Email marketing is essential for every website owner. By integrating a professional email service like ActiveCampaign into your WordPress site, you can drive more repeat traffic, boost conversions, and grow your mailing list.
According to Campaign Monitor, email generates $38 for every $1 spent, delivering the highest ROI of any marketing channel.
In this comprehensive guide, we will compare five different methods to connect your WordPress site with ActiveCampaign for optimal email marketing:
- Using WPForms plugin (drag and drop forms)
- Using OptinMonster plugin (popups and lead generation)
- Using Formidable Forms plugin (advanced form builder)
- Using MemberPress plugin (for membership sites)
- Using the official ActiveCampaign plugin
By the end, you‘ll know which integration best suits your website and goals. You‘ll also have step-by-step instructions to get set up fast.
Let‘s get started!
Contents
- Why Integrate WordPress with ActiveCampaign?
- Method #1: Connect ActiveCampaign to WordPress Using WPForms
- Method #2: Connect ActiveCampaign to WordPress Using OptinMonster
- Method #3: Connect ActiveCampaign to WordPress Using Formidable Forms
- Method #4: Connect ActiveCampaign to WordPress Using MemberPress
- Method #5: Connect ActiveCampaign to WordPress Using Official Plugin
- Summary: Choosing the Best ActiveCampaign Integration for Your WordPress Site
Why Integrate WordPress with ActiveCampaign?
Before we dive into the how-to, let‘s look at some of the key reasons you should connect your WordPress site with ActiveCampaign:
1. Collect More Email Subscribers
ActiveCampaign makes it easy to collect email addresses from website visitors through opt-in forms. This grows your mailing list so you can market to subscribers repeatedly.
According to statistics from Campaign Monitor:
- Email generates 40X more revenue than Facebook and Twitter combined
- Email has an average ROI of 122% compared to other channels
By integrating ActiveCampaign opt-in forms into your WordPress site, you can capture more emails and increase your marketing potential.
2. Send Automated Email Funnels
Once a visitor subscribes, ActiveCampaign‘s automation makes it easy to deliver targeted content through email sequences.
You can send welcome emails, special offers, or product recommendations tailored to each subscriber‘s interests and behavior on your website.
Email funnels nurture leads, drive repeat visits, and boost conversions. Automation is powerful for sales and marketing.
3. Track Detailed Analytics
With ActiveCampaign, you get detailed insights into your email marketing performance.
See metrics for open rates, clicks, conversions, and more. Use this data to refine your emails and improve results over time.
Analytics allow you to optimize every aspect of your email marketing strategy with hard numbers.
4. Integrate With CRM and Sales
ActiveCampaign seamlessly integrates with 30+ CRM and sales platforms including Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho CRM, and others.
This powerful feature flags subscriber behavior in your CRM immediately. It also pushes email history directly into each contact record for a complete view.
Combined with WordPress, this creates a streamlined sales and marketing workflow.
5. Tag Subscribers For Segmentation
ActiveCampaign lets you tag subscriber records based on any criteria you want. For example, you may tag users based on:
- Pages visited
- Products purchased
- Geography
- Referral source
- Engagement metrics
This allows you to segment your lists when sending emails. You can deliver hyper-targeted content to each subscriber for 5-10X higher open and click rates compared to mass emailing your whole list.
In short, integrating ActiveCampaign with WordPress supercharges your email marketing and ROI. Now let‘s look at the top plugins to connect them together.
Method #1: Connect ActiveCampaign to WordPress Using WPForms
WPForms is the most beginner-friendly WordPress form builder plugin. It allows you to create all types of forms with a drag-and-drop interface.
Over 3 million websites use WPForms to create contact forms, email signup forms, surveys, and more.
Let‘s see how to use it to connect ActiveCampaign for email subscriptions:
Step 1: Install and Activate WPForms
If you don‘t already have the WPForms plugin, install it from the WordPress repository or by searching in your WordPress dashboard.
Activate the plugin.
Step 2: Add Your WPForms License Key
To access the ActiveCampaign integration, you need the paid version of WPForms.
Visit WPForms > Settings, and add your WPForms license key. Save your changes.
Step 3: Install the ActiveCampaign Addon
Go to WPForms > Addons from your dashboard. Search for ActiveCampaign.
Install and activate the ActiveCampaign addon.
![Install ActiveCampaign Addon in WPForms]
Step 4: Create Opt-In Form
WPForms makes it easy to create beautiful opt-in forms without any coding.
