Email continues to outperform almost every existing marketing vertical. (According to McKinsey, “email is 40 times more effective at acquiring new customers than Facebook or Twitter.”) Luckily, getting started with building your list isn’t a difficult process.
WordPress makes it easy and has dozens of plugins you can choose from. Building an engaged email list truly is as simple as installing the plugin on your site.
But not all lead generation plugins are created equal. Below we profile the top WordPress lead generation plugins so you can make the best decision to simplify the lead collection process for your business. Let’s get to it!
1. Rapidology
Rapidology is a lead generation plugin designed by the team at LeadPages (which we profile below). It does one job and does it very well: enabling you to easily collect leads with intuitive optin forms.
Immediately after installing the plugin you’ll be prompted to create your first form. You’ll get dozens of options to easily customize the form to match your overall aesthetic.
If “techy” things overwhelm you, then you’ll be happy to hear you can have a form live on your site in a number of clicks. Plus, there’s a built-in analytics feature, so you’ll know which forms are performing the best.
If you’re looking for a simple way to get started with building an email list and don’t need a feature-heavy plugin, then check out Rapidology. Did we mention it’s free?
2. OptimizePress
OptimizePress (one of the most common tools we work with) makes it dead simple to start creating attractive landing pages. This plugin is native to WordPress, so there’s no need for additional platforms. It can all be done through your WordPress dashboard.
Their drag-and-drop editor lets you quickly create beautiful landing pages, sales funnels, and even separate membership portals. It’s very feature-heavy and has extensive customization options.
However, in terms of usability, this plugin doesn’t quite stack up to the others in this list. The end result is beautiful and functional, but it might take a little more work on your end to reach that end goal.
3. LeadPages
LeadPages seems to have taken over the lead generation market. Chances are, if you’re on the web for more than five minutes, you’ll stumble across a LeadPages opt-in form.
They are immediately recognizable and tend to boast very high conversion rates, due to their simplicity and extensive testing.
LeadPages allows you to quickly create opt-in boxes and landing pages designed to collect the user’s email address in the shortest amount of time possible.
Their platform comes equipped with over 70 templates to fit your needs. Plus, their drag-and-drop editor takes the pain out of building a custom landing page or opt-in.
They also differ in that they allow unlimited use across websites and total traffic. No restrictions. Just pay the monthly fee and you have access to a powerful lead generation tool, no matter how many websites you own.
4. Thrive Leads
Thrive Leads is a very easy-to-use and customizable plugin for those who want a lot of options, and we provide it to our clients at no charge!
Right out of the box, this plugin is ready to rock with dozens of features. Plus, its drag-and-drop editor makes customization incredibly simple. If the thought of customizing a form overwhelms you, then Thrive can ease that worry with its easy-to-use templates.
This plugin also comes equipped with a cool feature called SmartLinks, which lets you hide the opt-in box from people who have already subscribed to your list. No more annoying readers who are already fans of your work.
Thrive also has built-in analytics, so you can refine your campaigns and lead generation efforts over time.
Plus good news if you’re a client on our Concierge Service, we can provide this plugin free of charge on any of your sites that we manage, saving you $67 per site.
5. Bloom
Bloom is a straightforward and incredibly beautiful plugin that’s also provided for Automation Agency clients. It’s a newer option in the lead generation space, but it has one of the most stunning user experiences out there. It’s also created by powerhouse Elegant Themes, so you know it’s high quality.
The opt-in forms you can create with Bloom are stunning. Plus, it comes equipped with over 100 customizable templates to easily fit into your existing website’s design.
It’s also very feature-rich and allows you to create pop-ups, content options, locked content, sidebar opt-ins, and scroll-in opt-ins. You can even control which pages certain opt-ins will display on.
If you’re looking to create visually appealing opt-in boxes that give you complete control on how and when they appear, then Bloom is worth checking out.
Just like Thrive Leads, we can provide you this plugin at no charge if you are a client on our Concierge Service, just ask the team to install it and set it up so you’re ready to go.
6. SumoMe
SumoMe is a free plugin with a premium feel. Plus, it’s incredibly easy to set up and designed to work right out of the box.
The free version does have its limitations, but if you haven’t done any lead generation before, this can be a great place to start.
The plugin comes equipped with a simplistic email pop-up that you can control when and where it displays on your site. Plus, it integrates with existing email marketing providers, like Constant Contact, AWeber, Mailchimp, and Campaign Monitor.
7. OptinMonster
OptinMonster is for those who take lead generation seriously. It has a heftier price tag, but the suite of features more than makes up for it. In fact, some users have reported over a 300% increase in email subscriptions since using the plugin!
This plugin integrates with GetResponse, AWeber, MailChimp, and most other email marketing providers on the market. Plus, it offers a wide variety of lead generation options. For instance, you can create unlockable content, pop-ups that are triggered when the user is about to leave, and even sidebar opt-ins.
In Summary
If you really want to simplify the lead collection process, leave the heavy lifting of automation and lead generation to us so you can focus on your business. As far as which plugins will work best for your company, at Automation Agency we can work with all of those listed above but we lean towards Thrive and Bloom. And as a client of ours you get both plugins free with your subscription.
