Struggling to Convert Traffic Into Leads? Here’s How My E-Commerce Client Increased E-mail Sign-ups by 37% Overnight

Let’s talk about something that doesn’t get enough airtime: that frustrating feeling when you’ve done all the right things to bring people in - you’ve got ads running, traffic flowing and a valuable lead magnet in place - but your email list just isn’t growing from it the way you expected.

You’re getting interest. Engagement, even. But when it comes to turning those clicks into subscribers…there’s a disconnect.

This came up recently with one of my e-commerce clients - a performance sportswear brand with a loyal customer base and a strong sense of who they’re here to serve. The founder had put a lot of time and intention into building a helpful, quiz designed to engage new visitors and introduce them to the brand. It was thoughtful, on-brand, and actually useful (a rare combo). But despite solid interaction and completion rates, too many people were exiting at the opt-in stage - and email list growth was stalling.

We made a few small, strategic changes. No big overhaul. Just thoughtful refinements at the point where momentum was being lost.

Within 24 hours, her email sign-ups increased by 37%.

In this post, I’ll take you through what was happening, the shifts we made, and how this might apply if you're also seeing strong engagement but low conversions from your email opt-in strategy.

The Situation: High Engagement, Low Conversion

Like many e-commerce founders, my client wears a lot of hats - from product development and supplier communication to brand strategy.

 When we first started this project, she was running Meta ads to a lead magnet in the form of a personality-style quiz. It was smart. It aligned with her audience. And on paper, it was doing really well:

• The ads were performing reasonably well, but the cost per lead wasn't where we wanted it

• The quiz was engaging and the completion rate was tracking well

• The brand experience felt consistent and clear

 But here’s the issue: a high percentage of people were finishing the quiz…and then not opting in to the email list. And for e-commerce brands, where email marketing is such a big driver of long-term profit, this matters. A lot.

 Because every missed opt-in meant:

• No way to follow up

• No insight into that customer’s preferences

• No opportunity to build a relationship beyond that first click

 With rising ad costs, continuing to pay for traffic that wasn’t converting wasn’t sustainable.

Bringing in Strategic Support to Improve Email Sign-Up Conversions

At this stage, the client had all the pieces in place. The lead magnet was solid. Ads were running. Traffic was coming in. But results just weren’t lining up with the effort and she knew it wasn’t a matter of working harder.

She didn’t want to throw out what was already working or spend months A/B testing guesses. What she wanted was strategic support - someone who could zoom out, look at the full journey objectively, and identify what was holding things back.

 She’d been on my email list for a while and was already familiar with how I work: strategy-first followed by hyper-focussed action steps grounded in data, not assumptions.

When she reached out, she wasn’t looking to be convinced, she was ready to figure out what wasn’t clicking, and fix it properly.

Step 1: Funnel Review (Not Funnel Rebuild)

The first step was to pause. Zoom out. And look at the entire funnel from a strategic point of view - not just as a string of disconnected tactics, but as one customer journey.

I reviewed everything end-to-end:

• What the ads were saying

• Who they were targeting

• How traffic moved into (and out of) the quiz

• And, critically, what happened at the very end - the opt-in moment

It quickly became clear that the ads or the quiz itself wasn’t the problem. Completion rates were high. The content was engaging. The journey made sense. But when I looked at the data and user behaviour around the opt-in, a few important signals stood out:

• There was a sharp drop-off after quiz completion. People weren’t exiting during the quiz - they were finishing it, and then abandoning at the very last step.

• The opt-in page felt disconnected. The language didn’t follow through on the tone or momentum of the quiz. There was a shift in energy, and not in a good way.

• The value of joining the list wasn’t clear. There wasn’t a compelling reason to opt in, at the exact moment users were most engaged.

• There were signs of confusion, not resistance. This wasn’t a hard “no” from users, it was more likely uncertainty about what would happen next.

In short, the funnel wasn’t broken, it just had a missing link. And that missing link was quietly causing friction, hesitation, and drop-off at the most critical moment. Online, a little hesitation is all it takes to lose someone.

 But this was actually great news. It meant we didn’t need to rebuild the funnel or spend a bunch more on testing more ads, we just needed to smooth out one key moment in the journey.

Step 2: Fix the Friction and Make the Next Step Clear

Once we identified the issue, the next step was to refine - not with flashy tactics or pushy tactics, but with hyper-focussed micro changes. Here’s what we actioned:

• Rewrote the opt-in copy so it felt like a seamless continuation of the quiz. No jarring shifts. No new tone of voice. Just a friendly, helpful bridge into the next step.

• Made it crystal clear that their results were ready, now. This small shift matters - when users know they’re getting immediate value, it reduces friction and increases action.

• Positioned the email list as a useful next step, not a hard ask. We added one line explaining what subscribers would get and - crucially - framed it in a way that made them care.

• Reduced decision fatigue. The layout, copy, and call-to-action were simplified to keep momentum going. There was no clutter, no competing choices, and no confusing UX patterns.

• Kept the "skip email" option so we weren't forcing people into something they didn't want (it'll just lead to damaging unsubscribes anyway) and to make sure we were compliant with GDPR laws.

The tone remained friendly and relaxed. Nothing pushy. Just clear, low-pressure copy that made the next step feel like the obvious one.

Because only strategic micro-changes were needed, the founder was able to action them in under an hour and start to see results right away.

The Result: +37% Email Sign-Ups in Just 24 Hours

Once the revised opt-in went live, the impact was immediate. In the first 24 hours, quiz completions converting into email subscribers increased by 37%.

My whole service is about getting clients results, fast, but this one blew even my mind!

Same traffic. Same quiz. Just a better opt-in experience.

 And with that improvement, the brand unlocked a new level of efficiency across the whole funnel. Here’s what changed for the business:

• Customer acquisition is more efficient

  The client is capturing more value from her existing ad spend, without needing to increase budget.

• The email list is growing faster, with engaged, high-intent subscribers

  These aren’t just names on a list. They’re people who’ve actively engaged with the brand and shared meaningful data.

• Email marketing is doing its job

  The client can now send hyper-personalised relevant campaigns based on quiz data - which leads to better engagement and stronger sales.

• There’s more confidence in using paid traffic to scale

  With a functioning opt-in system, she can spend knowing the funnel will convert at a higher rate.

• The quiz is now a strategic asset

  Instead of being a fun idea or a one-off project, it’s become a valuable list-building tool that feeds directly into the brand’s broader marketing and sales strategy.

Now that the funnel is performing, the business can:

• Scale paid traffic more confidently

• Focus on long-term relationship-building, not just quick wins

• Use quiz data to segment and personalise messaging

• Reduce reliance on heavy discounts or short-term sales tactics

• Launch new campaigns with clarity and direction

And for the founder, things just feel clearer. Growth doesn’t feel so uncertain or fragile. Before, every ad campaign felt like a risk. There was pressure to make it work and frustration when it didn’t.

 Now, there’s a system. There’s clarity.

 There’s relief in knowing that the work put in is paying off. And excitement about where the brand can go next.

Want to Strengthen Your Customer Acquisition, Too?

If you’re seeing engagement but not conversions, there’s likely one small step in the journey that’s causing friction. That’s the kind of thing we fix inside the 90 Day Growth Plan.

If you’d like support with your own customer acquisition strategy, I’d love to have a no-pressure chat!

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