Ah, pop-ups. Possibly the biggest love-hate split about marketing tools!!!
Some people love them. Some people hate them.
But the truth is, a well placed, well worded pop-up timed to perfection can convert more sales and grow your business.
I'm sharing some website pop up best practices to help you win hearts and minds rather than annoy and destroy!
Why we HATE pop-ups!
The most common reason people give for hating pop-ups is that they get in the way of their experience with your website.
I'm sure you've experienced it yourself. You've gone to a website and before you've had time to scroll a pop up has shot across the screen (if you're on a mobile phone it might even be totally blocking the screen). And without even reading the pop-up, you've clicked it away or even just dumped it and gone to another site.
Even if the pop-up is giving us an incredible piece of value, we won't care if
- We're shown the pop-up before we've had a chance to see if the website is what we're looking for.
- The size of the pop-up is too big.
- The size of the exit button is too small to tap.
Why we LOVE pop-ups!
I don't think our website visitors generally have a "love" relationship with pop-ups! If they're not there, annoying them, they don't really think about them.
Now, small business owners. They can have a "love" relationship with pop-ups.
Business owners love pop-ups because
- They bring in more email sign-ups
- Which grows their email list and brings in sales
**Spoiler alert** Pop-ups might be harming your SEO efforts
Google hates pop-ups. In fact, they call them "intrusive interstitials". And the Google hates the most is the pop-up that opens in a new window. If Google finds this on your website, it will reduce your SEO status, and you risk harming your search engine rankings. Don't do it.
Here are three types of pop-ups that WILL harm your SEO rankings.
- Display an immediate pop-up on the main landing page.
- Run a time-triggered pop-up on the main landing page.
- Display a pop-up that disallows users from viewing page content without closing the ad.
Six simple website pop up best practices
Pop-up banners have an average conversion rate of around 3%. So if a 3% increase in activity will help your sales or build your audience. Go for it!
- Make your pop-up meaningful. Lead generating download pop-ups have a higher conversion rate than newsletter sign-ups. Why? Because the value to your customer is higher. Not sure about what your clients will find valuable? Check out this blog about how to choose the perfect lead magnet for your business.
- Consider using an announcement banner rather than a pop-up for newsletter opt-in or lead magnet opt-in. Or a static section on the webpage.
- Never (ever. EVER) set your pop-up to trigger when they land on the page. You've had no time to win them over. Set pop-ups instead of 75% page scroll or "exit intent".
- Tailor your pop-up to the page they're on. Make it package or service-specific. Really think about the value you're bringing to their experience.
- Use an image! Pop-ups with images convert more.
- Check, double-check and triple-check the pop-up size. Always make sure it doesn't cover the mobile screen, and that the X exit button can be easily tapped (even for people like me with big thumbs!)
Remember, your pop-up is there to add value. If it's not. Get rid of it!!!
Time for a Website Re-Vamp?
If this blog has triggered your website anxiety, maybe it's time to get a website copy re-vamp? Book a call and let's talk about how to get your website bringing in more clients and helping you grow your business.