Pop up forms have started to appear on more and more websites. They are useful tools to get email subscribers, encourage people to sign up for texts, or encourage people to use coupons.
Pop up forms are windows that show up after a user has been on a website for a set amount of time, after they have scrolled down the page a certain amount, or after they click through to a specific page. Generally, they ask a user to fill in their email or phone number to sign up for newsletters, get emailed a coupon, or read a whitepaper or blog.
In 2016, pop up forms started to fall out of use because Google said it would start penalizing sites that use anything they consider “intrusive interstitials.” This scared off a lot of marketers from using them at all but not all pop up forms are bad and not all are intrusive.
When executed correctly, pop up forms can be a useful tool for inbound marketing but, as with any marketing strategy, context is everything.
Pop up forms come in six types:
- Welcome Mats
- Overlay Modals
- On Click Pop Ups
- Gamified Coupons
- Top Banners
- Slide In Boxes
These pop ups come in many shapes, formats and sizes. Below, we will go more in depth about what each format looks like and what the advantages of each are.
Welcome Mats
Welcome Mat pop ups are typically full screen and slide above the page content. They bring your message and/or offer front and center and should be used when the message is highly important or time sensitive (like sitewide sales).
Use Welcome Mat pop ups sparingly as they can sometimes be too intrusive and unexpected for users who land on your page.
Overlay Modals
These are center screen pop ups that go on top of the general page content. They don’t block the rest of the content from being shown but the user does have to physically click out of them to get them to go away. Some users do find these pop ups intrusive, but they can have high conversion rates if executed well.
On Click Pop Ups
Exactly what they sound like, on click pop ups are forms that appear when a user clicks on a designated place on the site. These forms are preferred when you want to avoid an in-content form cluttering the page. They are easy for people to use, which helps reduce friction on the conversion.
Gamified Coupons
A type of overlay modal, these coupons let users play a “game” to win a discount or a prize in exchange for providing your information. These generally look like prize wheels or scratch off tickets and are best for fun ecommerce brands.
Top Banners
Also known as Sticky Bars, Top Banners are a bar at the top of the screen that displays a headline and/or asks a user to act. They are usually a more permanent element and are best for long term sales, newsletter subscriptions, or general announcements like customer service hours changing.
Slide in Boxes
A less obtrusive version of an overlay modal, slide in boxes slide in from the bottom of the page and are good for giving users offers as they are scrolling through content.
There are a few actions that can trigger these pop ups:
- Page Entrance
- Page Scroll
- Element Interaction
- Time on page
- Exit Intent
- Inactivity
Make sure you are choosing the right action for the right offer. For example, a coupon is a great offer for an exit intent action.
So how do you make sure your pop up forms work? It is actually pretty simple.
- Offer something relevant and valuable.
- Think about the way people engage with your pages and craft your pop ups to match that use.
- Use language on your pop ups that is specific, actionable, and human.
- Don’t ruin the mobile experience (i.e. don’t make the pop up impossible to exit or fill out from a mobile device).
Following those four tips will help ensure that your pop ups work well for both you and your users. Have more questions about how to make your website work best for you? The experts at SimplyBuiltSites.com can help! Contact us today.