Pop-ups no longer work? Should we let them die out? In this article we do a deep-rooted work on whether pop-ups are still an effective advertising technique, as well as what arguments that indicate that we should put them in the trash bin of history. The article has been focused on obtaining email addresses through blogs.
The article deals with the following items:
- Therefore, you should use pop-ups
- Arguments for pop-ups to be off the clock
- These possibilities you have with pop-ups
- How to make effective pop-ups; “Best practices”
- “Best practices” for pop-ups adapted mobile
- Correct attitude to the use of pop-ups
Therefore, you should use pop-ups
Did you know this? 98% of your readers disappear from your website without doing anythingSo let's say that this is the same thing as that. Try this number a little bit. Do they leave the website because your content is poor or because there is nothing to convert to? Do you think it is good to see potential customers fade out into nothing, without knowing if their ways will ever be crossed again? Had it not been more fortunate if they actually gave you confirmation that you added some value to them that day, and at the same time gave you the opportunity to keep in touch.
If so many people leave the site the first time they visit it, without doing anything, how can you get them back? Using pop-ups can be one of the most effective ways to get user attention. It actually relates to the technique of conviction ”pattern interrupt“. You disrupt an expected pattern by something unexpected happens after your brain has adapted to rhythm.
Pop-ups otherwise converts lost users to leads
Conversion researcher Bryan Massey, founder of the Conversion Sciences, claims that you can actually convert 10-15% of the otherwise lost visitors to leads via pop-ups. Then he specifically talks about exit intent pop-ups, a type that appears when a user is about to navigate out of the website.
Success stories
Brian from Backlinko has tested out exit intent pop-ups. He felt that average conversion rate increased from 2% to 4.83%So let's say that this is the same thing as that. What's interesting about this is that it only took two days! The number can sound a little bit, but of course this is related to how many visitors you have, and how much each conversion is worth to you. The use of pop-ups may result in non-negligible values. Brian also points out that his experience is that no one cared about a nanosecond of disturbance. This was his perception after using exit intent pop-up for a month.
Exit intent pop-ups converts on average more than other types of pop-ups. When you test out exit intent pop-ups, you can immediately see how effective it is, so it's therefore easy to measure the effect here. Sleeknote has learned that the implementation of exit intent pop-up on any of their pages leads to conversion rates of 2-4%, among those already leaving the page (98% of visitors).
Sumo, which provides tools to help web pages collect multiple email addresses, claims that pop-ups are living in the best possible way. According to Sumo’s recent analysis, their users gathered 23,645,948 e-mail addresses with “List Builder popup” within a time frame of less than two years. They think there is a misunderstanding associated with what makes a pop-up successful.
Mail collection is important for success
When you build a mailing list, you have direct access to those who hopefully are interested in you. This should be done in the way that you produce more content that is actually valuable to them. It almost goes to itself that the more e-mail addresses you get, the more success you get. It's also important to note that as much as 77% prefers mail over other channelsSo let's say that this is the same thing as that.
Arguments for pop-ups to be off the clock
You can look at the numbers that speak for the use of pop-ups, but it's also important to have a conscious relationship with the fact that isolated numbers don't tell the whole truth. It's always important to have a critical look. Pop-ups is an activity that requires many elements to vote for it to be effective. In the case of minor mistakes, they are likely to be negative.
Many have an opinion that pop-ups are something that is on the way to die out, with a form of “all hate pop-ups”. These are attitudes that must be taken seriously. You always have to listen to those sitting on the other side and being exposed to all the marketing out there. We will therefore present what we see as horizontal reasons for negative positions, while discussing them.
Pop-ups are not effective
Many people have a perception that pop-ups don't work. This is to some degree true. Pop-ups are not valuable by themselves, and will not immediately lead to success. It doesn't work to throw out any little strategically thoughtful pop-ups, hoping for the best. Pop-ups shall not be used as an “outside” for an otherwise comprehensive marketing strategy. One small error may destroy your entire setup. Such a thing is pop-ups a little scary activity. If you don't know what you're doing, there's a small probability that you're going to succeed. Pop-ups should not be based on flaks.
Pop-ups are annoying and all hate it
It's true that pop-ups can be annoying. The Google search “I hate pop ups” gives a result of about 36.900,000 hits. So you would think that the time is right for us to put pop-ups in a drawer where they can never pop back up. According to a study conducted by Nielsen Group is pop-ups the most hated form of advertising.
