Pop-ups have a bad reputation, and if you were an active internet user over a decade ago, you probably understand why. It wasn’t uncommon to visit an innocuous site, only to be bombarded with dozens of unrelated pop-ups. Usually these were just annoying, but the worst examples could even contain harmful malware.
However, times have changed – and the same is true for pop-ups. While they can still be used poorly, for the most part they have evolved into something that can be hugely beneficial to both website owners and visitors. In fact, implementing them well on your site can lead to a massive increase in conversions.
In this article, we’ll discuss how pop-ups of today differ from their older counterparts and explore some best practices for implementing them.
A Brief History
The first pop-up advertisement appeared in the late 1990’s. The ad was for a business that provided services for recent college graduates. However, one of the banners had appeared on a site the advertisers were not happy to be directly associated with. In response, a developer named Ethan Zuckerman came up with the idea to have the ad appear in a pop-up window, so it would not appear alongside the actual website content.
Zuckerman would later apologise for this innovation. Even though his solution was clever, many used it in ways that were considerably more disruptive and malicious. Pop-up ads became so commonplace that they made browsing the web frustrating. Many even used intrusive techniques like auto-opening when you closed them, or included malware that could harm your computer.
Fortunately, those types of pop-ups have long since become a bad memory. In fact, when we talk about pop-ups today, we’re talking about a different beast altogether. For example, pop-ups very rarely actually ‘pop up’ anymore. Instead, they usually manifest as a smaller box laid out on top of the current page.
This is far less disruptive, and it’s easy to dismiss the box with a single click.
Website owners have also adapted some best practices for using pop-ups that help them avoid frustrating their users. This means pop-ups can be a valuable tool if you use them properly.
Why You Should Use Pop-Ups on Your Website
Pop-ups never really lost that negative initial perception, so it may surprise you that they are actually a very effective marketing tool. In fact, when used correctly, pop-ups can increase conversions and email opt-ins significantly, and they have a higher Click-Through Rate (CTR) than other types of ads.
So, how is this possible? As we alluded to earlier, it’s all about how you use the tools you have. The key to positive results is using your pop-ups intelligently, and constructing them with the end user in mind. A pop-up’s purpose should be to make the benefits of whatever you’re offering to the user clear, rather than annoying them into clicking through.
What’s more, you can use pop-ups in several different ways. For instance, they can offer the user a free gift, like an ebook download, or ask them to sign up to your newsletter. They can also be deployed with more finesse than their older counterparts, rather than simply appearing as soon as your site loads.
Create Effective, Non-Frustrating Pop-Ups
As made clear, the key to a successful pop-up is knowing how and when to use it. Let’s start with the ‘when’. You see, pop-ups don’t have to appear as soon as somebody accesses your site. In fact, you can tailor when a pop-up is deployed in several ways.
One popular usage is the exit intent pop-up. This is a pop-up that appears when the user’s mouse cursor moves towards the top of the browser, indicating that they are about to leave the page. This triggers a custom message, encouraging the visitor to stick around.
You can use these pop-ups to offer a limited time deal, a coupon code, or even a free gift:
You can also set pop-ups to appear after the user has spent a certain amount of time on a page, or when they have scrolled down to a specific point. Pop-ups can even be made dynamic, appearing depending on the visitor’s geographic location or what website they arrived from.
The most important point is to always consider the end user’s convenience. You want to avoid frustrating them with intrusive or constant pop-ups. In fact, how often you deploy your pop-ups is something you need to think about carefully. For example, if a user has already seen and dismissed a pop-up, consider not showing them the same message again, at least until a certain amount of time has passed.
There are several other best practices you should bear in mind when creating effective pop-ups:
- Make the pop-up easy to close. This is important, as it will avoid prompting users to leave your page in frustration.
- Don’t obscure too much of the page. You should aim not to make the pop-up consume too much screen space. This is especially important for mobile pop-ups, where screen size is a crucial factor.
- Timing is important. Displaying a pop-up right away might work for some users, but others will be put off by this. Instead, consider using timed pop-ups, or triggering them after the user has scrolled down to a certain point on the page. This behaviour indicates that the user is invested in your site, and therefore they’re more likely to be open to an offer or reading more information.
Another important step is to include a strong Call-to-Action (CTA) in your pop-up, in order to draw the reader’s attention and convince them to convert. Creating an effective CTA is a whole science in itself. However, the most important considerations are to keep the wording direct, make the benefits to the user obvious, and encourage them to click. Keep those things in mind, and you’ll be one step closer to creating a conversion-generating pop-up.
Despite their unfortunate past, pop-ups have turned a corner. Today they are a solid tool for generating leads and encouraging conversions. The key is knowing when and how to use pop-ups on your Website. If you consider these best practices, you’ll be able to create effective pop-ups that don’t annoy your users.
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