Pop-ups often have a bad reputation.
Done poorly, it can degrade your site’s user experience and make your website look spammy. But if done right, it can be one of the most effective tactics for engaging your audience and converting users into leads.
So how do you make the most of popups without making your website annoy your visitors?
If you’re thinking about starting a pop-up campaign, here are all the best practices to follow.
Hostinger Academy Webinar: About High-Converting Popups
What is a popup?
Pop-ups are windows that appear automatically when you visit a web page. Website owners typically use them to invite users to perform certain actions, such as purchasing a product or signing up for a newsletter.
3-step guide for your next pop-up campaign
Not sure how to start a pop-up campaign? With some thought and planning, pop-ups can help you provide important information about your users and increase your revenue.
1. Start with a reason
First, think about what you want to achieve with your pop-up campaign.
Your “why” determines what your visitors should do in your pop-up window. Do you have to enter your email address to sign up for our newsletter, or do you have to fill out a short form?
From there, consider campaign details such as:
- What conversion metric should I track to measure pop-up success?
- What type of offer will persuade the user to take your desired action?
- When and where to show pop-up windows
For example, let’s say you own an online clothing store and the holiday sales season is approaching. Pop-up campaigns are great for attracting visitors who have just landed on your website to your rack of discounts. Add a coupon code as a cherry to draw in potential customers.
2. Think about your target audience
Not only do you need to know the “why”, you also need to know the “who” to show the popup.
Want new leads? First-time visitors are a great audience to target. In other words, you should place your popup on the page where new users are most likely to land, such as your home page.
You can also design a popup for existing buyers to encourage them to share their referral link after completing their purchase.
expert tips
Visitors to your receipt page are very enthusiastic.One of my clients, girlfriend, launched her referral pop-up campaign on that page and the conversion rate was 46.25%So this is a good way to spread the word about your brand to the friends and family of your paying customers.
Differentiate campaigns by user journey to personalized experience for your target audience. It has been proven to be effective in establishing a connection with website visitors, resulting in increased conversions.
travel blog nomadic matte It does this beautifully by adjusting the popup copy to match the blog post the user is reading.
![Nomadic Matt's pop-up campaign to receive a free travel planning guide](https://www.hostinger.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/01/Nomadic-Matts-pop-up-campaign-that-invites-users-to-get-a-free-trip-planning-guide.png)
3. Seek the most relevant information
In most cases, two input fields in one popup is sufficient. One for the user’s name and one for the email address. I feel like the more items I have to fill out, the more time it takes.
For more information, use multi-step campaigns. In other words, split the question into multiple windows. This helps users feel less anxious when filling out forms.
food magazine bon appetit Run great multi-step campaigns. The first window asks the visitor to enter her email address. You will then be redirected to the next popup to select the type of content you would like to receive in your inbox.
![Bon Appetit's multi-step pop-up campaign asks visitors to select the content categories they would like to receive via email](https://www.hostinger.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/01/Bon-Appetits-multi-step-pop-up-campaign-asking-visitors-to-pick-a-content-category-theyd-like-to-receive-in-their-email.png)
4 best practices for launching high-converting pop-ups
Of course, you can spend your day sprinkling a few pop-ups across your website.
1. Get creative with copy and design
If poorly crafted, pop-ups can look spammy and send the wrong signal to your website visitors. That’s why it’s important to make both your copy and design as unique and appealing as possible.
Avoid clichĂ©s such as “sign up for our newsletter”. Instead, focus on the main reasons that convince your visitors to click on your popup. Communicate how they benefit, play for fear of missing out, or build a sense of exclusivity with your audience.
impactNewsletter pop-ups illustrate this well. This copy establishes your company’s authority and builds trust with your audience by highlighting its popularity among industry professionals.