There is a difference between different types of pop-ups
Those who hate pop-ups would like to think of the irrelevant and aggressive pop-ups that push them to join something once they land on a website (especially those that are still coming back). Using such pop-ups, which appear immediately, is something that is strongly discouraged.
However, market participants should know that: People's thoughts and their actual behavior are two different thingsSo let's say that this is the same thing as that. There is a difference between irrelevant pop-up spam and, for example, relevant content proposals. Pop-ups have proved that they can actually help in a conversion process. Pop-ups aren't necessarily mashete the way we might often connect it to. With evolution they like to give you a steady more fine and controlled experience on the website, overall. A measure to avoid frustrated users should be: respect a “no”So let's say that this is the same thing as that. You don't have to make a pop-up that appears every time the user triggers a trigger. If he has already clicked “no” on a pop-up, he does not want to get it back on all pages of the website. It also contributes to less irritation if you actually exclude those who have already notified, from seeing the same pop-up again.
Correcting the Disturbing
Pop-ups also get a bad reputation when they're used to force things on people. Using pop-ups, you should offer something that justifies you ‘disturbing’ the user. This is a little bit about the quality of your leads again. For example, if a user wants to read an article on your website, but needs to give you his email to get access to the whole, you just end up with a frustrated user. If you're lucky to actually get the email, you'll probably be left with a little honest engaged lead.
It implies that you do not trust users
One argument is that pop-ups for newsletters can imply that you do not trust that users will be able to navigate the websiteSo let's say that this is the same thing as that. According to HubSpot statistics say 76% that the most important factor on a website is that it's easy to find what they're looking forSo let's say that this is the same thing as that. You can ask yourself how pop-ups are useful if this is the case? Are pop-ups solely to prevent people from finding what they're looking for?
Many people think that if a user wants to subscribe to a newsletter, he wants to find out how to sign up for himself. If you therefore present the user's conversion option via pop-up, you might be left with a feeling that you're assuming the person is stupid. So this gives little goodwill in your direction.
Think about the presentation
Everything is about the way things are presented. It's a balancing. It goes without saying that it is not optimal to drown a user in pop-ups who tries to make a choice on his behalf. Of course, you should strive to get the content of the website so well that the user himself finds out how to create a contact. However, it may not be optimal to rely fully on the visitor’s active search for opportunities to interact. The whole point of pop-ups should basically be to help users in their customer journey.
Most people use mobile phone, and Google punishes pop-ups on mobile phone
But doesn't Google punish pop-ups? Google carried out an algorithmic update in 2017 that punishes certain types of pop-ups on mobile. The question is whether this marked time to throw in towel, or whether there is room for customization for the better.
Mobile customisation is becoming more important
What's happened is that Google no longer displays web page desktop version as the primary user experienceSo let's say that this is the same thing as that. The mobile version is now the primary version. This is quite logical given that the use of mobile phone has increased dramatically in recent years, so that Google would like to make the network a more mobile place. Pop-up that is considered disturbing for the user experience on mobile becomes penalties in the search engine rankingSo let's say that this is the same thing as that. This applies to pop-ups that cover the entire screen when entering a website, which you have to check out to get on. It also applies to fully covering pop-ups you have to scroll past to see the main content. In addition, pop-ups are punished and the majority of the content is hidden.
Traditional pop-ups have nothing to do on a mobile-adapted website. The display is simply too small, so that this potentially constitutes a major damage to the user experience. Pop-ups will necessarily appear overwhelming. In addition, mobile phone is different from desktop, with mobile phone usage being in situations where you are “on the move”. Consequently, increasing the need for efficiency, as users are in an environment where competing stimuli easily distract them.
Google does not punish everything
However, it is rare to leave if effective measures are still in place. The following are: cases where the use of pop-ups is not punished by GoogleSearch engine order connected:
- Which is according to the law of using cookie or age verification.
- Log-in dialogue on pages where content is not publicly indexed, such as private content as e-mail or non-indexable content behind the paywall.
- Banners that use reasonable screen space and are easy to click away.
You must not misunderstand. Google does not claim that pop-ups on mobile are strictly negativeSo let's say that this is the same thing as that. Google actually wants you to generate more conversions on your website, and understand that pop-ups like to play a role in this process. The point is that you should find out how to perform your activity in the most discreet way for users, so that your user experience is not bad.
Create various designs on pop-ups for desktop and mobile. As long as messages and offers are still relevant and useful to users on the mobile, you really don't have to start completely from the bottom of it. As a rule of thumb, it is recommended that a Pop-up on mobile phone does not account for more than 15% of your screenSo let's say that this is the same thing as that.
