96% of visitors aren’t ready to buy when they land on your website—there’s no surprise that the average conversion rate for an average eCommerce brand is around 3%.
And that’s where lead magnets come in: you get their email id if they are not ready to buy yet, and you can then keep engaging, until they buy, and they do.
The pertinent question here: What will make customers trust you enough to want to share their personal details with you?
Read on to find out how the best eCommerce businesses grow their email lists in an authentic way and build a brand connection in the process.
In this post, we have picked 40 brands across industries while highlighting some key elements that you might find insightful.
APPAREL BRANDS
1. Asphalte

What we love:
- Asphalte’s next product line comes from customer preferences
- This lead magnet entices the user to sign up for surveys to brainstorm their next product line
- A polished, striking image of a clothing that people love
- Intriguing copy and an interactive CTA button
- Although a complete overlay on the hero image, the copy and the visuals justify the same
- Takes a few scrolls to appear, allowing the user to gather their thoughts on the brand
If a user were to take the plunge, the survey screen looks as impressive as the lead magnet itself.

2. Seea

What we love:
- Soft color palette to contrast the image
- Image resonates with the brand’s essence
- Crisp headline and brand-sensitive copy
- Appears seconds after the homepage is loaded
- Occupies minimal space if the visitor decides to snap out
3. Negative

What we love:
- Strategic about the image’s focus - a 2-part layout for the product image and the copy
- Helps the audience visualize what the product feels like
- Early access to new products gives a personalized touch
- Requests only for an email signup
- Engaging CTA button
- Minimalist color palette
- Appears as soon as you get the first impression of their hero image
4. Xhibition

What we love:
- Strategic about the image’s focus - a 2-part layout for the product image and the copy
- Helps the audience visualize what the product feels like
- Early access to new products gives a personalized touch
- Requests only for an email signup
- Engaging CTA button
- Minimalist color palette
- Appears as soon as you get the first impression of their hero image
5. Zanerobe

What we love:
- Separate category/landing page for loyalty program on the homepage
- Crisp headline that indicates the brand’s belief in loyalty
- Precise subtitle to urge the audience to shop regularly to enjoy perks EVERY TIME they login
- 2 CTAs to distinguish new shoppers and regulars (with the primary CTA color-bolded)
- Subtle product image that blends with the background
Read more: Exit-Intent Pop-Ups: overcoming common mistakes + 20 brilliant examples
SKINCARE/COSMETICS BRANDS
1. Hers

What we love:
- Before suggesting a steep monthly discount, the brand asks anyone a number of questions including where they live, what their skin type is like, and what their skin goals are. Any potential customer notices that the brand takes a real personalized interest.
- The magnet offers not only a discount but one that ensures monthly savings. A smart move to convince people more easily.
2. Elcie

What we love:
- The narrative is instantly clear to the viewer. There’s something to be earned every step of the way when you become an Elcie loyalist.
- The idea of choice is introduced right from the start, clearly telling visitors what they are in for, if they choose to shop with Elcie.
3. Meow Meow Tweet

What we love:
- It’s non-intrusive and scrolls against a backdrop that is all about why MMT is a brand you can trust. The shape of the pop-up is a cat, which further reinforces the brand.
- It’s easy to opt out. All you need to do is click anywhere outside the popup. No crazy guesses about where the “x” button sits!
4. Boom!

What we love:
- Promotes a crisp eBook for a very specific age demographic
- A how-to guide on makeup and beauty tips for a general audience
- Personalized headline
- Educational content to understand the nuances of the product line
5. Annmarie Gianni

What we love:
- It gets the visitor right when their attention is at its peak. As soon as you land on the brand’s website, you find the quiz working for you.
- It uses crisp, personalized language that’s instantly meaningful for many of us. The fact that each person’s evaluation is done to offer “personalized results” makes it doubly attractive.
HOME AND KITCHEN APPLIANCES BRANDS
1. Nomad Grills

What we love:
- Flashy headline and excellent typography
- The real-time gif of the charcoal grill catches the eye
- Simple graphic to flaunt the offer; displays the exact number instead of percentage
- Proposes a bundle offer including add-ons with the exact quantity
- The coupon code on top of the offer
- Popup appears only after the visitor goes through the background video
2. Sunday

What we love:
- The messaging is deeply personalized and hits anyone who deeply cares about their lawn or is seeking to learn how to.
- A precise and adequately detailed analysis can create confidence in customers. If you can analyze something for them, higher are the chances you can solve it too.
3. Whole Latte Love

What we love:
- Unique and profitable loyalty program
- Earn & Save – Cashback for every purchase and gift cards
- Referral bonus – 1000 points to encash by referring a friend
- Nudges the user to purchase and recommend the product on a regular basis
- Simple theme and layout
4. Range Hood Store

