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How to Use the Email Capture Tool in Connect

Collect Emails, Engage Visitors, and Grow Your Church Community

 

The Email Capture Tool in Connect is a powerful way to gather contact information from church members and website visitors. Whether you’re building an email list for newsletters, event reminders, or prayer requests, this tool makes it simple to collect and manage email submissions.

1. What Is the Email Capture Tool?

The Email Capture Tool allows you to:
✅ Collect email addresses from website visitors.
✅ Build lists for newsletters, prayer requests, or updates.
✅ Send confirmation emails to users who sign up.
✅ Notify your team when a new email is captured.
✅ Customize forms to collect additional information.

💡 Why It Matters: Having an organized way to collect and manage email addresses helps churches maintain engagement, improve communication, and encourage long-term connections.

2. Adding the Email Capture Tool to Your Panel

Step 1: Enable the Tool

  1. Log in to your Connect Dashboard.
  2. Navigate to Customize Tools.
  3. Click “Add Tool” and select Email Capture.
  4. Click the down arrow next to the tool to open settings.

3. Customizing the Email Capture Section

Step 2: Naming and Display Settings

  • Tool Title – This appears in the Connect panel.
    ✅ Example: “Join Our Newsletter” or “Stay Connected”
  • Panel Title – The text that appears inside the tool when users open it.
    ✅ Example: “Fill out the form below to subscribe to updates.”
  • Visibility Settings – Choose when the tool is available:
    • Always (Recommended for continuous email collection.)
    • Working Hours Only (Hides form outside office hours.)
    • After Hours Only (Displays form only outside office hours.)

💡 Tip: Keep this set to "Always" unless you have a specific reason to restrict access.

4. Creating and Customizing the Form

Step 3: Building the Form

The Email Capture tool allows customizable form fields so you can collect as much or as little information as needed.

To Edit or Add Fields:

  1. Under "Build Your Form," review the default fields.
    • Name (Required)
    • Email Address (Required)
    • Company (Optional – can be removed or changed.)
  2. To remove a field, click the 🗑️ trash icon next to it.
  3. To edit a field, click the ✏️ pencil icon.
  4. Choose from different field types:
    • Text box (For open-ended responses.)
    • Checkbox (For yes/no questions.)
    • Dropdown list (For multiple-choice options.)
  5. Click Save to apply changes.

💡 Example Custom Questions for Churches:
✅ Would you like to receive prayer requests? (Yes/No checkbox)
✅ Are you a first-time visitor? (Yes/No dropdown)
✅ What ministries are you interested in? (Multiple-choice dropdown)

5. Sending Confirmation Emails

Step 4: Automatic Email Responses

You can send two types of emails using this tool:

  1. Confirmation Email to the User (Sent to the person who fills out the form.)
  2. Notification Email to Your Church Team (Sent to staff when a form is submitted.)

To Enable Confirmation Emails:

  1. Scroll to "Confirmation Email."
  2. Click "Yes" to enable automatic responses.
  3. Customize the email subject and message.
    ✅ Example Subject: “Thank You for Subscribing!”
    ✅ Example Message: “We’re excited to stay connected with you! You’ll start receiving updates soon.”
  4. Click Save.

To Enable Notification Emails (For Church Staff):

  1. Scroll to "Notification Email CC."
  2. Enter the church staff email where notifications should be sent.
    ✅ Example: office@yourchurch.com
  3. Customize the notification email subject and message.
    ✅ Example Subject: “New Email Sign-Up”
    ✅ Example Message: “A new visitor has subscribed. Here’s their information:”
  4. Click Save.

💡 Tip: This ensures no new contact goes unnoticed, helping you follow up with visitors effectively.

6. Adding Images or Videos to the Form

Step 5: Making the Form More Engaging

Adding a video or image to the form makes it visually appealing and increases conversions.

To Add an Image or Video:

  1. Click “Introduction Media”.
  2. Choose from:
    • 📷 Upload an Image (Church logo, background image, etc.)
    • 🎥 Upload a Video (Welcome message from your pastor.)
  3. Click Save.

💡 Tip: A short video message inviting people to subscribe can increase engagement and make visitors feel more connected.

7. Saving and Testing the Email Capture Form

Step 6: Save and Preview

  1. Click “Save” to apply all changes.
  2. Open your website and test the Email Capture Tool to ensure:
    ✅ Fields appear correctly.
    ✅ Confirmation emails are sent properly.
    ✅ Staff notification emails are received.

8. Best Practices for Managing Email Captures

✅ Keep the form simple – Only ask for necessary information.
✅ Use engaging language – “Join our community” sounds better than “Sign up.”
✅ Regularly follow up – Send personalized welcome emails to new subscribers.
✅ Monitor submissions – Check your Contact Inbox for new sign-ups.
✅ Integrate with other tools – Combine with Event Announcements or Live Chat for a seamless experience.

Next Steps

Your Email Capture Tool is now set up and ready to help your church stay connected! Looking for more ways to engage visitors? Explore additional Connect tools, or contact support@ministrydesigns.org for assistance. 🚀