These possibilities you have with pop-ups
It's important to be critical, as it takes a little more to get a pop-ups failure. Those who are unable to make the elements work together should perhaps stay away. You have to choose to some extent what perspective you want to see it from. Maybe you have more to lose to making a bad attempt than you have to win if you succeed? So we think it would be a good idea to present some possibilities and give a clear overview of what factors are success factors.
Different types of pop-ups
Pop-ups exist in many variations. You can experience pop-ups that take up a full page, or those that cover a certain part of the page. You have those hidden in a corner, or those that act as top- and bottom banners. In addition, it becomes more and more common with push notifications.
Pop-ups do not need to appear instantly
There are pop-ups that are triggered at different steps through a user's journey. Not all will be visible at the same time the web page is loaded. Examples are when the user scrolls down on the side, or when he moves his mouse towards an exit point. An effective aspect of exit intent pop-ups is that absolutely all users are presented with a conversion option. You also have those who actually never “pop up”, but are visible all the time to the side of the content. This last type is there and only hopes for user involvement, without popping up.
Google rules determine immediate distribution as a factor in the case of pop-ups for mail. A potential way to follow rules without disturbing is to change the factor that triggers pop-up in the first place. Instead of immediately trigging when a person lands on the website, you can also use an exit intent pop-up or possibly a delayed pop-up. For example, let it go a minute or wait until the user has visited a few pages on your website.
Pop-ups should be adapted to your targets
Conversion is a word that itself is not always so concrete. What does conversion really mean? It's based on what you have. It may mean that a person buys a product from you, but it may also mean that he has, for example, filled in an e-mail address or downloaded a free article. When the goal is to collect email addresses, you would like to get as many email addresses as possible, in as little time as possible. However, the quantity is not necessarily the most important. Long-term, it pays to be targeted at what leads you want to convertBecause you get leads of higher quality and greater value.
Different objectives
There are several different goals you can have here. You may try to get visitors to become customers or to re-involve themselves on your website. You can also use pop-ups to improve your website. If a user has been on the website for example for over 30 seconds, you can use a pop-up to ask him what prevents the person from performing an action. You don't necessarily have to sell anything. Only imagination sets limits.
Make sure pop-ups are targeted
Pop-ups should be targeted at the interests that users have already shown through landing pages on your website. Taking into account the interests of users, it makes it easier to design pop-ups that offer something relevant to those interests. It does. easier to prevent people leaving the website if nothing else makes them stay. According to Aaron Brooks in Valve Harbour, this strategy often leads to a conversion increase of 5-10% on average.
Sleeknote states that targeting based on the user's side will work when leaving the website. Based on how long a user has been on the page, it could be they are actually interested in the content but have not found exactly what they are looking for. Targeting pop-ups from this can significantly increase the conversion rate.
“Best practices”- This is how you make effective pop-ups
Believe it or not - it's actually possible to create a pop-up that's not annoying. We'll let the numbers give you a hint of what works and not. Sumo has completed a analysis of nearly two billion different pop-upsSo let's say that this is the same thing as that. The 10% best experiences on average 9.28% conversion rate. The mean conversion rate for all pop-ups is 3.09%. Factors contributing to high conversion rates are the following:
- Context creates higher conversion rates
- Pop-ups don't show up immediately
- Pop-ups have clear headlines and offers
- Pop-ups offers some of the value
- Call-to-action matches offer
- Pop-ups matches site design
Context creates higher conversion rates
Without the right context, the content will not give any value, no matter how good it is. The information on the website should determine what the pop-up is to consist of. Imagine that there should be a natural connection between the elements.
Pop-ups don't show up immediately
Besides context, timing is also an important element. Make sure that a user does not get a pop-up lighting on his/her face until he/she has broken to see any of the landing side. How can you know if you want to sign up for example in a newsletter, if you haven't read anything yet? Let the user make up for a decision as to whether or not what you offer is relevant. A tip is to use Google Analytics to figure out how long users usually spend on your page. If necessary, you can test out exit pop-ups if the user's usual behavior is to leave the site when they are finished.
The study for Sumo states that users do not want pop-ups to appear immediately. This is the exact same principle that is underlying the pop-ups algorithm update on mobile. Think pop-ups shouldn't be an unnecessary disturbance. Crazy Egg has performed a study of A/B tests, and meet the exact same conclusion. A pop-up should appear when the user is ready for your message.
