Best WordPress Plugin Stack for Business Sites

If you’re building or optimizing a business WordPress site and don’t want to overcomplicate things, this core plugin stack covers most needs:

OptinMonster – Lead generation and conversion optimization
All in One SEO – On-page SEO and search visibility
MonsterInsights – Analytics and performance tracking
WPForms – Contact forms and lead capture
WP Rocket – Site speed and performance optimization

This combination gives you a solid foundation for growth without installing unnecessary plugins or slowing down your site.

I’ve been in the WordPress business long enough to know this: your plugin choices matter more than most people realize.

It’s easy to get caught up in features or install too many tools. I’ve done it. I’ve also seen what happens when you get the right stack in place, traffic grows, conversions improve, and things just work better.

That’s why I put together this list of the best WordPress plugins I actually use and trust.

I’ve tested hundreds of WordPress plugins across our own brands, from small blogs to business sites that serve millions of visitors. These are the tools that stayed. The ones I trust to grow our email lists, speed up our sites, improve SEO, and track what’s working.

These plugins are best suited for serious WordPress business websites, including blogs, ecommerce stores, and agency projects.

Quick Look: My Top 10 Best WordPress Plugins for Business

I ranked these WordPress plugins based on overall impact on growth, reliability, and usefulness for business sites

#	Plugin	Best For	Pricing	Free Version
1	OptinMonster	Lead generation & conversions	$9/month	(Lite)
2	All in One SEO	SEO optimization	$49.60/year
3	MonsterInsights	Analytics tracking	$99.50/year
4	WPForms	Form building	$49.50/year
5	SeedProd	Landing pages	$39.50/year	(Lite)
6	PushEngage	Push notifications	Varies
7	RafflePress	Giveaways & contests	$39.50/year
8	WP Simple Pay	Stripe payments	$49.50/year
9	Easy Digital Downloads	Digital product sales	Varies	(Free core)
10	AffiliateWP	Affiliate programs	$149/year

Review – Best WordPress Plugins for Business

1. OptinMonster: Best Lead Generation Plugin

OptinMonster is the premium WordPress plugin for growing your email list, leads, and sales. Whether you want to convert abandoning visitors into customers, increase pageviews, increase conversions, then OptinMonster is your go-to plugin.

Update: OptinMonster introduced a new AI-powered tool that improves your campaign copy. It gives real-time suggestions for headlines, button text, and layouts based on what you’re trying to achieve. This makes it easier to build a high-converting offer without hiring a designer or copywriter.

Our drag and drop builder, Exit-Intent ® technology, and precise targeting are truly hard to beat.

No matter what type of online business you run, OptinMonster has a solution for you.

Key OptinMonster Features

• 6 Opt-in Campaign Types: Match your campaign type to your goals with popup, floating bar, slide-in, inline, fullscreen, and gamified
• Campaign Triggers: Show your campaigns at the right time with Exit-Intent® Technology, Scroll Trigger, MonsterLinks, Inactivity Sensor, Timed Display Control, Campaign Scheduling, and other triggers
• Targeted Campaigns: Find the right audience for your campaigns with Referrer Detection, Page-Level Targeting, OnSite Follow Up Campaigns®, OnSite Retargeting®, Geo-Location Targeting, Cookie Retargeting, Device-Based Retargeting, and AdBlock Detection
• Drag & Drop Builder: Have your optin form ready in minutes with our easy to use builder
• Seamless Integrations: Connect your campaigns with the marketing and sales tools you’re already using, like Mailchimp or Hubspot

This WordPress plugin also provides award-winning support via email and, for many, chat. There are lots of tutorials to help you get started and supercharge your list-building.

Why You’ll Love OptinMonster

Like AIOSEO, OptinMonster is user-friendly but full of powerful features. You can get started right away, then refine your campaigns as your business grows.

OptinMonster comes with more WordPress-specific targeting rules than any other plugin. This lets you show campaigns to the right people. And it’s not just one of the best tools for WordPress lead generation, it works on other sites like Shopify and Squarespace as well!

Ready to get started? Click below to start your risk-free OptinMonster account!

Get Started With OptinMonster Today!

You can also find a lite version of OptinMonster on WordPress.org. The pro version starts at $9/month.

2. All in One SEO (AIOSEO): Best SEO Plugin

When I launch a new site, one of the first things I do is install All in One SEO. It helps us set up titles, meta descriptions, and schema without feeling overwhelmed. Everything you need to get indexed and start ranking is built in and easy to access.

We’ve used this plugin on everything from personal blogs to large content sites.

Update: AIOSEO added a new writing assistant that gives live feedback as you draft posts. It suggests ways to improve clarity, structure, and even trust signals based on current SEO best practices.

One feature I keep coming back to is the link assistant. It helps us find smart internal linking opportunities without needing to open every post. AIOSEO also handles things like redirects and rich snippet types without slowing down the editor.

If you’re looking for something that helps you optimize content as you create it and keeps up with Google’s changes, this is the one I count on.

I appreciate that AIOSEO is both powerful and easy to use.

It has an automated setup wizard to help you choose SEO settings for your business. But you still get customized, actionable suggestions for each page. The TruSEO score updates in real time as you make changes so you can immediately see results.

Active installs: 3M+
Free version available
Price: $49.60/year
Alternative: Yoast SEO

3. MonsterInsights: Best Analytics Plugin

Google Analytics has a lot of good data but it’s not always easy to find what matters. That’s why I use MonsterInsights. It shows us what’s working right inside WordPress and it doesn’t make us dig through five menus to find it.

I use it to track form conversions, button clicks, email signups, and purchases. It shows real-time data and historical reports, and I don’t need to add code anywhere. It also works well with WooCommerce, which is helpful for seeing revenue without logging into a separate tool.

Update: They added a feature called Conversations AI. You can ask questions in plain language like “which blog post brought in the most sales last week” and it gives you a clear answer. This has been helpful for us when we need quick insights without running custom reports.

If you want a quick way to see how your site is doing without extra setup, this is what we use on our own projects.

Active installs: 3M+
Free version available
Price: $99.50/year

4. WPForms: Best Contact Form Plugin

When I need a contact form, a payment form, or even a quick survey, I use WPForms. It’s simple to set up and everything just works the way you expect it to. You don’t need to know code and you don’t have to follow a tutorial just to collect emails.

We’ve used it for donation forms, quote requests, event signups, and user feedback. The builder is easy to work with and the forms look good without custom styling. I also like that it connects with Stripe and PayPal right out of the box.

Update: They released an AI-powered form builder that builds forms based on plain language prompts. You just describe what you need, like a speaker registration form with conditional logic, and it creates the structure automatically. I tested it across a few client projects and it saved a lot of time.

If you’re working on a WordPress site and you need a form that won’t break anything, this is what I recommend.

Active installs: 6M+
Free version available
Price: $49.50/year

5. SeedProd: Best Landing Page Builder

Sometimes you just need to launch. Maybe it’s a new product page. Maybe it’s a quick lead magnet. Maybe it’s a waitlist for something you haven’t built yet. When I need to move fast and still make it look good, I use SeedProd.

We’ve used it for all kinds of pages across our own brands. It loads fast, works with any theme, and doesn’t take hours to set up. You get clean layouts and everything is focused on conversions. No fluff, no unnecessary settings.

Update: They added an AI builder that can create page sections and full layouts based on a short description. You tell it what kind of page you need and it builds something solid right away. We’ve used this when we’re low on time and just need something that looks professional and gets the job done.

SeedProd also comes with templates for webinars, thank-you pages, product launches, and coming soon pages. You can edit anything with the visual builder and connect it to your email service without touching code.

If you want to publish something that looks polished and performs well without starting from scratch, this is the builder I keep going back to.

Active installs: 1M+
Free version available

6. PushEngage: Best Push Notification Tool

Most people visit your site once and never come back. That’s just how it is unless you give them a reason to return. PushEngage gives us that second chance. It sends browser notifications after someone has left the site so you can stay in front of them without needing their email.

We’ve used it for flash sales, new blog post alerts, and abandoned cart reminders. What makes it useful is that the notifications go straight to their device, even if your site isn’t open. That makes it feel more direct and more immediate than email sometimes.

Update: They recently rolled out a writing assistant that helps you craft better notification copy. We’ve tested it on a few campaigns and it’s helpful when you’re staring at a blank screen. It suggests phrasing based on your goal, which cuts down on trial and error.

You can schedule campaigns, segment by interest, and track clicks just like an email tool. The setup is straightforward and doesn’t require a developer, and you can even automate drip-style sequences. If you’re not ready for complex retargeting, this is a good step forward.

Active installs: 10K+
Free version available

7. RafflePress: Best Giveaway Plugin for WordPress

Giveaways can bring in traffic, but they only move the needle if they’re set up with the right goal. RafflePress gives you the tools to run a giveaway that doesn’t just look good but actually helps you grow your list, increase engagement, or promote something new.

We’ve used it for launch promotions, lead magnets, and seasonal contests. You can choose how people enter email signup, social share, referral and each option adds more visibility or value. It also takes care of tracking and fraud control behind the scenes so you don’t have to manage it all manually.

One feature I rely on is the viral sharing system. It rewards people for bringing in more participants, which turns a small campaign into something bigger. You set the reward structure and the plugin handles the rest.

Update: They added more control over how entries are filtered and how winners are selected. I used it during a holiday campaign and the built-in tools saved hours compared to using spreadsheets and manual validation.

Active installs: 200K+
Free version available

8. WP Simple Pay: Best Stripe Payments Plugin

Not every site needs a shopping cart. Sometimes you just want to accept a payment and keep things moving. WP Simple Pay does exactly that. It’s what I use when we’re selling a single service, offering a one-time consultation, or collecting donations.

It connects directly to Stripe and lets you build payment forms that fit right into your site. You don’t need WooCommerce, and you don’t need to manage a product catalog. You just create a form, choose the amount or let the user enter one, and publish it.

We’ve used it on landing pages and in lead-gen funnels where I didn’t want to send people through a multi-step checkout. The process is quick and works well on mobile, which matters more than most people think.

Update: Their latest update added support for things like payment plans and subscription options. I tested it on a digital workshop page, and it worked without needing to adjust much at all.

Active installs: 20K+
Free version available

9. Easy Digital Downloads: Best Digital Store Plugin

If you’re selling something digital like an eBook, a template, or software, you don’t need a full eCommerce suite. You just need a way to let people buy, download, and get a receipt. That’s exactly what Easy Digital Downloads is built for.

We’ve used it for everything from selling PDFs to handling SaaS-style licensing and recurring payments. The checkout is clean and works well out of the box. You can add discount codes, track sales, and see customer histories without having to build anything custom.

What makes it stand out is how well it handles file protection and versioning. If you need to update your product later, you just upload the new version and EDD handles the delivery for future customers. No extra emails or manual fixes.

Update: They recently added a few improvements that help with faster setup. One of them is a new product page layout that includes license tiers and recurring billing support without needing add-ons.

Active installs: 60K+
Free version available

10. AffiliateWP: Best Affiliate Program Plugin

Running an affiliate program sounds simple until you try to manage one. You need to track referrals, pay commissions, and make sure people aren’t gaming the system. I use AffiliateWP when I want a setup that gives us all of that without adding more work.

We’ve used it on product sites, membership communities, and even small niche blogs. It lets you approve affiliates manually or automatically, and you can decide exactly how much to pay and when. Once it’s running, the system mostly takes care of itself.

What I like is that it doesn’t rely on third-party networks. You control everything, the terms, the branding, and the payouts. It also shows each affiliate their own dashboard so they can see their links, clicks, and earnings without emailing you every week.

Update: They recently made a few changes to the way tracking works that make it easier to catch duplicate or fake referrals. That’s something we’ve had issues with on other platforms, but here it’s been solid.

Active installs: 30K+
Free version: No
Alternative: EasyAffiliate

11. MemberPress: Best Membership & LMS Plugin

Setting up a membership site can get complicated fast. You start with a few protected pages, then you want to add a course, then you need drip content, and before you know it, you’re stuck juggling five different tools. MemberPress solves that by giving you everything in one place.

We’ve used it to build paid communities, sell online courses, and manage private content libraries. It handles recurring payments, user access, and progress tracking without needing extra plugins or custom development. The interface is simple enough for beginners but has the control you need when things grow.

Update: In the latest version, they added a tool that helps you build courses faster. You can use it to generate lessons and even quizzes just by describing what you want to teach. I tried it for a quick workshop setup and got the entire thing live within an hour.

Some things I rely on with MemberPress include the built-in reporting, the ability to create different membership levels, and the integration with payment tools like Stripe and PayPal. If you want to create a premium experience behind a login, this is the one to start with.

Active installs: 100K+
Free version: No

12. WP Rocket: Best Caching Plugin

Nobody wants to deal with caching settings or Google PageSpeed warnings. That’s why I use WP Rocket. You install it, activate it, and right away you see pages loading faster. There’s no maze of options and no need to be a developer to make it work.

We’ve used it on both content-heavy blogs and busy eCommerce sites. It handles caching, lazy loading, database cleanup, and script deferral behind the scenes. That means your visitors get faster load times and Google gets better speed scores.

Update: WP Rocket added a smart preload feature that automatically prioritizes your most visited pages. I ran it on one of our highest-traffic blogs and saw a noticeable drop in bounce rate.

It works well with other optimization tools too. If you’re serious about performance and want a tool that helps without getting in the way, this is the one I recommend.

Active installs: 3M+
Free version: No

13. Constant Contact: Best Email Marketing Plugin

When a client needs email marketing that just works, I often start with Constant Contact. It’s easy to set up, delivers consistently, and doesn’t overwhelm you with features you’ll never use.

We’ve used it for everything from welcome sequences to event follow-ups. The email builder is clean and the templates actually save time. If you’ve ever opened a blank email editor and didn’t know where to start, this solves that.

Update: They introduced an AI content assistant that helps you write emails faster. It suggests subject lines, body copy, and layout options based on your goal. I tested it on a simple promo sequence and got usable drafts in minutes.

It also connects smoothly with WPForms and OptinMonster, so new leads flow right into your lists. If you want something dependable that doesn’t require a full-time marketer to manage, Constant Contact gets the job done.

Active installs: 500K+ (via integrations)
Free version: No (Free trial available)

There you have it! These are the best plugins for WordPress that I’ve found and even use on our own websites.

Unlock Your WordPress Business Website’s Full Potential with OptinMonster

In conclusion, when it comes to enhancing the functionality and performance of your WordPress website, the right plugins can make all the difference. Throughout this blog, we’ve explored some of the best WordPress plugins available, each catering to specific needs and goals.

However, if you’re looking for a versatile and powerful plugin that covers various aspects of website optimization, lead generation, and conversion, OptinMonster stands out as a top choice.

OptinMonster doesn’t just help you collect email addresses; it empowers you to create engaging pop-ups, personalized campaigns, and smart targeting options to maximize your conversions.

Whether you’re a blogger, ecommerce store owner, or business website operator, OptinMonster can help you boost your online presence, grow your subscriber list, and ultimately increase your revenue.

Its user-friendly interface and wide range of features, including A/B testing, analytics, and integration with popular email marketing platforms, make it a must-have for anyone serious about their online success.

Plus, its commitment to continuous improvement means you’ll always have access to the latest strategies and technologies for optimizing your website’s performance.

Don’t just take my word for it; have a look at the following case studies and explore the success stories of our customers to see the impact and results they’ve achieved recently with OptinMonster:

• How Aish.com Gets 10X More Subscribers Using Targeted Optins
• How Nick Gray Increased Conversions by up to 1000% With Smart Opt-in Popups
• How PodBike Gets 18.22% More Email Subscribers with GeoTargeting
• How Human Food Bar Gets 1800+ Signups Per Month With OptinMonster

If you’re ready to start generating more leads, sign up for OptinMonster, the premium lead generation plugin for WordPress.

FAQ

Looking for something that wasn’t on this list? You’re in luck! We’re serious about finding the most useful plugins for every situation. Check out our other showcases:

• Best WordPress Plugins for Gamification
• Best WordPress Plugins for Email
• Best WordPress Plugins for Related Posts
• Best WordPress Plugins for Redirect
• Best WordPress Plugins for Search
• Best WooCommerce Sales Popup Plugins
• Best WordPress Plugins for Theme
• Best WooCommerce Themes

I have spent years working hands-on with different email marketing and automation tools, from basic newsletter platforms to advanced systems built around behavioral workflows. One thing I learned quickly is that many tools promise automation but struggle once you try to build real customer journeys.

This guide is based on my first-hand experience setting up campaigns, automations, and email funnels using the most widely recommended platforms on the market. Instead of repeating feature lists, I focus on how these tools actually perform in real use and where they start to feel limiting.

You will also see OptinMonster included. While it is not an email service provider, I have used it alongside nearly every tool in this list. Strong automation only works when it is fed with high-quality leads, and lead capture plays a bigger role than most people expect.

Below, I walk through each tool individually, starting with the platforms I rely on most for serious email automation.

Email Automation Software Compared

Hands-On Reviews of Email Automation Software

1. ActiveCampaign

I started using ActiveCampaign when basic autoresponders were no longer enough. At that point, I needed a platform that could react to user behavior and support real customer journeys instead of simple time-based sequences.

ActiveCampaign’s automation builder is one of the most flexible I have worked with. The visual workflow editor makes it easy to build multi-step automations with conditional logic, tagging, and goal tracking. I regularly use it to move contacts between funnels based on actions like page visits, link clicks, or purchases, which makes campaigns feel far more personalized.

One improvement I have appreciated in recent updates is the addition of AI-assisted automation setup. Instead of building everything manually, I can now describe what I want to achieve and let the platform generate a starting workflow. ActiveCampaign has also expanded its cross-channel automation, allowing email, SMS, and WhatsApp messaging to be managed from the same automation builder, which is useful when campaigns extend beyond email alone.

Feature Highlights

• Visual automation builder with advanced branching logic
• AI-assisted workflow creation to speed up setup
• Cross-channel automation including email, SMS, and WhatsApp
• Detailed tagging, segmentation, and lead scoring
• Built-in CRM and sales pipeline automation

ActiveCampaign works best for businesses that want automation tied closely to user behavior and lifecycle stages. I have found it especially effective for lead nurturing, onboarding sequences, and campaigns that need to adapt based on how contacts engage.

There is a learning curve, especially for beginners. Pricing can also increase quickly as your contact list grows and you unlock more advanced features.

Based on my experience, ActiveCampaign is a strong choice for teams that want serious automation without moving into full enterprise software. If your goal is to build behavior-driven email journeys that connect marketing and sales, this platform is hard to beat.

2. HubSpot

I have used HubSpot in situations where email automation needed to connect directly to CRM data, sales activity, and customer lifecycle stages. Compared to standalone email tools, HubSpot feels more like a full system than a single channel platform.

Email automation in HubSpot is built around its CRM, which changes how you work. Instead of creating automations based only on email behavior, I can trigger workflows from contact properties, deal stages, form submissions, page views, and sales activity. This makes it much easier to align marketing emails with what is actually happening in the pipeline.

In recent updates, HubSpot has leaned heavily into AI-powered tools. I have used its AI features to help draft emails, summarize CRM activity, and optimize subject lines. These additions do not replace strategy, but they do save time when managing large lists or complex workflows. HubSpot has also expanded its workflow actions, giving more flexibility when automating lead routing, internal notifications, and follow-ups.

Feature Highlights

• CRM-based email automation and workflows
• Visual workflow builder with advanced triggers and conditions
• AI-assisted email writing and optimization tools
• Deep integration with sales pipelines and deal stages
• Strong reporting and attribution across marketing and sales

HubSpot works best when email automation is part of a larger marketing and sales system. I have found it especially effective for teams that want marketing emails, lead scoring, and sales follow-ups to live in the same platform.

Cost is the biggest limitation. Advanced automation features are locked behind higher-tier plans, which can be expensive for small teams. It can also feel like more software than you need if email marketing is your only focus.

Based on my experience, HubSpot is ideal for growing teams that want email automation tightly connected to CRM and sales processes. If you need visibility from first touch through conversion and beyond, HubSpot does that better than most tools.

3. Klaviyo

I have used Klaviyo primarily in ecommerce environments where email automation needs to be tightly connected to revenue, product behavior, and purchase history. From the start, it is clear that this platform is built with ecommerce in mind, not as an add-on but as its core purpose.

What stood out to me right away was how easily Klaviyo pulls in data from ecommerce platforms. Purchase events, product views, cart activity, and customer lifetime value are all available as automation triggers without extra configuration. This makes it straightforward to build flows like browse abandonment, cart recovery, post-purchase follow-ups, and win-back campaigns that are directly tied to shopping behavior.

In its latest updates, Klaviyo has expanded its AI-driven features, especially around predictive analytics. I have used predictive metrics like expected next purchase date and churn risk to refine segmentation and timing. The automation builder itself has also improved, with clearer flow visualization and better tools for testing and optimizing performance across email and SMS.

Feature Highlights

• Ecommerce-first automation triggers tied to real purchase behavior
• Advanced segmentation using revenue, product, and engagement data
• Predictive analytics for churn risk and next purchase timing
• Email and SMS automation managed from the same platform
• Strong reporting focused on revenue attribution

Klaviyo works best for ecommerce brands that want automation driven by customer behavior and sales data. I have found it especially effective for stores running frequent promotions, product launches, or lifecycle campaigns tied to repeat purchases.

