How to use pop-ups to increase sales and capture leads

Intro

Pop-ups are a common part of current web design and marketing, appearing on nearly every website or online platform.

(Survey In partnership with Smart Lead .AI)

Pop-ups are appreciated by some for their ability to attract attention and increase conversions, while others find them irritating and invasive.

Pop-ups can assist to break through the clutter and noise of the online world by using these attention-grabbing components to direct visitors' attention to a specific message or offer resulting in conversions or engagement.

A pop-up providing a free ebook or whitepaper, for example, can appeal to the user's need for knowledge or self-improvement, whereas a pop-up promoting a discount or limited-time offer can appeal to the user's desire for savings or exclusivity thanks to proper conversion rate and optimized testing

Important aspect of the psychology of pop-ups is the concept of cognitive load.

The amount of mental work necessary to process and comprehend a message or task is referred to as cognitive load.

By encouraging your team to process and respond without additional layers of information or distractions, pop-ups will reduce the cognitive burden of a website or user experience.

When hiring or giving instructions, it's critical to strike a balance between the benefits of pop-ups and the requirement to give a clear and easy-to-understand user experience with your team.

Ultimately, pop-up psychology is a complex and varied topic that involves attention, persuasion, cognitive load, and a variety of other elements.

Pop-ups on a website can increase the cognitive burden of the user experience by requiring the user to process and respond to an additional layer of information or distraction.

The three types of cognitive burdens and their overview

Intrinsic load

Intrinsic load is a type of cognitive load that refers to the inherent difficulty of a task or message that a user is presented with. The complexity of the content, as well as the user's prior knowledge and expertise in the subject matter, determine this type of cognitive load.

When a user is presented with difficult or new information or a task, the inherent load increases. This signifies that additional cognitive resources are needed to digest and comprehend the information or finish the task.

When a user is presented with basic or familiar information or a task, the intrinsic load is reduced and less cognitive resources are required.

The complexity of the content, the user's prior knowledge and skill, the level of involvement required, and the level of abstraction or concreteness of the information all influence intrinsic load.

A complex mathematical equation, for example, would have a high intrinsic load for someone unfamiliar with arithmetic but a low intrinsic burden for a mathematician.

Clear and succinct directions, together with pertinent examples or analogies that help to simplify the information, are one technique to lessen the intrinsic load of a task or communication.

Feedback and advice can also help to lessen internal load by clarifying expectations and providing a sense of progress and achievement.

Designers may create more engaging and successful user experiences that are easier to use and navigate by understanding the elements that contribute to intrinsic load and finding solutions to lessen it.

Extraneous load refers to the additional cognitive work required by irrelevant or unwanted information.

Distractions or irrelevant information that adds to the cognitive load of the activity without contributing to the user's knowledge or performance produce this type of cognitive strain.

Extraneous load

Extraneous load can be caused by a number of factors, including visual clutter, useless content, and poorly designed user interfaces.

Optimizing a website with cluttered topic layouts and too many popups, for example, reduces superfluous load and other disruptions, without being fixed, break the user's flow while making it harder for consumers to discover the information they require.

Extraneous load reduction is crucial for designers and developers since it can help to improve a product's effectiveness and usability.

Simplifying the user interface and removing unneeded content or design components is one technique to reduce extraneous load. Another strategy is to optimize content structure and placement to reduce distractions and assist people focus on the most important information.

Designers can also use visual cues and other approaches to draw the user's attention to the most important information or actions.

For example, highlighting critical buttons or text with color or contrast can assist to decrease needless load and make it easier for users to find what they need.

Designers may create more effective and engaging user experiences that are easier to use and navigate by identifying sources of superfluous load and implementing solutions to eliminate it.

Germane load

Germane load refers to the cognitive effort required to process and integrate new information that is relevant and useful to the user's goals.

The cognitive effort required to analyze and integrate new information that is relevant and valuable to the user's goals is referred to as germane load.

Germane load is advantageous since it assists the user to process and remember information that will assist them in achieving their goals.

Many aspects influence germane load, including the information's relevance and usefulness, the level of involvement required, and the user's prior knowledge and skill in the subject topic.

The germane load increases when a user is supplied with information that is relevant and valuable to their goals.