What we love:
- Polished image of the product for the audience to understand the brand’s portfolio
- The gift card nudge instead of going for a single product sale – allows the user to purchase products they might be interested in
- Sizeable reward for a new visitor
- Occupies minimal real estate
- Appears after the first scroll
5. Blissy

What we love:
- The soft color palette to support the image’s narrative
- The whopping 55% OFF to improve the signup rate
- Social proof – featured in industry-specific magazines and tabloids
- Uses a relatively smaller real estate to convey the message
- Appears after a few scrolls for the audience to understand the brand and its products
JEWELRY BRANDS
1. Rebel Nell

What we love:
- Image depicts the brand’s essence
- Excellent use of typography
- Personalizes the offer with the “birthday” field to dish out tailor-made offers for visitors
- Conveniently placed lead magnet – easy to toggle
- Appears after a few scrolls (after the visitor evaluates the hero image)
2. Ana Luisa

What we love:
- A bold image flaunting the brand’s jewelry
- The urgency nudge – Valentine’s day out of stock alert
- Underlines the catchphrase to get viewers’ attention
- Color-bolded CTA
- Conveniently located decline button
- Appears in the center of the screen after a couple of scrolls
3. Karma and Luck

What we love:
- Simple yet innovative lead magnet design
- Appears after a couple of scrolls – visitor can get a hang of the product range
- Transparent against the hero image – doesn’t distract the user
- Crisp copy that resonated with the user
- Image depicts the brand’s essence and is also contextual of the sale
4. Tiffany & Co.

What we love:
- “Drop a hint” feature – a clever and innovative way to build an email list
- Encourages the visitors to send their wishes in a private email
- Sender and recipient emails are captured for further marketing actions
- Simple theme
5. Astor by Blue Nile

What we love:
- Strong headline that immediately catches the visitor’s attention
- Huge giveaway offer to urge the visitor to sign up
- Bold, striking visuals of the jewelry
- Lists down the perks of the giveaway offer
PET STORES
1. Bocce’s Bakery

What we love:
- The free shipping nudge
- Innovative typography and a crisp copy
- Personalized lead magnet – delivers personalized gifts for your pet’s birthday
- Appears after a few scrolls for the visitors to understand the brand and its products
- Covers the central part of the screen to nudge the visitors to type in the information for subscription
2. Only Natural Pet

What we love:
- Image depictive of the brand’s essence
- Simple copy
- Innovative CTA in the form of paws
- A decline CTA right below the copy
Should the visitor choose to take the plunge, the next screen is quite informative.

- Reveals a 20% OFF and provides updates on new deals and arrivals
- Shopping preference – allows the user to choose between dog, cat, or both
- Bold CTA
- Transparency – Discloses the maximum discount value
3. Crown & Paw

What we love:
- Personalized headline
- Social proof – 500k pet parents have endorsed the brand
- Caters to 4 different pets – dogs, cats, rabbits, and horses
- Urgency nudge – timer to indicate offer deadline
- Appears after the visitor flicks through the hero carousel
- Occupies minimal real estate
4. Chewy

What we love:
- While most people know the brand for pet food and treats, this magnet promises to help get a vet consultation. It supports people instantly looking for this support and also helps the brand promote their less frequently advertised vet and pharmacy services.
- The communication also clarifies that this service will be at no extra cost for those who decide to schedule automatic deliveries from Chewy. A smart way to make people sign up and inspire them to shop.
5. Pupnaps

What we love:
- Urges the audience to answer a question to make the lead magnet interactive
- Provides 3 common problems a user might face
- Provides a personalized product recommendation
- And of course, a 25% off for answering the question
- Occupies smaller real estate
- Allows the user to snap off with a conveniently located decline button
HEALTH SUPPLEMENT BRANDS
1. Curology

What we love:
- Personalized 30-day trial to instill trust
- Crisp headline – product in question solves a very specific problem
- Bold copy that contrasts the soft color palette
- Interactive CTA
- Minimal shipping cost
2. Alani Nu

What we love:
- Occupies very limited space in the window
- Appears after a couple of scrolls
- Crisp headline and copy
- The “Save for Later” option for the audience to revisit the offer at a later point
- The decline button at the bottom of the popup
3. Hiya Health

What we love:
- A whopping 50% OFF
- Free shipping
- Simple image
- Occupies very minimal space on the screen
- Appears only after a few scrolls
4. Needed

What we love:
- A very simple, yet informative lead magnet
- Image is in line with the context
- A whopping $100 OFF on your first subscription
- Personalizes the nutrition plan based on your requirements
- Coupon code to close the deal
- Transparent about the amount of savings month on month
5. Noom

What we love:
- Builds curiosity with a tailor-made survey
- Crisp headline to communicate why the visitor should sign up for a survey
- Dishes out a personalized diet plan
- Personalized CTA
CBD BRANDS
1. Juna World

What we love:
- A spin the wheel game for a monetary benefit
- Freebies and deals to entice the audience
- Crisp headline and a noteworthy copy to stress on the year-long benefits
- Occupies the left half of the screen and is also mobile-friendly
- Appears after you flick through the hero image carousel
2. Not Pot