Klaviyo is less flexible outside of ecommerce use cases. If you are running a content site, SaaS product, or service business, some of its strengths may feel unnecessary. Costs can also rise quickly as your contact list and messaging volume grow.

Based on my experience, Klaviyo is one of the strongest options for ecommerce-focused email and SMS automation. If your priority is driving repeat purchases and tying automation directly to revenue, this is a platform worth serious consideration.

4. GetResponse

I have used GetResponse when I wanted a platform that offered solid automation without the complexity or cost of more advanced enterprise tools. It sits in a middle ground that works well for many teams, especially when you want more than newsletters but are not ready for a heavy CRM-driven setup.

GetResponse’s automation builder is straightforward and easy to work with. I was able to set up multi-step workflows using conditions based on email engagement, tags, purchases, and form submissions without much friction. The interface makes it clear how contacts move through automations, which helps when managing multiple campaigns at once.

In more recent updates, GetResponse has expanded its feature set beyond email. I have used its built-in funnels, landing pages, and webinar tools to support automation campaigns end to end. The platform has also added AI-assisted email creation features, which help speed up drafting subject lines and content when launching new campaigns.

Feature Highlights

• Visual automation builder with conditional logic
• Built-in funnels, landing pages, and webinar tools
• AI-assisted email content and subject line creation
• Ecommerce and purchase-based automation triggers
• Solid reporting for campaign and automation performance

GetResponse works best for small to mid-sized businesses that want automation plus supporting tools in one place. I have found it useful when running lead generation campaigns that combine email, landing pages, and follow-up sequences without relying on external software.

While capable, the automation is not as deep as platforms like ActiveCampaign or HubSpot. Some advanced segmentation and workflow options feel more limited once campaigns become highly complex.

Based on my experience, GetResponse is a good fit for teams that want dependable automation with a manageable learning curve. If you are looking for a balance between features, usability, and cost, it is a platform worth considering.

5. Mailchimp

I have used Mailchimp on and off for years, mostly for smaller projects and early-stage businesses that needed to get email campaigns running quickly. It has always been easy to start with, and that is still one of its biggest strengths.

Setting up basic automations in Mailchimp is straightforward. I have used it for welcome sequences, simple follow-ups, and re-engagement emails without much setup time. The interface is clean, and the email builder makes it easy to create campaigns without design experience.

In more recent updates, Mailchimp has expanded its automation features and added AI-powered tools. I have used its AI content suggestions and subject line helpers, which are useful for speeding up campaign creation. Mailchimp has also improved its customer journey builder, making it easier to visualize how contacts move through simple automation paths based on engagement and ecommerce activity.

Feature Highlights

• Easy-to-use email and automation setup
• Customer journey builder for basic workflows
• AI-assisted content and subject line suggestions
• Ecommerce integrations with purchase-based triggers
• Large template library and built-in design tools

Mailchimp works best for beginners and small businesses that want to launch email campaigns quickly without dealing with complex automation logic. I have found it useful for straightforward workflows where simplicity matters more than flexibility.

Automation depth is limited compared to more advanced platforms. Once workflows require detailed branching, advanced segmentation, or tight CRM integration, Mailchimp can start to feel restrictive. Pricing can also increase quickly as your list grows.

Based on my experience, Mailchimp is a good starting point for basic email automation. If you are just getting started or only need simple workflows, it does the job well. For more advanced automation needs, most teams eventually outgrow it.

6. Kit

I have used Kit primarily for creator-led projects where the focus was on content, subscriptions, and audience relationships rather than complex sales pipelines. It feels intentionally opinionated, and that shows in how automation is handled.

Kit’s automation is built around tags and visual rules instead of deep branching workflows. In practice, I found this makes it easier to manage subscriber journeys without overengineering them. I have used it to trigger sequences based on form signups, link clicks, purchases, and tag changes, all of which felt intuitive and quick to set up.

In its latest updates, Kit has expanded automation flexibility and improved its visual automation editor. I have also used its newer AI-assisted tools for email drafting and subject line suggestions, which help speed up content creation. The platform has continued to lean into creator monetization features, including paid newsletters and digital product automations, which integrate smoothly into email flows.

Feature Highlights

• Tag-based automation that is easy to manage
• Visual automation editor for subscriber journeys
• AI-assisted email writing and subject suggestions
• Built-in tools for paid newsletters and digital products
• Clean interface designed for creators

Kit works best for creators, bloggers, and educators who want automation without complexity. I have found it especially useful when managing content-driven funnels, lead magnets, and subscriber nurturing tied to personal brands.

Automation depth is more limited than platforms like ActiveCampaign or HubSpot. If you need complex branching logic, CRM features, or advanced segmentation based on many conditions, Kit may feel restrictive.

Based on my experience, Kit is a strong choice for creators who want email automation that stays out of the way. If your business revolves around content, courses, or audience monetization, it strikes a good balance between simplicity and control.

7. Brevo

I have used Brevo in projects where budget mattered, but I still needed reliable automation and transactional messaging. It stands out as a practical option when email automation needs to work alongside transactional emails and SMS without moving to a more expensive platform.

Brevo’s automation setup is straightforward. I have used it to build workflows based on email engagement, list activity, and basic behavioral triggers. While it does not offer the same depth as higher-end tools, it covers the essentials well and is easy to manage once automations are live.

In its more recent updates, Brevo has improved its automation editor and expanded its multi-channel capabilities. I have used it to combine email and SMS within the same workflows, which is especially useful for confirmations, alerts, and time-sensitive follow-ups. The platform has also continued to strengthen its transactional email infrastructure, which is one of its biggest advantages.

Feature Highlights

• Email automation with simple, clear workflow setup
• Built-in transactional email and SMS support
• Multi-channel workflows combining email and SMS
• Affordable pricing with generous free limits
• Solid deliverability for both marketing and transactional messages

Brevo works best for small to mid-sized businesses that need both marketing automation and transactional messaging in one platform. I have found it especially useful for SaaS products and service-based sites that rely on system emails as much as marketing campaigns.

Automation options are more basic compared to advanced platforms. Segmentation and workflow branching can feel limited once campaigns become more complex.

Based on my experience, Brevo is a strong option if you want dependable automation and transactional messaging at a reasonable price. If affordability and multi-channel basics are your priority, it is a solid choice.

8. MailerLite

I have used MailerLite in situations where simplicity and ease of use mattered more than advanced automation depth. It is one of the tools I reach for when I want to get campaigns and basic workflows running quickly without a long setup process.

MailerLite’s automation builder is clean and easy to understand. I have used it for welcome sequences, basic lead nurturing, and simple follow-ups triggered by signups or email engagement. The visual editor makes it clear how subscribers move through each step, which helps avoid mistakes when managing multiple workflows.

In recent updates, MailerLite has expanded its automation features and improved its email editor. I have also used its built-in landing pages and forms, which integrate smoothly with automations and make it easier to capture and route leads without external tools. The platform has added AI-assisted writing tools as well, which help speed up content creation for straightforward campaigns.

Feature Highlights

• Simple visual automation builder
• Easy-to-use email editor and templates
• Built-in forms and landing pages
• AI-assisted email content tools
• Affordable pricing with a generous free plan

MailerLite works best for small businesses, creators, and teams that want straightforward automation without complexity. I have found it useful for basic funnels where clarity and speed matter more than advanced logic.

Automation options are limited once workflows require advanced branching, deep segmentation, or CRM-style features. It is not designed for highly complex automation use cases.

Based on my experience, MailerLite is a good fit if you want a clean, affordable tool for basic email automation. If your needs grow beyond simple workflows, you may eventually need to upgrade to a more advanced platform.

9. Drip

I have used Drip mainly for ecommerce projects where email automation needed to react closely to customer behavior and revenue data, but where tools like Klaviyo felt heavier than necessary. Drip sits in an interesting middle ground between flexibility and focus.

Drip’s automation builder gives you more control than entry-level platforms. I have used it to build workflows triggered by purchases, browsing behavior, tags, and custom events. The visual workflow editor makes it clear how contacts move through each step, and it is easy to adjust logic as campaigns evolve.

In its more recent updates, Drip has continued to improve its ecommerce data integrations and automation flexibility. I have used its revenue attribution and customer timeline views to understand how email interactions connect to actual purchases. The platform also supports both email and SMS automation, which helps when coordinating campaigns across channels.

Feature Highlights

• Ecommerce-focused automation with behavioral triggers
• Visual workflow builder with flexible logic
• Revenue attribution tied to email performance
• Email and SMS automation in one platform
• Customer timelines that show engagement and purchase history

Drip works best for ecommerce brands that want more automation control than beginner tools but do not need a full CRM. I have found it useful for stores that want to fine-tune lifecycle emails and segment customers based on buying behavior.

Drip is less suited for non-ecommerce use cases. If you are running a content site or service business, some features may feel unnecessary. Pricing can also rise as your contact list grows.

Based on my experience, Drip is a strong option for ecommerce teams that want flexible automation without excessive complexity. If your focus is lifecycle emails and revenue-driven campaigns, it fits well.

10. Moosend

I have used Moosend in projects where cost was a major factor, but basic automation was still required. It is one of the more affordable tools I have worked with that still offers a visual automation builder rather than limiting users to simple autoresponders.

Moosend’s automation setup is easy to follow. I have used it to create workflows based on email opens, clicks, list subscriptions, and simple behavioral triggers. The interface is clean, and it does not take long to understand how contacts move through an automation. For straightforward campaigns, this makes setup fast and predictable.

In its more recent updates, Moosend has improved its automation editor and reporting. I have also used its newer AI-powered subject line and content suggestions, which help speed up campaign creation. Ecommerce integrations have improved as well, making it easier to trigger emails from basic purchase activity.

Feature Highlights

• Visual automation builder with essential triggers
• AI-assisted subject line and content suggestions
• Ecommerce integrations for basic purchase automation
• Affordable pricing compared to most competitors
• Clean interface that is easy to manage

Moosend works best for small businesses and teams that want automation at a low cost. I have found it useful for simple lead nurturing, onboarding sequences, and promotional follow-ups where advanced logic is not required.

Automation depth is limited compared to higher-end platforms. Segmentation options are more basic, and complex workflows can feel constrained once campaigns grow.

Based on my experience, Moosend is a good choice if budget is your primary concern and you still want basic automation capabilities. It covers the essentials well but is not built for advanced or highly customized workflows.

11. AWeber

I have used AWeber mostly for long-running lists and smaller businesses that value stability and deliverability over cutting-edge automation. It is one of the older platforms in this space, and that shows in both good and limiting ways.

AWeber’s automation is centered around campaigns triggered by tags, signups, and basic engagement. I have used it for welcome sequences, lead magnet delivery, and simple follow-ups without issues. The setup process is straightforward, and the interface feels familiar if you have worked with traditional email marketing tools before.

In its more recent updates, AWeber has improved its automation editor and added AI-assisted tools for writing subject lines and email content. I have also used its landing pages and signup forms, which integrate cleanly with automations and help reduce reliance on external tools for basic lead capture.

Feature Highlights

• Tag-based automation for simple workflows
• Reliable email deliverability
• AI-assisted subject line and email content tools
• Built-in landing pages and signup forms
• Easy setup for beginners

AWeber works best for small businesses and creators who want dependable email marketing with light automation. I have found it useful when running straightforward campaigns that do not require complex branching or advanced segmentation.

Automation options are limited compared to more modern platforms. If you need advanced behavioral triggers, deep segmentation, or ecommerce-focused workflows, AWeber may feel outdated.

Based on my experience, AWeber is a solid option if you value simplicity and reliability over advanced automation. It is a good fit for basic email marketing needs and long-term list management.

12. Campaign Monitor

I have used Campaign Monitor mainly when design quality and brand presentation were the top priorities. It has always been strong on the visual side, and that remains its biggest differentiator compared to more automation-heavy platforms.

Campaign Monitor’s automation tools are easy to work with, but they are clearly designed for simpler workflows. I have used it for welcome emails, basic drip campaigns, and follow-ups triggered by engagement or list activity. The visual journey builder is clear and intuitive, which makes it easy to manage straightforward sequences without confusion.

In its latest updates, Campaign Monitor has continued to improve its email editor and template system. I have also used its newer personalization features and improved analytics, which help refine campaigns based on subscriber engagement. While automation has improved over time, it still feels secondary to campaign creation and design.

Feature Highlights

• High-quality email templates and visual editor
• Simple automation journeys for basic workflows
• Personalization based on subscriber data
• Clear reporting on engagement and campaign performance
• Strong focus on brand consistency and design

Campaign Monitor works best for teams that care deeply about how their emails look and feel. I have found it especially useful for agencies, designers, and brands that run polished campaigns but do not need complex automation logic.

Automation depth is limited. Once workflows require advanced branching, behavioral triggers, or tight CRM integration, Campaign Monitor can feel restrictive.

Based on my experience, Campaign Monitor is a good fit if your priority is beautifully designed email campaigns with light automation. If design comes first and automation is secondary, it does its job well.

13. Benchmark Email

I have used Benchmark Email for projects where simplicity was the main requirement and advanced automation was not a priority. It is a straightforward platform that focuses on helping users send clean campaigns and set up very basic workflows without friction.

Benchmark’s automation tools are limited but easy to understand. I have used it for welcome emails, basic drip sequences, and time-based follow-ups. The interface is simple, and it does not take long to get a campaign live, which can be useful when speed matters more than flexibility.

In more recent updates, Benchmark Email has added AI-assisted email writing tools and improved its email editor. These features help speed up content creation, especially for users who want guidance when drafting campaigns. While automation has seen minor improvements, the platform still prioritizes simplicity over depth.

Feature Highlights

• Easy-to-use email editor and templates
• Basic automation for simple workflows
• AI-assisted email content creation
• Clean interface with minimal setup
• Free plan for small lists

Benchmark Email works best for individuals and small businesses that want to send campaigns and run simple automated sequences without dealing with complex logic. I have found it useful for basic communication and list engagement.

Automation capabilities are very limited. Advanced segmentation, behavioral triggers, and multi-step branching workflows are not its strengths.

Based on my experience, Benchmark Email is a reasonable option if you need simple email marketing with light automation. It is not designed for sophisticated automation strategies.

14. OptinMonster

While OptinMonster is not an email marketing platform, I have used it alongside nearly every tool in this guide. In practice, email automation only performs as well as the leads entering the system, and that is where OptinMonster consistently adds value.

I use OptinMonster to capture leads through popups, slide-ins, floating bars, and embedded forms, then pass those leads directly into email platforms like ActiveCampaign, HubSpot, and Klaviyo. The targeting and trigger options make it possible to show the right offer based on behavior, referral source, device type, or exit intent, which improves lead quality before automation even begins.

Recent updates have expanded OptinMonster’s targeting rules, templates, and integrations. I have used it to segment leads at the point of capture, apply tags automatically, and route subscribers into specific automation paths inside my email platform. This reduces cleanup later and makes automation more effective from the start.

Feature Highlights

• Advanced lead capture and conversion targeting
• Seamless integrations with major email platforms
• Behavior-based triggers like exit intent and scroll depth
• Automatic tagging and segmentation at signup
• Easy setup with prebuilt templates

OptinMonster works best as the front end of an email automation system. I have found it especially useful for improving conversion rates and feeding higher-quality leads into automated workflows.

OptinMonster does not send emails or manage automations on its own. It works best when paired with a dedicated email marketing platform.

Based on my experience, OptinMonster is a strong addition to any email automation stack. If you want your automations to start with better leads and clearer intent, it plays a critical supporting role.

Final Thoughts..

After using and testing these tools across different projects, one thing is clear. There is no single best email automation platform for everyone.

Some tools excel at advanced, behavior-driven automation. Others prioritize simplicity, design, or ecommerce performance. The right choice depends on how complex your workflows are, how closely email needs to connect with sales or revenue data, and how much control you actually need.

What matters most is choosing a platform that fits how you work today and can still support you as your needs grow. Advanced automation is only valuable if it is used well, and simple tools often outperform complex ones when they match the use case.

No matter which platform you choose, automation starts before the first email is sent. Capturing the right leads and sending them into the right workflows makes a measurable difference. That is why I consistently pair these tools with OptinMonster to improve conversions and feed cleaner data into automation from the start.

If you’re interested in getting started with just one, it should definitely be OptinMonster. It has everything sales teams need to capture targeted leads and segment them right into your automated campaign. Sign up for OptinMonster today!

Here is the hard truth about the agency landscape in 2026: Your clients don’t care about the software. They care about the result.

If you are still operating on the old model—reselling an Email Service Provider (ESP) for a small markup—you are fighting a losing battle against commodity pricing. To scale a profitable agency today, you must shift from selling “access to tools” to selling “Growth as a Service.”

You don’t just need a white-label tool; you need a Growth Stack.

• The Engine: Reliable infrastructure to deliver the message (The ESP).
• The Fuel: An automated system to capture high-intent leads (OptinMonster).
• The Proof: Reporting that connects the dots between emails sent and dollars made.

We’ve audited the top white label email marketing softwares to help you build the ultimate white-label stack that protects your margins and makes your agency indispensable.

The Agency Shift: Why “Just Sending Emails” Fails

Before we dive into the tools, we need to address why the “old way” of white labeling is dead. The digital environment has shifted, and your service offering needs to adapt to three critical trends:

1. The Rise of the “Intelligent Inbox”

Gmail and Apple Mail no longer just filter spam; they filter boredom. In 2026, inbox algorithms prioritize “Engagement Signals”—scroll depth, replies, and forwards—to determine if your client’s email lands in the Primary tab or the Promo purgatory.

• The Agency Fix: You can’t just send blasts. You need tools that support BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) to verify your client’s domain and display their logo, instantly building trust.

2. The Zero-Party Data Requirement

Third-party cookies are history. Clients are looking to you to help them own their data.

• The Agency Fix: Your stack must include a way to collect Zero-Party Data—information a user voluntarily gives you (like “I’m interested in Men’s Hiking Gear”). This requires more than a sidebar form; it requires intelligent, interactive lead capture.

3. The “Outcome” Economy

Agencies are moving away from billing for hours and toward billing for outcomes.

• The Agency Fix: Don’t sell a “Mailchimp alternative.” Sell a “Revenue Engine.” By bundling a high-volume sender (like BigMailer) with a high-conversion lead tool (like OptinMonster), you create a proprietary service that clients can’t easily replace.

Layer 1: The “Engines” (Top White Label ESPs)

This is the foundation of your stack. You need an engine that is invisible to your client but indispensable to their revenue.

When choosing an Email Service Provider (ESP) to white label, ignore the generic “features list.” As an agency, your priority is margin protection and scalability. You need a tool that allows you to manage 50+ client accounts from one login without eating into your profits.

Here are the 4 best “Engines” or white label email marketing software to power your agency in 2026.

1. BigMailer.io – Best for High Volume & Margins

If your agency manages franchises or high-volume senders, BigMailer is your margin-protector. Unlike most ESPs that punish you for growth, BigMailer is built on a flat-rate model.

• The Agency Pitch: “We provide enterprise-grade infrastructure without the enterprise price tag.”
• Why It Wins: It supports unlimited sub-accounts and brands under a single agency dashboard. You can connect Amazon SES (Simple Email Service) to send millions of emails for pennies, allowing you to charge clients a premium “management fee” while keeping your hard costs incredibly low.
• White Label Features:
  • Full custom domain mapping (e.g., marketing.youragency.com).
  • Role-based access so clients only see what you want them to see.
  • RSS-to-email automation for effortless newsletters.

Pro-Tip: Use BigMailer’s “Brand Management” view to monitor deliverability across all your clients in real-time. If one client hits a spam trap, you can isolate it immediately without affecting your other accounts.

2. ActiveCampaign – Best for “Marketing-as-a-Service”

ActiveCampaign isn’t just an email tool; it’s a Customer Experience Automation (CXA) platform. This is the tool you choose when you want to sell high-ticket “Implementation Retainers.”

• The Agency Pitch: “We don’t just send newsletters; we build automated sales machines that run 24/7.”
• Why It Wins: The library of 900+ pre-made automation recipes allows your team to deploy complex workflows (like “Abandoned Cart” or “Re-Engagement”) in minutes, not days. You bill for the strategy, not the setup time.
• White Label Features:
  • Enterprise Tier: Fully rebrandable HTML/CSS interface.
  • Custom Domains: Remove all “ActiveCampaign” references from links and login pages.
  • CRM Integration: Aligns your client’s sales and marketing teams, proving your ROI.

3. Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) – Best for SMBs & Omnichannel

Brevo is the “Swiss Army Knife” for agencies serving Small to Mid-sized Businesses (SMBs). It disrupts the market with a pricing model based on emails sent, not list size.

• The Agency Pitch: “Grow your list as big as you want—you only pay when you push ‘Send’.”
• Why It Wins: It covers the entire customer journey: Email, SMS, WhatsApp, and Chat. This allows you to upsell “Omnichannel Marketing Packages” to clients who only came in for email.
• AI Advantage: Brevo’s “Aura” AI assistant automatically generates subject lines and optimizes send times, drastically reducing your team’s copywriting workload.
• White Label Features:
  • Agency dashboard to manage all sub-accounts from one wallet.
  • White-label editor to let clients build their own campaigns (if you allow it).