![IMPACT mail magazine subscription pop-up campaign](https://www.hostinger.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/01/IMPACTs-newsletter-subscription-pop-up-campaign.png)
In terms of design, it should be consistent with the web page where the popup is displayed and not out of place.
expert tips
According to our research, the average conversion rate for popups without images is 2.1%Adding more photos nearly doubles that number. 3.8%Therefore, it’s a good idea to add graphic elements to your popup design.
![Your winning pop-up campaign](https://www.hostinger.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/01/Yours-enter-to-win-pop-up-campaign.png)
2. Focus on User Experience
The last thing you want is for the user to close the popup and exit the page. Avoid this by carefully considering the placement of popups and the number of windows displayed on a single page.
Use sidebar popups to inform users of important information without taking up too much screen space. HubSpot Blog Take advantage of sidebar popups by clearly adjusting their colors to make them stand out from the rest of the page.
![HubSpot's giveaway pop-up campaign encouraging users to download a guide to becoming a leader](https://www.hostinger.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/01/HubSpots-freebie-pop-up-campaign-encouraging-users-to-download-a-guide-on-becoming-a-leader.png)
If you’re running multiple campaigns, limit the number of popups triggered in a single session to avoid overwhelming your visitors.
As a rule of thumb, 3 popups should be enough. You can also ask users to sign up for your newsletter. Another user can see promotions when exhibiting abandonment behavior, and a third user can solicit feedback or provide assistance.
Most importantly, adjust your popup design for mobile viewing. Reduce the font size, rewrite the copy, and remove some visual elements to fit your smartphone screen. Always test your campaign on mobile before publishing.
3. Experiment with Timing and Scroll Triggers
The timing and triggering of popups determines whether a user converts successfully.
Pop-ups are generally more effective for visitors who have shown some degree of engagement with your website. If a pop-up appears immediately after a user arrives at a website, it may seem too aggressive and encourage the user to close the window and move on.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to choosing the exact timing to trigger a popup, so experimentation is key. Run a series of A/B tests to compare which seconds or scroll depths get the most conversions.
expert tips
Our research shows that popups are most effective when shown Eight seconds after a user visits, or at least explores, a website 35% of a web page.
4. Create a sense of urgency
Urgency and rarity are two factors that can be used to win over consumers, especially during big sales like Black Friday.
Displaying a countdown timer is a common tactic to capitalize on the fear of missing out. Knowing your offer is limited will help your visitors take action before the time or the product runs out. Awara Include an “Add to Cart” button within the countdown popup to make the action as easy as possible for the user.
![Awara sales pop-up campaign with countdown timer](https://www.hostinger.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/01/Awaras-sales-pop-up-campaign-which-contains-a-countdown-timer.png)
Alternatively, consider using pop-ups to showcase different offers each day. This method is commonly used when: christmas advent calendar campaignPotential shoppers will want to visit your website daily to find out what incentives are available.
5. Gamify your campaign
Gamification is a great way to get visitors to participate in your popup and take the desired action.
cork circle Use gamification to encourage users to choose their favorite patterns to unlock exclusive promotions.
![Corkcircle's pop-up campaign with gamified elements asking users to choose a pattern](https://www.hostinger.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/01/Corkcircles-pop-up-campaign-which-contains-a-gamification-element-asking-users-to-pick-a-pattern.png)
You can also use the Spin to Win Wheel as follows: color pop To do.User can intervene 2% When 15% You will need to create and activate your account later.
![ColourPop's spin-to-win pop-up campaign](https://www.hostinger.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/01/ColourPops-spin-to-win-pop-up-campaign.png)
expert tips
We ran an A/B test comparing the performance of the Spin to Win campaign to the traditional campaign and the numbers were pretty positive.The conversion rate with games is 22.26%, I was a regular 7.66%This is the power of gamification.
Start a pop-up campaign on your website today
Popups don’t have to be annoying.
By having clear goals and understanding your target audience, you can create campaigns that are meaningful and actually interesting to your site visitors. Be creative and experiment with campaigns to find what works best for your business.