How do you get people to sign up for your list?

Glossier tested a mystery reward.

2 min read

The short answer

Glossier put a playful mystery offer against a plain 10 percent discount in the same popup. This post poses the test as a puzzle and leaves the outcome in the DoWhatWorks dashboard rather than publishing it.

The two Glossier popup variants side by side, the mystery offer on the left and the 10 percent discount on the right

Brands want you to sign up for their mailing list. This gives them many opportunities to lure you back.

But consumers can be reluctant to share their email with a brand. So brands offer many types of incentives to get you to sign up. Our engine has seen brands test multiple variations.

We see brands test questions like:

  • Should you offer a discount to get someone to sign up for your email list?
  • How big should the discount be?
  • Should you express it as a percent off (20% off)?
  • Should you express it as a fixed amount ($20 off)?
  • Should you offer free shipping?
  • Should there be a minimum purchase to get a reward?
  • Should you offer a gift?

We've also seen companies test a fun hybrid of all the above: a mystery offer.

In theory, a mystery reward has a lot going for it. It can be fun to play a game and get rewarded. Plus, the reward could be large. Mystery prizes also deliver a variable reward which psychological studies show motivate behavior (think Las Vegas).

On the flip side, they could also be annoying. You have to jump through hoops to get a reward. You might feel like you are getting manipulated.

So, do mystery offers work?

Our engine has detected many 'mystery offer' tests over the years. We like this one from Glossier.

The Experiment

Glossier ran 2 variants in a popup modal.

Variant A: Playfully offered a mystery offer on your first order.

Glossier popup headed What's that, offering a special mystery offer on a first order with an It's a mystery button

Variant B: Directly offered a 10% discount when you join the mailing list.

Glossier popup headed Join our email list, take 10% off, with a Sign me up button

Which do you think won?

The two Glossier popup variants shown side by side again, the mystery offer on the left and the flat discount on the right

DoWhatWorks customers: Click here to see the outcome in your dashboard.

Not a customer yet? Check out the result on our platform here.

About us

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Our technology knows what everyone is split testing. We then use the split test data to help clients win more, win faster, with less effort.

We work with the worlds top brands. If you are optimizing your website to get more customers we can help you. Let's talk.