4. Mailgun – Best for Transactional & Developer-Heavy Agencies

If your agency builds custom apps or manages critical transactional email (password resets, order receipts), Mailgun is the industry standard. It is the “plumber” of the internet—not pretty, but incredibly robust.

• The Agency Pitch: “We guarantee your critical emails hit the inbox, not the spam folder.”
• Why It Wins: It offers granular IP White Labeling. You can assign dedicated IPs to specific clients to protect their reputation (and yours).
• White Label Features:
  • Sub-account isolation: Complete separation of data and reputation between clients.
  • Inbox Placement Testing: Predict exactly where an email will land before you send it.

Expert Note: A Ferrari engine is useless without gas. These ESPs are powerful, but they cannot generate their own leads.

That is where the second layer of your stack comes in. You need a dedicated “Fuel” source to feed these engines with high-quality, segmented leads.

Layer 2: The “Fuel” (List Growth & CRO)

An engine without fuel is just a heavy, expensive paperweight.

The biggest mistake agencies make is selling an ESP (like ActiveCampaign) without selling a way to fill it. If your client has 500 subscribers and adds 5 per month, they will fire you in 90 days because “email marketing doesn’t work.”

You need a tool that guarantees list growth.

5. OptinMonster – The Agency Revenue Engine

Best For: Agencies selling “Conversion Optimization” and “List Growth” retainers.

Most tools on this list cost you money. OptinMonster is the only one that makes you money. It bridges the gap between traffic and the ESP, turning anonymous visitors into segmented leads.

• The Agency Pitch: “We don’t just manage your email list; we double it. We use behavioral intelligence to capture leads that your competitors are ignoring.”
• Why It Wins: It solves the “Empty Room” problem. By layering OptinMonster on top of BigMailer or Brevo, you control the entire data pipeline.
• Strategy (Zero-Party Data): With third-party cookies dead, you must collect data directly. Use OptinMonster’s Campaigns to ask specific questions (e.g., “Are you looking for Men’s or Women’s hiking gear?”). This “Zero-Party Data” is instantly tagged and pushed to your ESP, triggering hyper-personalized flows.

The White Label “Superpower”: OptinMonster offers a suite of features specifically designed to make you look like the tech wizard:

1. Custom Branding: Replace the OptinMonster logo with your agency’s logo in the dashboard. When clients log in to check their lead stats, they see your brand, reinforcing your value.
2. Sub-Accounts: Give clients granular access. You can let them view their analytics without giving them the keys to break the campaign settings.
3. Agency Playbooks: You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Import high-converting templates across all your client sites in one click.

Expert Note: Stop charging for “Popups.” Charge for “CRO as a Service.”

The Model: You pay for the OptinMonster Agency license. You charge the client a $500–$1,500/month retainer to design, A/B test, and optimize their lead capture strategy. Your margin is nearly 100% after the software cost.

Layer 3: The “Proof” (Reporting & Maintenance)

If you don’t report it, it didn’t happen; clients expect transparency. These utilities protect your retainer by proving your worth.

6. Reporting Ninja – Best for Client Retention

Best For: Automated, cross-channel reporting.

Agencies lose clients when they fail to communicate value. Reporting Ninja solves this by automating the “Monthly Report” that clients actually read.

• White Label Features: Fully branded portals and PDF exports. You can host the report dashboard on your own domain (e.g., reports.youragency.com).
• Why It Wins: It pulls data from Google Analytics 4, Facebook Ads, and your email platform into one view, showing the client the full picture of how your email strategy influenced their total revenue.

7. Warmy.io – Best for Deliverability Assurance

Best For: Automated IP warming.

When you migrate a client to a dedicated IP on Mailgun or BigMailer, you risk hitting spam folders if you ramp up too fast. Warmy.io automates the “warming” process.

• The Agency Pitch: “We include ‘Deliverability Insurance’ with our hosting.”
• White Label Features: The dashboard can be branded, allowing you to show the client a “Real-Time Health Score” of their domain reputation.

Comparison: The Reseller Model vs. The Growth Model

To dominate in 2026, you must move from Reselling (Arbitrage) to Service (Outcomes).

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion: Own the Stack, Own the Client

The term “White Label” often implies hiding the vendor. But in 2026, the goal isn’t just to hide the tool—it’s to highlight the result.

By building a stack that combines a powerful engine (BigMailer/ActiveCampaign) with the industry’s best fuel (OptinMonster), you stop competing on price and start competing on revenue.

You aren’t just an agency anymore. You are the infrastructure your client’s business runs on.

Ready to build your agency’s growth engine?

TL;DR: To create a mobile exit-intent popup:

1, Log in to your OptinMonster account (Pro plan needed).
2. Create a new campaign and choose “Popup”.
3. Pick a mobile-optimized template (like “Magnet”).
4. Customize the design using the drag-and-drop builder.
5. Set display rules to “Exit Detected” and choose sensitivity.

(Optional) Target specific URLs using advanced rules.
To update old campaigns, go to Display Rules and enable “Exit Detected” for mobile.

Done! You’re ready to stop losing mobile visitors.

Do you struggle with visitors browsing your site on mobile devices but leaving before taking any action? If so, you need to leverage the power of mobile exit-intent popups.

With exit-intent mobile popups, you can engage, recapture, and convert mobile visitors as they’re trying to leave your site forever.

That’s why, in this article, we’re going to teach you everything you need to know to create an exit popup on mobile.

Before we get into the tutorial, let’s get clear on what a mobile exit-intent popup is in the first place.

What Is a Mobile Exit-Intent Popup?

Mobile exit-intent popups or mobile exit modal popups are notifications designed to recapture your visitor’s attention on mobile devices when they’re actively leaving your site.

Exit-Intent Technology® has been traditionally limited to desktop browsers. But, recently, we changed all that.

For the longest time, one of OptinMonster’s most requested features was to have exit-intent popups work on mobile screens. Why was this feature in such high demand?

Because exit-intent campaigns work so freakin’ well, and, secondly, mobile traffic has increased exponentially.

Not familiar with exit-intent popups? Check out some of our best exit-intent popup examples.

The biggest challenge in creating mobile exit-intent popups is that tracking a user’s behavior on the phone is harder than from their desktop.

When someone visits a site on a computer, we can track mouse movements to understand when people are trying to leave the page.

This is much more difficult on mobile devices since we navigate smartphones with fingers instead of a cursor.

But as they say, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” And at OptinMonster, we always find a way.

So, do exit intent popups work on mobile? When you use OptinMonster, the answer is yes. We have developed mobile-specific exit-intent technology so that your popups are triggered when mobile users try to leave your site.

How To Create Mobile Exit-Intent Popups

First, we understand that everyone learns a little differently. If you’re more of a visual learner, here’s a video tutorial to help you out:

But if you’d prefer the written instructions, we’ve covered them in detail below.

Let’s get started.

Step 1: Log Into Your OptinMonster Account

Setting up exit-intent mobile popup campaigns is incredibly easy. First, log into your OptinMonster account.

Don’t have an account yet? Sign up for OptinMonster today. It’s 100% risk-free.

Step 2: Create a New Campaign

Then go to the upper right-hand corner of your dashboard and click Create New Campaign:

Choose which type of campaign you would like. For today’s tutorial, we’ll choose Popup:

Step 3: Choose a Mobile-Optimized Template

Now we need to select a template. One of the best features of OptinMonster’s template selection is that you can filter your choices on the left-hand side menu.

By clicking Mobile Optimized, you’ll bring up all the popup templates that are best suited for smartphones:

You can also choose to create a mobile campaign from scratch with our Canvas template:

Today, we’ll go with Magnet:

Name your campaign and assign it to your website:

Step 4: Customize Your Popup

And now we’re ready to modify the campaign. We won’t talk too much about how to customize your campaign in this tutorial.

But rest assured that our easy drag-and-drop editor makes everything simple.

Just click on the elements you’d like to change to pull up the editing tools in the left-hand side menu:

From there, you can personalize every aspect of your campaign to suit your voice, message, and brand.

If you need help with designing your campaign, check out this resource on how to create your first campaign.

Step 5: Set Up Exit-Intent for Mobile

You really need to know how to set up exit-intent mobile triggers. For that, click Display Rules at the top of your editor:

Change your first condition from Time on page to exit detected:

Then choose between Low, Medium, and High sensitivity. For scrolling up exit-intent triggers, choose Low or Medium:

That’s it! You now have your exit-intent mobile popup targeting set up.

Step 6: Target Specific Pages (Optional)

By default, this campaign will appear on every page of your site. You can add a new display rule if you want to customize your display settings further. Click +And to add a new condition:

Then change Time on page to current URL path:

This allows you to set your campaign to specific pages of your site, such as:

• The homepage
• All pages except the homepage
• Exact URLs
• URLs, including specific words
• URLs beginning with specific words

And much more.

Now let’s focus on updating an existing campaign to include mobile exit-intent functionality.

Adding Mobile Exit Popups to Existing Campaigns

So far, we have built a mobile exit-intent campaign for a mobile-optimized template. But, in some cases, you may already have campaigns that you’ve made with an exit-intent trigger for the desktop.

Because of that, many clients had asked whether they could add mobile exit-intent triggers for campaigns they built before the mobile feature existed.

The answer: Absolutely.

To make sure you have an exit-intent mobile popup for campaigns you’ve already created, click on the campaign you want to edit in your OptinMonster dashboard. Then click on the edit icon to go to the editor:

Go to Display Rules:

Check your settings for exit detected. You can choose to have your exit-intent trigger set for:

• Mobile-only
• Desktop only
• Both

For most use cases, you’ll want to set your exit-intent trigger for both desktop and mobile:

With OptinMonster, everything is fully customizable to make sure you’re getting the right message in front of the right people at exactly the right time.

Once you have your users’ attention, you can show them promotions, grow your email list, or directly increase sales.

Skyrocket Conversions Today with Mobile Exit Popups

OptinMonster’s Exit-Intent® popups allow you to collect more leads than ever before. But that’s not all you can accomplish with our technology. You can also:

• Recover abandoning visitors and reduce cart abandonment
• Distribute discount codes and coupon codes for a better UX at checkout
• Overcome sales objections and address concerns
• Push a demo or free trial offer for your online store with call-to-action popups
• Boost SEO efforts by redirecting users to popular content or landing pages
• Reduce bounce rates by encouraging longer user sessions
• Incentivize your website visitors to sign up for newsletters
• Grow your social media following by sending mobile users to your favorite social platform
• Gather valuable feedback on user experience from your eCommerce store
• Drive more sales from your eCommerce store

In short, OptinMonster’s Exit-Intent® technology is a powerful tool for website optimization.

And you can do all this without using any code, making OptinMonster the most beginner-friendly popup tool.

It also comes as a convenient plugin for WordPress users and is one of Shopify’s top lead-generation apps.

Our mobile campaigns are proven to boost sales and conversions. Check out this case study on how White River increased mobile conversions by 150% with OptinMonster.

Okay, now we know what you’re thinking: “What about pricing?”

You can get started with OptinMonster for as little as $9/month with a 14-day money-back guarantee. You’ll want to start with the Pro plan (at only $29/month) to use mobile exit-intent.

Are you ready to get the same results as the world’s top 1% marketers? Sign up for your 100% risk-free OptinMonster account below:

Get Started With OptinMonster Today!

Let’s break down exactly what a lead magnet is and why it works so well.

What Is a Lead Magnet?

A lead magnet is a free resource, incentive, or tool offered to website visitors in exchange for their contact information. usually an email address. It helps grow your email list and convert passive traffic into active leads. Lead magnets can include ebooks, webinars, white papers, e-newsletters, or free consultations.

Think of it as a “win-win” trade:
Your visitor gets something genuinely useful. You get the chance to start a relationship that could turn into revenue.

This makes lead magnets one of the most important parts of your content marketing strategy.

Here’s an example of an OptinMonster campaign offering a lead magnet:

Right away, users can see they can get 12 proven strategies for converting abandoning visitors. All they need to do is enter their email address.

Lead Magnet Ideas You Can Try Today

In this section, we’ll learn about several different types of lead magnet content you can create. You can deliver these lead magnets in a variety of formats: PDF download, video, Notion template or other digital file, or even as a gated content page on your website.

1. Checklist

Let’s start with our favorite lead magnet example: the checklist.

Checklists convert the best out of all the lead magnets because they’re so easily consumed. They condense the user’s knowledge into one actionable list.

They’re also super quick to create. For example, you can summarize your popular blog posts as a checklist and turn them into a content upgrade. Then combine that content upgrade with a 2-step optin form, and you’ll see a big conversion boost.

Here are two examples of checklists we’ve created for users like you:

Ultimate Optin Form Checklist: This checklist contains a list of all 63 elements that you need to create the ultimate optin form.

On-Page SEO Checklist: How to Fully Optimize Your Posts: You can print this out and consult it whenever you want to optimize a page for SEO.

2. eBook

For it to work, what you need is a solid benefit. Why should someone take the time to read your eBook?

Derek Halpern’s free eBook Get 5,000 Subscribers features an irresistible benefit to their target market.

Still, if someone can achieve the same result from a simple checklist, then, by all means, give them a checklist instead. It’s not worth spending weeks writing an entire eBook when you can get better conversions from a PDF that took you 20 minutes to create.

You may also want to check out this post on how to make an ebook popup to get even more leads from your ebook.

3. Webinar

Like video and audio lead magnets, webinars also have high perceived value. They’re even more irresistible because they have another component: urgency.

Since live webinars only occur at specific times and may have a limited run, they play on the “fear of missing out.”

Heck, webinars work so well for lead generation that Neil Patel turned their entire homepage into a webinar registration page!

If you use WordPress and are looking for an LMS plugin for WordPress to launch a webinar easily or an online course, check out our top picks!

4. Template

A template can provide an outline, or some starting point, so all the user has to do is fill in the blanks.

The Magic Email Template is a great lead magnet template example– it’s something entrepreneurs and small business owners can copy and paste, customize a few words, and then send off to connect with influencers and VIPs in your industry instantly.

To take your lead magnet game one step further, create a collection of lead magnet templates, like Digital Marketer’s Ultimate Facebook Ad Template Library.

5. Product Demos

If you’ve ever shopped for an app or a software tool, you’ve probably seen many of these lead magnet examples without realizing it.

Most software companies will have a big call to action to sign up for a free trial or demo on their homepage. Why? Because that’s how they get your email address.

But you don’t have to be a software company to benefit from a free trial lead magnet.

SnackNation offers a free sample box of their product. They ask for your work email address (no credit card required). Now that’s an irresistible offer!

6. Case Studies

Prospects at the bottom of the funnel love to read case studies. This lead magnet idea could give them the last push they need to buy your product.

Back when Upwork was still oDesk, they had a lead magnet called “Make It Work: Smart Advice From Real-Life Clients Who Found Success Using Online Work.” This was a compilation of case studies from people who used their service, packaged in PDF format.

7. Exclusive Discount Codes

It would be best to offer an early bird discount to sweeten the deal of getting on your waitlist. This is a great way to reward your most enthusiastic prospects at the bottom of your funnel.

8. Email Course

Email courses are easy to assemble because they don’t require creating anything fancy or downloadable. It’s a simple email autoresponder series that teaches users to accomplish something specific.

The best part about email courses is that they can be used to turn prospects into customers.

Rick Mulready uses their email course called 4 Facebook Ad Mistakes That Are Losing You Money to convert leads into customers for their FB Ads for Newbies course.

9. Podcasts

Podcasts have surged in popularity and can be an excellent lead magnet, especially for audiences who prefer auditory content.

By offering exclusive podcast episodes or a unique series as a lead magnet, businesses can attract subscribers keen on absorbing content on the go.

Whether it’s an interview with an industry expert, deep dives into specific topics, or behind-the-scenes content, a podcast can provide valuable insights and knowledge. Plus, with the added benefit of voice and tone, it can help in building a deeper connection with the audience.

Like other content forms, it’s crucial to ensure the podcast offers genuine value, is well-produced, and resonates with the target demographic.

How to Create a Lead Magnet That Actually Converts

Not all lead magnets work. Some fall flat. Others explode your email list overnight.

So what makes the difference? It’s not the format. It’s the fit.

A high-converting lead magnet meets your audience exactly where they are in their journey and solves one specific problem fast.

Let’s walk through how to create a lead magnet that feels like a perfect match.

Step 1: Know Who You’re Attracting

Before you design anything, ask:

• Who is this for?
• What product or service will this lead toward?
• What stage of awareness is this person in?

Audience Awareness Stages

Tip: Match your lead magnet to one stage. Don’t try to be everything to everyone.

Step 2: Solve One Small, Specific Problem

The best lead magnets don’t try to do everything. They deliver one quick win.

Ask:

• What’s a frustrating task my ideal customer is stuck on?
• What’s a shortcut I can offer to help them make progress today?
• What’s a helpful preview of what my product or service can do?

Example:
If you sell SEO software, don’t give away a 100-page SEO manual. Instead, offer a “10-Point SEO Audit Checklist” they can complete in 10 minutes.

Small problems solved fast = trust earned fast.

Step 3: Choose the Right Format

Now that you know what you’re solving and for whom, pick the format that suits the stage and the content:

Step 4: Plan the Follow-Up

A lead magnet is the start of a journey, not the end.

Once someone downloads your offer:

• Tag them in your email platform based on their interest
• Send a nurture sequence related to their download
• Connect the dots between the lead magnet and your core offer

Example follow-up flow:

1. Day 1 – Deliver lead magnet + set expectations
2. Day 2–4 – Share helpful content and quick wins
3. Day 5 – Introduce your product/service with social proof
4. Day 7 – Offer a time-limited incentive to act

Visual Decision Tree: Which Lead Magnet Is Right?

Want to choose fast? Here’s a simple flow:

Is your visitor new to the topic?
Yes → Give a checklist, quiz, or starter guide
No → Ask:

Do they need to take action fast? → Use a template or swipe file
Are they weighing options? → Share a case study or comparison guide
Are they close to buying? → Offer a free trial, consultation, or discount

Let’s also read about a lead magnet platform called Beacon.

Beacon.by

Beacon.by is a comprehensive platform designed to help users create and manage lead magnets. It offers a range of features that simplify the process of creating, capturing, and managing lead magnets.

Key features of Beacon.by include:

• Lead Magnet Creator: Allows users to create professional-looking lead magnets using a drag-and-drop builder. Users can start from scratch or use one of the many templates available, tailored to various industries.
• Lead Capture Forms: This tool helps users design engaging forms to gather customer information, enhancing the website’s lead generation capabilities.
• Resource Library Builder: Users can compile and manage a collection of valuable resources such as documents, videos, and links, making it easier for their audience to access and interact with content.

Beacon also provides a “Lead Magnet Academy” that offers lessons on creating effective lead magnets, promoting them, and nurturing leads once they have engaged with your content.

Pricing options cater to different needs, from a free plan suitable for new businesses and hobbyists, to more advanced plans that offer additional features like custom domains and increased lead management capabilities.

For more information and a deeper dive into what Beacon.by can offer, you can visit their official site: Beacon.by.

Now, you can design your lead magnet! A complete design or technical tutorial is too much to include in this article, but here are some helpful links you can use to get started:

• What Is Lead Quality? And How to Measure It (+8 Bonus Tips!)
• How to Create a Lead Magnet In Canva
• How to Create a Quiz Lead Magnet
• How to Create an Email Course Lead Magnet

63 Irresistible Lead Magnet Examples

Ready to create your lead magnet? Let’s dive into the 63 highly effective lead magnet examples to increase your subscribers.

1. Cheatsheet

Cheatsheets are essentially the same as checklists, but they give users a list of guidelines or processes they can repeatedly follow to achieve a specific benefit.

They’re irresistible to people because they remove the need to think.

Here’s an example of a cheat sheet created for bloggers: 52 Headline Hacks: A Cheat Sheet for Writing Blog Posts That Go Viral.

Bloggers want their blog posts to go viral, so this is a benefit-driven lead magnet for them.

It also removes the need to think: no more racking your brain about how to get your blog posts to go viral when you have this cheat sheet!

2. Template

A template can provide an outline, or some starting point, so all the user has to do is fill in the blanks.

The Magic Email Template is a great lead magnet template example– it’s something entrepreneurs and small business owners can copy and paste, customize a few words, and then send off to connect with influencers and VIPs in your industry instantly.

To take your lead magnet game one step further, create a collection of lead magnet templates, like Digital Marketer’s Ultimate Facebook Ad Template Library.

3. Swipe File

Swipe files are arguably even more irresistible than templates because all you have to do is copy them in their entirety.

For example, The Ultimate Social Media Swipe File includes 72 headlines for social media posts that you can simply, well, swipe!

4. Examples

Examples work well as lead magnets because people are searching for examples all the time in all different industries.

For instance, Bidsketch (a proposal software) uses a Sample Client Proposal as a lead magnet.

You could turn one of your popular posts into a lead-generating machine by optimizing it for “[your keyword] + examples” and then adding an example lead magnet as a content upgrade.

5. Script

Scripts are great lead magnet examples if your buyer persona needs something to help them speak or write.

For instance, if they need help prepping for a job interview, you could offer a script for pitching themselves to a potential employer.

Another great lead magnet example is this popular lead magnet created by Marcus Krieg: 3 Persuasive Video Scripts You Can Steal.

6. Toolkit

A trendy type of lead magnet idea is the toolkit. Why? Because everyone wants to know what tools the pros use!

