Newsletter Subscription Sweepstakes

See the full case study here.

Conversion rate: 37%
Email list growth: +42% in 3 weeks
Bounce rate on landing: 19% (low)
Cross-promotion sign-ups: 35%

Overview:

Our new cooking website, Big Recipe, wanted to grow its user base, so we partnered with HexClad to launch a sweepstakes campaign. The prize: a HexClad 12-piece Hybrid Cookware Set, worth $999. My task was to design a high-converting sign-up flow that not only attracts entries but also introduces users to the website's value.

Goal:

Primary Objective:

• Increase user sign-ups by 25% during the sweepstakes period.

Secondary Goals:

• Improve perception of brand trust.

• Make the sweepstakes feel exciting yet credible.

• Collect email opt-ins for future promotional efforts.

Discovery - User Research

Target users: Home cooks, aspiring chefs, food bloggers, and kitchen gear enthusiasts.

Pain points from the old landing page:

• Distrust in online giveaways.

• Long or complex forms deter participation.

• Information is not above the fold

• Lack of transparency about what happens after sign-up.

• Image quality

• Fonts are not readable

Key Insight: Users are willing to enter if the sweepstakes looks credible, entry is quick, and the prize feels aspirational and valuable.

Competitive Analysis

I reviewed sign-up pages from:

• Made In Cookware

• HexClad promotions

• All Recipe Sweepstakes

• NYT Cooking,

• Kitchen Stories and (for onboarding inspirations)

Takeaways:

• Countdown timers increase urgency.

• Visuals of the prize boost conversions.

• Trust badges or user reviews build credibility.

• Progress indicators improve form completion rates.