An opt-in page, also called a squeeze page, is a page with one job: to get a visitor's email address in exchange for something useful. It is the first step of a lead magnet funnel and the most common page a creator builds. This guide covers what the page needs, four layouts that work, and how to build one as the opt-in step of a Vonza funnel so the freebie, the lists and the follow-ups happen on their own.
What an opt-in page is for
A visitor arrives from an ad, a social post or a search result. They have one decision to make: give you their email or leave. Everything on the page exists to make that decision easy and the trade fair. There is no menu, no footer full of links, no second offer. The page says what you will send, why it is worth an email, and where to type it.
The trade is the point. A squeeze page without a specific freebie is a newsletter sign-up, and newsletter sign-ups convert poorly because the visitor cannot picture what they get. A named, finished thing ("the 12-question client intake template", "the 30-day content calendar") converts because they can.
The six things an opt-in page needs
- A headline that names the result. Not "Free guide" but "Plan your first paid workshop in one evening". The visitor should know what changes for them.
- A sub-line that names the thing. The format and the size: "A 9-page PDF with the checklist and the pricing sheet."
- Three bullets. Each a specific thing inside the freebie. Specific beats long.
- One image. A mock-up of the PDF, a still from the video, or a photo of you if the freebie is a conversation.
- The form. Email, and nothing else unless you will use it.
- A consent line. Say what you will send and how often. It builds trust and it keeps you on the right side of the law in most countries.
Reviews and logos help when you have real ones. Never invent them; a placeholder quote does more harm than no quote.
Four layouts that work
Vonza's opt-in step comes with seven page designs, and four of them cover almost every case:
- Split. Copy on the left, form on the right, image behind or beside the form. The default for a PDF or template freebie.
- Cover. A full-bleed photo with the headline and form over it. Good for a personal brand where your face is the trust signal.
- Video. A short video above the form, for a free lesson or a webinar replay. Keep the video under two minutes; its job is to make the sign-up worth it, not to teach everything.
- Waitlist. A minimal page for something that is not ready yet: a course launch, a cohort, a product. The form says "Join the waitlist" and the thank-you page sets the date.
The others, card, minimal and gallery, suit a shorter offer or one where the pictures do the talking. Switch between them with Change design on the step; your copy stays.
Building the page as a funnel step
In Vonza Funnels, an opt-in page is the opt-in step of a funnel. The app describes it as "Collect an email in exchange for something free", and it is also what you get when you start a funnel blank. Here is what the step can do:
- Fields. Email is always asked. Name and phone are optional. You can add up to 10 extra questions (short text, long text, number, pick one) and a consent checkbox.
- Freebie. Attach the thing you promised as a link or an upload: JPEG, PNG, MP4, PDF, MP3 or text, up to 1 GB (your plan may allow less). The lead gets it after sign-up.
- Lists. Add every sign-up to one or more of your lists, so they are segmented from the first day.
- Enrol. Enrol the lead in up to five courses or bundles. A free mini-course is a strong freebie, and this is how you deliver it without a separate step.
- Invitation email. Send an email on sign-up with the freebie link and what to expect next.
The step's button goes to the next step, usually a thank-you page. The lead magnet funnel page shows the whole two-step shape, and the funnel templates gallery has a lead magnet template for 12 industries, each in your brand colours and fonts.
What happens after the sign-up
The page is the start, not the end. Three things should happen on their own:
- Delivery. The freebie arrives by the invitation email or the enrolment, within a minute.
- A welcome sequence. The ready-made "Welcome new leads" automation recipe starts when someone becomes a lead. Add two or three emails over the first week: how to use the freebie, the most common mistake, what you offer next. Vonza AI can draft each email from one sentence; you check the draft before it is used. See automations.
- A record. Every sign-up lands in the funnel's Leads list, in a pipeline with stages you can rename, and in your CRM as a contact, with the UTM source, medium and campaign they came from.
Writing the copy
Write the headline last. Start with the bullets: list everything in the freebie, cut it to the three most useful items, and make each one concrete. Then write the sub-line that names the format. The headline is the result the three bullets add up to.
Use the words your audience uses. If they say "clients", do not say "customers". If they say "workshop", do not say "programme". The fastest way to find these words is to read the questions people ask you by email and in comments.
Keep the button label about them, not you: "Send me the checklist" rather than "Submit".
What to measure and test
The number that matters is visitors to sign-ups. Vonza Funnels Stats shows page views, unique visitors and leads for the last 7, 30 or 90 days, with sources, so you can see which channel sends people who actually sign up.
To improve the rate, run a split test on the opt-in step: a second version of the page shown to a share of visitors, with opt-ins counted for each version and a Pick winner button at the end. Test one thing at a time, in this order: the headline, the freebie itself, the layout, the button label. The guide to split-testing a funnel step covers the set-up.
Opt-in page or landing page?
If you want lead automations, a pipeline and a split test, build the page as a funnel's opt-in step. If you want a standalone page for a website, with a sign-up form but no funnel behind it, build a landing page in the Vonza website builder: describe the page and Vonza AI builds one focused page, or start from a template. The post on landing page vs funnel explains when each fits, and the landing pages page covers the builder.
A worked example
A fitness coach offers "The 20-minute home workout plan for busy parents" as a PDF. The split layout shows a mock-up of the PDF on the right. Three bullets: the five exercises and why these five, the weekly schedule that fits around school runs, the one-page progress tracker. Email only, a consent line, and a button reading "Send me the plan". The thank-you page says the plan is on its way and invites them to the coach's free community. The welcome recipe sends three emails over a week, the third one introducing a paid six-week programme. Every sign-up is tagged with the list "Home workout plan" and shows up in the pipeline as New.
Nothing in that example needs a second tool. Open Funnels, start blank or from a lead magnet template, and build yours. New to Vonza? Start a 14-day free trial from the sales funnel page.
