50+ pre-made templates or start from scratch
- Customize the design using the codeless drag and drop builder:
- Edit the copy, colors, images and layout to match your offer and brand
- Set your targeting rules and triggers under the "Display Rules" tab:
- Decide what action to take on submission under the "Success" tab
- Integrate your email marketing service to send leads to your list
- Publish your campaign and watch the conversions roll in!
OptinMonster makes the whole process incredibly simple, even if you have zero coding or design skills. You can spin up a beautiful welcome mat in a matter of minutes.
Some more advanced targeting options OptinMonster offers for welcome mats include:
- Page-level targeting: Display different mats sitewide or on specific URLs
- Referral detection: Show tailored offers to visitors from certain sources (e.g. Facebook vs Google)
- Cookie retargeting: Exclude people who already opted in to avoid annoying repeat visitors
- Geolocation: Personalize your messaging by visitor location
- AdBlock detection: Recover lost impressions from ad blocking users
- Device-based: Create mobile responsive welcome mats
These granular rules allow you to fine-tune your approach and create hyper-relevant campaigns for your various visitor segments.
10 High-Converting Welcome Mat Examples
Need some inspiration for your welcome mat design and copy? Here are 10 examples of brands killing it with unique and engaging welcome mats:
1. Tim Ferriss
Bestselling author and podcaster Tim Ferriss gates his list of top 5 email marketing tips behind this high-converting welcome mat:
Notice the use of social proof with "Join 1,500,000 Monthly Readers" and the subheadline detailing what you‘ll receive. This builds instant credibility and sets clear expectations.
2. Chubbies
Men‘s clothing brand Chubbies makes signing up fun and enticing with their cheeky welcome mat copy:
Phrasing their offer as an exclusive "Chubscription" to a "super rad newsletter" fits their young male demographic perfectly. The fun "I‘m In!" CTA is also a nice touch.
3. Classy Career Girl
Classy Career Girl gets straight to the point with their welcome mat:
The "Get the 7 Steps" headline clearly articulates the offer, while the background image of a happy confident woman paints an aspirational identity visitors want to achieve.
4. BuzzFeed
BuzzFeed keeps it ultra simple with a pared down two-step welcome mat:
The "Yes I‘m In" microcopy on the initial view is casual and commitment-free. Then they only ask for an email once someone expresses interest. Genius!
5. Jenna Kutcher
Marketing educator Jenna Kutcher offers her "5 Secrets of 7 Figure Launches" in exchange for an email:
For a more aggressive approach, she automatically starts downloading her freebie after a 15 second countdown timer if you don‘t exit the mat. This clever tactic forces fast action.
6. Crate&Barrel
Instead of the standard welcome mat, home decor store Crate&Barrel uses a fullscreen overlay to promote their wedding registry:
This targeted offer speaks directly to engaged couples, who tend to be higher value customers. They smartly tie the CTA to creating a Crate&Barrel registry instead of a generic signup.
7. Inspiralized
Food blog Inspiralized makes it super easy to join their list with this quick and friendly popup form:
All that‘s required is an email and name, lowering the barrier to subscribe. The smiling photo also helps visitors connect with the personal brand.
8. Ugmonk
Designer Jeff Sheldon teases 10% off your first order in exchange for an email on his eCommerce site Ugmonk:
This instant coupon, combined with beautiful lifestyle product imagery and the enticing "Unlock" button, is sure to boost first time purchases. It‘s a fantastic way to reduce cart abandonment.
9. Melyssa Griffin
Online business coach Melyssa Griffin highlights her top piece of content in her welcome mat:
Again, simple converts! By focusing on just giving away her best blog post, she attracts ultra engaged subscribers excited to dive into her content.
10. Beardbrand
Men‘s grooming brand Beardbrand gamifies their welcome mat with a prize wheel offering various discounts and freebies:
This interactive approach is a fun pattern interrupt that gets people eager to win a personalized prize. The scarcity-driving copy "Today Only!" adds urgency.
Welcome Mat Best Practices & Tips
Based on these examples, here are some key takeaways for crafting high-performing welcome mats:
- Offer a highly relevant lead magnet or incentive tied to your niche
- Write clear, benefit-driven copy focused on your offer‘s unique value
- Use engaging visuals like photos, videos or illustrations to grab attention
- Create a singular conversion goal (e.g. email signup) with one prominent CTA
- Keep forms short and only ask for essential info to reduce friction
- Add urgency and scarcity when appropriate to compel fast action
- Customize your design and language to your specific target audience
- A/B test headlines, imagery, offers and layouts to optimize conversions
- Leverage your data to create personalized campaigns for different visitor segments
- Provide easy opt-out options to avoid annoying those not interested
Need more help with your welcome mat strategy and design? Check out OptinMonster‘s list of 69 lead magnet ideas and 9 tips for creating irresistible offers your visitors can‘t refuse.
Time to Roll Out the Welcome Mat!
Phew, that was a lot to cover! Let‘s recap what we learned:
- Welcome mats are full-screen CTAs that appear upon first site visit
- They are extremely effective for list building, lead gen and sales
- You can easily create welcome mats in WordPress using OptinMonster
- Great welcome mats have a clear offer, visual appeal and singular CTA
- It‘s crucial to test, analyze data and continually optimize results
Now you have everything you need to create a high-converting welcome mat campaign!
Remember, even a small boost in conversions can lead to huge gains over time, especially as your traffic grows. So don‘t sleep on this powerful strategy.
I want to challenge you to implement your own welcome mat in the next week and track your results for 30 days. Feel free to hit reply and let me know how it goes. I‘d love to feature you in a future case study!
Happy converting!
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