Table of Contents
TL;DR
- “Lead gen plugin” ≠ just popups. The highest-intent conversions on WordPress often come from interactive pricing/quote calculators + clean follow-ups (email/SMS) + CRM routing.
- Use popups & inline forms for TOFU/MOFU (awareness/interest), calculators & multi-step quote forms for BOFU (buying).
- Track
generate_leadin GA4, and comply with GDPR/PECR/CASL consent (email and SMS). Cite and log consent. - If deliverability matters (it does), offload mail with Amazon SES + SMTP plugin (cheap, reliable) and add a “speed-to-lead” alert. (Google for Developers)
Who this guide is for
Marketers, founders, and agencies who need leads that close, not just newsletter signups. You’ll get opinionated picks by use-case, practical stacks, consent microcopy, and GA4 events you can paste in.
Editor’s Picks by Use-Case
We reviewed the dominant “best of” roundups to understand what the market is pushing (OptinMonster, WPForms, SeedProd, etc.), then re-organized by intent and funnel stage rather than one giant list.
Services with variable pricing (contractors, agencies, rentals)
- Primary: Calculator/Quote builder (Stylish Cost Calculator/Formidable/Gravity Forms) + SMTP + CRM.
- Why: Visitors want ballpark pricing first; revealing it behind an email gate or “Send my quote” captures high-intent leads. Formidable and Gravity publish calculation/quote guides.
B2B (demos, discovery calls)
- Primary: Multi-step form (conditional logic) + scheduler + CRM scoring.
- Why: More fields are acceptable at BOFU if they shorten time-to-value (e.g., routing to the right SDR).
Content & media list-growth
- Primary: On-site messages (slide-ins, scroll boxes) + one-click newsletter forms.
- Why: Lightweight patterns convert before the close. See mainstream roundups for what’s commonly recommended.
Ecommerce add-ons
- Primary: Popups for first-order discounts, exit-intent, and back-in-stock; pair with email/SMS.
- Why: Classics still work when capped and targeted.
Quick-Compare Matrix
| Tool / Type | Best For | A/B | CRM/ESP | GA4 Event Helpers | Spam/Deliverability | Notable Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OptinMonster (popup/on-site) | List growth | Yes | Yes | Custom | n/a (front-end) | Popular in all roundups. |
| WPForms / Gravity / Formidable (forms) | Multi-step, conditional | Yes (tiers) | Yes | Custom | Send via SMTP plugin | Formidable & Gravity publish calc/quote patterns. |
| Calculator plugins (Stylish Cost Calculator) | Instant price/quotes | Varies | Email/SMS | Custom | Send via SMTP plugin | Dedicated quote experiences increase BOFU conversions. |
| FluentSMTP + Amazon SES | Transactional email delivery | n/a | n/a | n/a | High (infra) | ~$0.10/1k emails; widely used in WP stacks. |
| Live chat | Objection handling | n/a | CRM | Events | n/a | Adds human touch; use sparingly on mobile. |
From the trenches: “FluentSMTP + AWS SES… your email will never land in spam again.”
Reddit, 2 months ago—anecdotal but representative sentiment.
- Sell your products & serices with complex math
- Send quotes by email to collect leads
- Enable your customers to configure your products & services
The Big Gap: Interactive Pricing & Quote Builders (BOFU)
- Blur-to-reveal: Show a running total but blur it until the visitor enters email/phone (“Unblur my quote”).
- Email my quote (PDF): Send an itemized estimate; include a “Book a call” link.
- Two-way SMS follow-up: “Got your quote—any questions before we lock the date?” (Get explicit SMS consent!) (CRTC)
Choose from 60+ industry templates (construction, events, services, automotive) and go live in minutes.
Use the AI Setup Wizard to auto-configure complex pricing logic (bulk discounts, taxes, conditional fees).
Deliver professional PDF/email/SMS quotes that integrate with Stripe, PayPal, and WooCommerce.
Stack Recipes (Copy-Paste)
Local services (cleaning, moving, trades)
- Calculator (rooms/items/hours) →
- CTA: “Email me this quote” (checkboxes: Email updates, SMS updates) →
- SMTP (SES) to ensure inboxing + CRM tag by quote size →
- 24-hr SMS nudge: “Do you want to schedule?”
