What We're Talking About...Optimizing Website Popups for Conversion

Do you think pop-ups are annoying? Me too! In fact, they can something feel as interruptive as getting spam delivered in your inbox or a sales call during dinner. But, the truth is they work!

As a marketer, you probably know this. But it is important, like any tool we use, to know how to use (and not abuse) it to get the results we want. And if used the right way, these pop-ups can simultaneously deliver value to your visitor and leads to your database.

Providing value to your users is imperative when implementing pop up ads. Otherwise, you will jeopardize their experience with your brand online and leave them a bad taste in their mouth. Not at all worth it just to add another name to your email list.

So, if you're wondering how to utilize this valuable tool to your advantage, here's what we're talking about...

Articles

12 unique and effective uses of website pop ups in eCommerce  Via Olark

“One of the most important aspects of any website experience is the ability to grab your visitor’s attention. The average consumer has a short attention span and needs to be engaged to spur action.”

While some marketers may just use a pop up to capture emails, savvy marketers have found creative and effective uses for pop ups to drive desired actions. This article will go over tactics from boosted engagement, email capture, sales conversion, to building customer loyalty through variations of pop ups. 

Pop-ups Aren’t Dead: What We Learned Analyzing 2 Billion Pop-up Examples Via Sumo

“Pop-ups work. Marketers know the thoughts people have vs. the actions they take are two totally different things. There’s just a misunderstanding about what makes a successful pop-up (that isn’t annoying).”

Details matter when it comes to pop-ups, even a small mistake can compromise it's effectiveness. This article covers a variety of different pop up examples and eight bulletproof elements that will increase (or decrease) your pop-up conversion rates.

5 Tips for Creating High Converting Exit Pop Ups Via Justuno

“Acknowledging that the visitor is about to leave and that you’re willing to offer them something to either stay on site or leave their email will spur action. Go for short, easy to understand headlines that will stop visitors from immediately leaving your site.”

As digital marketers, we’re all trying to convert a higher percentage of our website traffic. When it comes to getting users to take action, there must be a sense of urgency. One tactic to tap into a sense of urgency is by adding a countdown timer to your pop up. Who would have thought? Read the entire article to discover even more tips for creating high converting exit pop-ups to use on your site.

Tool

Lead Flows Via Hubspot

“Lead flows allow you to easily create and customize engaging lead capture forms. No developer required, works on any website, and it’s free.”

With lead flows, your visitors have a frictionless experience where they get the content they're looking for, and you get the conversion. Discover how you both win with this free tool offered as a part of the free version of HubSpot's Marketing platform.

Research Study

Should Marketers Use Pop-Up Forms? A Comprehensive Analysis Via HubSpot

“Some pop-ups are fairly benign and you hardly notice them. Others are distracting, and quite frankly, downright poopy.”

A common mistake marketers make with pop-ups is having them appear at the wrong time, which adds to the annoyance factor. Be strategic about the timing and trigger of your pop-ups. Read this article to gain a new perspective on how to look at creating a pop up ad.

Video

Pop-Ups, Overlays, Modals, Interstitials, and How They Interact with SEO Via Moz

“If you are trying to get the most effective value out of these types of elements, it tends to be the case that the less common and less well used the visual element is, the more interaction and engagement it's going to get.”

Have you thought about what your pop-ups might be doing to your SEO? In this Whiteboard Friday video, Rand Fishkin discusses the variety of pop-ups and best practices to avoid being penalized by Google. Fishkin dives deep into the the variables Google considers when judging your pop-ups, from the timing of the pop up to the content on it. This is a must watch for anyone concerned about pop up effects on user engagement and SEO.

Pop-ups are a great tool to get users to take action. The mindset you should have when using pop-ups is to ask yourself, how valuable is this to my users? If you're noticing that your pop-ups are not as effective, check out our latest ebook on 30 Lead Generation Tips & Tricks to add more tools to your tool belt!

This blog is part of Your Definitive Guide to Conversion Rate Optimization blog series.