Go to WPForms > Add New. Select the "Newsletter" template.
Customize the form using the drag-and-drop builder. Add any extra fields you need.
Step 5: Connect ActiveCampaign Account
Once your opt-in form is ready, go to the "Marketing" tab. Click "Add New Account".
Enter your ActiveCampaign URL and API key. Save your changes.
WPForms will now connect to your ActiveCampaign account.
Step 6: Map Form Fields and Embed
Next, map your WPForms fields to the corresponding ActiveCampaign list fields. This pushes the data into your subscriber records.
Embed your finished opt-in form on any post, page, or widget using the WPForms block.
That‘s it! Now your WordPress site will seamlessly capture subscriber emails into ActiveCampaign.
Pros
- Very easy to create forms without coding
- Great documentation and support
- Drag-and-drop form customization
Potential Cons
- Limited form design options
- Addon has less features than other options
Overall WPForms is a great choice for beginners to quickly add ActiveCampaign email signups on their WordPress site.
Method #2: Connect ActiveCampaign to WordPress Using OptinMonster
OptinMonster allows you to create high-converting popups, floating bars, slide-ins, and other attention-grabbing forms to capture more emails.
It comes with powerful targeting options so you can display custom opt-ins to different visitors based on their location, referral source, browsing behavior and more.
Here is how to connect OptinMonster with ActiveCampaign:
Step 1: Sign Up for OptinMonster
First, you‘ll need to create a free OptinMonster account. They offer a free 30-day trial to new users.
Step 2: Install the OptinMonster Plugin
Search for the OptinMonster plugin directly in your WordPress dashboard. Install and activate it.
This connects your website to your OptinMonster account.
Step 3: Create a New Campaign
In your WordPress dashboard, go to OptinMonster > Campaigns. Click "Create Campaign".
Select a campaign type and template. For this demo, we‘ll use a lightbox popup.
Name your campaign and click "Start Building".
Step 4: Build and Customize Your Opt-In
Use OptinMonster‘s drag-and-drop editor to build your email opt-in experience. Customize all text, fonts, colors, and layout.
Add any Fields for collecting subscriber data. Click "Save & Close" when finished.
Step 5: Connect ActiveCampaign Integration
Go to the "Integrations" tab in your campaign. Click "Add New Integration".
Select ActiveCampaign as your Email Provider.
Enter your ActiveCampaign API credentials and click "Connect". Select your subscriber list to integrate with.
Step 6: Target and Publish Campaign
Go to the "Publish" tab. Set your targeting rules to display the opt-in.
Change status to "Published" and save the campaign.
Your popup or other opt-in will now appear on your site! Visitors who subscribe will automatically be added to your ActiveCampaign list.
Pros
- Create attention-grabbing popups, bars, slide-ins
- Advanced visitor targeting and personalization
- High conversion rates
Potential Cons
- Can take more time to master
- May annoy some visitors
In summary, OptinMonster is extremely powerful for capturing more emails by creating converting opt-in experiences.
Method #3: Connect ActiveCampaign to WordPress Using Formidable Forms
Formidable Forms is an advanced WordPress form builder that makes it easy to create complex, multi-page web forms and surveys.
It comes with an ActiveCampaign integration addon that allows you to connect your forms for email list growth.
Here is how to set it up:
Step 1: Install and Activate Formidable Forms
First, install the Formidable Forms plugin via your WordPress dashboard.
After activating, visit Formidable > Global Settings.
Add your Formidable Forms license key or connect your account.
Step 2: Install ActiveCampaign Addon
Go to Formidable > Addons. Search for ActiveCampaign.
Install and activate the ActiveCampaign integration addon.
![Install ActiveCampaign addon in Formidable Forms]
Step 3: Add API Credentials in Settings
Go to Formidable > Global Settings. Click the ActiveCampaign tab.
Enter your ActiveCampaign API URL and Key provided in your ActiveCampaign account.
Save your changes. Your account is now connected.
Step 4: Create Opt-In Form
Go to Formidable > Forms and click "Add New". Select a template.
Use the drag-and-drop editor to build your form. Include all the fields you need.
Step 5: Set Up ActiveCampaign Integration
Once your form is ready, go to Form Settings > Actions. Click ActiveCampaign.
Select your ActiveCampaign list, and map form fields to ActiveCampaign fields.
Save your changes. Your form will now send data to your connected ActiveCampaign account.
Step 6: Embed and Display Opt-In Form
Embed your form on any post or page using the Formidable Forms block in the editor.
