Undoubtedly, the use of pop-ups is one of the most powerful tools in our toolbox. Pop-ups allow us to convert traffic to our website almost effortlessly. However, when it comes to mind, pop-up has a negative connotation for regular internet users.
Why does this happen?
Popup as an additional level on the website
We need to distinguish between the types of pop-ups that exist.
The most annoying type of pop-up is the one that opens as a new browser window with an advertising message that is not related to the site itself or its content. This type of pop-up would be blocked mostly by ad blockers like AdBlock and some major browsers.
In this post we will not talk about this type, but only about the type of pop-up that opens a window within the site using JavaScript code, for example:
Colgate website pop-up appears
Credit: Colgate
Google, too, in its guidelines, distinguishes between a pop-up that list of timeshare owners opens as a new window and has an advertising purpose, unrelated to the content of the site, and a pop-up that exists as an added layer within the site's page.
Also, using the legitimate type of popups, we see many occasions where users complain that their user experience is compromised. What are the reasons for this? We have identified some main reasons:
Popups appear immediately without any context and distinction: When the user encounters a popup before being able to explore the content, they may feel that their user experience is damaged. There are cases where immediately displaying a popup can be useful (for example, in some cases, for subscribing to a newsletter).
A pop-up offering technical support to the user when they visit the pricing page may get little response. Since the visitor has shown interest in pricing, there is no reason to communicate about technical support. It is crucial that the message conveyed to the visitor is the right message at the right time.
High Frequency – A website that displays pop-ups too often (e.g. every 5 minutes) is bound to annoy its visitors.
Why Pop-ups Can Create a Significant Increase in Conversion Rates? Two Case Studies
Before we understand the main reasons why pop-ups can create a significant improvement in conversion rates, we will look at two different success stories where website owners have used pop-ups: