You’re scrolling through a website, and POP! Yes, popups can be jarring and annoying… if implemented poorly. However, strategic use of popup plugins for your website can increase conversion. At least the following popup examples, that is.
We use popups. Heck, you may have even emailed us via one. WordPress popups have a conversion rate of up to 10%, and they don’t cause people to leave your site. The truth is that popups work, which is why we feel obligated to share with you these nine popup examples to increase conversion.
1. Entry (Arrival) Popups
An entry popup appears when a visitor arrives on your site. It’s the first thing they see when they visit. It entices your visitors to act by keeping them from seeing any other content without first making a decision and doing something.
For example, Revolve clothing has an entry popup. It asks visitors for their email addresses in exchange for a 10% discount. The clothing store does not require this action (note the “no thanks” message at the bottom of the popup), but it does force the visitor to make a decision before they can view any of the clothing.
One warning about entry popups. As with any other popups for conversion, you’ll want to pay attention to your bounce rates once you launch the popup. While bounce rates typically don’t change because of popups, you still want to monitor them. Change your approach if you see that people leave your site after you ask them to make an immediate decision.
2. Scroll-based Popups
A scroll-based popup appears after a visitor scrolls down a certain amount of the page. These are less of an interruption for visitors and better for conversion. Scroll-based popups usually contain a contact form, email opt-in form, etc. A common scroll-based popup we see today is a greeting and offer to answer questions that appears at the bottom right side of the screen on many websites.
3. Delayed (Timed) Popups
A delayed popup appears after a visitor is on a site for a certain amount of time. The trick about this type of popup for conversion is determining how long you should wait before you have it appear. It’s usually best to have a delayed pop-up appear 10 to 30 seconds after a visitor comes to your site, but it totally depends on the time visitors typically spend on your site. You’ll want to test out which time converts best on your site, although most experts agree that it’ll be less than 60 seconds.
For example, Social Media Examiner has a delayed popup for a digital download of its new social media marketing report. Notice that this popup functions in the same way as an entry popup in that the visitor has to make a decision about whether to download the report before they can do anything else on the site. The only reason this isn’t an entry popup is that it doesn’t appear immediately when you visit the site. Visitors have to scroll the site a bit (as described above) before it appears.
4. Behavior-driven Popups
Behavior-driven popups appear when a visitor does a certain thing on your site, like click on a specific item or hover the mouse over a chosen link. These types of popups allow you to create personalized experiences and results in specific types of actions. For example, a visitor may put a certain item in their cart. A behavior-driven popup might then appear to tell them what other items go well with their choice. Popup examples like this encourage your visitors to make bigger purchases.
5. Exit-intent Popups
Exit-intent popups appear when a visitor is about to leave your site. Typically, these popups convert 10-15% of visitors, which isn’t too shabby. You can ask these visitors for their email addresses as an email marketing strategy, provide them with a coupon to make them reconsider a purchase, or show them a great offer to keep them from abandoning their cart. The goal of these popups is to at least get an email from the visitor. That way, you can contact them in the future with email drip campaigns, newsletters, and/or special offers.
6. Email (Subscription) Popups
Email popups happen at various times and locations during a visit to your site and encourage people to sign up for future email communications. Email popups are the most popular form of popup for conversion because they help you grow your email list. In fact, marketers who use segmented email campaigns see a 760% increase in revenue. Wow!
For example, Tigerlily swimwear makes it super easy to sign up for its email marketing by allowing website visitors to do so by simply providing an email address for a discount.
7. Location-based Popups
Location-based popups target visitors based on their IP address and show them items related to a nearby location or unique location-based campaigns. These types of popups allow you to market based on storefront location and even language commonly used in the area. Any website that asks you for your location when you visit probably is using this approach.
For example, Lush cosmetics asks potential customers where they are before they even enter the site. Visitors from the U.S. are sent to a totally different site with different products available than in the U.K. or anywhere else in the world (It really does seem like they have custom products everywhere.).
8. Campaign-scheduled Popups
Campaign-scheduled popups are based on a special offer provided during a specific timeframe. These popups are scheduled to appear during certain dates and may include “limited time” notices or even countdown clocks. Brands use these popups during things like anniversary sales or holiday promotions.
For example, Fabletics activewear site offers a timed sale on leggings when you become a VIP member. This means customers would need to sign up for a VIP membership and purchase the leggings within the offer time, which is shown on a countdown clock at the top of the page.
9. Sticky Bar Popups
Opt-in bar or sidebar popups stay in a fixed location while visitors navigate the site. This means your offer is always visible and available to them. These popup types also seem more helpful and less intrusive to visitors. For example, a special offer that appears above a site header when you arrive on the page and stays there throughout your visit. The promotion’s appearance gets visitors’ attention, then it stays in one place so they remember it’s there. We see these types of popups a lot on e-commerce sites offering free shipping when a visitor spends a certain amount.
Using Popups for Conversion
Most sites should implement popups to increase conversion. If done incorrectly, popups can be annoying. If you offer something valuable to the customer, they can be a goldmine for lead gen and sales conversions. Your goal should always be to create popups that are as helpful as possible to your site’s visitors without annoying them. Those are the ones that will convert. If you’d like to get going with optimizations to your website, we’re happy to help!
