Are Website Pop-ups Right for Your Domain?

Considering pop-ups for your website? You’re in good company. Pop-ups have become a mainstay for successful online businesses. They grab attention and prompt visitors to engage with your site. Although some consumers complain about pop-ups, we can’t deny that they are an effective website conversion tool.

Unfortunately, too many businesses abuse pop-ups. Instead of generating leads, they annoy visitors, make it difficult to view content, and lose potential customers. If you’ve decided to use pop-ups on your site, do it the right way. Here are 8 do’s and don’ts for website pop-ups.

 

The Do’s to Website Pop-ups:

1. Do Make a Strong Offer
Convincing people to share their information is difficult. Nobody wants to add more emails to their inbox. That’s why you need to present a resource with clear value to your audience. Know what your visitors value and offer them a resource that they need, not just one that would be nice to have.

2. Do Set The Right Timing for Pop-ups
One of the biggest reasons people view pop-ups as obnoxious is the timing. Constant pop-ups interrupt the user experience and make it difficult to read the content on your site. Avoid too many pop-ups on one page and consider allowing the user time to process the page before setting up a pop-up. Another useful strategy is to use an exit pop-up. By the time a user tries to exit the page, they’ve already decided to leave, so a pop-up is low-risk.

Cookies can also help you time pop-ups more effectively. By keeping track of the pages a user has visited, you can avoid showing them the same or an excessive amount of pop-ups as they navigate your site.

3. Do Remember Website Design
When you add a pop-up to your website, stay consistent with your design. The pop-up shouldn’t look significantly different than the rest of your website. Consider a logo, consistent graphics, and the same color scheme as your website.

4. Do Keep it Responsive
Today, everything about your website should be optimized for mobile. If pop-ups aren’t responsive, they can take up the entire screen on a mobile phone or tablet, disrupting the user experience. Ensure both your website and pop-ups are responsive. Using a pop-up widget for your website can be an easy way to keep it responsive.

5. Do Develop a Strong CTA
The CTA or call-to-action is arguably the most important part of your pop-up. Use clean, bold design and actionable language when you create website pop-ups. Don’t forget to use a user-focused headline to keep your visitors reading until the CTA.

 

The Don’ts to Website Pop-ups:

1. Don’t Try to Manipulate or Scare Users
Some websites block access to content while users are in the middle of scrolling. Others guilt visitors by using an exit button such as “no I don’t want to be successful” or “no thanks, I like low conversion rates.” While these tactics might seem reasonable from a business standpoint, it ruins the user experience and is far more likely to annoy visitors than make a sale.

2. Don’t Hide the Exit
Consumers should always have the option to close pop-ups for your website. Place the exit option in an expected location, like an “x” in the top right corner, or in smaller font underneath your CTA button. Using pop-ups that seem impossible to close may encourage users to simply close the tab entirely and take their business elsewhere.

3. Don’t Ask for Too Much
When deciding on form fields for your website pop-ups, consider the value of your offer. A quick guide or ebook is valuable enough to trade for an email address. But if you’re seeking an address, phone number, and business information, your offer should be proportionally higher in value. A 12-hour video course or free consultation would be more appropriate for a longer form.

 

Is Your Website Ready for Pop-ups?

Pop-ups can be a powerful tool, but they should be used wisely. To avoid creating a negative user experience, steer clear of practices and pop-up designs that attempt to manipulate or trap visitors.

Instead, consider the timing and presentation of your website pop-up. Keep your format clean, emphasize the value of your offer, and include a clear CTA. All websites are unique, so a business you must test your data when using popups. Popups can be very harmful to a brand depending on demographics and usage. Keep up with the best practices in digital marketing and strategy with Creative MMS. For more information, contact us today!