Pop-ups contains images
Images are always a good idea. Sleeknote states that when creating pop-ups, you should use images. This is especially because people process images 60,000 times faster than text. They've done a test and found out that exit intent pop-ups with images convert 50% better than those withoutSo let's say that this is the same thing as that. Images can help us to understand the message more quickly. When you have poor time to get the user's attention, pictures are a good solution to complement the text.
Pop-ups have clear headlines and offers
Everything is about being clear and direct. Do not expect the user to understand what you are trying to convey. Be more specific than this: ”Sign up for the best tips and updates“. This really doesn't tell you as much as is of value to a user. Also, think about it not taking more than a few seconds for a user to read your whole message on a pop-up. Focus on the important thing.
Pop-ups offers some of the value
A good tip: All items in a pop-up should reflect the benefits to the user. That's how you make people act. This need not necessarily take the form of discount codes and similar. If you are running a blog and writing articles that actually help people, you can ask them if they want to sign up for more information. Such a pop-up relates to the value of the web page itself, and gets such a contextual valueSo let's say that this is the same thing as that.
If you are presenting a newsletter in your pop-up, you should focus on what the user receives from the value of the newsletter rather than on the newsletter itself. Try to be more creative than to write “registrer” as CTA. This does not give value to the potential subscriber. One example is to write “Get my best tips”, if you can offer this relevant to the user’s interest. A person who signs up in your newsletter does so to get value, not to subscribe to the newsletter itself.
Use exit button for communicating value
A tip is to use a button other than a button ”X“to close the pop-up. However, you should not make it harder for the user to tick it out, rather in reverse. For example, make a clear CTA where you write ”No, thank you. I don't want information about how I get more customers.“. Such a solution actually makes the user gets the value they potentially miss, instead of just clicking out a pop-up before they even know if they're really interested.
Call-to-action matches offer
This is really pretty reasonable, but it's fast done to make mistakes. For example, if you offer the user to download a free e-book associated with an article he has shown interest in, you do not want the CTA button to say ”stay tuned“. What you want to write ”download free“. This is actually pretty important, as an illogical CTA can easily confuse users, and lead to them not doing the conversion.
If you use exit intent pop-ups, they should offer an overwhelmingly good offer. Why do you think the user is leaving the website? Probably because the content of the website itself was not good enough to convince conversion. If you do this right, exit intent pop-ups can be a super way to turn something negative into something positive.
Pop-ups matches site design
What's important about exit pop-up is that it matches the design of the website, so users will not be unsure if the message comes from you. Yet it is important to ensure that the pop-up is visible from the rest of the page, then something else will destroy the user experience.
“Best practices” for pop-ups adapted mobile
We have already established that you should design pop-ups on desktop and mobile in various ways. This is because you want to facilitate good user experience on all screens. The following are: tips on how to design good pop-ups on mobile:
- Minimum text size: Focus on the main message. Make it short and simple.
- Minimum with images: No images or icons that result in a larger size than needed.
- Place the bottom of the page: Then you avoid becoming a disturbing element by being the first thing that becomes visible.
- Standby: Try not to show it on the first page the user lands on (not necessarily the front page). Unless the pop-up is relevant to the specific page and no other pages.
- Delayed triggering: It should not appear immediately, please think that you are at least waiting four seconds after the page has been uploaded.
- Make sure it is easy to check out: Note that the user experience is very different on mobile than on desktop. Do not create a pop-up with a “X” it is virtually impossible to hit with the thumb. If you want an “X”, you should put it at the bottom right corner, or preferably as a “Cta check out” message under a CTA.
Correct attitude to the use of pop-ups
If you want to use pop-ups, you have to remember this: they are a backup to the web pageSo let's say that this is the same thing as that. Using exit intent pop-ups you should start by never seeing it. This means that something on the website has managed to engage him in an action. The point is that pop-ups should not come instead of other optimizations of the site and user experience. If an exit intent pop-up appears, this really means that the website is not good enough if the purpose of it is to get a conversion.
If you see pop-ups as pure advertising, you'll probably make bad experiences. That's the value of the user who's focused all the way. If you have a strategic approach to the use of pop-ups as a security network, you have the right attitude. A pop-up should reduce the probability of leads falling from. A less profitable attitude is to see it as repair of other defects on the websiteThen you do yourself a bear service.
Conclusion
When something is profitable without requiring much work, it becomes difficult to argue that you should not run on. So pop-ups don't have to die out. At least they still do not reach their efficacy through studies. If you want to generate leads and conversions, pop-ups should definitely be a priority. It's a big deal about being brave enough to be creative and modern. We hope that this article has given you an idea of what kind of pop-ups are effective and not.