OptinMonster Review: Is It the Best Optin & Conversion Tool?

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After visiting a website, you have probably been asked for your email address. This usually takes the shape or form of a contact form pop-up. Why? Because websites must ask for your permission before engaging you with their content, messages or otherwise, outside of their platform.

It is no surprise that even big platforms like Instagram and Twitter ask for permission (email) before sending you promotional material. Otherwise, sending unsolicited emails to website visitors is spamming.

And let’s face it; that is not a reputation you or your website want to have, and is in the least annoying. Let’s not even touch on the suing that can follow because you’re right; spamming is a breach of privacy rights.

Indeed, a simple signup sheet on a website does not work very well. Research shows that 70-90% of website visitors never come back.

This makes a basic sign-up form, well, BASIC. For even more conversions of website visitors to subscribers and members of your master mail list, a lead generation plugin is necessary.

A cleverly used and well-integrated contacts form plugin is the tool for this. One like OptinMonster.

What is OptinMonster and do I need it?

OptinMonster is a lead generation and opt-in tool. It is a cloud-based software that aims to optimize the growth of subscriber lists. It is a versatile tool with nearly a hundred templates for opt-in forms.

One is assured to find a theme and style that suits their brand and style. From growing a publishing business and blog to increasing the sales and revenues of an eCommerce platform; the lead generation that OptinMonster offers is unmatched.

If you are just learning about OptinMonster, read on to see what it has and can do for a site.

What it has to offer

1.Visual Editor Interface

OptinMonster has a simple click and edit feature for tweaking opt-in boxes. This is something web designers will love as they set up forms for their websites. For the more seasoned developers, this feature may be limiting. If familiar with CSS, there is a CSS integrated editor within the tool where one can edit elements of the visual editor. For the less seasoned, the visual editor just allows one to edit and follow what they’re doing with ease.

2.Demographics Options

Precision-targeted marketing is essential for any marketing strategy, and especially so for email marketing. OptinMonster gives exactly this by enabling users to set rules for group-specific visitors.

This allows maximizing the potential for subscribers from website visitors.

One can also set a time delay before the opt-in form is displayed. One can also set the opt-in form to display just before a visitor bounces to another site thanks to the exit-intent technology.

Or better yet, you can set specific forms for different times of the year; say have a different sign-up form for Christmas or the anniversary of your site.

3.Retargeting Options

OptinMonster allows for a variety of triggering and targeting methods.

This gives room to concentrate marketing to repeat visitors depending on items like articles or products that are related to their interests.

All while highlighting the ones you have on offer, those we cannot forget!

4.Split Testing & Performance Analytics

Split testing is proven for helping one decide on which campaign strategy to employ. Whenever one chooses to change options, settings and rules on opt-in boxes, they can split test to see which is more effective in getting more subscribers.

OptinMonster has integrated Google Analytics for measuring. It checks conversions, result rankings and bits of other relevant data.

It creates a level of awareness for your audience and points to where you need to put more attention.

This list is by no means exhaustive but gives the basics.

Proceeding to Pros:

1.A lot of Customization Options

OptinMonster enables one to create any type of pop up they want. This could look like a display with a specific feel or the form popping up at a certain location on the website. The options coupled with special effects make customization more accessible.

2.Adaptive Pop-Ups

Pop ups are the most effective subscriber sign up forms. One for each visitor can be complacent, but with OptinMonster, you are able to add personalized messages for specific types of visitors.

For instance, the smart technology offered by OptinMonster can have visitors who have already signed up not seeing any other pop-ups. Talk about a mindful platform.

3.Ease of Use

What we all love: a simple drop and drag campaign builder interface.

This is intuitive and allows the least time possible in getting started and creating customized pages. Perhaps even just a few minutes.

4.Mobile Friendly

Given the growth of smartphones, one can almost be sure that most of their website visitors are using a phone or tablet. Pop-ups must then be mobile friendly.

OptinMonster allows optimization of popups to look great on mobile and any other type of device.

5.Predesigned Templates

OptinMonster has nearly a hundred templates that can be tweaked around to create forms that are appealing to web pages yet unique and catchy.

6.Integration

This lead generation software is able to connect with some of the most popular marketing tools in the digital space. Some include WPForms, Shopify and WooCommerce Popups.

7.Great Support

OptinMonster does a good job in helping their community and clients.

They have a support team that is helpful and responsive and sorts issues fast.

Once signed up, you have access to an insider Facebook group with other users where best practices are regularly discussed.

OptinMonster University is also a great resource for learning how to use the platform and general strategies for digital marketing. Talk about a complete package.

Cons:

Flipping the other side of the coin, there are a few drawbacks that cannot be overlooked.

1.No Free plans

Is OptinMonster Free? OptinMonster makes it a point to have lead-generation facilities accessible to websites of many types. It also has no free plan. But in comparison with competitors who adorn similar sets of featured, OptinMonster is arguably the most affordable lead generation service in the market.

2.Analytics

If there is an area that could use improvement, it is this one. OptinMonster does a good job showing the number of conversions, visitors and conversion rates.

But in terms of other analytics essentials, there isn’t much. It can be refreshing to see side-by-side campaign metrics given the default one-by-one view on the platform.

A graph showing conversion history with overlaid website traffic would be better than just a graph.

It could also be helpful to see how the conversion rate has decreased or increased over a period of time.

3.Integration

Granted, the library of integrations OptinMonster has is quite rich but it could use a few more capable integrations. Such include SalesForce and Karta.

4.Familiar Popups

Being a master in opt-in and lead generation, OptinMonster is arguably the most popular opt-in software with stats showing it at over 700,000 websites globally. That is A LOT of websites.

Thus, most website visitors have already seen some pop-up templates you might be using. It can be a great idea to have newer templates on the service to enable users to work with different things here and there.

5.Confusing Setup

Looking for a definition of bureaucracy on a platform? You will find it on OptinMonster. One must first set up on the SAAS website for OptinMonster, after which the set up is completed on ones’ WordPress site utilizing an API plugin. This can be frustrating and confusing, especially for new users.

OptinMonster Pricing

First off, all plans on OptinMonster are billed annually. Currently, all the plans are discounted massively.

Pricing for OptinMonster starts at $9 a month for the Basic plan with a licence for a single site alongside basic tools.

Next is the Plus plan that goes for $19 a month which include the basic plan features and MonsterLinks, inactivity sensor and exit-intent technology among others.

Pro plan is next and happens to be the most popular plan. It goes for $29 a month with features that include access to every tool in the OptinMonster arsenal being available for use on 3 of your sites.

Last is the Growth Plan. It includes everything in pro available on 5 sites while allowing a level of custom branding that makes the app feel and look like your own with access to client login details and activity logging. It goes for $49/month only.

Final Verdict: Should You Use OptinMonster?

Email marketing provides the most stable flow of traffic to a site all while generating recurring conversions and revenues.

This explains why it remains the most reliable tool of direct marketing despite the recent rise in YouTube ads and advertising on social media platforms.

OptinMonster is very handy for lead generation. It has the most straightforward interface which makes it excellent for beginners. It will grow your mail list and increase reach for your website at very competitive prices.

We think it is the best lead generation resource with lots of flexibility and a variety of templates. But if looking for a free tool, this solution may not be the right tool for you.