B2B SaaS
- Multi-step form (team size, stack, timeline) → demo scheduler → CRM lead score → Slack alert if value > threshold.
Ecommerce add-to-list
- Slide-in at 60% scroll with value (e.g., “5-minute setup guide”) → double opt-in email → welcome flow.
Compliance You Can Copy (Email, SMS, Cookies)
- CASL (Canada): You must obtain consent, identify yourself, and provide an unsubscribe. Keep proof of consent (timestamp, method). This applies to messages sent to Canadian recipients even from other countries. (CRTC)
- PECR/GDPR (UK/EU): Non-essential cookies (e.g., marketing/tracking used by popups/analytics) require clear disclosure and opt-in consent (no pre-ticked boxes, not bundled). (ICO)
- Email: “I agree to receive project updates & one-time price quotes from [Brand]. You can unsubscribe anytime.”
- SMS: “I agree to receive SMS updates about my quote. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out.” (Make SMS optional and logged.)
Add a vulnerability watch: popup plugins do get CVEs (e.g., Popup Maker stored-XSS in 2024). Keep everything patched.
- Sell your products & serices with complex math
- Send quotes by email to collect leads
- Enable your customers to configure your products & services
Measure What Matters (GA4 + Routing)
generate_lead for form submit, quote sent, price revealed, chat started. Google documents recommended events (use custom events where needed). generate_lead— on successful form/quote submitview_item— on viewing a pricing option within a calculatorbegin_checkout— if you let users pay a deposit on the quote
Field note: Multiple Reddit threads in the last year recommend FluentSMTP + AWS SES as a low-cost, reliable stack for WordPress email.
Performance & Conflicts (Real-World WP)
- Defer/async non-critical JS; minimize main-thread work; keep request counts small. (Web guidance & Lighthouse docs.)
- Prefer inline/slide-in for mobile over full-screen modals.
- Accessibility: every field has a label and helpful text via
aria-describedby.
Bonus: Some dedicated calculator plugins and forms are relatively light; always test your stack. (As an example, independent plugin smoke tests can show minimal page-speed impact for specific versions—use your own site to verify.)
Mini Playbooks by Industry
Cleaning company (residential)
- Calculator fields: bedrooms, bathrooms, pets, add-ons (inside fridge/oven), frequency.
- CTA: “Email me this quote.”
- Follow-up: Email with PDF + SMS reminder in 24h.
Moving company
- Calculator fields: home size → prefilled cubic ft, distance, heavy items.
- CTA: “Lock my date.”
- Follow-up: SDR call within 30 minutes; resurface quote via email.
Creative agency
- Multi-step form: scope, deadline, budget band → auto-route to AE by budget.
(All playbooks: track generate_lead; log consent; offload email via SES.)
Conclusion
- Best for BOFU leads: Calculator/quote builder (Stylish Cost Calculator or Formidable/Gravity), with PDF/email/SMS quote delivery.
- Best for list growth: OptinMonster-style on-site messages + simple forms.
- Best for deliverability: FluentSMTP + Amazon SES, with logs and alerts.
Next Step
- Add a calculator or multi-step quote form for BOFU;
- Wire SMTP (SES) and CRM routing;
- Add one polite popup/slide-in for MOFU;
- Measure with
generate_lead.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between forms, popups, and calculators for lead gen?
Think intent. Popups catch casual interest; forms gather contact info; calculators/quotes convert buyers who are pricing now.
Do I really need an SMTP plugin?
If you care about delivery, yes. WordPress’s default mail can fail silently. Pair FluentSMTP with Amazon SES for cheap, reliable sending. Pricing is roughly $0.10 per 1,000 emails (attachments extra).
Are popups safe?
They’re fine when updated and configured; like any plugin, they can get security advisories. Keep versions current and review changelogs.
How should I handle cookie consent for marketing popups?
Under UK/EU rules, non-essential cookies require informed, unbundled consent. Don’t set marketing cookies until the user opts in.