Create a sense of urgency by nudging website visitors into claiming their username, new email address, or domain before someone else does. Use this call to action (CTA) as an access point through which people will signup for your platform.
Think about social media handles. In some cases, people claim their handle to ensure others won’t get the same username or nickname. They may not use the social media platform, yet they’ve claimed the ownership of their handle, knowing no one else will use it.
If these people want to start using the social media platform, they can do it under their name or nickname. So to make sure they’ll have access to it (whenever they feel like getting active on social media), they choose to claim it beforehand.
Remember Clubhouse?
Although people couldn’t get into Clubhouse without an invitation, the company would incentivize them to register by using the “Create Your Username” CTA, creating a certain level of FOMO.
The same happens when entrepreneurs or creators buy domains for possible new projects, ensuring no one else will grab them first.
If your platform allows it and is relevant to your offer, use the same FOMO practice to increase your signup rates.
Instead of a “Try it for Free” CTA inviting people to signup by creating an account, ask them to claim their handle as a way to access your platform.
► Quick note: Although very few SaaS companies can use this growth practice, it may inspire you to improve your product signup CTA.
📓 Handle: A general term used for a name, nickname, domain, address, or URL people can claim or grab when signing up for a new platform.
📓 FOMO: When encouraging people to grab their a handle, you’re implying the possibility of someone else claiming the same username, address, or domain. This creates the fear of missing out, and, in most cases, your website visitors feel compelled to grab their handle right away, signing up for the platform.
The type of handles can vary depending on the platform type.
To create an account on Cal, people have to claim their username.
Website visitors can add their username and check its availability. In some cases, the handle is taken.
But if the handle is available, people are asked to go through a regular signup process, adding their email address and password.
Each user gets a personalized Cal link with the username. Subsequently, they can share the public page with their contacts, who can access the calendar and book a meeting date/hour.
Although HEY’s primary CTA is “Try it free,” the company redirects people to a page where they can pick their @hey.com email address.
That’s the first signup step, followed by actions such as:
Once you’ve claimed your email address, it’s difficult not to follow through with the process and ensure you get it.
As mentioned previously, this practice is suitable for fewer SaaS companies. Here are some of the requirements/attributes they should meet:
If your product meets the requirements mentioned above, you can try the “Claim Your Handle” CTA as a main platform access point for your website visitors. Here’s how you can do it:
✅ There’s no need to change your signup process. But you have to add an initial step, encouraging people to type their handle and check its availability.
✅ If the handle is available, guide people through your regular signup process.
✅ Generate a personalized dashboard, space, or page that includes the handle (whether it’s in the link or the name of the public dashboard) and encourage people to share it with their contacts to achieve a specific result.
✅ Don’t forget that you can always test your CTAs. For example, you can run both “Try for Free” and “Claim Your Handle” CTAs and see which version works best to increase the signup rate and lower the signup abandonment rate.