When shopping online, you might come across a product that you like the look of and decide you want to purchase it. Just as you’re about to do so, a box appears offering 10% off your first order. This is something you might utilise.
Now imagine that same box appearing as soon as you enter the site, before you’ve had chance to browse through the products. You’re probably going to close it.
This is a common issue with popups. It’s not necessarily the actual popup which is off-putting. It can often be a case of the timing of when the popup is shown.
According to research, the percentage of how many popups convert is between 3.5% and 5% which may seem surprising. These figures might seem low but depending on your website traffic, 3.5-5% could be a large number and is certainly worth paying attention to.
Of course, a popup conversion isn’t necessarily a sale. But it does give a business another opportunity to speak to a potential customer.
Why do some popups work better than others?
Think about the last time you visited a website and had a popup appear before you’d even finished reading the first sentence.
Chances are you closed it without giving it much thought.
That’s one of the problems with popups. Businesses are often so keen to capture someone’s details that they interrupt them before they’ve had a chance to look around.
Waiting a little longer can make a difference.
Popups that appear once someone has been on a page for around 10 seconds can perform particularly well. Popups triggered when someone scrolls down a page can also be effective.
What you’re offering matters too.
For example, someone browsing an online shop might appreciate a 10% discount on their first order. Someone reading an advice article might be interested in downloading a free guide about the subject.
Neither visitor is likely to be particularly interested in a generic message asking them to join a mailing list.
Are popups worth adding to your website?
Personally, I think they’re worth testing, but I wouldn’t recommend sticking one on every page and hoping for the best.
I’d start by looking at what people are doing on the website. If someone’s browsing products, a discount might encourage them to place an order. If they’re reading a detailed article, offering some additional information could be useful.
I’d also be careful with popups on mobile. It’s frustrating trying to close a box that’s taking up most of your screen, particularly when the close button is difficult to find.
There’s no need to make things complicated. Choose a page, try a popup with a relevant offer and see what happens over a few weeks.
You might be surprised by the results. Equally, you might find that visitors ignore it completely.
Either way, you’ll have a better idea of whether popups are worth using on your particular website, rather than relying on what works for somebody else’s business.
If you need any help converting traffic on your website, please get in touch with us at Engage Web.
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