It seems that every time I am searching a site these days on my iPad a box pops out in the corner like the troll in the story,
“Who’s that trip-trapping over my screen?”
“Errr….it’s only me, I was just trying to surf the net…. Why can’t I seem to be able to hit that blinking X to get rid of you?”
If you don’t know what I‘m talking about……
…Pop-up ads or pop-ups are forms of online advertising on the World Wide Web. A pop-up is a graphical user interface display area, usually a small window, that suddenly appears in the foreground of the visual interface. (Wikipedia)
Most people would agree that pop-ups are a bit frustrating, especially when they position themselves right in front of what you were trying to read. For those of us working online, installing pop-up blockers and ad blockers is a must.
However, if you are trying to engage with your customers through your website pop-ups can really help. Pop-ups have been shown to sizeably increase conversion rates through building relationship with customers and increasing your database. Many customers will not make a purchase on their first visit to your website but if you can acquire their email address with a pop-up form you will be able to redirect them to your site at a point in the future when they may be ready to make a purchase.
Here are some handy hints for how to optimise the use of pop-ups on your website.
Make sure that your timing is right. Pop-ups will come across as “in your face” and off putting if they appear straight away and the user is just browsing. If you have a look at your analytics, see the average time users spend on your site, you could then time your pop-up accordingly. Try to engage rather than interrupt.
Use pop-ups to help you grow your audience organically. Offer an incentive such as a discount for filling in a pop-up contact form and then you have email addresses to direct customers back to your site again in the future. It is very easy then to view engagement with your pop-ups via analytics.
Make your image eye catching and interesting. Copy needs to be succinct with a strong call-to-action. Many visitors are accustomed to closing pop-up boxes immediately, so you only have a second to get their attention.
If you need any help to put pop-ups on your site please contact us.