How do I collect email addresses from portfolio visitors?

As an artist, you can collect email addresses from visitors to your public portfolio. This is perfect for art shows, gallery openings, or anywhere you want to build your mailing list!

What is Email Collection?

The email collection feature lets you:

• Add a subscription form to your public portfolio page
• Collect visitor email addresses and names (optional)
• View, manage, and export your subscriber list
• Build your mailing list for future announcements

This feature is especially useful when you have an iPad or computer set up at art shows or gallery openings where visitors can browse your work and sign up to hear from you.

How to Enable Email Collection

1. Navigate to Display Link Settings
2. Go to your artist dashboard
3. Click on "Display Link" in the navigation menu
4. Enable Mailing List Collection
5. Find the "Display Link Settings" section
6. Look for "Collect email addresses for a mailing list?"
7. Toggle the switch to enable it
8. Make Sure Public Display is Enabled
9. Your portfolio must be publicly visible for email collection to work
10. Enable "Public Display" if it's not already on

That's it! Your public portfolio will now show a subscription option to visitors.

What Visitors See

When mailing list collection is enabled:

• Visitors to your public portfolio will see an option to join your mailing list
• They can enter their email address (required) and name (optional)
• The form is optimized for iPad and mobile devices
• After subscribing, they'll see a confirmation message

The subscription form is designed to be simple and non-intrusive, allowing visitors to easily sign up without disrupting their viewing experience.

Managing Your Subscribers

Viewing Your Subscriber List

1. Go to Display Link Settings
2. Click "View email addresses collected" (appears after you've enabled mailing list collection)
3. You'll see a table with:
4. Subscriber names (if provided)
5. Email addresses
6. Date and time they subscribed

Searching for Subscribers

Use the search box at the top of the subscriber list to:

• Search by name or email address
• Filter your list in real-time
• The count updates to show "X of Y subscribers" when searching

Editing a Subscriber

1. Click "Edit" next to any subscriber
2. Update their name or email address
3. Click "Save" to confirm

Note: Email addresses are validated and must contain an @ symbol.

Deleting a Subscriber

1. Click "Delete" next to the subscriber you want to remove
2. Confirm the deletion
3. The subscriber will be permanently removed from your list

Exporting to CSV

To export your entire mailing list:

1. Go to your subscriber list page
2. Click "Download CSV" in the top right
3. Open the CSV file in Excel, Google Sheets, or your email marketing tool

The CSV includes all subscriber information: names, email addresses, and subscription dates.

Privacy and Best Practices

Email Privacy

• Keep subscriber emails private and secure
• Don't share or sell email addresses
• Only use them to contact people who signed up

Rate Limiting

• The subscription form has rate limiting (10 submissions per hour per IP address)
• This prevents spam and abuse
• Legitimate visitors won't be affected

Data Management

• Review your subscriber list regularly
• Remove duplicates or invalid entries
• Export and backup your list periodically

Common Questions

Q: Can I email my subscribers directly from EntryThingy? A: Not yet! This feature is coming in a future update. For now, you can export your list to CSV and use your preferred email service.

Q: What if someone wants to unsubscribe? A: Currently, you can manually remove subscribers by editing your list. When we add the ability to email subscribers directly, we'll include an automatic unsubscribe feature.

Q: Is there a limit to how many subscribers I can have? A: No! You can collect as many email addresses as you want.

Q: Can I customize what the subscription form says? A: Not at this time. The form uses a standard design optimized for clarity and ease of use.

Q: Do I get notified when someone subscribes? A: Not automatically, but you can check your subscriber list anytime to see new signups.

Next Steps

Once you've built your mailing list:

1. Export regularly - Download your CSV to have a backup
2. Keep it updated - Remove bounced emails or unsubscribes
3. Plan your outreach - Think about what you'll share with your subscribers (new work, show announcements, etc.)

When EntryThingy adds direct emailing features, you'll be ready to connect with your audience!

Need Help?

If you have questions about email collection or managing your subscribers, contact us at support@entrythingy.com.