Should Websites Feature Pop-ups?

Are Website Pop-ups Effective?

Do website pop-ups help conversion rate optimisation? Or are they just annoying? In this article, we discuss the power of pop-ups and how to implement them.

What Are Website Pop-ups?

A website pop-up literally ‘pops-up’ on a web page. They can appear at any time, when a user first clicks on a page, after a few minutes of being on a page or when a user clicks to leave a page. Typically, website pop-ups are …

– Advertisements
– A method to boost conversions, like a signup form
– Incentives to stay on a page
– A chance to enter a competition or receive a discount code
– Links to another part of the website

Are Pop-ups Dead?

According to Sumo, pop-ups are anything but dead. Here’s what they found …

The first pop-up performs 30% better
The average conversion rate for all pop-ups is 3.09%, but if you had 100,000 visitors, that’s 3,000 subscribers
Pop-ups with more context have higher conversion rates
Only 3/100 people every have pop-ups with conversion rates over 11%

Whilst pop-ups might be annoying to some website visitors, they seem to work …

Pop-ups Might be Ineffective When …

There are too many in a short space of time
They serve no purpose
They’re irrelevant to the visitor
They slow down the speed of the website

How to Use Website Pop-ups Correctly

Personally, I think pop-ups are a great conversion tool. But, only when they’re well thought out, designed efficiently and don’t clutter up a website.

They Shouldn’t Get in the Way of Website Visitors

Pop-ups shouldn’t be an obstacle for visitors.
Make them easy to read, not too much content
They need to be clearly skippable
If you’re prompting an action, make it easy to fulfil (for example, a short signup form)
They shouldn’t be so big they hide the entire page behind them

Use Them for the Right Occasions

Less is more … visitors shouldn’t be faced with pop-ups left, right and centre! You don’t need a pop-up on every page, because if a user has already exited your previous pop-up they probably won’t want to see it again.

In my experience, if a website features too many pop-ups, I get irritated and visit a different site. If they’re taking up too much of my time and are becoming a nuisance, I simply go back to the search engine results page and try another link.

I think too many pop-ups ruin the website experience, it comes across like the business is ‘trying to hard’ and isn’t getting my attention in the right way. Having said that, when pop-ups are used sparingly, they work brilliantly.

Pick Your Timing

Consider when your pop-up is likely to have the most impact. For example, if your pop-up has the purpose to increase sign-ups to your newsletter, then scheduling the pop-up to appear straight away once they visit your website isn’t the best idea. Wait a short while, let them get a feel of your website and after they’ve started to view your content themselves before you push them to sign-up.

Conclusion

So, if you resistant to run pop-ups on your website, then it’s time to review your decision. Admittedly pop-ups do have a bit of a bad reputation, but that’s only the case when they’re used incorrectly.

If you consider your audience carefully and place your pop-ups where they’ll be valued, then you should not face any problems.

Why not check out our Digital Marketing Terms Glossary?

About the author:

Marie Harwood is a Digital Marketing Assistant at Different Gravy Digital, Hale, Cheshire.

Different Gravy Digital are a full service Digital Marketing Agency operating in the Hospitality & Leisure, Financial Services, Legal & Property sectors. Products and services range from; 3D & 360° Tours, Website Design & Build, Social Media, Video Production, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), Content Creation, Email Marketing, Online Feedback / Review Systems and Paid Advertising (Google, Bing and Social Media).

Contact Details:

marie@differentgravydigital.co.uk

0161 706 0004

120a Ashley Road, Hale, Altrincham, Cheshire, WA14 2UN

Michael Goldman