This implies that more cognitive resources are necessary to analyze and integrate the information, but the effort is worthwhile because it assists the user in achieving their objectives.

An ecommerce website that offers personalized recommendations based on the user's browsing history, for example, might improve germane load by offering material that is directly relevant to the user's interests and goals.

When it comes to pop-ups, the most important form of cognitive burden to consider is superfluous load. If a pop-up is irrelevant or unneeded to the user's goals, it might increase their needless cognitive load and reduce the website's or user experience's efficacy.

As a result, marketers and site designers must carefully assess the relevancy and utility of their pop-ups, as well as ensure that they are targeted and created in a way that reduces superfluous load.

Pop-ups should be designed to be non-intrusive, quick to dismiss, and relevant to the user's goals in order to reduce needless load. Clear message, tailored offers, and personalized content can all help to achieve this.

Also, pop-ups' technical characteristics, such as load times and performance, must be optimized to ensure that they do not add excessive cognitive load to the user experience.

Ultimately, pop-up psychology as the concept of cognitive load emphasizes the significance of balancing pop-up benefits with the requirement to deliver a clear and user-friendly experience.

(As marketers and web designers, plugins are the backbone of any structure for a functioning website.)

Types of pop-ups with their overviews, strengths and weaknesses

Entry Pop-ups

Entry pop-ups are a form of pop-up that appears when a visitor visits a website or navigates to a specific page.

They are intended to pique the user's interest and entice them to perform a specific action, such as signing up for a newsletter or making a purchase.

Input pop-ups often include a call-to-action (CTA) message as well as a form for the user to complete.

Entry pop-ups can help increase conversions and generate leads by giving consumers a clear and straightforward message about what action they should take on the website. They can also be used to promote certain items or services and give special deals or discounts to users.

Entry pop-ups might, however, be viewed as obtrusive or obnoxious if poorly implemented. The best practices for pop-up design and implementation should be used to make entrance pop-ups effective and well-liked by consumers.

Entry pop-ups, for instance, must blend in with the overall appearance of the website and be simple to close if the user is not interested. To boost relevance and engagement, they should also be tailored to particular user groups based on aspects like geography, behavior, and demographics.

Ultimately, when used properly and strategically in a website or digital marketing campaign, entry pop-ups can be a useful tool for boosting conversions and generating leads.

Strengths

• High visibility: Entrance pop-ups, which show as soon as a user enters a website or lands on a certain page, are among the most noticeable pop-up types. The likelihood that the user will do the intended action may rise as a result.
• Improved conversions: Entry pop-ups can boost users' propensity to take specific actions, like subscribing to a newsletter or completing a purchase, by presenting a clear and direct call-to-action message.
• Entrance pop-ups can be tailored to appeal to particular user groups based on information like location, behavior, and demographics, which can improve relevance and engagement.

Weaknesses

• Entrance pop-ups have the potential to frustrate consumers if they are implemented poorly or are displayed too frequently. Lower engagement and unpleasant user experiences may result from this.
• Input pop-ups can also draw visitors' attention away from the website's main information, particularly if they are made to take up a sizable piece of the screen or are challenging to close.
• Ad-blocking software: Certain users' browsers may be equipped with ad-blocking software, which can completely block entry pop-up windows from displaying. The pop-up campaign's effectiveness and reach may be constrained as a result.

Exit pop-ups

Exit pop-ups, often referred to as exit-intent pop-ups, are brought up by user actions that suggest they are about to close a tab or leave a website.

The typical way to identify this activity is through mouse clicks or movements that signal the user is attempting to leave the website.

Exit pop-ups are intended to catch the user's attention and persuade them to take a certain action before they leave the website. This action could be anything from making a purchase to signing up for a newsletter.

Exit pop-ups are designed to capture viewers who might otherwise leave a website without converting in the hopes that they will become paying clients or subscribers.

Exit pop-ups have the ability to be extremely tailored to particular user segments or activities, which is one of their main advantages.

To persuade a user to finish the transaction, a pop-up advertising a discount or free delivery might be aimed at them if they have added products to their cart but have not yet made a purchase.

However, exit pop-ups can also be perceived as annoying or disruptive if not Well-executed, Users may believe that they are unable to leave the website, which may make them feel unfavorably about the company or website.