Syed’s Toolkit for Growing Your Online Business is no exception. It’s a huge hit!

The best part about toolkits is that you can usually become an affiliate for those products. Not only does the toolkit provide a handy resource to your visitors, but it can also generate additional revenue for your business.

7. Web App

A web app is a free tool that lives on your site and requires a login. Of course, users have to sign up by email to get the login.

For example, Bryan Harris created a web app called ListGoal, which is free to use. However, Bryan gets your permission to email you when you sign up for it.

8. Resource List

Lists of free resources are valuable because they’re huge time savers. Whenever you pull all of the best stuff together, you save your users a lot of research time.

My Giant Guest Blogging Index has been a massive hit for that reason. All the research has been done for someone looking to write guest posts.

9. Calendar

Calendars can also be helpful in a variety of industries.

For example, if you’re in the fitness industry, like Blogilates, you could offer a workout calendar. That way, your users don’t have to think about what exercises to do daily because you’ve already mapped it out for them.

10. Plan/Planner

Similar to a calendar is a daily, weekly, or monthly plan you’ve mapped out for someone.

For example, 5 Free Meal Plans is a great lead magnet for a busy mom who is struggling to find the time to figure out what’s for dinner every night.

Your lead magnet could be a blank planner the user fills in with their plan. These blank planners are also useful because they make organizing easier for people.

Mayi Carles sells these attractive planners, but they could just as easily give away a digital sample as a lead magnet to whet your appetite for more.

11. Worksheet/Workbook

A worksheet (or workbook) is similar to a planner, except that it usually helps people to complete a specific exercise or figure something out.

A perfect medium for this is an editable workbook that someone can download and fill out on their computer. Teachable has a great, in-depth tutorial on using Adobe InDesign to create a workbook lead magnet.

12. Printable

A printable is especially great if you’re in a creative field and your users want something attractive that they can print out.

Or, your user needs to print something out to be handy when they need it, such as a shopping list or a grocery list, like this one from Rustic Redhead.

13. Inspiration File

Does your user need inspiration? People always search the internet for inspiration, so why not give it to them as a neatly packaged lead magnet?

This Logo Design Inspiration eBook, for example, is perfect for designers seeking inspiration for their next logo.

14. Prompts

While inspiration files generally offer visual inspiration, prompts help to inspire by giving you ideas to think about.

60 Journal Prompts is a self-help lead magnet that helps users with “self-love, self-discovery + a spot of self-coaching.”

15. Calculator

If your users need to deal with numbers, why not create a calculator and gate it as a lead magnet?

VWO has some great calculators on their site which could also be a great lead magnet idea. For example, this A/B Split Test Significance Calculator is handy for any marketer looking to see whether they have enough traffic to collect important data.

16. Generator

People often search for generators to create something quickly without thinking. If a generator is useful for your audience, consider gating it.

HubSpot has a useful blog topic generator on its site. They aren’t using it as a lead magnet, but they certainly could if they wanted to.

17. Spreadsheet

Spreadsheets can be used to create all kinds of valuable resources. They’re a programming tool right at your fingertips!

DebtHelper uses a free budget spreadsheet to collect email subscribers. They even include a bonus video guide on how to use the spreadsheet.

18. Recipes

Many recipes are freely available on the internet, so you might consider this a bad lead magnet idea. However, you’d be surprised how many people will optin for your curated recipes.

EatingWell knows this, and that’s why they use an exit-intent popup to offer their best healthy recipes and nutrition tips delivered straight to your inbox.

19. Gated Content

Gated content is simply a blog post or part of a blog post that is hidden behind your lightbox popup. This is one of the easiest lead magnets to create because it uses your existing content!

One thing you can do is to gate the second half of a long blog post. You can do this easily with OptinMonster by using one of our inline optin lead magnet templates + our Content Lock feature.

If you go with gated content, you may also want to learn how to create a paywall. That will reserve premium content for paying subscribers and generate more passive income for your site.

20. Tutorial

A tutorial is any content that teaches how to do one specific thing. It could be a video or a PDF download with a numbered list of steps.

David Siteman Garland’s 7 Proven Steps to Creating, Promoting & Profiting from Online Courses seems to work well for him– he’s been using it for quite some time now, although it was probably quick to create.

21. Guide

A guide is similar to an eBook because iit’s a lengthier lead magnet to create. However, guides can work well when you use them as the nurturing part of your sales funnel to educate prospects on why they should buy from you.

Here’s an example of a guide from HubSpot: The Definitive Blueprint for Lead Management.

This works because it educates their users on why they need a lead management product like HubSpot.

That said, I’d encourage you to create some un-gated guides on your site. At OptinMonster, we like to call these “mega guides.”

We’ve used mega guides on OptinMonster and our other web properties with great success because they generate a ton of organic search traffic. Check out our Definitive Guide to Email Marketing as an example; it’s freely available with no email optin required.

22. Whitepaper

Whitepaper or reports are perfect lead magnets for B2B businesses, but they can also work in any industry that relies on data, statistics, or research.

You can either research and collect the data yourself or pull together data from various sources into one comprehensive report.

Here are a couple of whitepaper lead magnet examples:

2016 Gartner Magic Quadrant for CRM Lead Management: the great thing about this report is that it has been “updated for 2016”, so at the time of this writing, it’s fresh and new.

The YouTube Traffic Report: this report pulls together the statistics on YouTube traffic, so it didn’t require any in-house data collection to create.

23. Infographic

Infographics are the content you’d likely use to drive website visitors since they do so well on social media. However, they also work well as educational lead magnets.

Think about it: many people need to visualize a concept before fully understanding it. Instead of giving users a bunch of boring text to sift through, why not illustrate your point with an infographic? This extra detail will make your lead magnet stand out so much more.

Here’s an example of an infographic explaining successful and unsuccessful people’s habits.

Does this infographic make the concept more memorable and easy to digest than a plain text PDF?

24. Educational Video

Create a video to take your lead magnet further than an infographic!

Videos not only include a visual component, but they have an audio component as well. Plus, you can put real people in front of the camera (or come on camera yourself) to boost your brand.

But the best part is videos have a higher perceived value, making them more irresistible.

QuickSprout has a video course on Double Your Traffic in 30 Days. In their sidebar optin form, they’ve included a DVD mockup to drive home the high value of their lead magnet.

25. Educational Audio

Downloadable audio might make the perfect lead magnet example depending on your target audience.

For example, if your ideal customer rarely has time for reading or watching videos, they might prefer to have something to listen to in the car on their commute to and from work.

Remember: you can always repurpose a video by stripping out the audio and turning it into a lead magnet!

Here’s an example from Marie Forleo: a motivational, free audio training to learn “how to get anything you want.” I especially love the rose gold iPhone mockup with earbuds, which perfectly depicts how one of Marie’s users would listen to their audio (e.g., they may download it to their phone and take it to the gym).

26. Webinar

Like video and audio lead magnets, webinars also have high perceived value. They’re even more irresistible because they have another component: urgency.

Since live webinars only occur at specific times and may have only a limited run, they play on the “fear of missing out.”

Heck, webinars work so well for lead generation that Neil Patel turned their entire homepage into a webinar registration page!

If you use WordPress and are looking for an LMS plugin for WordPress to launch a webinar easily or an online course, check out our top picks!

27. Event Tickets

Like a webinar, you can offer free tickets to a live event in exchange for an email address.

The best way to do this is by using social media ads to push targeted traffic to your optin form. Your target audience would be people who are interested in your offer and live near your in-person event.

I highly recommend using Facebook ads for this because Facebook has the most powerful targeting features out of any other social media advertising channel. Make sure you follow these 7 steps to optimize your Facebook ads for conversions.

28. Free Book + Shipping

If you have a bunch of physical books you’ve written lying around, consider giving them away as a lead magnet. All you have to do is collect a small fee to cover your shipping costs.

Want to know why this offer works so well? Well, physical books generally have higher perceived value than eBooks do. When you offer a physical book for free, it’s an irresistible deal.

However, because the user has to pull out their credit card to pay for the shipping, this lead magnet idea pre-qualifies the best leads.

In other words, you’ve not only acquired a new lead, but you’ve also effectively acquired a new customer—and existing customers are so much easier to convert to a higher offer than people who’ve never bought anything from you.

Here’s an example of a free book plus shipping from Russell Brunson.

29. Sample Chapter

If you want to avoid going the free book route, you could pull out one chapter and offer it as a free sample.

Make sure the sample is digital and instantly downloadable so your users can get instant gratification.

30. Sample Video/Clip

If your product takes the form of a video or video, pull out a sample video or a sample clip and exchange that for an email address.

In the case of an information product called The Copy Cure, you can access their Copywriting Class Free Sample by entering your email address.

31. Sample Audio Clip

A sample audio clip works well as a lead magnet, too (even if your product is a video).

Erin Stutland’s product includes workout videos, and their lead magnet offer is a free audio workout.

32. Free Coaching Session

If you’re a coach or offer a service, you could provide a free coaching session in exchange for an email address.

The great thing about coaching sessions is that they get your prospects on the phone with you, and those people usually expect to hear your pitch at the end. This can be an effective way of acquiring high-end clients.

Chris Lema charges per minute for their coaching sessions, but he could offer them for free for a limited time if he wanted to push more signups.

33. PDF Version

This is one of those lead magnets that is so underutilized yet straightforward to create.

All you have to do is find your most popular blog posts, save a PDF version of the blog post, and then offer it as a content upgrade.

You’d be surprised how many people will optin to receive the same thing they just read in PDF form! The value-add here is that they get to own your blog post.

For example, our 12 Proven Ways to Convert Abandoning Visitors into Subscribers download could just as easily have been a blog post that we turned into a lead magnet.

34. Transcript

While we’re on the subject of repurposing content, why not repurpose a video by offering a transcript?

Although many people prefer video for learning, many others prefer reading. Making sure you have both learners covered is a great way to provide more value with the content you’ve already created.

35. Audio Version

Similarly, you could offer an audio version of a written piece of content.

UX designer Paul Boag regularly records an audio version of their blog posts. However, he could just as easily gate the audio version behind an optin form and generate more leads!

36. Summary/”Cliff Notes” Version

Do you have a long, in-depth guide that your users love? Package a summarized version of that into a lead magnet.

You can also share what you’re learning from other influencers in your industry by offering your “cliff notes” version of their presentation or book.

37. State of the Industry

This is another great lead magnet idea for B2B businesses. It’s the same as a report, except that it focuses on new industry trends.

Just keep in mind that you’ll need to come out with new or updated versions of your state of the industry report regularly (usually annual).

38. Predictions

To become a leader in your industry, make some predictions about your industry and publish them as a downloadable lead magnet.

People love to hear predictions about what to expect so they can jump on upcoming trends.

For example, if you’re in the fashion industry, you could come up with a list of fashion predictions for the following year. Or, if you’re a marketer, you could predict what the state of email marketing will look like next year.

39. Mind Map

Mind maps explain a complex subject in a digestible way. And because they are essentially an outline and don’t require too much detail, these lead magnet examples are really quick to put together.

When creating mind maps, we like using a free MindMeister tool. Their drag-and-drop builder makes mind maps super easy to create, and they always look clean and professional.

Delivering one of these lead magnets with OptinMonster is simple. You must paste the mind map URL into your optin form’s success theme.

40. Recording/Replay

Are you presenting any live webinars? You can repurpose those webinars by saving the recording and using that as a lead magnet.

Kissmetrics offers a library of recorded webinars you can choose from in exchange for your email address.

41. Audio Book

Have an eBook that your audience loves? Repurpose it by recording an audiobook and gating it behind an email optin form.

Remember how I said that un-gated mega guides are powerful assets you can create to drive traffic to your site?

Well, here’s an idea for you:

1. Turn your eBook into a traffic-generating mega guide by transferring it to one big long page on your site.
2. Generate leads by adding a call to action (CTA) to download your audiobook version.
3. Win and win!

42. SlideShare

Did you know that you can turn one of your SlideShare presentations into a lead magnet?

SlideShare has a built-in lead generation tool that allows you to convert your SlideShare audience into email subscribers. All you have to do is follow our step-by-step tutorial here (see #7).

43. Roundup

If you’ve ever written a roundup blog post, you’ll know that these are popular and easy to put together. Plus, you can create a lead magnet from it.

A roundup post is a list of tips or techniques from other experts in your industry. To write one, you need to interview people and pull all quotes into one big post.

For example, we wrote a popular roundup post asking eight seasoned SEO experts for their best advice. Now, we could have interviewed a lot more than eight people. It’s easier than you think to get influencers to respond to a request like this because you’re offering them exposure, which is what they want! So, we could have interviewed even more experts and then offered the complete roundup as a “freebie” download.

Or, we could have summarized all the expert responses into actionable takeaways and packaged that as a lead magnet.

Either way, it would make for a great content upgrade to an already high-performing post.

44. Newsletter

Sometimes your email newsletter is so irresistible that it’s the lead magnet.

A great example is a business called The Hustle. The Hustle sends you a funny, entertaining email each morning with all the day’s top tech and business news.

The best part about this lead magnet example is that the subscriber already expects the emails.

Although we need to find out how low their unsubscribe rates are, we would assume that The Hustle is doing pretty well in that department.

45. Vault/Library

Do you have lots of different educational lead magnets? Give your users the option to access them all at once by putting them together into a “vault” or a virtual library on your site.

All you need is one big page on your site with the links to download each of your lead magnets and put that page behind an optin form. It’s a simple way to give more value to your users with the lead magnets you’ve already created.

46. Quiz

A quiz is the most entertaining lead magnet idea on this list, and that’s why it converts so well!

A quiz has the user answer a series of questions and then spits a result. But to get the result, you’ll have to enter your email address.

Rachel Ray had a quiz on what type of clutterer you’re.

Hostel Bookers created a quiz about what type of traveler you’re.

Forbes had a quiz that helped prospective college students find the perfect college.

To create a quiz like this, you can use a tool like Qzzr. Qzzr also allows you to drive social traffic to your quiz and generate leads.

47. Survey

A survey is mainly for your benefit/market research. However, a survey can be used as a lead magnet with a compelling call to action.

For example, you could ask users browsing your site for a while to give you feedback on their experience and help you improve your website. You’d be surprised how many people enjoy taking the time to provide you with their feedback!

Make sure you use a tool like OptinMonster to present the survey only to users who have visited at least four pages on your site. It would be weird (and annoying) to ask a brand new visitor to rate their “experience” on the first pageview.

48. Giveaway

One of the most effective lead magnet idea is the giveaway. Who doesn’t love the opportunity to win free stuff?

If you want your giveaway to be effective, however, make sure it does two things:

1. Qualify your leads by offering a relevant prize (something that only your ideal customer would want– not something like an iPad or a laptop that anyone and their brother would want)
2. Incentivize participants to share (you can do this by offering additional entries for each social share)

49. Manifesto

A manifesto is a simple declaration of your values. Its a great lead magnet idea because your ideal audience will naturally be drawn to it.

Jeff Goins wrote The Writer’s Manifesto: Stop Writing to Be Read & Adored, resonating with their audience and becoming an effective lead magnet.

50. Comic Strip

Ever thought of using a comic strip as a lead magnet?

When CopyMonk released its first comic strip, it went viral in the copywriting community.

And when something is that popular, it’s easy to see how people would sign up to get more.

51. Quotes

People love quotes from influential people or quotes that inspire.

Mastin Kipp created an entire business by delivering inspirational quotes via their “daily love” email newsletter.

Their business has evolved a lot since then, but they still offers daily inspiration/tips as their lead magnet.

52. Desktop Wallpaper

Are you an artist, designer, or photographer? If you’re in a visual/creative field of business, consider giving away some of your work as a desktop wallpaper download.

The best thing about desktop wallpaper is that it constantly reminds you of your brand. This can be a great way to make sure a lead thinks of you when thinking about who to hire for their next photoshoot or design project.

53. Mobile App/Game

A free mobile app or game offers the perfect excuse to ask for an email address.

Ask users to create an account with you to use your app. Then, you can send them emails to help increase their engagement and encourage them to buy your premium product.

54. Challenge

One of my favorite lead magnet examples is this 30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge from Simple Green Smoothies.

There are several reasons why this lead magnet idea is so genius and you should consider doing a challenge as a lead magnet too.

• Anyone who takes them up on this offer will be a highly qualified lead. They raise their hands and say, “I want green smoothies!”.
• Challenges with a start and an end date have urgency. This makes the offer that much more compelling.
• Challenges build brand awareness by fostering a sense of community– everyone is doing the challenge together at the same time.
• Challenges make it much easier to elicit desired behavior through peer pressure. Most people wouldn’t have the discipline to drink one green smoothie a day for 30 days, but they’re much more likely to jump on the bandwagon when challenged to do so.

55. Membership Site

Are you thinking about creating your membership site? Consider offering free registration.

My Copyblogger Membership is an excellent example of using a membership site as a lead magnet.

I especially love their use of social proof and their fear of missing out. This community contains “over 334,000 smart online marketers”, and all those people “have a head start” on you. Better sign up now, so you can stay caught up!

Plugins can make it super easy if you’re a WordPress user interested in setting up your membership site. Check out our top picks for WordPress membership site plugins!

56. Facebook Group

I’ve personally used Facebook groups as lead magnets with great success. It just goes to show that people do value communities.

For example, we used to offer a private Facebook group + a free fitness challenge for pregnant women who wanted to stay healthy and fit throughout their pregnancy.

I tested a few offers instead, such as a checklist of exercises every pregnant woman should avoid. However, the Facebook group/challenge offer outperformed the other lead magnets, resulting in 43-cent leads on average!

57. Slack Group

Depending on your target market and where they hang out online, there may be other options than a Facebook group. However, you could offer a Slack group instead.

If you’ve never heard of it before, Slack is an app that allows you to send instant messages to groups of people. This can be a fun and powerful way to build a community around your brand.

58. Coupon

A coupon works well at the bottom of your funnel because most people who make online purchases like to shop around for deals. Your brand should be there to give those people what they’re looking for (in exchange for their email addresses, of course).

59. Waiting List

Do you have an upcoming product launch? You can use a waitlist to collect the emails of prospects at the bottom of your funnel.

For example, an online course called “B-School” is only available once per year. If you want to buy it right now, you can’t! Instead of a “buy” button on the product page, you’ll find a “tell me more” button next to an email optin form.

This way, they can collect the email addresses of bottom-of-funnel prospects throughout the year and build anticipation for the program.

60. Free Shipping

Free shipping is one of those things that everyone wants when it comes to shopping online. If someone is close to making a purchase, free shipping might be the offer that seals the deal.

61. Free Consultation

Many lawyers offer free consultations as lead magnets. This could also be a great bottom-of-funnel offer for you if you offer a service.

The best thing about a free consult is that it gives you a natural excuse to ask for the email address, phone number, and other relevant information. If you need to close someone over the phone, this is a natural opportunity.

62. Free Quote

Instead of a free consultation, you could offer a free quote. Here’s how Liberty Mutual does it.

First, you’ll be asked to enter your zip code and click on the “Get a Quote” button.

Then, you’ll be directed to another page where you’ll be asked to enter the rest of your information.

With most lead magnets examples, you would only be able to ask for a little information upfront. However, because a free quote is at the bottom of your funnel, these prospects are more willing to give out their detailed information.

63. Catalog

Finally, if you have a product catalog, remember to offer it as a lead magnet at the bottom of your funnel! Just remember to ask for their email address on the order form.

7 Key Takeaways To Create Irresistible Lead Magnets

There are seven things that your lead magnet should do if you want it to be irresistible.

The best lead magnets:

1. Solves a real problem – if your lead magnet doesn’t solve a real problem that your customer avatar has, or if it doesn’t give them something they want, it won’t work at all.
2. Promises one quick win – your lead magnet should promise (and deliver) one quick win for your avatar. In other words, it should help them to achieve something quickly.
3. Super specific – don’t create a lead magnet about something general. The clearer you’re about the benefit of your lead magnet, the better it will convert potential customers (and if you can personalize this lead magnet to a specific landing page, that’s even better!).
4. Quick to digest – PDF checklists tend to convert well because they’re so quick and easy to digest. eBooks or lengthy reports may make your prospects feel overwhelmed.
5. High value – your lead magnet should have both, high perceived value and high actual value.
6. Instantly accessible – your lead magnet will work best if it can be delivered immediately. People love instant gratification.
7. Demonstrates your expertise or UVP – when someone consumes your lead magnet, it should show your expertise or unique value proposition. This helps turn leads into customers down the road.

If you can nail these qualities, conversions will dramatically rise across your website.

How To Distribute Your Lead Magnet

Creating the right lead magnet template for your audience is only half the battle. The other half is getting it to the right people, in the right places, and at the right time in their customer journey.

That’s where a tool like OptinMonster comes in:

OptinMonster is the world’s #1 lead generation toolkit. It allows anyone to quickly and easily create “optin campaigns” to distribute their lead magnets in a highly targeted way.

“Optin campaigns” are things you’re already familiar with, like popups, floating bars, gamified wheels, and much more.

With these campaigns, you can narrow in on your target audience, improve their customer journey, and increase your conversion rates simultaneously.

Here’s how it works:

Everything starts with selecting one of OptinMonster’s 50+ pre-made lead magnet templates:

These designs are ready to use out of the box and will save you time, money, and headaches in the campaign creation process.