What we love:
- The membership nudge
- Concise copy to nurture the users on what to expect
- Flaunts 4 bestsellers to urge the audience to signup
- Exclusive access and discounts for members
3. Kush Queen

What we love:
- A wellness plan tailor-made for each visitor along with a monetary benefit
- Image depicts the context in the lead magnet
- Crisp copy
- Interactive CTA
- The soft decline button to snap out
- Occupies very minimal space on the window
- Appears after a few scrolls
Read more: Selling CBD online? 15 strategies to boost conversion rate
4. Nature of Things

What we love:
- A minimalist lead magnet
- Product packaging is depictive of the brand’s essence
- Simple headline and a crisp copy to give a gist about the brand
- Occupies minimal space in the window, making it easy to snap out if needed
- Appears after the first scroll
5. Herb Essentls

What we love:
- Urges the audience to learn about the product and its source/benefits before making a purchase
- A discount code if the visitor decides to take the plunge
- Crisp headline
- Appears as a very small overlay on the hero image carousel – doesn’t distract the user
- Appears after a few scrolls
FURNITURE BRANDS
1. Fyrn

What we love:
- Monetary benefit in the headline
- A whopping $100 off on first purchase
- Caters to both general audience and trade professionals
- Appears as a small overlay on hero image
Read more: 20 Reasons Why Your Online Furniture Store Has Low Conversions (+ ways to fix)
2. Wrightwood Furniture

What we love:
- Announces a waitlist for upcoming releases
- Elegant real-life product image
- Occupies minimal real estate
- Simple design and copy
3. Valyou Furniture

What we love:
- Image resonates with the context of the lead magnet
- Crisp headline
- Excellent typography
- Makes the monetary benefit pop at first sight
- Generous deal
- Color-bolded CTA
4. Leons

What we love:
- Invites the visitor for a VIP membership
- Personalized copy that walks the visitor through the benefits
- Proposes a $250 gift card as a bonus
- Urgency nudge – entices the user to sign up right away for the gift card
- Simple, mobile-friendly copy
5. Inside Weather

What we love:
- It uses appreciative language - “build thanks” - and not generic words like “x% off! Enjoy the discount today.” This makes it more relatable for the audience the lead magnet is trying to attract.
- The limited period offer creates a sense of scarcity that people respond to very unconsciously. This pushes the idea of the discount a little more than it would have otherwise done.
5 lead magnet mistakes that can cost you customers
Once you know them, they will seem obvious. These are mistakes that even the most well-intentioned folks in business can make. Let this be your easy reference when you’re trying to write one for your eCommerce business.
1. Many pages of content BUT no big idea
It’s important to remember that in the current eCommerce context, customers negotiate thousands of hooks created by businesses. Some sound like clickbait, some too good to be true, and some so bland that people don’t know why they should waste their time on them. To avoid all of these traps, what you need to introduce into your lead magnet is ONE BIG IDEA. And this has to come out with ease in the title of your lead magnet. Avoid generic titles that go like “Sell more this winter season”. It’s too wide and too vague to convey why visitors can’t afford to miss what you’re offering them. Contrast that with “5 Unbeatable Hacks to Sell More this Christmas”. Do you see what we mean?
2. Helpful advice BUT way too many lead magnets
Some brands are so eager to make an impression that they keep hankering for the attention of existing and potential customers by dropping multiple lead magnets. While this sounds like a good thing, it can be a shattering experience for the audience. Unless the lead magnets are somehow building on a narrative or creating a flow between similar ideas, sticking to just one newsletter or whitepaper might be a good idea.
3. Everyday, engaging communication BUT no goal
It is essential to be clear about why you are putting in place a lead magnet. Is it to grow your email list? Is it to improve the way people perceive your brand? Is it to get them to shop and refer your brand to people? Without having a clear goal, your lead magnet can sound like too many things at the same time. This carries the danger of people getting frustrated, bored or worse, not wanting to engage with your brand any further.
4. Well-intentioned BUT with no audience in mind
It’s not enough to talk about how great your product is or what vision your brand carries if you don’t have an audience in mind. The voice you craft to communicate in is influenced by who you are speaking to. If that’s not in place, even the most well-intentioned ideas will fail to create the intended impact.
5. Lots of promise BUT no follow-up
While a lead magnet is the perfect means to build anticipation in your audience, it’s not everything. To engage visitors and customers in the long run, you will need to get a follow-up plan in place. Without this, anything you say or declare will seem empty when your audience expects you to have moved from communication to action.
Conclusion
There is no hard and fast rule in creating a lead magnet. You can even go out on a limb and try multiple offers simultaneously. While there are a bazillion amazing lead magnet ideas out there, we have only picked 40 of them. Be open to experimenting with lead magnets – because you might never know what excites the audience. You will crack it before you know it.