Exit pop-ups must be created with the user experience in mind if we are to reduce this risk. Making the pop-up visually appealing, simple to interpret, and pertinent to the user's requirements or interests are examples of how to do this.

Exit pop-ups should not be displayed too frequently in order to avoid becoming annoying or overpowering.

Exit pop-ups are a useful tool for catching people who are ready to leave a website and persuading them to take a certain activity.

To prevent being viewed by users as intrusive or bothersome, they must be implemented properly.

Strengths

• Exit pop-ups are useful for keeping visitors on your website who may otherwise leave without making a purchase, giving you the chance to convert them into subscribers or customers.
• Exit pop-ups can be very specifically tailored to particular user demographics or behaviors, increasing their likelihood of being successful in generating conversions.
• Exit pop-ups can improve user experience if properly implemented by giving consumers pertinent and helpful information or offers prior to leaving the website.

Weaknesses

• Exit pop-ups may be viewed as bothersome or disruptive by users if they are not implemented properly, which may cause them to feel unfavorably about the company or website.
• Risk of losing trust: If users see an exit pop-up that seems to be based on their surfing history or personal information, they can feel as though their privacy is being invaded, which could result in them losing faith in the company.
• Mobile optimisation Exit pop-ups may be challenging to mobile device-optimize, which may lead to a bad user experience and decreased efficacy.
• Legal compliance: There may be legal obligations for website to get user authorization before displaying users with pop-ups, including exit pop-ups, depending on the nation or region.

Timed pop-ups

Pop-ups that appear after a predetermined period of time are known as timed pop-ups.

In order to grab the user's attention and persuade them to do a particular action, the time delay is often adjusted so that they can interact with the website or content before the pop-up appears.

As they present visitors with a targeted call-to-action at a moment when they are most likely to be engaged with the website or content, timed pop-ups can be quite effective in improving conversions.

The fact that timed pop-ups can be incredibly tailored to particular user segments or actions is one of its key advantages.

A timed pop-up, for instance, might appear when a user has browsed a certain number of products or spent a certain amount of time on a certain page.

Timed pop-ups may be more effective in generating conversions than conventional pop-ups because of this tailored strategy.

Yet, one of the main drawbacks of timed pop-ups is that some users may find them obtrusive or grating.

This is especially true if the pop-up interferes with the user's browsing, occurs frequently, or doesn't clearly help the user.

Also, visitors may not have had enough time to interact with the website or content before the pop-up displays if the timing of the pop-up is poorly calibrated, which can cause frustration or annoyance.

Strengths

• Users who may not have observed other calls to action on the page may be attracted by timed pop-ups.
• Due to the pop-potential up's to offer a temporary discount or other incentive, they can create a sense of urgency.
• The possibility of conversion can be increased by timing pop-ups to target particular user segments based on their behavior or browsing history.

Weaknesses

• Timed pop-ups could obstruct the user's browsing and be viewed as intrusive or irksome.
• If the user is not interested in the offer or the pop-up comes when the user is not prepared to act, they may not be effective.
• On mobile devices, where visitors may be more likely to quickly leave a website if they encounter too many pop-ups, timed pop-ups might be less effective.

Click pop-up

Click pop-ups, often referred to as click-triggered pop-ups, appear once a user clicks on a certain link or button on a website.

These pop-ups are intended to give visitors more information or persuade them to do something, like register for a free trial, join up for a newsletter, or make a purchase.

The fact that click-triggered pop-ups can be extremely targeted and pertinent to the user's needs or interests is one of their advantages.

For instance, if a user clicks on a "Learn More" button for a particular good or service, a click pop-up may offer more details about that good or service, as well as a discount or other incentive to persuade the user to make a purchase.

Moreover, click-triggered pop-ups can be utilized to offer extra resources or information that isn't immediately available on the home page.

For instance, a pop-up that appears when a user clicks on it can offer a free download or access to a webinar in exchange for the user's email address or other contact details.

Yet, poorly implemented click-triggered pop-ups may be seen as invasive or disruptive to the user's browsing experience.

It is crucial to make sure the pop-up is pertinent to the user's interests and needs, that it is not overly distracting, and that it is simple to close.