From there, you’ll likely want to make a few modifications to showcase your lead magnet.

OptinMonster has an inline text editor that allows you to customize your unique message, so you can better resonate with your target audience:

And if you want to add new features, you don’t need coding or tech skills.

Everything can be done with a drag and a drop:

This lets you add new features like:

• Images
• Video
• HTML
• Chatbots
• Icons
• Buttons

And much more

And since all the features are made up of “blocks,” everything falls neatly into place every time.

But once the campaign is ready and your lead magnet looks good, you still need to target these messages to the right people.

You’d use one of OptinMonster’s many targeting rules. Some examples include:

• Exit-Intent® Technology: Recover abandoning users as they’re actively leaving your site for good.
• OnSite Follow Ups®: Avoid ‘popup fatigue’ by showing new messages to returning users.
• Geolocation: Target people based on their physical location.

Though many others exist, these are just a few examples of OptinMonster’s targeting rules. And these are the same ways that companies like Crossrope exploded their list by 900%.

Or how Shotkit adds 40+ NEW leads to their site every single day.

From there, you can leverage the full power of automation! By that, I mean OptinMonster integrates with 50+ 3rd-party tools like email service providers, Zapier, webhooks, and more.

That means you can create a lead generation system that works on autopilot.

Ready to get your lead magnet in front of your audience? Click below to start your 100% risk-free OptinMonster account today:

Create High Converting Optin Campaigns Today!

If you’re curious about how many of your subscribers download your lead magnets, here’s how to track downloads in Google Analytics and WordPress.

And that’s all for today! Now it’s your turn.

Go ahead and pick one of these high-converting lead magnet ideas, and then tweak it to create your own. This will drastically improve your digital marketing efforts.

I hope you enjoyed this article. If you did, you’d want to check out the following resources:

• How to Track a Lead Source in WordPress
• How to Ask a Customer Why They Cancelled (to Win Them Back)
• Create and Track Popup Events in Google Analytics
• Content Marketing Examples

These posts will give you more information on tracking the success of your lead magnet campaigns and retaining customers once they’ve converted.

Thanks to website builders, I could create and run a website without requiring professional help or knowledge of coding.

In this article, I share my expert opinion on the best website builders for small businesses I have worked with.

Website Builders for Small Business Comparison

In 2026, the website builder market has moved far beyond simple “drag-and-drop” editors. To stay competitive, builders now focus on Agentic AI (tools that work for you while you sleep), Social Sync (how easily your products live on TikTok and Instagram), and Managed Performance.

The best website builders for small businesses are discussed in detail below.

1. Managed WordPress Hosting: The New Standard for Scale

For years, I told my clients to go “self-hosted” with WordPress.org to get the most freedom. But in 2026, managing your own server is becoming a headache small business owners just don’t have time for. I’ve shifted my recommendation to Managed AI Hosting (like WP Engine or SiteGround). Instead of you worrying about updates, these hosts use “Agentic AI” to handle the technical heavy lifting.

I recently saw a client’s site automatically patch a security vulnerability and optimize its own database without them lifting a finger. It gives you the power of WordPress without the manual “technical debt.”

Social Sync Score: 7.5/10

Pros:

• Uses “Agentic AI” to proactively fix errors, clear caches, and optimize images before you even notice a slowdown.
• Includes specialized staging environments that let you test new AI plugins safely before pushing them live.
• Provides built-in security that stops bot-driven attacks using predictive AI patterns.
• Offers near-infinite customization through the vast ecosystem of plugins and themes.

Cons:

• Costs significantly more than basic “bargain bin” hosting, which can be a hurdle for brand-new startups.
• Restricts certain high-resource plugins that might interfere with the host’s specialized speed optimizations.

Pricing:

• Startup Plan: Starts at $20.00 per month
• Professional Plan: Starts at $40.00 per month
• Growth Plan: Starts at $77.00 per month

2. Shopify: The Social Commerce Powerhouse

In 2026, a website is no longer an island; it’s a hub. I’ve stopped looking at Shopify’s “templates” and started focusing on its Commerce Components. This modular approach is a game-changer for my retail clients. You can now take Shopify’s world-class checkout and “drop” it directly into a blog post or a custom landing page.

The real winner here is the Social Sync. Shopify has built the deepest integration with TikTok Shop and Instagram Checkout I’ve ever seen. You aren’t just sending people to your site; you’re bringing your store into their feed.

Social Sync Score: 9.8/10

Pros:

• Allows you to sync your entire inventory to TikTok and Instagram in real-time with virtually zero lag.
• Features a modular “Components” architecture that lets you use their high-speed checkout on any page of your site.
• Includes Shopify Magic, an AI suite that I use constantly to generate high-converting product descriptions and SEO metadata.
• Provides the most reliable scaling infrastructure for stores handling thousands of orders per minute.

Cons:

• Charges additional transaction fees if you don’t use their proprietary “Shopify Payments” system.
• Can feel overwhelming for a service provider because the dashboard is built entirely around product logistics.

Pricing:

• Starter Plan: Starts at $5.00 per month
• Basic Plan: Starts at $29.00 per month
• Shopify Plan: Starts at $79.00 per month

3. Wix: Best for AI-Agent Readiness

Wix has made the biggest leap in what I call “AI-Agent Readiness.” People don’t want to fill out forms; they want to talk to your business.

I helped a local spa set up Wix’s Custom AI Agent, and it now handles all their booking questions, checks staff availability, and schedules appointments, all through a natural chat interface.

If your business relies on appointments or client inquiries, having an “autonomous agent” on your site is the single best way to generate leads while you sleep. It creates a professional layout based on a five-minute conversation.

Social Sync Score: 8.5/10

Pros:

• Features a truly autonomous AI Agent that can book appointments and handle customer service without human intervention.
• Provides a complete “Chat-to-Site” builder that creates a unique, professional layout based on a short interaction.
• Includes built-in marketing automation that sends personalized follow-ups based on agent interactions.
• Offers one of the most intuitive drag-and-drop editors for those who want total creative control.

Cons:

• Locks you into their ecosystem, making it very difficult to migrate your site to another platform later on.
• Becomes pricey at the higher tiers if you need high-volume data storage for video or large assets.

Pricing:

• Light Plan: Starts at $17.00 per month
• Core Plan: Starts at $29.00 per month
• Business Plan: Starts at $36.00 per month

4. Square Online: Best for Real-World Sync

I’ve moved Weebly to my “legacy” list and now steer my clients toward Square Online. If you have a physical store, Square is the better move for 2026. It’s built on the same simple foundations as Weebly but is engineered for an omnichannel world.

I recently helped a boutique owner switch to Square, and the difference was night and day. Instead of manually updating stock counts at the end of every shift, the website does it for you the second a customer taps their card at your register. It’s the most efficient way to run a local business.

Social Sync Score: 7.2/10

Pros:

• Offers a flawless inventory sync that updates your site to “Out of Stock” the second you sell an item in-person.
• Includes the best built-in tools for curbside pickup and local delivery for cafes or bakeries.
• Uses a clever AI generator to turn simple product names into professional, SEO-friendly descriptions.
• Provides a unified dashboard where you can manage your payroll, team, and online sales in one spot.

Cons:

• Limits your creative freedom because you’re working with a strict “block” system rather than a free-form editor.
• Feels a bit cluttered with retail tools if you are just a blogger who doesn’t sell physical goods.

Pricing:

• Free Plan: Starts at $0.00 per month (plus transaction fees)
• Plus Plan: Starts at $29.00 per month
• Premium Plan: Starts at $79.00 per month

5. Hostinger: Best for Budget-First AI Creation

If you’re just starting out and every dollar counts, Hostinger is the builder I consistently point people toward. They’ve really leaned into their “AI Website Builder,” and the results are impressive for the price.

I recently used it to mock up a landing page for a friend’s side hustle, and we had a professional-looking site with unique images and copy in under ten minutes. It doesn’t have the deep modularity of Shopify, but for a simple business site, it’s hard to beat the value.

Social Sync Score: 6.8/10

Pros:

• Includes a full suite of AI tools that generate your logo, website copy, and even a heat map to show where visitors click.
• Provides some of the fastest loading speeds I’ve recorded for a budget builder, which is a massive plus for SEO.
• Offers an incredibly low introductory rate that includes a free domain name and business email for the first year.
• Features a clean, simplified drag-and-drop editor that is perfect for those who find WordPress too cluttered.

Cons:

• Increases significantly in price once your initial promotional term expires, so you need to budget for the renewal hike.
• Lacks a deep app market, meaning you’re stuck with the built-in features for things like memberships.

Pricing:

• Premium Plan: Starts at $1.99 per month
• Business Plan: Starts at $2.99 per month
• Cloud Startup Plan: Starts at $8.99 per month

6. HubSpot Content Hub: Best for Sales and CRM Integration

I often tell my B2B clients that if their website’s main job is to generate leads for a sales team, HubSpot is the only way to go.

Their “Content Hub” is smarter than ever. The beauty of HubSpot is that the website isn’t a separate tool; it’s just the “front door” to your CRM. I love their new “Breeze AI” features, which can look at who is visiting your site and personalize the content on the fly to match their industry.

Social Sync Score: 7.0/10

Pros:

• Integrates natively with the HubSpot CRM, allowing you to track exactly which pages a lead visited before they called.
• Uses Adaptive Testing to automatically show different versions of a page and pick the one that gets the most sign-ups.
• Includes powerful AI-driven SEO suggestions that tell you exactly what to change to rank higher for business terms.
• Features a unified inbox that pulls in messages from your site’s live chat, WhatsApp, and email in one view.

Cons:

• Scales in price very aggressively as you add more “seats” or advanced marketing features for larger teams.
• Requires a bit of a learning curve to understand how to map your website data into your sales pipelines.

Pricing:

• Starter Plan: Starts at $15.00 per month
• Professional Plan: Starts at $500.00 per month
• Enterprise Plan: Starts at $1,500.00 per month

7. GoDaddy Airo: Best for Speed and Local Services

GoDaddy has undergone a major rebrand recently with GoDaddy Airo. If you need a site live today, this is the builder I recommend. It’s built for the “I don’t have time for this” business owner.

When I tested the Airo setup, it didn’t just build a site; it suggested a domain, generated a logo, and drafted my first social media post. It’s perfect for local service providers like landscapers or plumbers who just need a professional digital business card.

Social Sync Score: 8.0/10

Pros:

• Generates a fully functional website, including industry-specific images and contact forms, in less than 60 seconds.
• Includes a built-in “Marketing Suite” that lets you create and schedule social media posts directly from your dashboard.
• Provides a very simple “InSight” score that compares your site’s performance against other businesses in your niche.
• Offers excellent appointment scheduling features that sync directly with your Google or Outlook calendar.

Cons:

• Uses a very rigid design system that prevents you from moving elements freely outside of their pre-set “blocks.”
• Lacks the deep technical SEO controls that you’d find in a platform like WordPress or Shopify.

Pricing:

• Basic Plan: Starts at $9.99 per month
• Premium Plan: Starts at $14.99 per month
• Commerce Plan: Starts at $20.99 per month

8. Squarespace: Best for Visual Design and Portfolios

Squarespace has always been my “designer’s darling,” and in 2026, their Blueprint AI has made high-end design accessible to everyone.

Unlike other AI builders that can feel a bit “cookie-cutter,” Squarespace’s AI acts more like a creative director. It asks about your brand “vibe” and then suggests layouts that feel expensive and polished.

I recently helped a photographer launch their portfolio, and the mobile animations were smoother than anything I’ve seen on a DIY platform.

Social Sync Score: 8.2/10

Pros:

• Delivers the most polished, professional templates on the market, with a heavy focus on high-quality imagery.
• Features Blueprint AI, which guides you through a curated design process rather than just dumping a random layout.
• Includes powerful built-in tools for selling digital products, subscriptions, and memberships without extra plugins.
• Provides a seamless mobile editing experience, allowing you to make high-impact design changes from your phone.

Cons:

• Does not offer a free tier, and the starting prices are slightly higher than budget competitors like Hostinger.
• Can have a slightly steeper learning curve for users who aren’t used to a “section-based” editing style.

Pricing:

• Personal Plan: Starts at $16.00 per month
• Core Plan: Starts at $23.00 per month
• Plus Plan: Starts at $27.00 per month

Note: There are many web builders not included in the list because I did not want to put our readers into decision paralysis. Rest assured, the tools mentioned are the best website builders for small businesses.

Key Features To Consider in a Website Builder

When selecting a website builder for your small business, several key features should be on your radar, but I highly suggest prioritizing the following four as the most important:

1. User-friendly interface ensures fast and smooth navigation
2. Customization options let you tailor your site to your brand
3. Ecommerce capabilities are essential for online sales
4. Responsiveness ensures your site looks great on mobile devices

Don’t forget the search engine optimization tools that boost your visibility on search engines.

What Comes After Picking a Website Builder?

Even if you’re still working on your business website, I recommend building your email marketing list and audience before launching your site.

The sooner you start building your list, the more leads and conversions you can see.

OptinMonster, a premium WordPress plugin, has advanced targeting features for effective marketing. Regardless of which website builder you choose, I want to help your business grow.

OptinMonster’s targeting features include:

• Exit-Intent Technology: Grabs visitors’ attention before they leave your small business website
• Page-level Targeting: Lets you create page-specific offers relevant to your customers
• Onsite Retargeting: Shows different offers to people who’ve seen previous marketing campaigns

OptinMonster also integrates with major ecommerce platforms and industry-leading email marketing services.

With its range of templates and themes, you can create a unique website for your business. OptinMonster lets you build high-converting marketing campaigns matching your company’s design.

Start Your OptinMonster Account Today!

30 days money back guarantee

FAQs

Resources for Your Small Business Website

• How to Make a Small Business Website
• Best Email Service Providers for Small Business (Compared)
• List Building Tools You Need to Try Today
• Small Business Email Marketing: 7 Tips for Growth

An exit-intent popup is a type of overlay that appears just as a visitor is about to leave your site, triggered based on the user’s mouse movements or mobile scroll. With the right design and messaging, exit-intent popups can re-engage visitors by presenting an irresistible offer, valuable message, or compelling call to action.

In this article, I’ll show you 40 (that’s right) exit popup strategies that our customers have seen success with again and again. And along the way, I’ll share some of our favorite exit-intent popup examples, along with data from real-life case studies.

How Do Exit-Intent Popups Work?

Exit popups let you make one last effort to convert visitors as they’re about to leave your site. OptinMonster’s Exit-Intent® technology detects when visitors are about to leave your site and delivers targeted messages at precisely the right moment. This patented technology uses smart tracking algorithms to monitor user behavior and identify exit intent in real-time.

How It Works:

1. Cursor Tracking on Desktop
   For desktop visitors, Exit-Intent® technology tracks mouse movement. When a user’s cursor moves toward the top of the screen, such as to close the tab or navigate to another URL, the popup is triggered.
2. Scroll and Button Tracking on Mobile
   On mobile devices, where cursor tracking isn’t an option, OptinMonster uses intuitive behavioral cues. The popup appears when users scroll upward, which often indicates they’re navigating away. Users can easily customize the popup trigger sensitivity to their liking.

Here’s what Exit-Intent® looks like on mobile:

You can set up your Exit-Intent® trigger in just a few clicks in OptinMonster’s Display Rules. First you select Exit-Intent® as your trigger:

Then, you’ll select the level of sensitivity:

That’s how easy it is to set your OptinMonster popups to display when users try to exit your site.

When popups first started appearing on the web, many felt they were annoying. They were overused, and the same ‘special offer’ appeared to every visitor.

But OptinMonster changed that. Our powerful targeting features, such as Page-Level Targeting and Referrer Detection, let you show each visitor the offer they’d be most interested in. And with our Exit-Intent® trigger, you avoid interrupting your visitor’s experience on your site. Instead, you show them your most enticing offer to capture email addresses and win sales before they leave.

Are Exit-Intent Popups Effective?

Yes, exit-intent popups are extremely effective.

Our customers consistently see higher conversion rates with exit messages than other kinds of popups. Exit popups typically convert an additional 2 to 4% of your website visitors.

I mentioned earlier that Shockbyte doubled their sales conversions with OptinMonster. They used this simple exit popup to capture the attention of abandoning visitors:

This campaign converted a phenomenal 13.73% of visitors. Instead of losing those visitors forever, Shockbyte captured their email address for future email marketing campaigns. And the 50% discount was a fantastic incentive to encourage visitors to make a purchase.

Overall, OptinMonster helped Shockbyte grow their business 10x in just 3 years.

There are so many benefits to using exit-intent popups on your website. Here are just a few ways these campaigns will help your business:

• Grow Your Email List: Attract new subscribers with fast results.
• Distribute Lead Magnets: Entice new visitors with valuable content, coupons, freebies, and more.
• Keep Visitors on Your Site Longer: Reduce your bounce rate and improve your average time on page. Get more chances to convert visitors into customers!
• Reduce Cart Abandonment: Provide incentives to buy at a critical moment in the customer journey.
• Boost SEO: Engage in smart popup SEO by encouraging engagement and redirecting users to popular posts.

Exit-Intent Popup Strategies To Boost Engagement and Sales

Precise Targeting & Personalization

If you want your exit popups to be successful, you need to show your visitors targeted offers based on their behavior and demographics. Sound complicated? It doesn’t have to be with OptinMonster. OptinMonster offers advanced targeting rules that help you reach specific segments of your audience with perfectly tailored messages.

1. Target Exit-Intent Popups Based on Page Content

The page your visitor is reading gives you a lot of information about their interests and motives. OptinMonster’s Page-Level Targeting lets you display exit popups based on the content the visitor is browsing. For example, eCommerce stores can promote discounts for specific product categories. Publishers can target their lead magnets based on which blog post the visitor is reading. This ensures your offers align with the visitor’s interest, increasing engagement and conversions.

Here’s an example of a lead magnet popup we’ve used here on OptinMonster’s site. We use Page-Level Targeting to show this offer on posts that are closely related to email marketing campaigns.

2. Display Messages Based on Traffic Source

Detect where your visitors are coming from and customize your exit popups accordingly. With Referrer Detection, you can display unique messages for traffic from social media platforms, partner sites, or even paid ad campaigns. Here’s an example of how you could show different messages for visitors coming from Facebook vs. Instagram.

3. Tailor Exit Popups to Physical Location

Do you have special offers that are only relevant in specific countries, regions, or cities? Geolocation Targeting allows you to adjust your messaging based on the visitor’s physical location. Highlight region-specific offers, such as free shipping for U.S. customers or event details for local audiences. It’s an easy way to make your campaigns feel personal and relevant to each visitor.

Skates.co.uk used Geolocation Targeting to target shoppers in specific countries where they offered free, fast shipping. Here’s the popup they showed to visitors in France. It assured them that they would receive their orders in just 3 days, and it offered a 5% discount code:

By using OptinMonster, Skates.co.uk converted 10.97% of abandoning visitors as many as 39% of geotargeted visitors.

4. Show New Popups to Existing Subscribers

If someone has already taken the action you wanted them to take, such as subscribing to your email list, don’t show them the same popup again! That’s a recipe for annoying your visitors.

You should, however, show a different popup with a different offer to those visitors.

You can do just that with OptinMonster’s display rules engine, especially by using OnSite Retargeting® and OnSite Follow Up Campaigns®.

Once you’ve gotten a visitor to subscribe to your email list through your popup form, you can show them a different exit popup. Your next popup should encourage them to take the next step in your sales funnel. For instance, you could direct them to a webinar or offer an exclusive discount.

5. Use Your Visitor’s Name or Location

Catch visitors’ attention by personalizing your exit popup text specifically to them. With OptinMonster’s Smart Tags, you can include your visitor’s first name or their location right in the text on your popup.

Here’s an example of using a user’s first name in a popup:

And here’s an example of combining Smart Tags and Geolocation Targeting to personalize your popup based on physical location.

If you’re ready to start precisely targeting every exit-intent popup on your site, OptinMonster has all the tools and features you need.

Exit Popup Offers

If you want to stop exiting visitors in their tracks, show them an offer that can’t resist. You can use plenty of offers in an exit-intent popup to tempt visitors to stay. Check out our favorites below.

6. Offer a Content Upgrade

How about presenting your abandoning visitor with an upgrade to the content they were just reading?

By offering content upgrades, RazorSocial increased its conversion rate by a whopping 520%!

Here’s the exit popup example:

A content upgrade is a more in-depth or a higher-value version of a particular blog post. So, if your blog post is about how to create an email newsletter, your visitors might read it and be very interested in getting started. As they go to close the browser, present them with a free download of a PDF version of the post or a checklist with the steps they need to follow.

7. Offer a Discount

It’s always a great idea to use an exit-intent popup to offer a discount  in exchange for the visitor’s email address. This tactic accomplishes 2 things at once:

• Offering a discount code encourages shoppers to go through with a purchase they were on the fence about.
• Even if they don’t buy today, offering a coupon lets you collect their email address, so you can market to them in the future.

Here’s an example of one of OptinMonster’s popup templates that features a discount offer:

This is just one of the 700+ premade templates that OptinMonster customers can choose from.

If you’re looking for a surefire way to recover visitors who are about to abandon your eCommerce site, coupon exit-intent popups are the way to do it. After all, if someone is interested in buying your products, why wouldn’t they accept an easy discount?

8. Offer Free Shipping

Did you know that unexpected costs, such as shipping, are the #1 reason for shopping cart abandonment? Offer free shipping in your exit-intent popup, and you stand to convert some of those abandoned carts into purchases.

A free shipping popup can look something like this:

When you include a price threshold for free shipping, you can also improve your average order value.

9. Offer a Done-for-You

Sometimes your visitor enjoys your content but is too busy to implement your advice. Solve that problem for your visitors by offering a done-for-you solution.

For example, Betty Means Business offers 3 essential done-for-you scripts to attract more clients and optimize conversions.

You could offer something similar with a fill-in-the-blank PDF template, an Excel spreadsheet, a Photoshop file, a Word Document, or even audio clips.

On product pages, you could implement an exit-intent popup with an offer to configure the product for the customer. Or, if the product requires any work on the customer’s part, offer a complete done-for-you service.

Put yourself in your visitor’s shoes and think, “What can I do to make their life easier?” You’ll have the perfect hook for your exit message if you can save them time or frustration.

10. Give Visitors a Chance To Win

Sometimes visitors need a little extra incentive to take action by hosting a giveaway or contest. Free digital downloads are increasingly common prizes, but physical items tend to have a higher perceived value. So, why not give away something physical?

You don’t need to give everyone a physical gift. Just give them a chance to win the gift when they sign up for your newsletter.

For example, the design app Invision offered users an entry into their free t-shirt drawing in exchange for their email address.

Yorkdale, a shopping center in Toronto, offered an entry into their monthly drawing for a $150 Yorkdale gift card.

You could also offer additional entries for other actions, like sharing on social media or referring a friend via email. Giveaways are a powerful means of driving traffic to your website, so put them to good use in your exit popup.

Helpful Hints

When someone’s about to leave your site, it’s likely because they couldn’t find something they needed. Encourage them to stick around by sharing some helpful hints.

11. Suggest Related Posts

Whether you’re a publisher or an eCommerce store, your website acts as your online storefront. The longer someone stays in your store, the better. So, sometimes your main objective is to reduce your bounce rate and have your visitors spend more time on your site.

A great way to do that is by using an exit-intent popup to suggest blog posts related to the one they were just reading.

Remember, there are several different reasons someone might click away from your site, and it doesn’t always mean they aren’t enjoying your content. Perhaps they simply got distracted by something, like a new email or social media notification.

Remind them why they visited your site in the first place: to get specific information from your content.

The key to the related posts technique is making sure that your headlines are highly clickable. Also, use enticing images that draw the eye and relate specifically to the post topic. If your related posts are appealing, you’re more likely to re-engage distracted visitors and persuade them to stick around for a while.

12. Suggest Related Products

Just like you can suggest related posts in an exit popup on a blog, you can also suggest related products on product pages.

If you have a wide range of products (like clothing or shoes), it’s extremely helpful to recommend other similar products related to the one that the shopper is viewing. The product they’re looking at might not be the right fit, but a similar product might be exactly what they need.

OptinMonster offers a template to make product suggestion popups a breeze:

13. Suggest Popular Products

Throw some social proof into the mix and suggest your most popular items in an exit-intent popup.

Not only does this help keep shoppers on your eCommerce site for longer, but it also reminds them that other shoppers love your products!

Muubbaa, a leather apparel company, used the headline “Most Wanted” to reinforce the desirability of their clothing.

14. Overcome Objections

This is one of the best exit popup hacks for eCommerce product pages and checkout pages.

What if your potential customer is on the fence about purchasing your product? What if you could overcome that objection it would be the last nudge they need to make the purchase?

One of the biggest objections shoppers have is the worry they’ll buy your product and later regret it. The dreaded Buyer’s Remorse.

You can use your exit popups to reassure visitors about your product or service’s value.

In this exit message example, Neil Strauss focuses on the benefits of joining his membership community. The exit popup increased conversions by 125%.

Take inventory of all the likely objections your shoppers may have. Then make sure that you’ve thoroughly covered them all, either on your product or checkout page or exit-intent popup.

Most Common Objections

Here are online shoppers’ most common objections, along with ideas for how you can overcome those objections in your exit popup:

1. I need to think about it. People make purchases based on emotion, so if you appeal to them on an emotional level, you’ll likely overcome this objection.
2. I need to talk to my wife/husband/partner. Give them a reason why their significant other will be grateful that they got this product.
3. I can find it cheaper somewhere else. Demonstrate that you’re the best value or the best price around.
4. I’m happy with what I already have. Show them how their life will be better with your product.
5. I don’t have the budget. Offer a payment plan. Or, calculate how your product will save them money or make them money in the long run.
6. I’m not sure if it will work for me. Offer a free trial or money-back guarantee.
7. How do I know my credit card information will be safe? Display a security badge.
8. I don’t have time right now. Throw in a limited-time bonus.
9. Why should I choose you instead of the other guy? Show what makes you better than your competitors.

15. Give a Reminder of Items in Cart

When a shopper is about to abandon their cart, exit popups offer the best chance to recover them.

Simply remind them that they still have items left in their cart, creating a strong, sometimes irresistible, urge to get closure by completing the purchase.

Your copy could say something like, “Wait! You still have these items in your cart…” or “Wait! Don’t leave without your.” And then includes images of the items they’re about to leave behind.

Sometimes, however, shoppers just need more time to be ready to buy, even though they’re still interested. Offer to save their basket and collect their email in the process. Then it will be super easy for them to come back to your site and pick up where they left off, and you can even start sending them emails to remind them of what they’ve left behind. Check out our list of abandoned cart email examples for inspiration.

16. Offer a Free Trial

It takes approximately 7 touches to make a sale. That means that potential customers interact with your business an average of 7 times before they make a purchase. Offering a free trial gives you a great chance to get your foot in the door and warm up your leads with multiple touches.

SnackNation understands this well. All you have to do to get a free sample box delivered is cover the $9.95 shipping and handling.

Web Designer Depot offers 7 days of free downloads. This popup is smart because it highlights how valuable this free trial is, with over 250,000 graphics to choose from.

17. Offer To Chat

You’ve probably been on a sales page before where you saw a chat box pop up, like this one from Xchop:

This lets you give your potential customers answers to any questions they may have about purchasing your product or service.

Want to learn more about live chat options? Check our list of the 13 best WordPress live chat plugins.

Micro Conversions

Micro conversions are the small steps that website visitors take before making a purchase. This category of exit popup hacks is about getting the visitor to take a small first step. Once they start, they’re more likely to continue. Making the first step easy can increase your overall conversions.

18. Give Visitors a Few Choices

The problem with so many exit-intent popups is that they need to offer something the visitor wants. This happens because many businesses have several different buyer personas, and each persona will respond to offers differently.

Sure, your popup might be offering the greatest ebook known to man about how to juggle 6 balls in the air. But what if a segment of your visitors has already mastered that technique? Then your offer is useless for capturing those visitors.

A simple way to get around this problem is to let them choose what they’re most interested in.

You can do it by first presenting an exit popup with 2-3 options to choose from:

Once they select an option, present them with the optin form to get a lead magnet tailored to their chosen topic.

19. Present a Survey

Customer feedback surveys are a great way to learn more about your visitors and how you can make your website better. However, many sites use them at the wrong times, which makes for a terrible customer experience.

Imagine landing on a website for the first time and then being hit with a survey about how your experience has been on the website. Or being right in the middle of a purchase and getting interrupted by a popup survey. That would be annoying.

The good thing about exit-intent popups is that they don’t interrupt visitors as they’re reading your content. This makes exit popups great for surveys. Just make sure that you don’t include a survey on your homepage or on any other page where it wouldn’t make sense for a survey to be.

Also, be respectful of your visitor’s time and don’t expect them to fill out a survey for nothing. Give them something in exchange. Here’s an exit popup example of a quick 15-second survey with a free gift:

Quick Tip: You can also use the Field Mapping feature to add custom fields to your survey forms, like radio buttons, phone fields, text areas, number fields, lists, and more!

20. Use a 2-Step Optin

Getting visitors to take action is easier when you break the process into smaller, simpler steps. That’s the idea behind 2-step optins. Instead of immediately showing a form, you start by asking visitors to click a button with an easy yes-or-no question or a tempting offer. Once they’ve taken this first step, they’re more likely to follow through and complete the next one, like entering their email address.

OptinMonster makes it easy to create 2-step optins with features like Yes/No View and MonsterLinks. Here’s how you can put them to work:

• Yes/No View: Create an exit-intent popup with a simple yes-or-no question, such as “Want 20% Off Your First Order?” When visitors click “Yes,” the form appears, inviting them to claim the discount. This eliminates the overwhelm of seeing a form right away and makes the process feel effortless.
• MonsterLinks: Turn any text, image, or button on your site into a clickable link that triggers a popup. For example, use a CTA like “See the Secret to SEO Success” that opens a form to download a lead magnet.

By default, most of OptinMonster’s templates include an optional Yes/No View:

Kinobody used MonsterLinks to trigger waiting list popups for their upcoming products:

Kinobody converted 39.87% of visitors who clicked one of their MonsterLinks. This phenomenal result is a testament to the power of 2-step optins.

Read the full Kinobody case study.

People feel more comfortable taking small steps. By presenting a clickable button instead of an immediate form, you reduce friction and encourage visitors to start engaging. That initial click creates momentum, making them more likely to follow through.

FOMO

No one wants to lose the chance to get something they want or that’s valuable. Your exit popup is the perfect place to stir up some fear of missing out (FOMO) right before visitors leave your site.

21. Create Scarcity

It’s well-known that scarcity increases the urge to buy. Nobody wants to miss out on getting something they want, and it doesn’t feel good when someone else gets a great deal, and you don’t.

Discount retailer Zulily did an amazing job of creating scarcity. When you added an item to your cart, they included the number of items left in big red letters on the shopping cart page. In the example below, you can see a cart that says “HURRY—only 6 left!”

Now imagine how effective this could be as an exit message that appears when someone is about to abandon their cart.

Booking.com used this popup during the reservation process to show how many other people are looking at the same hotel. This adds to the sense of urgency to book right away. Better act now before someone else gets your room!

22. Add Urgency With a Countdown Timer

It’s human nature to procrastinate. People tend to put off making decisions like completing a purchase or subscribing to a newsletter.

When you add a Countdown Timer to your popup campaign, you can create a sense of urgency that encourages visitors to act quickly.

For example, Cosmetics Capital increased their leads by 300% by using a Countdown Timer:

Many of OptinMonster’s templates include a Countdown Timer, but you can also easily add one to any popup with our drag-and-drop builder.

23. Use the Word “Wait”

Stop your visitors with the powerful word “wait.”

Perhaps it’s due to our need for closure, but there’s a sense of urgency and intrigue about the word “wait.”

This exit popup example combines “wait” with a free shipping offer.

Green Mountain Mustard knew you were thinking about buying mustard since you were browsing their site, so their exit popup gives you a friendly, tongue-in-cheek reminder.

Do the same on a landing page or a product page. Remind visitors what they’ll miss out on if they click away now.

Authority

We often look for external authority figures to help us make decisions. Appeal to that need for authority in your exit-intent popups to drive more conversions.

24. Use Social Proof

Social proof works because we tend to look to others to decide the right thing to do.

Over 100,000 web developers can’t be wrong, right?

Or how about 310,000+ dog lovers? If you’re a dog lover, you might ask yourself, “Why didn’t I join this community sooner? If so many others have joined, they must know something I don’t.”

These are some impressive examples, but you don’t necessarily need huge numbers to leverage social proof in your marketing. You don’t need your numbers at all. A glowing testimonial or customer review can be just as effective as an impressive statistic. (More on testimonials later).

25. Use Your Credentials

Authority is a powerful tool that you can use to increase conversions on your exit popups.

Do you have any special certifications or qualifications that can give visitors greater confidence in your authority and expertise? Show that off on your exit popup!

Timothy Sykes displays his “Top Trader” badge right on his exit-intent popup:

Have you written any guest posts for popular blogs? Have you been featured in any magazines? Display all of those logos at the bottom of your popup as PreneurGroup did:

Remember, people have a natural tendency to follow authority figures. Position yourself as the expert, and it will be much easier to get visitors to take the action you’re asking of them.

26. Include Testimonials

We all know how important testimonials are on sales pages, but what about exit popups? The fact is, your exit-intent popup is a mini sales page. Convince visitors to take action by using recommendations from your customers and subscribers. If you can include a photo of their faces, all the better.

Here’s an example of one of our own exit popups that we use on OptinMonster’s site. It includes just one of our many glowing testimonials:

Design

Web design best practices also apply to popups. Here are some specific ways to use design in your exit-intent popup strategy.

27. Add a Progress Bar

There is a psychological phenomenon that makes people feel uncomfortable leaving things incomplete. It’s known as the Zeigarnik Effect, coined by the 20th-century Russian psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik.

Zeigarnik saw that waiters could remember long food orders and match the correct meal to each customer, but they promptly forgot these orders as soon as the food was delivered. She wondered why, so she conducted a series of experiments to figure it out.

Her theory was that the pending order created a state of “incompleteness” in the waiter’s mind, which made them unable to let go of the information until that state of mind was resolved through the delivery of the meal.

Through her experiments, Zeigarnik discovered that unfinished tasks are remembered twice as well as completed ones. Humans tend to have a child-like impatience to gratify this need for closure.

You can use the Zeigarnik Effect to coax your visitors into action by showing them that they have an incomplete task. By pointing out the “incompleteness,” you’ll encourage them to seek closure by finishing the task.

This can work for exit popups as well. All you have to do is display a progress bar at the top. Here’s a popup page from CoSchedule:

28. Include a Picture of the Lead Magnet

Images can make a huge difference in any online marketing campaign, and exit popups are no exception.

In eCommerce, shoppers often are drawn to the product photo before they notice the item’s name.

Images are vital to shoppers when deciding whether to purchase a product. They’re also crucial to getting them to do something smaller, like entering their email addresses for your free ebook.

Brian Dean of Backlinko included a mockup of his site traffic book in this exit popup example:

Since he’s using an image of the product, which includes its title, he doesn’t even need that much copy to get the point across.

29. Use Arrows

Like great copy, great popup design can increase conversions on your exit-intent popups by drawing the eye where it needs to go.

Our eyes have the ability to take in so much visual information that it’s more than our brains can consciously process. So, we’re hardwired to focus on only the most compelling information, the information we believe to be the most important. We simply skim over the rest.

People naturally look for visual cues to tell them what information they need to pay attention to. Because of this, we can direct where the eye will look by guiding the eye using visual cues, like arrows.

Arrows help the viewer comprehend information better than written directions alone. They point the way, direct the viewer’s focus, and help the viewer filter out unimportant information.

Use arrows on your exit-intent popups to direct attention toward your call to action.

Here’s an exit popup example from Kindlepreneur:

30. Use Animation

Another way to guide the eye toward your call to action is with movement.

An animation like the one below is nearly impossible for the eye not to follow. This animation points at the call to action button, combining a directional visual cue with movement. The result is an extremely powerful exit-intent popup.

Hard to look away, isn’t it?

31. Use a Striking Image

Sometimes, you need a striking image to grab your visitor’s attention.

For example, home furniture retailer Made used this unusual image of a model with chairs stacked on top of each other to grab your attention:

Use a dramatic or unexpected image in your exit popup, and you’ll stop your visitors right in their tracks.

32. Use Color To Direct the Eye

Remember how we mentioned that our eyes could take in way more information than our brains can process?

Color is one of those important visual clues to find important information. The specific color you use isn’t so important, but using high-contrast colors is.

Studies show that the eye naturally skims a website from top to bottom, making forays into the middle from left to right, forming an “F” shape.

Once you understand this, you can place important elements along that natural F-shaped path and use color to place greater visual weight on some elements.

Take a look at this exit popup from Marie Forleo:

Do you see how the color pink was used to place emphasis on certain words? “We can help” and “award-winning” pop right out at you just before your eyes land squarely on the signup form at the bottom.

Also notice that the “Subscribe Now” button is yellow, which contrasts with the pink background. It’s also the only element of that color, so it stands out even more than the pink text.

Copy

Good design is important, and so is clear and effective copy. Here are some specific tips to use on your exit-intent popup copy.

33. Make Them Laugh

Another reason visitors bail on your site is that they’re simply bored. But if you can make them smile or laugh, it’ll be hard for them not to take you up on your parting offer.

KlientBoost used “Is Your Marketing Poopy?” as the heading for their popup. That’s a line that’s certain to stop an abandoning visitor in their tracks.

If humor fits with your brand, this is not the time to hold it in, so let it loose in your exit popup!

34. Use Numbers

Numbers can be used to increase conversions on your exit-intent popups.

For starters, numbers are great attention-grabbers. There’s just something about seeing a number that makes us take notice. Especially if it’s a very specific number, like 1,837.

And if you have big numbers to show off, like Syed Balkhi, then by all means, do it!

35. Use Compelling Button Copy

Is your call-to-action (CTA) button copy generic, like “Subscribe,” “Download,” or “Sign Up?”

This type of button copy can be easy to ignore.

If you want your button to be clickable and compelling, use copy that focuses on the benefits visitors will get from your offer.

For instance, Shoe Money offers free case studies as their lead magnet. Instead of a generic “Download Now” button, their button copy reads, “I Want Millions of Dollars Now.” How’s that for compelling?

Of course, that level of boldness won’t be the right fit for most brands. You can also make your button copy more enticing simply by being more specific about what users are getting or the action they’re taking.

If you’re giving away a coupon, use a specific dollar amount on the button: “Get My $10 Off.”

To give you some inspiration, here are even more great examples of call-to-action button copy:

• “Start writing” – Medium
• “Give Basecamp a try – it’s free for 60 days” – Basecamp
• “Find your gym & get membership” – Anonymous case study
• “Show Me My Heatmap” – CrazyEgg
• “Build a Manpack” – Manpacks
• “Send a GiftRocket” – GiftRocket
• “Talk to us” – Contently
• “Let’s Do It!” – Less Accounting

36. Ask Visitors To Follow You on Social Media

Asking for an email address can be tough. Due to information overload, people can be fiercely protective of their email inboxes these days.

However, convincing them to follow you on social media is easier. Especially if your social media channels have a significant following, it should be relatively simple to get an abandoning visitor to click the “Like” or “Follow” button.

37. Assume the Close

A particularly gutsy move is to stop asking whether visitors want to take action and just assume that they do.

Neil Patel‘s exit-intent popup on his webinar registration page is a simple registration form.

Notice he doesn’t try to sell you on the webinar at all. There’s no headline or any details about what the webinar is about. He simply assumes that you want to register.

CrazyEgg assumes that you want to buy one of their plans. Rather than trying to sell you on their plans, they simply ask, which one will you choose?

38. Incite Curiosity

The information gap theory of curiosity states that we get curious when we think there’s a gap between what we know and what we don’t know. It’s like a mental itch that we just have to scratch.

If you want a surefire way of making your visitors stick around longer, use an information gap to incite curiosity. Once visitors get the curiosity itch, they’ll have to stick around to satisfy it.

In this popup, the headline promises to reveal the strategy that Gary Vaynerchuk used to get 832,241 YouTube views:

Because there is a perceived information gap, visitors will be driven to enter their email out of curiosity.

Derek Halpern offers five templates for crafting headlines that incite curiosity. These are perfect headlines for your exit popups:

• How’d you like to learn about [new remarkable thing] that [desirable outcome]?
• How can you earn [desirable outcome] with [new remarkable thing]?
• There’s a way for you to [desirable outcome] with this [new remarkable thing].
• If you heard about a [new remarkable thing] that could [desirable outcome], would you be interested in learning more about it?
• The key to a [desirable outcome] is to use [new remarkable thing].

39. Get Inside Your Visitor’s Head

The best way to get big results from your exit-intent popups is by putting yourself in your visitor’s shoes. Then you can offer them exactly what they need and want at that moment.

Ask yourself the possible reasons for a visitor to leave this particular page on your website. Out of those, which are the most likely reasons?

CountryLiving knows their visitors would love to have a mouth-watering meal for dinner tonight. However, the main thing holding them back is time. Most people feel they simply don’t have the time to cook an elaborate meal. So, CountryLiving swoops in and saves the day with “26 Easy Dinners that Can be Made in 30 Minutes or Less!”

This is an exit-intent popup at its best. Get inside your visitor’s head, solve their reason for leaving, and become their hero.

40. Optimize Your Exit Popup Copy With AI

OptinMonster’s AI tools help you nail the copy of each and every exit popup.

OptinMonster’s Smart Optimizations utilize artificial intelligence to refine your campaign copy, ensuring your messages resonate with your audience.

You can use this feature in just a few steps:

1. Access the Campaign Builder: Log in to your OptinMonster account and select the campaign you want to optimize.
2. Select Text to Improve: Click on the text field you wish to enhance.
3. Apply Smart Optimization: Click the “Improve with AI” button to generate alternative text options.
4. Choose the Best Variation: Review the AI-generated suggestions and select the one that best fits your campaign objectives.

By integrating AI through Smart Optimizations, you can create more effective popups that engage visitors and drive conversions.

