WpSubscribers is a WordPress plugin that offers you an easy way to build your opt-in list. With it, you can easily add a variety of pop-ups, modals, and other forms to offer a signup form linked to your email list. Unlike other popup plugins, this plugin also allows you the ability to add an embedded form in your content pages without resorting to a popup.
License: Commercial
Code: Open Source
Updates: Lifetime
Cost: $47 (up to 3 sites) or $97 (unlimited sites)
WpSubscribers is a commercial subscription form plugin to encourage building your email list, through various templates including header and footer bars, fly-ins, the comments form, and also in the content area and sidebar. While there are other subscription form plugins out there, I have not found one that does all of this in one place.
I bought a copy to evaluate the plugin and I found it to be easy to use and install. I like that fact that, even though it is a commercial plugin, it is open source so you can easily access the source, should you need to. Although in a well-built plugin, that should be minimally necessary. Also, the author guarantees lifetime updates, at least for current purchasers. She leaves the door open to change that in the future, although that certainly could be a marketing gimmick.
Facebook Connect – One of the features that drew me to this plugin over other similar plugins was the inclusion of a Facebook connection. This encourages signups by making it a simple point-and-click process.
Subscribe via Comments – all of the modals and popup templates are nice, but one other thing that really grabbed me was the commments checkbox that allows users to subscribe to your list. Users who are already adding their email address to comment on your blog can simply check a box to be added to your list, too. That’s a nice feature to include!
Yes, this is commercial software so there is a cost. You could head over to the WordPress plugin repository to get plugins that do essentially the same thing. However, here are some key things to consider:
This plugin has many embedded features that I haven’t found all together in a single plugin. So you would need to spend some time looking for several plugins to accomplish the same process.
Expectation of responsive and ongoing support from a commercial product. With free plugins, you just don’t know what you’ll get in the future. If you place your reliance on a free plugin (or in this case, plugins), there is little assurance that the plugin will be updated in the future. This is especially of concern with compatibility of future versions of WordPress. There are a lot of abandoned plugins in the WordPress repository that are incompatible with the current release of WP.
Lifetime updates. Not all commercial plugin vendors offer this and it is a definite plus not to have to worry about paying to update the plugin. Especially in light of the reasons outlined above regarding support.
Low cost. As a developer myself, I always look at a plugin from the standpoint of, “I could do this myself.” But you have to always couple that with, “What’s my time worth.” If you place any sort of value on your time (and if you are monetizing your blog, you should), you need to add that into the mix. I always consider these things with an average of $50/hour. Some bloggers may be worth less, some more, but $50 is a good average. So for a plugin with licensing options of $47 (up to 3 sites) and $97 (unlimited sites), you’d have to ask yourself, can I do this myself in two hours or less? By the time you mess around with development or looking around for multiple other plugins, the answer is definitely no.
Ultimately, you have to decide for yourself if this product is for you. But, I don’t review plugins that I haven’t tried myself. I bought it, tried it, and I liked it.
Status: Recommended (Get it here)
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