Everyone who has a website wants (needs) to build an email list. Including myself.
First I used Gravity Forms to create a form on the sidebar. I haven’t given it enough time to see if it would convert. But at this point nobody has used the form. Plus I don’t like how much space on the sidebar it takes up.
I’ve noticed for a few years or more the proliferation of popup windows on popular blogs/sites for collecting emails. Everyone hates popups; or so they say. Popups do work and those who say they hate them just close the popups. If you have stuff people want they will signup.
I’m changing my tune
I’ve gone down the rabbit hole of email marketing / lead generation popup plugins. This isn’t a complete review of both plugins as I have not purchased OptinMonster. Most of my opinions are based on the sales/features page of each plugin.
OptinMonster is a very popular Lead Generation plugin and I have seen it used across many sites. I am not using it currently nor have I used it yet.
SumoMe is another product that I came across recently on another blog I was reading. I clicked on it and decided to check it out for 1 main reason. It is free with advanced features costing money.
This is not a complete review of each plugin because I have not purchased OptinMonster.
What I like about SumoMe
- It is free
- The setup is really easy
- It has lots of features that are also free
What I don’t like about SumoMe
To get ALL the features you could be spending $100 per month ($1200 per year). One thing that does bother me more than anything is to remove the SumoMe branding you have to spend $100 a month. The branding might not be a huge issue as I think it’s only dashboard branding not site visitor branding. I don’t know if the $100 a month fee is for 1 site or many sites (think developer license)
What I like about OptinMonster
- The cost is lower than SumoMe for ALL the features – $199 a year
- If you didn’t want/need all the features you can get it for $9 a month of $49 a year
- It now works on any platform not just WordPress (I believe SumoMe also works on any website)
What I don’t like about OptinMonster
No free option. Really this isn’t a big deal but I had to put something here. But also it is important. What if you had a brand new site and wanted to at day 1 collect visitor emails. If you used this one you have to spend money upfront.
What email list service do I use currently?
I use MailChimp because of it’s low startup costs of FREE
Which one should you choose?
I can’t tell you which one. This a decision that you have to make based on who will be using the plugin. Choose what works for you. But you can’t go wrong with either one.
If I had a zero budget to start I would choose SumoMe.
Where to find SumoMe and OptinMonster (non affiliate links)
http://sumome.com/pricing – https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/sumome
Disclaimer
Some of the links in all posts may be affiliate links, which means I may get a commission if you end up purchasing their product or service. You will never pay more by using my link compared to what you would pay if you went directly to their website; in fact you may receive an exclusive discount. And it helps me keep the site running!
Great info – I need to do this!
Hi Loren,
i found you via your comment on John Chow’s blog. Blog commenting works 😉
I use MailChimp too; just started building a list a few months back so it was a nice fit for me. Simple sidebar widget and also, my designer developed a green simple bar along my page top for mobile users and anybody else who wishes to opt in at the post’s end, or, whenever. Gotta build that list to expand your business online.
Thanks for the review!
Ryan
Thanks for checking it out Ryan and stopping by.
After I wrote the post a member in a WordPress FB group recommended this plugin as well
https://wordpress.org/plugins/popup-maker/