A pop-up is a box containing an advert, message, sign-up form, link to a survey or anything else that suddenly appears when browsing a web page.
Pop-ups often get a bad press but they can be used to good effect. In this article I’ll delve deeper into the pros and cons of using pop-ups on your website.
Pop-up pros
When done correctly, using pop-ups can help deliver the following:
- Increased e-newsletter sign-ups
- Increased participation in online surveys
- Get people to chat to a live advisor who can help them
- Provide additional information to help a user make a purchase
If you’re thinking about using pop-ups on your website, you need to think long and hard about what you want them to achieve.
There’s a very fine line between pop-up success and failure. Interrupting a user’s journey on your website should never just be done for the sake of it; pop-ups should always be backed up by logic and if possible, testing.
Pop-up cons
There are lots of examples of pop-ups going badly wrong and you’ve probably experienced at least one instance of this yourself.
- They can reduce online sales if not done properly
- They have the potential to annoy people
- They can undo all the good investment you’ve made in your website
- They may get poor response rates if not done correctly
Imagine you were on an e-commerce site looking to buy a new pair of shoes. You’d seen the pair you wanted, selected your size and are ready to pay when suddenly you get a pop-up box asking if you want to subscribe to the company’s e-newsletter. This is an example of the buying process being interrupted unnecessarily which could actually lead to lost sales.
Timing is critical
Timing is one of the most important aspects of using pop-ups. If yours appears with the right message at the right time it should be a success. On the flipside, a poorly timed pop-up can blow a huge hole in your online sales, enquiries or newsletter subscriber numbers.
A bit about bounce rates
If you have a pop-up on a specific page on your website and want to know what effect it’s having, you should look at your bounce rate for that page in Google Analytics.
A poor pop-up might see your bounce rate increase dramatically and equally, a well-planned pop-up could result in people staying on a particular page for much longer.
If you’ve got any questions about pop-ups and how to use them, please leave them in the comments below.
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Image credit: melodi2
Mixed feelings for popups depend on what type are encountered by users. Sometimes the “close” link ends up opening a new tab or new window and intrudes on the users experience. And that counts as a click. But other times they are actually useful. They help companies collect feedback and gauge interest of customers. Depending on how intricately built the ad is, the pop-up can be all that is needed to get the information from or to the user.
Evan recently posted..Great Music WordPress themes Showcase 2013
Hi Evan, yes there are many examples of both good and bad pop-ups. I know I’ve left websites because of a poorly timed or irrelevant pop-up in the past. The more thought that goes into the timing and design, the higher the chance of getting the desired result.