Multi-step sign-up flows for email growth

Most users never make it past your signup form. Not because your product sucks. But because the entry point does. Here’s what most people don’t realize: Your signup form isn’t just a form. It’s a test. It’s a trust check. It’s your first handshake—and users decide within seconds whether to continue or click away. So let’s break down why most signup flows quietly kill conversions— and how to fix them before they drain your growth. 1. You ask too much, too soon. 7 fields. 3 dropdowns. Cognitive overload is real. If it feels like work, they’re gone. ↳ Fix it: Only ask what’s essential. Delay extra info until onboarding. Use autofill, not obstacles. 2. You break trust instantly. No privacy messaging. Just a cold form with a “Submit” button. People don’t sign up when they feel unsafe. ↳ Fix it: Use secure design patterns. Say why you need each field. Add social proof or trust badges. 3. You make it too rigid. Only one way to sign up? Only email? No Google, LinkedIn, or Apple? You’re making them do extra thinking. ↳ Fix it: Offer multiple sign-up options. Pre-fill data when possible. Let them choose how to log in later. 4. You forget about mobile. Buttons that play hide-and-seek? 60%+ of users are on mobile. Your form should feel native. ↳ Fix it: Test on real devices, not just desktops. Use large tap targets. Reduce typing wherever possible. 5. You don’t respect their flow. No progress indicators. No error messages until after they click. And no clear next step. Users feel lost. ↳ Fix it: Use inline validation. Show visual progress cues. Make success feel like success. Fixing your signup form is one of the fastest, highest-leverage changes you can make to increase activation and improve conversions. Make it feel effortless. Make it feel safe. Make it feel like the start of something great. What’s the worst signup form experience you’ve had? ♻️ Share this to help others make forms better. 🔔 Follow Artem Borysenkofor more updates!

Most Welcome Flows fail. Here’s why… It all starts with one bad assumption. I’ve built 100+ Welcome Flows for DTC brands. Most of them flopped when we followed the “best practices.” You know the ones: “Use WELCOME10.” “Here’s our founder story.” “Check out our top sellers.” They sound smart in a strategy deck. But in the inbox… they miss the moment. The modern inbox is chaos. And any message that’s even slightly generic gets buried. Here’s what we learned: People don’t want to be welcomed. They want to be guided. So we stopped welcoming. And we started listening. We call it: Branch Logic Welcome It starts with a single question at opt-in: “Why are you here?” → Shopping for your kid? → Buying a gift? → Into hunting-themed gear? → Toddler or pre-teen sizing? Each answer triggers a unique path: Parents → flows tied to age-specific growth Gifters → holiday bundles + date-based reminders Hobbyists → sneak peeks + passion-led content First-timers → social proof to earn trust Every click is a signal. Every scroll, a vote. You’re not just sending emails. You’re designing a path. And with tools like Klaviyo or Attentive, it’s automatic. You can see: • What size they selected • Which product they clicked • What offer they ignored • What quiz result they scored This isn’t about flooding inboxes. It’s about sending the right message next. So if your Welcome Flow still says “WELCOME10”... It’s time to upgrade. Start with one fork. One question. One smart decision tree. Relevance wins. Guidance sells. How are you personalizing your welcome flow right now?

Here's my email/SMS signup optimization philosophy: Most brands treat email/SMS signup like a checkbox. Just slap on a popup, throw in a discount, and hope for the best. But your signup process is more than just a form, it's a funnel (okay, duh, but what does that actually mean in practice?). Here’s how I recommend our clients optimize their forms: 🧠 1. Signup is contextual Where someone comes from (ad, homepage, product page) should shape how and when the offer appears, especially on mobile. 🎯 2. Segmentation starts at signup Capture intent, interest, or preference right away. Zero-party data fuels better flows. You don’t need to ask everything at once, but just enough to personalize the next step. And here's the kicker: even in the absence of unique content in your flows, just ask a question. Collect data now, get higher form submission rates and leverage the info when you have the capacity to do so. 💬 3. Clarity beats cleverness “Get updates” won’t move the needle. Tell them exactly what they’re getting and why it’s worth handing over their info. Make the value obvious. ⚙️ 4. The welcome flow is part of the experience For some, the form is just the means for claiming a discount offer. A welcome flow hardly matters for the users that already have high intent to buy and convert right away. But the far majority of sign ups don't and the form is just the beginning of the process of selling. Tailor messaging based on what they signed up for. Prime them for that first conversion. 📊 5. Iterate like you mean it Test multi-step vs. single-step. SMS-first vs. email-first. 10% off vs. $10 off. Track by device. Measure dropoff. Then refine. Signup optimization isn’t just a growth hack, it’s foundational retention infrastructure. Bonus: When a brand is using Klaviyo for all of their messaging (and I am a strong believer in doing so), I almost always recommend using Klaviyo’s native forms. Too many third-party tools create unnecessary complexity, poor data syncs, and missed opportunities for segmentation. Klaviyo’s sign-up forms give you full control, faster testing, and direct data injection into flows. And based on some conversations I had this week with their product team responsible for improving forms, there are a bunch of exciting updates coming down the pipeline that will enable brands to do even more with them. If you’re only thinking about your list after someone joins, you’re already behind.