Running a business, especially in the current circumstances, is a challenging task. Getting the edge over your competitors and ensuring that you are maximizing each and every opportunity are things you just can’t take for granted. You continually seek new ways of boosting sales, raising your profile, and keeping potential customers and clients interested. And with almost 59% of the world population (around 4.6 billion people) now labeled as ‘active internet users’, your online activity is vital to the growth of your business. One really effective way to do this is through the use of Popups.
What are Popups?
As an internet user yourself, you’ll probably be familiar with them. You may even have cursed them at times as you browse the web and are met with ads, invitations, or pleas of various kinds that spring up all over the place when all you want to do is look at the page you searched. Yes, they can be really annoying. But the simple fact is, they work! There’s a huge range of different types and styles, but they all share a common task – to grab your attention and get you to make a decision. Popup software can be adapted for a whole host of jobs, sending a box that ‘pops up’ over any tabs or pages on display. It is designed to encourage the user to take action of some kind. So, whether you think they’re the best thing ever or you absolutely detest them, there are hundreds of studies that show that these are an effective means of engaging with potential customers. In general, they have a good ‘click-through’ rate. at least 2% higher than any other type of online advertising. Anecdotal evidence suggests that both subscriptions and leads have been boosted by well over 100% for some companies.
How Can Popups Help Grow My Business?
There are so many ways that it is difficult to squeeze them all into one article! The world of SEO and online marketing is dynamic, with constant improvements and updates. Without going into the technical side, all we need to know is that this software can be molded to suit your business needs in a variety of ways and create a ‘Call To Action’ (CTA) that invites or encourages the user to make a decision. We’ll examine a few of these possibilities here to give you an idea of just how helpful it can be.
Email subscribers
It is an established fact that a customer email list is essential for any business. Gaining new subscribers can present problems, however. One way of securing more subscribers is by adding a CTA that invites visitors to your site to sign up. If you’re concerned about putting them off, one trick is to only allow the box to pop up once they have scrolled through about 60% or more of your first page, This indicates that they are probably interested enough to stay, and more likely to be happy to receive email updates from you. It also pays to add a ‘sweetener’, perhaps offering some kind of reward for signing up. It’s a great way of growing your customer database without increasing the ‘bounce rate’ (visitors who leave your site after viewing the first page without interacting).
Other tips include the following:
- Make it eye-catching! – use a simple but appealing design
- Be clear – let people know exactly what your intentions are from the start
- Personalize it – welcome visitors who arrive via a link from another site
- Convert it into a Landing Page – by turning the popup into a full-size page that visitors reach prior to heading to your site, you can create a good first impression. Without all the other information to distract them, people are more likely to pay attention, especially if you add some incentive.
- Use a ‘floating’ bar – if you’re concerned about annoying your visitors, this is ideal. An unobtrusive box can be placed at the head or foot of the page that still contains the CTA inviting visitors to subscribe to your emails.
Lead magnet Popups
It’s true, people just love free stuff! They will often jump at the chance and are generally happy to provide their details in exchange for this. In marketing, these are known as lead magnets.
As acknowledged above, in the past popup ads were obtrusive and irritating – and they still can be. But with sensible and sensitive handling they can prove their usefulness without driving potential customers to despair.
The key to lead magnets is timing. Link the CTA to specific products or services you offer, introducing them at the optimum moment. If someone is hovering around on your site for some time, chances are they’re considering a sale. An offer of a discount code or free postage given just at the right point may encourage them to go ahead with it. Again, if you’re anxious about scaring them away, consider a floating box that catches their attention without obscuring the page.
Feedback Popups
Knowing what your customers think of you is vital, whether good or bad. If it’s good, great! You can build on what you’re doing right. If it’s not so good, at least you can work on fixing the problems. But if you have no idea what they think, how can you plan an effective strategy for the future?
Consider an ‘exit intent’ survey that pops up as they leave your site. keep it friendly and invite honest opinions. It doesn’t have to be an essay, just a few words to guide you in putting any problems right. Is your website loading too slowly? Not clear enough or too cluttered? None of us enjoys criticism, but if it helps you to find out what the customer wants then it’s worth the pain.
These kinds of popups can also be used to gather reviews and ratings that can be used to promote your business on landing pages, testimonials, and other marketing campaigns.
Announcement Popups
The general public gets bored very quickly! The ’15 second rule’ is a well-known fact in SEO circles, referring to the fact that many people will spend only 15 seconds on a webpage before leaving it if nothing grabs their interest. Aside from making your home page as eye-catching as possible, with good content and clear, well-placed images, you can keep them informed of any new features, products, and promotions. You may have a ‘News’ page on your site, in which case a popup on other pages could draw attention to this, creating the impression that it would be too good to miss.
You could consider including a popup that alerts people to new products and services as people click on those pages.
Inbound Call Popups
Although a huge amount of business is now conducted via the internet, many people still prefer the human touch. The sound of a real voice at the end of a phone can be reassuring. As helpful as chatbots can be, they can’t replace the real thing. And aside from actually visiting a physical store, an inbound call is one of the surest signs that someone has the intention to buy.
Once again, timing here is critical. If a potential customer is browsing your site for some time and decides to click away, an exit-intent popup could offer to connect them with ‘live help’ via a phone number. Modern technology is pretty good these days, so if your customer is using a smartphone you can even include an option of a ‘one-click connection’ widget. All they have to do is click on the number to be connected to the agent.
The dreaded ‘abandon cart’ Popups
Sadly, the metrics for this are not good; the majority of all potential online sales are canceled after adding items to the cart. The figures for 2017 were a staggering 77%. The reasons are many and varied, affecting most e-commerce businesses across the board, but it is good to have a strategy in place to combat this unwelcome phenomenon. Use your email list to send gentle reminders to customers that they have items in the cart. You can also include popups that do likewise while they are browsing your site. But the best thing is to use our friend the exit-intent popup to stop them from leaving the cart in the first place. Again, an incentive offered here could make all the difference. Instead of clicking away from the page, they may be encouraged to make the sale.
Conclusion
These are just a handful of the ways in which popup software can help to grow your business. When combined, they can form an effective strategy that creates a professional feel to your operation. Nobody wants to be plagued with a mass of annoying boxes that intrude on their browsing experience. Most responsible SEO and marketing experts will advise you to find a balance between ensuring you grab the user’s attention without causing irritation. Use intuitive software provided by experts in the field – and there are many brilliant ones out there waiting to help you turn traffic into leads, and leads into sales.
Get a free two week trial for our popup software today!