You can also add it to sidebars and widgets using the Formidable Forms widget.
That‘s it! You can create complex multi-page forms with conditional logic, payment integrations, and more with Formidable while capturing emails through ActiveCampaign.
Pros
- Build complex, multi-page web forms
- Create engaging quiz-style opt-ins
- Collect payments and Post submissions
Potential Cons
- Steeper learning curve than other options
- No drag-and-drop design mode
In short, Formidable Forms is great for powerful web forms beyond basic email signups while integrating with ActiveCampaign.
Method #4: Connect ActiveCampaign to WordPress Using MemberPress
MemberPress is the most popular WordPress membership plugin, used by over 30,000 websites.
It allows you to easily accept member subscriptions, restrict access to content, and more.
The built-in ActiveCampaign integration makes it easy to capture member emails. Let‘s see how it works:
Step 1: Install and Set Up MemberPress
First, install MemberPress via your WordPress plugin dashboard and complete the setup wizard.
Create subscription products in your MemberPress account to start accepting paid members.
Step 2: Install ActiveCampaign Addon
Go to MemberPress > Addons. Install the ActiveCampaign Lists or ActiveCampaign Tags addon.
The Tags addon is more powerful for segmenting based on membership level.
Step 3: Add API Credentials
Go to MemberPress > Settings > Marketing. Enable ActiveCampaign.
Add your ActiveCampaign API URL and Key. Select your subscriber list. Save settings.
Step 4: Publish Subscription Products
Publish your member subscription products if you haven‘t already.
Display them using the MemberPress products shortcode.
Step 5: Sign Up New Members
When users purchase one of your subscriptions, they will be automatically signed up through ActiveCampaign as well.
The integration works seamlessly in the background without any extra steps.
Pros
- Automatically capture member emails
- Segment lists by membership levels
- Built-in integration is easy to set up
Potential Cons
- Only works for membership sites
- Less flexibility compared to form plugins
In summary, MemberPress makes email list building effortless for membership sites while integrating tightly with ActiveCampaign.
Method #5: Connect ActiveCampaign to WordPress Using Official Plugin
If you want the fastest option, you can use the official ActiveCampaign for WordPress plugin to connect the two platforms.
Here is how to set it up:
Step 1: Install and Activate the Plugin
Search for "ActiveCampaign" in your WordPress plugin dashboard. Install the official ActiveCampaign plugin.
Activate the plugin. This creates a connection to your ActiveCampaign account.
Step 2: Add Your ActiveCampaign Credentials
Go to Settings > ActiveCampaign in your WordPress dashboard.
Enter your ActiveCampaign account URL and API key. Click "Connect".
Save your changes. Your ActiveCampaign account will be linked to your site.
Step 3: Create Opt-In Form
The official plugin does not include a form builder. You will need to create your opt-in forms directly in your ActiveCampaign account.
In your ActiveCampaign dashboard, go to Forms to create your signup form.
Step 4: Embed Forms Into WordPress
The plugin provides a Gutenberg block called "AC Forms" to embed your ActiveCampaign forms.
Simply add the block to any post or page. Select your form and save.
The form will display on your site, allowing visitors to subscribe to your list.
Pros
- Extremely quick and easy setup
- Official integration from ActiveCampaign
Potential Cons
- Requires creating forms in ActiveCampaign
- Less customization and features
In short, the official plugin provides seamless integration without needing another form plugin but lacks flexibility.
Summary: Choosing the Best ActiveCampaign Integration for Your WordPress Site
Hopefully this guide has helped you understand the different options for integrating WordPress with ActiveCampaign for optimal email marketing.
Here is a quick comparison of the five methods:
Method | Pros | Potential Cons |
---|---|---|
WPForms | Very easy form builder | Limited customization |
OptinMonster | Create popups, bars, slide-ins | Can take more time to master |
Formidable Forms | Build complex web forms | Steep learning curve |
MemberPress | Auto-capture member emails | Only for membership sites |
Official Plugin | Super fast setup | Less flexible compared to other options |
The best solution depends on your technical skill level, website type, budget, and specific needs.
For beginners, WPForms provides the fastest way to create opt-in forms and integrate with ActiveCampaign.
For membership sites, MemberPress makes email integration seamless.
For maximum conversions, OptinMonster allows you to create attention-grabbing popups and bars that capture emails from site visitors before they leave.
No matter which you choose, integrating WordPress with ActiveCampaign will level up your email marketing and ROI. With the help of this guide, you can get set up fast.
Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to help out.