Overall, click-triggered pop-ups can be useful for giving customers who have already expressed interest in a certain product or service specific information and incentives.

It's crucial to weigh the advantages of the pop-up against the dangers of having the user regard it as intrusive or bothersome.

Strengths

• Extremely targeted: By clicking on a specific link or button, a user can designate that a click-triggered pop-up only display when they have expressed a particular interest in or purpose.
• Relevant information: Because click-triggered pop-ups are brought up in response to a specific user activity, they may be created to deliver users extremely pertinent and contextual information.
• An increase in conversions can be attained by using click-triggered pop-ups to persuade visitors to perform a certain action, such signing up for a trial or completing a purchase.

Weaknesses

• Risk of annoyance: Users may find click-triggered pop-ups obtrusive or irritating if they occur too frequently or at the wrong times.
• User experience disruption: Click-triggered pop-ups may have a negative effect on the user's perception of the website or brand if they disrupt the user's browsing or flow.
• Risk for overuse: Click-triggered pop-ups run the risk of losing their impact and being ignored by consumers if used too frequently.

Hover Pop-up

A specific sort of pop-up called a hover pop-up emerges when a user moves their mouse pointer over a specific webpage element.

They are made to give users who have already expressed interest in a certain good or service more information or a call to action.

Those who are interested in the content on the website may benefit from targeted information or offers delivered via hover pop-ups.

Users who are already interested in a certain product or service can receive contextual information and offers from hover pop-ups, which is one of its main advantages.

A hover pop-up, for instance, may show up when a user hovers over a product image and offer more information about the goods, pricing, or a promotional deal.

This may be a powerful strategy for persuading consumers to buy something or do anything else.

Hover pop-ups might, however, be viewed as obtrusive or bothersome if they are poorly implemented. The pop-up can impede browsing and cause irritation if it comes too rapidly or obscures crucial information.

Also, some users might have their pop-up blocker turned on, which would stop the hover pop-up from showing at all.

Hover pop-ups can, in general, be a useful tool for increasing website conversions, but it's crucial to carefully analyze their implementation and make sure they don't interfere with the user's surfing experience.

Strengths

• They give the user contextual information about the element they are hovering over, which can be quite pertinent and raise their level of involvement with the website.
• They may be less bothersome than other kinds of pop-ups because they don't interfere with the user's browsing until they interact with the element directly.
• Due to the fact that they are started by a particular user activity, they can be very targeted (hovering over a particular element).

Weaknesses

• Users who do not actively hover over website items might not notice them.

If they appear too often or do not offer useful information, they may be seen as unpleasant or distracting.

• On mobile devices, when hovering is not possible or may call for a different user engagement, they might not function well.

Best practices to consider when creating pop-ups

It can be difficult to create good pop-ups since there is a delicate line between engaging the user and being viewed as obtrusive.

• Targeting: Employ targeting choices to guarantee that the pop-up is shown to the appropriate audience at the appropriate moment. User behavior, location, device, and referral source can all be used to target users.
• Take into account the time of the pop-up. Show it when the user is most likely to interact with it, such as after they have spent some time on the site or just before they depart.
• Design: Check that the pop-appearance is visually appealing and consistent with the overall branding of the website. Avoid clutter and superfluous information by using precise, concise language.
• Value proposition: Make it clear what the value proposition of the offer or action you want the user to take is. This could involve emphasizing advantages, discounts, or exclusive material.
• Call-to-action: Employ a clear and appealing call-to-action that clearly explains what action the user should do. This could involve employing action-oriented language, emphasizing scarcity or urgency, or presenting social proof.
• Testing: Test and tweak the pop-up on a regular basis to improve its effectiveness. This could entail experimenting with various designs, messaging, timing, and targeting possibilities.

Scarcity is another principle to employ. Scarcity refers to the belief that something is more valuable or attractive when it is in short supply.

A pop-up that says "Just 5 slots remaining" can, for example, generate a sense of urgency and motivate users to act before the chance is lost.

Spigen, an online store, is one company that has effectively embraced this best practices while saving great marketing expenses. Spigen increased newsletter sign-ups by 60% using behavioral science based pop-ups.