Bonus Tips: Best Practices for Exit-Intent Popups

There’s a lot of strategy that goes into creating the best exit popups, but these simple best practices will always be a good guide:

1. Alignment: Your popup messaging and display behavior should always match your customer’s intent.
2. Targeting: Each exit popup should be designed specifically for a certain part of your overall audience. One size does not fit all!
3. Behavior Triggers: Browsing behavior can give clues about the visitor’s intent. Use these clues to trigger the appropriate popups. In Google Analytics, you can see your exit pages or the pages your visitors exit most.
4. Interaction: Make it easy for visitors to take the first step. They’ll be more likely to take another step toward conversion once they do.
5. Personalization: Show the customer that you understand their needs with customized messaging and display rules.

Skyrocket Your Conversions With Exit Popups

These 40 exit-intent popup strategies will help you grow your email list, keep visitors on your site, and drive more sales. With OptinMonster, you can create exit-intent popups in 5 minutes or less! Learn more about our excluding Exit-Intent® technology in these articles and documents:

• How to Activate Exit-Intent® in OptinMonster
• How to Create Mobile Exit-Intent Popups That Convert

And if you’d like to learn more about popups in general, these resources will help:

• 11 Types of Popups You Should Be Using (With Examples)
• Mobile Popups Demystified: Best Practices for a Better User Experience
• Email Popups That Convert: Creative Ideas to Grow Your Email List Fast
• eCommerce Popups That Work: How to Increase Sales and Recover Abandoned Carts
• How to Create GDPR-Compliant Popups: Tips for Privacy and Trust

With OptinMonster’s powerful lead-generation tools, you can create exit popups that will get you more leads, sales, and subscribers right away.

These days, successful startups are using growth hacking strategies to fast-track their success. And it’s not just for startups: any business can use growth hacking techniques to accelerate your success without breaking the budget.

In this guide, we’re going to walk you through growth hacking techniques, strategies, tools, and examples you can use to quickly rise to success.

Because this is such an in-depth guide, we’ve included a table of contents to help you quickly get to the section that interests you most.

Let’s get started…

What Is Growth Hacking?

Growth hacking is a process of rapidly experimenting with and implementing marketing and promotional strategies that are solely focused on efficient and rapid business growth. The term was coined by GrowthHackers CEO and founder Sean Ellis way back in 2010.

Growth hacking achieves results FAST, with minimal expenditure. The “hacking” part is about finding clever shortcuts that bring big results.

Fast-growing companies like Groupon gained millions in their first few years using growth hacking strategies:

What Is a Growth Hacker?

Anyone who executes a growth hacking strategy is a growth hacker, but there’s more to the term than it might appear. Sean Ellis described a growth hacker as “a person whose true north is growth.”

In other words, unlike traditional marketers who may have a broader view and be concerned about things like brand recognition or public relations, growth hackers are only interested in strategies and tactics that drive growth. If marketing tactics don’t have the potential to drive growth, then growth hackers aren’t interested.

Many companies now have teams of growth marketers, growth engineers, product managers, and other roles.

The Growth Hacking Funnel: Key Metrics to Measure

As we’ve said, growth hackers are obsessed with strategies that grow business. They typically set priorities for getting new customers and scaling the business. Then they develop, implement, and test ideas to help them achieve their goals.

A key part of planning any marketing strategy is deciding how to measure success. Many growth hackers focus on “pirate metrics,” so-called because of their initials: AARRR. Fun, right?

Effective, too. It stands for the five stages of the growth hacking funnel:

• Acquisition: getting new customers
• Activation: convincing customers to use the product
• Retention: keeping customers and reducing churn
• Revenue: making money
• Referral: getting other people to refer new customers

As you can see, all of these are essential to having a healthy, successful business.

Before You Begin: Foundations for Success

Before you can start growth hacking your business, there are a couple of foundations you need to put in place.

Who Are Your Customers? What Do They Want?

For a start, it’s essential to look after the product-market fit. In other words, you need to have an awesome product and make sure that it meets your customer’s needs.

To do that, you’ll need to understand your customers. That means knowing:

• Their age, gender, education, and other demographic data
• Where besides your website do they go for information?
• What their values are, as well as their goals, challenges, and the pain points your product can solve

With this information, you can tailor growth marketing strategies to particular buyer personas.

What’s the Customer Journey?

But you also need to understand how your customers BECOME customers. That’s called the customer journey, which generally moves from awareness to evaluation to conversion.

And it’s when they’ve decided you offer the best product or service and convert into customers that they become part of the growth hacking funnel.

Is Your Site Assisting Conversions?

The conversion-centered design is another important aspect of hacking your marketing. That means making it easy for visitors to:

• Find the information needed to take the next step in their interaction with you
• Have a chance to engage with you
• See the social proof that establishes your expertise and authority

You’ll also need to identify any bottlenecks stopping visitors from converting. Learn more about conversion optimization here.

Set SMART Goals for Growth

Finally, you’ll need to set SMART goals before beginning. SMART goals are:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Time-bound

In other words, don’t set wishy-washy or impossible goals. Know what you want to achieve and how it contributes to growth. Work out how you’re going to measure it, and set a time limit for achieving it.

5 Powerful Growth Hacking Strategies

Now that’s clear, let’s look at some strategies and tactics to help you build your business.

Generally, “strategies” take a long-term approach to business growth, and don’t change very often. “Tactics” are shorter-term implementations of your strategy and can be switched to take account of new information or priorities.

However, you will see the terms used interchangeably.

Growth hacking strategies are often divided into three types:

• Promoting your business with content, or content marketing
• Promoting your product within the product, or product marketing
• Paying for promotion, or advertising.

Now, let’s look at some strategies and tactics that are proven to work.

1. Use Exit Intent to Hack Your Email List Growth

Email marketing has an amazing ROI. According to email marketing research and statistics, a $1 investment will bring $44 in revenue. That’s why it’s so important for growth to build your email list.

One reason why email marketing is a great hack is that you don’t have to spend a dime to get started. As you’ll see in the section on growth hacking tools, there are tools you can use for free until you get large enough to upgrade.

But it can take a while to grow your email list.

That’s where our first growth hack comes in. You can skyrocket your email list with an exit-intent popup linked to a lead magnet. Here’s an example:

A lead magnet is an incentive that you’ll offer your visitors in exchange for sharing their contact information with you. Lead magnets are often downloadable content, such as checklists, worksheets, reports, and ebooks.

Exit Intent detects when visitors are about to leave your site, and shows them your lead magnet campaign just before they do. This type of campaign is proven to get visitors’ attention and convert well.

Here’s how you can use this strategy:

1. Create your own lead magnet, using our list of lead magnet ideas as a starting point.
2. Check out our examples of exit-intent popups you can use as inspiration to create your own.
3. Follow our guide to growing your list with OptinMonster, and don’t forget to enable exit intent.

In no time at all, you’ll be racking up those subscriber numbers, and will have a successful growth hacking strategy under your belt.

2. Offer Discounts for Social Shares

As a growth hacker, you can’t ignore the potential of the millions of social media users around the globe.

Using your own social networks to let people know about your products and services can help you get new leads and sales via word of mouth and social shares.

But while some people may respond to a simple request, most will be more interested if there’s some payoff for them. Offering a reward for social sharing can give your brand viral potential.

Groupon knows how to nail this strategy. In fact, it’s almost a “carrot and stick” approach. The carrot is a good deal and the stick? Well, those who don’t share may miss out on the deal.

One way to implement this growth hacking strategy if you’re using Shopify is to use Social Marketing All in One or a similar app. This lets you request a share when customers add products to their cart, and you can reward them with an immediate discount.

See our guides to generating leads on Twitter and increasing traffic from Facebook for more social media growth hack strategies.

3. Make Onboarding a Game

Gamifying onboarding is a great growth hacking tactic that many companies use. There are a couple of ways this can help you grow.

First, you can reward users for successfully using the product, keeping them interested and making it more likely they’ll stick around. Second, you can reward them for getting other users to sign up, which helps your business grow faster.

That’s the strategy Dropbox used, letting users unlock additional storage after completing certain milestones, such as uploading content and sharing on social media to attract new users.

To use this growth hacking strategy for your business, you’ll need to create an onboarding workflow that helps users get to know your product, and encourages them to spread the word. A good tool for gamifying your onboarding is Masskom, which we’ll talk about more in the section on growth hacking tools.

4. Build an Insanely Useful Free Tool

Here’s a growth hacking strategy that is guaranteed to make people check out your website: build an insanely useful tool, and let people use it for free. Here’s an example of this in action.

CoSchedule who provide online editorial calendars, created a Headline Analyzer, used by practically every marketer we know. The only catch? You have to sign up for their email list to use it.

That’s a smart strategy because the tool meets the needs of their core audience, building brand recognition, and goodwill. It also adds the right people to the company’s email list, which means CoSchedule can then promote their paid service.

Our company’s done the same with SupportAlly which collects the information support teams often need on a single landing page. At the bottom of the page, there’s a link to other company products and services.

Not sure what to create? Ask for customer feedback to see what tools would be most helpful for your target audience.

5. Run a Competition

You can’t beat contests as a tool for raising awareness about your company’s products and services. It turns out that they’re seriously effective!

A contest gives you a double win. If you give an account as a prize, you get a new user, plus you get the word out to people who could become customers. You know for sure they’re interested if they’re trying to win a free account.

So, how can you implement this strategy? Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Offer an account as a prize for a Twitter contest in a simple sweepstake. Ensure your contest complies with Twitter’s promotion rules.
• Images work well on Facebook, so share an image relevant to your product or service, and request likes or comments in exchange for contest entries. Be sure to read Facebook’s contest promotion rules
• Use Instagram for a themed content contest, linked to a hashtag, where users tag your Instagram profile.

Want to get even more from this strategy? Let your social media audience and web visitors get multiple contest entries by completing different promotional tasks. RafflePress, a WordPress giveaway and contest plugin, can help you with this.

Want to learn some more successful growth hacks to build your business? Check out our growth hacking strategies guide.

10 Essential Growth Hacking Tools

Once you’re ready to get started with your growth hacking strategies, you’re going to need some tools to help execute them. Luckily, there are many tools that can help you engineer rapid success. Here are a few that we recommend. For convenience, we’ve identified where these fit into the stages of the pirate metrics funnel.

Let’s start with a couple of growth hacking tools for customer acquisition.

1. Constant Contact

As we mentioned earlier, email marketing is an essential strategy, with unbeatable ROI. That’s why you need to include an email marketing service in your hacking toolkit. Our top recommendation is Constant Contact because it’s super beginner-friendly, offers quick and easy setup, and boasts world-class customer support.

Other Constant Contact advantages include:

• Use the built-in heat tracking tool to see where people are clicking
• Segment lists based on the content people click on so they get more of what they like
• Automatically send personalized email messages
• Track unsubscribes, bounces, and inactive emails
• Monitor email campaign activity to make better data-driven decisions

2. ManyChat

Facebook Messenger campaigns are known to have great conversion rates, but who has time to be online 24 hours a day? If you want to keep new prospects engaged without losing sleep, a Facebook Messenger bot could be the answer, and ManyChat is a great way to deliver it.

ManyChat works with Facebook Messenger so you can communicate with customers even when you’re not there. It’s a great time saver for the busy growth hacker, and creating your first bot is free. Plus, you don’t need to learn to code, as you can easily build your bot with ManyChat’s drag and drop interface.

Next, let’s look at a couple of tools for customer activation.

3. Google Analytics

One of the best ways to get started with customer activation is knowing what’s working for the customers you already have. That’s why you need an analytics tool, and you can’t beat the price tag of Google Analytics; it’s absolutely free.

With information on audiences, their behavior, goals and conversions, Google Analytics can help you:

• Figure out how visitors use your site with user flow
• Discover where there are obstacles to them using your product or completing desired actions
• Understand which pages are performing best, and worst

Want an even easier way to get hold of this information? If you’re a WordPress user, try MonsterInsights to see your analytics data right in the dashboard.

4. YouTube

YouTube is on our list of growth hacking tools because one of the best ways to get customers to become active users of your product is to show them how to use it.

As our video marketing statistics roundup shows, YouTube itself is a proven trust builder. And video content as a whole helps increase leads and sales. Around 80% of customers prefer watching a video to reading your help files.

Consider having a YouTube channel for your onboarding and tutorial videos. You can also use those videos for customer acquisition and retention by posting them on your blog and sharing them on social media, which makes YouTube a multi-purpose growth tool.

Speaking of retention, it’s key for successful companies to reduce customer churn. The next set of growth hacking tools cover retention and will keep your customers engaged and wanting to stick around.

5. CoSchedule Headline Analyzer

You can’t beat the power of content marketing. It’s one of the best growth hacks for attracting and retaining your customers. And it starts with having a magnetic headline that makes people want to keep reading or watching.

That’s why CoSchedule’s headline analyzer is one of our recommended growth hacking tools. Not only is it free, but it’s truly useful, and a must-have tool for every marketer we know. Here’s how it works.

Type in your headline and the analyzer will measure its appeal, and give it a score of between 0 (back to the drawing board) and 100 (you’ve nailed it). The headline analyzer assesses the use of power words, uncommon words, and emotional words. And it checks the headline for readability and length, too.

When your content has better headlines, more prospects and customers will read and share. And that helps with both retention and lead generation.

6. OptinMonster A/B Testing

It’s not enough to craft marketing messages. For successful growth hacking, you need data on what works – and what doesn’t.

That’s where OptinMonster’s built-in A/B testing can help. It lets you duplicate campaigns with a single click, so you can change any element and start running your test. And OptinMonster automatically tracks conversion analytics so you can compare results and pick a winner to help get more leads and sales.

Eczema Company boosted conversions by 158% with this feature.

Next, let’s look at a couple of growth hacking tools for boosting revenue so your business is on a sound financial footing.

7. Zoom

Have you ever considered running webinars to help move your users from free trials to paid subscriptions, or to encourage paying customers to upgrade to the next level? You should.

The research shows that between 2-5% of webinar attendees make purchases, so running webinars is a great growth hack.

There’s a bunch of webinar marketing software around, but we’re going to recommend Zoom. It works well for both webinars and meetings and is free to use with up to 100 participants and for calls of up to 40 minutes. And since it has built-in recording facilities, you can record your webinar to use later for lead generation.

8. SEMrush

SEMrush has so much functionality that it could be included multiple times on our list of growth hacking tools. It’s an incredibly comprehensive suite of tools focused on SEO and search engine marketing.

We’re going to highlight two key tools here, but if you use it, be sure to explore the other tools SEMrush offers. They’re sure to help you boost visibility and improve lead generation.

A good starting point for using SEMrush is its Site Audit tool. This gives you an overview of website health and identifies issues that make your site less effective. SEMrush also provides tips for addressing the issues, so you can make your site work better for both your customers and you.

Second, use SEMrush for some competitive research via its Organic Research tool. That lets you check out the keywords that send traffic to your competitors. With that information, you’ll be better informed about what your target market cares about, and can optimize your own content to win back some of that traffic.

Our guide to SEO audits provides more help on using SEMrush.

Finally, in this section, let’s look at a couple of tools to help with getting customer referrals.

9. Hunter

We talked earlier about the importance of email for winning business, and one of our tools can help you connect more easily with the influencers you want to reach.

Hunter lets you search for emails by typing in the domain name. While that sounds simple, it means that you can email the people you want to reach directly, instead of having to go through a contact form or use a generic email address.

10. Buzzsumo

Buzzsumo is best known as a tool for tracking social shares, but it also helps you focus on any influencers among those sharers. This is important because social media is an excellent referral tool. In 2017, Facebook alone drove 20% of referral traffic.

But if you’re going to use those referrals for growth hacking your business, you have to find them. Buzzsumo makes this process easy.

To find influencers, go to any piece of content in a Buzzsumo results page and click View Sharers next to the title. This’ll give you information on their Twitter engagement, domain authority and more. With this information, you can start an influencer marketing campaign.

Find more growth hacking tools on our list.

7 Proven Growth Hacking Examples

Need more examples to inspire your own marketing? In this section, we’re going to share some hacks which have worked for what is now some of the world’s most successful businesses.

1. Airbnb Craigslist Growth Hack

You can’t talk about growth hacking examples without mentioning the AirBnB Craigslist hack. These days, Airbnb is a household name, but when it got started, the company needed to get more customers and accommodation providers and to build its reputation. What happened next is a growth hacking legend.

In those days, people looking for affordable accommodation often used Craigslist. AirBnB’s genius was to give their accommodation providers a way to copy their listing to Craiglist with a single click, verify their listing, and post an accommodation ad. That put AirBnB right in front of the right target market and resulted in amazing growth.

2. Facebook Notification Growth Hack

With a user base of more than 2 billion, Facebook seems to be everywhere. But it wasn’t always, and Facebook itself used growth hacks to build its user base.

The answers to a Quora question on Facebook growth shows the most effective hacks they used.

First, they encouraged new users to import their email contacts. Second, if users mentioned or tagged contacts on Facebook, those contacts got notification emails. The curiosity factor was enough to bring some of those people to Facebook and to make them sign up for their own accounts.

3. Groove Content Marketing Honesty Growth Hack

Can you drive growth by being honest with your customers? It certainly helped Groove build a business worth $5 million a year. The company had tried many approaches to content marketing, which they knew would be a core marketing strategy for them. But they didn’t start to see results until they adopted a tell-all approach.

What Groove realized is that no other blog was sharing the real challenges of growing a SaaS company, and they weren’t sharing real numbers, either. So Groove used their own tactics as a case study, sharing honest experiences with their readers. The result was a huge increase in its user base.

But they didn’t stop there. As part of the process, they got feedback from customers on their information needs and used that to create new content. And they also did some influencer marketing by selectively sharing certain content. Transparency also paid off by earning Groove reviews, interviews, and other promotional opportunities, fueling growth even more.

4. Hotmail Email Signature Hack

Sometimes the simplest growth hacks are the most effective. One of the most famous growth hacking examples comes from Hotmail, the webmail client that preceded Outlook.com. Every outgoing email from Hotmail included a signature link which invited recipients to get their own free account.

That simple growth hack propelled Hotmail to 12 million users within 18 months. At the time, that represented a more than respectable 20% of the total email market.

5. Monzo Queue Jumper Growth Hack

Ever wanted to get away with cutting in line? There’s something delicious about knowing we’re beating the people behind us. That’s the social psychology growth hack that mobile bank Monzo used to grow its user base from 0 to 250,000 users in just two years.

Here’s how it worked. When people signed up, they could see how many people were ahead of them in the waiting list for accounts, and how many were behind them. Monzo offered people the chance to jump the queue by referring new users. This rewarded new signups and got more customers for the bank at the same time.

Can this work for your business? It certainly worked for Robinhood which had 1 million people on the waiting list for its stock trading app within the first year.

6. OptinMonster “Powered by” Growth Hack

Another well-known growth hacking example is the “powered by” link, which is proven to work. For example, Statuspage says this hack helped them boost monthly revenue 5x, from $5k to $25k.

A lot of other companies use this hack, and OptinMonster does too. By default, marketing campaigns created with OptinMonster include a “powered by” link, but it’s easy to disable if users prefer not to include it.

Check out our exit intent popup gallery for more popup examples that use the “powered by” link.

7. Proven Competition Growth Hack

Is it possible to use the content you’ve already got to engineer massive growth? It is, and it’s exactly the strategy job board Proven used to boost organic traffic by 43%. Best of all, they didn’t spend a single extra dime on marketing.

Instead, Proven got their employees involved, with an internal competition known as “Mission Week”. After identifying a piece of content that was performing poorly, everyone in the company had to meet their goal of earning 20 mission points by doing something to improve its performance.

Employees earned points for sharing content on social media, optimizing content, promoting content with outreach emails, and more. Unsurprisingly, all this activity resulted in better search ranking for content and a related boost in organic traffic!

Still looking for more inspiration? Check out our list of growth hacking examples.

That’s it! Now you have all the growth hacking techniques, strategies, tools, and examples you need to quickly rise to success.

Next, check out our guides to SEO link building, and creating high-converting sales pages.

You may also be interested in trying out OptinMonster’s new headline analyzer tool. This free analyzer will make sure you’re writing the most clickable and SEO-friendly headlines that bring in more traffic.

And be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more tips and guides.

If you’ve ever found yourself searching for fresh blog post ideas or pondering over the most trending blog topics, you’re not alone. Beginners and experienced writers alike often struggle to churn out a steady stream of engaging content.

Sure, you can do search engine keyword research and browse other popular blogs. But sometimes, writer’s block still hits.

The quest to discover what to blog about is a universal challenge, but fear not! This comprehensive guide is here to fuel your creativity with a plethora of blogging ideas.

From exploring diverse blog topic ideas to diving deep into niche-specific blogging topics, I’ve got you covered.

Whether you’re brainstorming ideas for a blog revamp or seeking blog content ideas to kickstart your blogging journey, this guide promises a treasure trove of inspiration.

Get ready to uncover unique blog ideas that resonate with your audience and position you as a thought leader in your domain.

Because this is a very long list of blog post ideas, I have it broken down into blog topics. Feel free to use the links below to jump to a particular topic:

Business | Finance | Technology | Fashion | Beauty | Home | Lifestyle | Fitness | Travel | Leisure and Entertainment | Food and Drink | Useful | Educational | Roundup | Fun | Timely | Controversial | Promotional

Are you ready to write your next blog post? Let’s dive into our 130+ blog ideas.

Exclusive Download the Blog Post Ideas Cheat Sheet to make content creation a breeze!

Business Blog Ideas

If your target audience is business owners, managers, and entrepreneurs, here are a few ideas for new content for your blog:

1. The Future of Remote Work: Pros and Cons.
2. Startup Success Stories: Lessons to Learn.
3. Navigating Business Ethics in the Modern World.
4. The Role of AI in Streamlining Business Operations.
5. Strategies for Effective Team Building and Leadership.
6. The Evolution of eCommerce: Trends to Watch.
7. Building a Sustainable Business: Eco-friendly Practices.

Finance Blog Ideas

Here are a few of our favorite blog ideas for money-management websites:

8. Personal Finance Tips for Millennials.
9. The Rise of Cryptocurrencies: What You Need to Know.
10. Investment Strategies for a Post-COVID World.
11. Understanding the Basics of Stock Market Investing.
12. The Importance of Financial Literacy in Schools.
13. Navigating the World of Online Banking.
14. Retirement Planning: Starting Early vs. Starting Late.

Technology Blog Ideas

It’s easy to get overwhelmed when deciding which tech topics to write about. You can use these new blog post ideas to stay on track:

15. The Impact of 5G on Everyday Life.
16. Virtual Reality: Beyond Gaming.
17. The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence.
18. The Role of Technology in Sustainable Living.
19. Exploring the World of Quantum Computing.
20. The Rise of Smart Cities.
21. Wearable Tech: The Future of Health Monitoring.

Fashion Blog Ideas

Fashion blogs can be an extremely effective form of content marketing, especially if you engage in affiliate marketing. Here are some blog post ideas to make the most of your site:

22. Sustainable Fashion: Brands Leading the Way.
23. The Evolution of Streetwear Culture.
24. Fashion Trends from the Runways of Paris and Milan.
25. The Influence of Pop Culture on Fashion.
26. Vintage Fashion: Making the Old New Again.
27. The Intersection of Fashion and Technology.
28. DIY Fashion: Upcycling and Customizing Your Wardrobe.
29. Top Fashion Accessories of the Year: Our Product Reviews

Beauty Blog Ideas

Beauty blogs can include more than just reviews of new products. These blog post topics can help you have a well-rounded content calendar:

30. The Rise of Clean Beauty: Brands to Watch.
31. Makeup Trends from Around the World.
32. The Science Behind Skincare: Debunking Myths.
33. Beauty Routines for Different Skin Types.
34. The Influence of K-Beauty and J-Beauty.
35. DIY Natural Beauty Remedies from Your Kitchen.
36. The Future of Beauty: Tech Innovations in the Industry.

Home Blog Ideas

DIY articles, lists, and tutorials can be extremely successful types of blog posts. You can use these blog post suggestions to break through your writer’s block and keep your new blog content flowing:

37. Minimalist Living: Tips for Decluttering Your Home.
38. The Art of Feng Shui: Balancing Your Living Space.
39. DIY Home Decor Projects on a Budget.
40. Smart Home Innovations for 2026.
41. Urban Gardening: Growing Food in Small Spaces.
42. The Rise of Co-living Spaces: A New Way to Live.
43. Sustainable Home Design: Eco-friendly Materials and Practices.

Lifestyle Blog Ideas

When you write about topics that can improve people’s lives, your target audience will be excited to click! Here are some of the best blog post topics for lifestyle websites:

44. The Art of Mindfulness: Practices for Everyday Life.
45. Balancing Work and Life in the Digital Age.
46. The Rise of the Digital Nomad Lifestyle.
47. The Importance of Self-Care in Stressful Times.
48. Living a Zero-Waste Lifestyle: Tips and Tricks.
49. Exploring Different Cultural Traditions and Festivals.

Fitness Blog Ideas

If your blog niche is fitness, we’ve got you covered! Take a look at these blog post ideas we’ve compiled to make your work a little easier:

50. Home Workouts: Staying Fit Without a Gym.
51. The Benefits of Yoga and Meditation for Mental Health.
52. Exploring Different Fitness Regimens from Around the World.
53. The Science of Nutrition: Debunking Diet Myths.
54. Wearable Fitness Tech: Tracking Your Progress.
55. The Mental Benefits of Regular Exercise.
56. Adventure Sports: Pushing Your Physical Limits.

Travel Blog Ideas

For travel blogs, readers can include frequent travelers, vacation planners, and daydreamers. Here are some blog ideas that go beyond basic guides to travel destinations:

57. Solo Travel: Tips for Safe and Fulfilling Journeys.
58. Exploring Hidden Gems: Off-the-Beaten-Path Destinations.
59. Sustainable Travel: Minimizing Your Carbon Footprint.
60. Culinary Adventures: Foodie Destinations Around the World.
61. Budget Travel: Exploring the World Without Breaking the Bank.
62. The Rise of Workcations: Combining Work and Travel.
63. Travel Photography: Capturing Memories Like a Pro.

Leisure and Entertainment Blog Ideas

With so many online services available, it’s never been easier to access entertainment. But the choices can be overwhelming! Here are some blog post ideas to help your readers find the best of the best. Or to learn more about something they already love:

64. The Golden Age of Streaming: What to Watch in 2026.
65. Rediscovering the Joy of Board Games.
66. The Evolution of Music: From Vinyl to Streaming.
67. The World of Indie Films: Hidden Cinematic Treasures.
68. The Resurgence of Book Clubs in the Digital Age.
69. Exploring the World of Virtual Reality Gaming.
70. The Impact of Social Media on Pop Culture.

Food and Drink Blog Ideas

Readers visit food blogs for step-by-step recipes, cooking tips, and more. These blog ideas will get them excited to read more of your content:

71. The World of Fermented Foods: Health Benefits and Recipes.
72. Exploring Global Cuisines: A Culinary Journey.
73. The Art of Mixology: Crafting the Perfect Cocktail.
74. Veganism and Plant-Based Diets: Beyond the Hype.
75. The Science of Baking: Perfecting Your Pastries.
76. Coffee Culture: From Bean to Cup.
77. The Rise of Craft Breweries: Exploring Unique Beers.

Useful Blog Ideas

Tutorials, checklists, and step-by-step guides are great ways to drive traffic. Most of us go straight to the internet when we need some easy-to-follow instructions. These helpful blog posts will give users what they’re looking for:

78. 10 Life Hacks to Simplify Your Daily Routine.
79. The Ultimate Guide to Organizing Your Workspace for Maximum Productivity.
80. Healthy Meal Prep Ideas for Busy Weekdays.
81. Tips for Managing Stress in a Fast-Paced World.
82. How to Save Money on Everyday Expenses.
83. DIY Home Maintenance: Fixing Common Household Issues.
84. Travel Packing Checklist: Essentials for Every Trip.

Educational Blog Ideas

Enlighten and engage your readers with in-depth articles on the following topics:

85. The History and Evolution of the Internet: A Deep Dive.
86. Understanding the Basics of Renewable Energy Sources.
87. The Science Behind Sleep: Why It’s Essential for Our Health.
88. An Introduction to World Religions and Their Philosophies.
89. The Art of Effective Communication: Verbal and Non-Verbal.
90. Exploring the World of Quantum Physics.
91. The Role of Microorganisms in Our Ecosystem.

Roundup Blog Ideas

Who doesn’t love a great list? Roundups are an important part of any blog, regardless of its niche or target audience. Here are a few ideas you can use for inspiration:

92. Top 10 Books to Read in 2026: Editor’s Picks.
93. Monthly Tech Roundup: The Latest Innovations and Gadgets.
94. Best Movies of the Year: A Cinematic Recap.
95. Roundup of the Most Inspiring TED Talks This Year.
96. Fashion Trends from Around the World: Seasonal Highlights.
97. The Most Influential People in the World of Business in 2026.
98. Top Health and Wellness Tips from Experts This Month.
99. 10 Best Podcasts on a Subject of Interest.

Fun Blog Ideas

Even if most of your blog posts are fairly straightforward, it’s a good idea to write some joyful content every now and then. These blog topics can give you some ideas to inject some levity:

100. The World’s Most Unusual Festivals and Celebrations.
101. Decoding the Science of Laughter: Why We Find Things Funny.
102. DIY Craft Ideas for a Rainy Day.
103. Exploring the World’s Most Unique and Quirky Museums.
104. The Joy of Retro Gaming: A Trip Down Memory Lane.
105. Fun and Unconventional Ways to Stay Fit.
106. The World’s Strangest Foods and Where to Try Them.

Timely Blog Post Ideas

Readers are most likely to click on posts that are relevant to them. And timeliness is a key factor in that relevance. Keep your audience engaged with these fresh blog ideas:

107. Understanding the Impact of Current Global Events on the Economy.
108. Fashion Trends for the Upcoming Season.
109. The Latest Advances in Medical Research and What They Mean for Us.”
110. Tech Predictions for the Upcoming Year.
111. A Recap of the Most Significant News Stories This Month.
112. The Role of Climate Change in Recent Natural Disasters.
113. Celebrating International Women’s Day: Stories of Empowerment.

Controversial Blog Post Ideas

Spark discussion and engagement by thoughtfully addressing controversial topics, such as the ones we’ve compiled here:

114. The Ethics of AI: Potential Benefits and Dangers.
115. Debating the Merits and Drawbacks of a Universal Basic Income.
116. The Ongoing Debate: Organic vs. Conventional Farming.
117. The Role of Social Media in Shaping Public Opinion.
118. Vaccinations: Myths, Facts, and Controversies.
119. The Future of Education: Traditional Schools vs. Online Learning.
120. The Impact of Celebrity Culture on Society.

Promotional Blog Post Ideas

Promotional blogs are particularly popular posts for eCommerce sites. They let you talk about your products and services and move users through your sales funnel. Here are some post ideas to help you get started:

121. Introducing Our Latest Product: Features and Benefits.
122. Why Our Brand Stands Out in the Market: A Comparative Analysis.
123. Customer Testimonials: Real Stories from Satisfied Clients.
124. Exclusive Offers and Discounts for Our Loyal Readers.
125. Behind the Scenes: A Look into Our Production Process.
126. Join Our Upcoming Webinar: Topics and Guest Speakers Revealed.
127. Celebrating Our Company’s Anniversary: A Journey Through the Years.
128. Giveaway Alert: How to Win Our Product for Free.

Personal Blog Post Ideas

Motivational personal stories can make excellent blog posts. Readers are drawn to honesty and vulnerability, so these blog ideas can help you build an audience.

129. My Journey to Becoming a Full-Time Blogger: Challenges and Triumphs.
130. Life Lessons I Learned from Traveling Solo.
131. The Books That Changed My Perspective on Life.
132. Finding Balance: My Personal Strategies for Juggling Work and Family.
133. My Experience with Meditation and Mindfulness.
134. The Role of Mentorship in My Career Growth.
135. Personal Reflections on a Year of Growth and Transformation.

There you have it, 135 great blog post ideas to write about.

Convert Your Reader Into Subscribers

While I’ve equipped you with a treasure trove of blog ideas and topics, another essential piece to the puzzle is making sure your content reaches its intended audience and drives action. 

Enter OptinMonster. 

More than just a lead generation tool, it’s your secret weapon in the blogging arsenal. 

With its intuitive drag and drop builder, you can craft compelling opt-in forms that resonate with your readers. But that’s just the beginning.

OptinMonster’s advanced targeting features ensure your content reaches the right eyes at the right time, turning casual browsers into dedicated subscribers. 

So, as you pen down your next masterpiece using the ideas from this guide, remember to give it the OptinMonster advantage. After all, great content deserves an audience that values it.

FAQs

TL;DR:

The best WordPress page builders include SeedProd, Elementor, Thrive Architect, Divi Builder, Beaver Builder, Breakdance, and 10Web AI Builder, each offering unique strengths from landing page speed and conversion tools to design flexibility and AI-powered site creation.

SeedProd is ideal for high-converting landing pages, Elementor offers the most design options and templates, and Thrive Architect is built for funnels and lead generation. Divi stands out with its pre-designed layouts, Beaver Builder is praised for simplicity and clean code, Breakdance is a lightweight modern builder focused on performance, and 10Web AI Builder uses AI to generate full sites quickly.

The right choice depends on your project’s needs, budget, and technical skill, so it’s best to try free versions to see which fits your workflow.

We’ve broken more WordPress pages than we care to admit.

But after testing just about all the drag-and-drop WordPress page builders out there, we know exactly which ones are worth your time and which ones will leave you staring at a blank screen wondering what went wrong.

Whether you’re after total design freedom, blazing speed, AI-powered layouts, or a dead-simple builder for your first site, we’ve got the right pick for you below.

Ready to skip the guesswork? Let’s dive into the best WordPress page builders for 2026.

Quick Comparison: Best WordPress Page Builders at a Glance

Rank	Page Builder	Best For	Key Features	Starting Price	Free Version?
	SeedProd	Marketers & landing pages	300+ templates, built-in conversion tools, build complete site in 60 seconds with AI	$39.50/year	Yes
	Elementor	Design flexibility	Live editor, theme builder, huge addon library	$59/year	Yes
	Thrive Architect	Marketers & funnels	Built-in conversion elements, advanced triggers	$99/year	No
4	Divi	Visual effects & templates	Advanced design controls, 2000+ layouts, A/B testing	$89/year	No
5	Breakdance	Modern, developer-friendly	Fast UI, clean code output, dynamic data support	$99/year	Yes
6	10Web AI Builder	AI-powered speed	Import any site, AI content/layout generation	$10/month	Yes (limited)
7	Beaver Builder	Agencies & client sites	Reliable, fast, robust front-end editing	$99/year	Limited

Best WordPress Page Builders

1. SeedProd— Best AI Website Builder for WordPress

We’ve used SeedProd to launch everything from lead magnets to webinar pages and we keep coming back to it for one reason: it just works.

If your main goal is building landing pages that convert, SeedProd is hands-down the easiest builder to start with. It’s built for marketers, not developers and it shows.

What We Like:

• The drag-and-drop UI is so clean, it actually makes building pages fun
• Built-in countdown timers, optin forms, and integrations with OptinMonster
• 300+ templates so you’re never starting from scratch

What Could Be Better:

• Not ideal for building full multi-page websites (it’s laser-focused on single-page conversions)
• Some templates feel a bit “template-y” unless you customize them

Why We Chose SeedProd:
When we needed a high-converting, mobile-friendly page to promote our Black Friday campaign, SeedProd got it done in less than an hour. If you’re focused on leads, not layouts — this is the one.

For more details on SeedProd, checkout our detailed SeedProd review.

2. Elementor— Best for Creative Control and Custom Layouts

When we need pixel-perfect control or a super custom layout, Elementor’s the tool we reach for. It gives you designer-level flexibility — without needing to write a single line of code.

Elementor is like having a design agency in your WordPress dashboard. You can drag, drop, animate, layer, and tweak just about everything. If SeedProd is your go-to for speed, Elementor’s your toolkit for total creative freedom.

What We Like:

• Visual editor is ultra-smooth and intuitive — what you see is truly what you get
• Huge ecosystem: 300+ templates, widgets, and 3rd-party extensions galore
• Dynamic content & theme builder = big win for custom sites or advanced users

What Could Be Better:

• Can feel bloated if you go overboard with widgets or animations
• Free version is limited for real marketing use (Pro is where the magic is)

Why We Chose Elementor
We used Elementor to redesign one of our most visited blog category pages, adding animations, CTA blocks, and a custom optin section and saw a noticeable boost in time on page and clicks. If you love tinkering with design details and want full layout control, Elementor gives you the playground to do it.

3. Thrive Architect— Best for Marketers and Conversion-Focused Pages

Thrive Architect isn’t trying to be the flashiest builder but if your goal is leads, sales, and funnels that convert, this thing is stacked.

Thrive Architect is laser-focused on helping you build high-converting pages; think sales funnels, webinar opt-ins, lead magnets, and product pages. It’s built by marketers, for marketers, and it shows in every template and feature.

What We Like:

• Dozens of proven, conversion-optimized templates ready to go
• Smart element triggers (like showing content after a timer or scroll depth)
• Integrates tightly with Thrive Suite tools like Thrive Leads and Thrive Quiz Builder

What Could Be Better:

• Doesn’t offer much for full-site design — it’s page-level focused

Why We Chose Thrive Architect
We used Thrive Architect to build a lead-gen funnel for a free download and with just a few tweaks, it outperformed our previous setup by 30%. If you want a builder that’s designed to grow your list or drive action, Thrive is your secret weapon.

4. Divi— Best for Visual Effects and Pre-Built Layouts

If SeedProd is for speed and Elementor is for control, Divi is for people who want wow factor — stunning visuals, slick animations, and beautiful templates baked right in.

Divi comes with one of the most polished design experiences out there. With 2,000+ layout packs, built-in A/B testing, and jaw-dropping visual effects, it’s the page builder you reach for when you want to impress.

What We Like:

• Gorgeous pre-designed layouts that look premium out of the box
• Powerful built-in effects: transitions, hover states, parallax, animations
• Lifetime pricing option makes it a deal for long-term users or agencies

What Could Be Better:

• Can feel heavy — not the fastest-loading builder on this list
• Slight learning curve if you’ve never used a visual builder before

Why We Chose Divi
We used Divi to build a mini-site for a product launch with bold visuals and multiple layout sections. It looked like a custom design agency job and took a fraction of the time. If you want your pages to look designer-level without hiring one, Divi’s got you covered.

5. Breakdance — Best for Modern Builders and Developers Who Hate Bloat

We didn’t expect to love Breakdance… but after building a full funnel page in under an hour with fast load times and zero plugin conflicts, we were sold.

Breakdance is the new kid on the block, but it’s already turning heads. It’s lightweight, lightning-fast, and built with modern WordPress standards in mind. If you want the power of something like Elementor without the bloat, Breakdance hits that sweet spot.

What We Like:

• Super fast UI — seriously, one of the snappiest editors we’ve tested
• Clean code output that devs will actually appreciate
• Dynamic data support and WooCommerce integration built right in

What Could Be Better:

• Still a newer builder, so the third-party ecosystem is smaller (for now)
• Some advanced features may feel overkill for casual users

Why We Chose Breakdance
We used Breakdance to rebuild a product comparison page and it loaded 20% faster than the Elementor version, with the same design. If you want a builder that feels fresh, fast, and future-proof, Breakdance is worth your attention.

6. 10Web AI Builder — Best for Cloning Sites and AI-Powered Launches

We used 10Web AI to clone an existing site in minutes, not hours. It didn’t just copy the layout; it recreated it with editable sections and clean styling. Wild.

10Web AI Builder isn’t your typical drag-and-drop editor. It uses artificial intelligence to recreate existing websites or generate brand-new layouts based on a few simple prompts. If you’re short on time or starting from scratch, this builder is your fast lane.

What We Like:

• AI can generate full page structures, not just content blurbs
• One-click site cloning is insanely useful for migrating or redesigning
• Built-in hosting (via Google Cloud) = faster performance out of the box

What Could Be Better:

• Not ideal for heavy customization — better for quick-start builds
• Works best with its own ecosystem (you can’t just install it on any host)

Why We Chose 10Web
We tested 10Web on a client’s legacy site, and in under 10 minutes we had a working, editable version ready to tweak and launch. If you’re rebuilding a site fast or experimenting with designs before going live, this AI builder is a total time-saver.

7. Beaver Builder— Best for Agencies and Client Sites

When we’re building something that needs to just work, no glitches, no plugin drama, Beaver Builder is our go-to. It’s not flashy, but it’s rock-solid.

Beaver Builder is the builder your web developer friend secretly respects. It’s stable, clean, and built for long-term site management which makes it perfect for agencies, freelancers, or anyone building sites for clients.

What We Like:

• Fast, reliable front-end editor — no lag, no weird bugs
• Outputs clean code (devs love this) and plays nice with almost any theme
• White labeling and multisite support = great for client work

What Could Be Better:

• The UI feels a bit dated compared to flashier builders like Breakdance
• Doesn’t include as many built-in marketing elements (you’ll want to pair it with OptinMonster or similar)

Why We Chose Beaver Builder
We built a client’s entire 10-page coaching site on Beaver Builder and barely had to touch support. It’s not the most exciting tool but it’s one of the most dependable. If you value stability over sizzle, Beaver Builder is a smart bet.

Which is the Best WordPress Page Builder?

It depends on what you’re building but after testing all of these firsthand, here’s our take:

• Best Overall: SeedProd — Perfect if you want fast, high-converting pages with zero fluff. Great for marketers, product launches, and list-building.
• Best for Design Freedom: Elementor — Ideal if you love full control over layout, styling, and animations.
• Best for Funnels & Lead Gen: Thrive Architect — Built with conversion in mind, and packed with smart triggers and lead tools.
• Best AI Option: 10Web AI Builder — Wildly efficient for cloning sites or generating layouts on the fly.
• Best for Agencies: Beaver Builder — Reliable, stable, and built for long-term, client-friendly performance.

At the end of the day, the best builder is the one that matches your workflow, goals, and tech comfort level. Whether you’re starting your first blog or managing dozens of client sites, there’s a builder on this list that’ll help you move faster and convert better.

FAQs About WordPress Page Builders

Related: How to Create a Landing Page in WordPress Without Code

Once you’ve decided on your WordPress page builder, check out these posts about site creation:

• Anatomy of the Perfect Landing Page (Tips & Best Practices)
• The BEST Landing Page Creation Tools for More Conversions
• Best Website Builders for Small Business Compared (Pros and Cons)
• Best WooCommerce Themes for Your Online Store