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what are popups

What are Popups? Benefits, Types, and Best Practices

8 min read
You must have encountered a catchy popup form that gathers varied information or gives some offer. But hey, not all such website popups are bad. Some are crafted so well that you’re genuinely enticed to get on board. Popup forms have a mixed reputation and you, as a business holder, must bank the best out of it.

The real question is, then what to do? Is it necessary to create popups? Is it beneficial and will help my business? What are web page notification popups?

That’s why I am here. Your knight in shining armor, your savior! Haha, I know it’s too much but hey, I am sure gonna help you navigate through everything about popup forms. Are you ready to get all your answers easily? Let’s get going!

What do you Mean by Popups and Popup Forms?

Let us break down what popups are to have a perfect idea. We all know what a simple popup is. Something that turns up, out of the blue and gives a surprise. It tends to appear suddenly and gives some useful information. We have usually seen beautiful 3D popup cards, books, and even popup stores in exhibitions.

Now let us understand the form in an easy way. Typically it’s a document with various fields and blank spaces and asks for some crucial information. A user fills it up as per their knowledge and experience. We have seen exclusive college application forms, job forms, contact forms, and so on. There are different forms based on industry to support special utility and function.

Now, let’s combine the two for a nuanced understanding. A popup form is a form that would pop out somewhere on a website and contain fields to get information from the viewers in a swift manner. Isn't it easy-peasy!

Now, let’s explore the next stage. Let us see how popup forms or popups can support your business growth.

Benefits of a Popup on WordPress Website for Business

Benefits of a Popup on WordPress Website for Business

1. Popups Help Getting Leads

The major utility of a web site pop up form is to get you cream leads. If timed right, you are bound to receive customer information that can help you promote your business further. It can eventually lead to conversions.

2. Allows User Engagement

Popup forms would usually be a first point of contact between you and the website visitor. Thus, it will start user interaction and conversation. It’s a point where you put forth your most important information and allow visitors to take an action and get connected with you.

3. Popups Target a Specific User Segment

You can define who sees a pop up on your website. It can be new visitors only, recurring customers only, or it can be behavior based popup. For instance, if you are an apparel website running a sale on jeans, you would target only those visitors that are browsing for Jeans. This way, you connect with exactly who you want to, leading to a higher rate of conversion.

4. Helps Gain Feedback

A popup can be just to gain genuine feedback from your visitors. If you are a content centric Website, you can ask what more the readers expect from your end. For a product store, the visitors can let you know what collection they would like to have to shop. You get their credentials as well as valuable insights on what user’s think about you. It will help you go in the right direction.

5. Delivers Important Information

If you’re celebrating an anniversary or running a festive sale, a pop up would make the visitor’s aware of it. It can also inform them of your unavailability due to any issues for a specific period.
You got your answer to what is a pop up on a Website, right? Now, let’s check.

Various Types of Popups (Based on Format and Action Trigger)

1. Full screen Popups


Full screen Popups

These popups, as the name suggests, utilize the entire browser screen to effectively capture the user's attention. These are hard to miss. However, full-screen pop-ups can be highly noticeable, so it's important to use them thoughtfully to enhance user experience. Ensure these types of pop-ups are placed strategically to avoid interrupting key user interactions.

2. Bar Popups


Bar Popups

Bar pop-up also known as ribbon or banner are very non-intrusive popups. If you are running some deal or celebrating something, a small banner on your Website can inform that. This kind of a pop-up would not disturb user experience or activity in any way.

3. Overlay Popup

Overlay Popups

These pop ups hover over the current content being viewed by the visitors. It takes up only a portion of the screen, allowing users to easily close it or tap outside to continue their activity. These are the most common types of popups used by marketers.

4. Slide-in Popups


Slide-in Popups

If you want a non-intrusive yet an impactful popup, slide-ins are your answer. These would not disturb user activity and slide in from any set direction. These do not disturb the users and can easily catch their attention.

5. Social Proof Website Popups


Social Proof Website Popups

These kinds of popups or notifications are very famous on e-commerce sites. This shows the live user activity happening on the site. You might have seen texts like, ‘2 users just got this product’, ‘20 people are viewing this product’, or ‘saved in 50 wishlists.’ These kinds of popups push the users to take an action because of the assurance that others are also doing it.

6. Gamified Popups


Gamified Popups

Spin wheel or scratching pop-ups are very famous to add a gamifying element to your site. Users will play a tiny game to get an offer that is personalized to them. This builds excitement, curiosity, and a feeling of value.

7. Scroll-based Popups

If you really don’t want to scare off your visitors, wait for them to scroll till a certain point on your web page to show them a pop-up. If they’re scrolling till a certain point, that means they are interested in your offer and would like to have some discount or more information about your offer.

8. Exit Intent Popup


Exit Intent Popups

What is an exit intent popup? Well, it’s a great opportunity to re-engage the visitor before they leave your website. These will appear when a user’s cursor will go over to close the tab or move to the next tab. If you have some very enticing offer, use the exit intent pop-up. If the visitor would’ve liked what they saw, there’s a high chance they will grab the offer.

9. Inactivity Popups


Inactivity Popups

It’s a human tendency to multitask. A visitor might open up a window and then go to talk over a call or attend some other task. Inactivity popups appear at just the right moment to regain user engagement. This will act as a reminder to continue browsing and take advantage of great offers.

10. Timed Popups


Timed Popups

Instead of immediately showing a popup, you can wait for a few seconds or minutes of user’s being acquainted with your site. After that specific time, your popup will activate. This will not come-off as too sales-ey and the visitor would be ready to check out some offer.

Considerations while Designing a Popup

Yes, popups are important and not yet outdated. Yes, they are intrusive but not if you think thoroughly and consider the following points while designing them.
  • Make sure the popups are relevant to the content on a specific page. If it’s relevant, it will significantly enhance user engagement. For instance, on a blog about SEO Marketing Tips, provide a popup of sharing your SEO Toolkit via mail.
  • The pop-up copy and offer must be valuable. It should either provide a good resource, discount, e-books, insights, or something similar. It should be worth your user’s time.
  • Understand the engagement patterns of users. What makes them click, what makes them stay, what makes them enter their credentials. Use analytical heatmaps to understand where the user is most active.
  • A well-designed pop-up form consists of key elements such as a title, description, offer, and an image. Thus, you must also nail your copy language. Instead of writing, ‘Get shoes at 30% off’ use ‘Run more miles at 30% off.’
  • You must specify what action you are expecting from the user. The CTA button or CTA copy should be very precise and guide users in the right direction. The process to avail any offer should be intuitive and effortless for the user.
  • Use a pop-up builder that is responsive to multiple devices with a seamless user experience. Your form design should adapt to any device from which a visitor would browse your site.
  • Choose the right type of form for the right audience. Understand user behavior and take into account user needs. Only then you will be able to create non-intrusive pop-ups that are considered and not neglected.

Wrapping Up the A-Z Guide to Pop-up Forms

I am sure with these tips and examples, you are all wired up to try some of the best pop-up creation plugins. You can start designing by keeping the considerations in mind. Make sure you are not being pushy. With evolving digital trends, users prefer seamless and non-intrusive interactions over anything that feels excessive.

To get genuine leads and feedback, keep users in mind while designing your pop-ups. Put yourself in the shoes of a website visitor. Or visit some websites yourself to understand what kind of pop-ups are used and whether they feel good or not. Doing a thorough market analysis is the best way to approach a pop-up form creation.
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Brian Denim

Brian is a WordPress expert with a decade of dev experience, a knack for technical writing, a film buff, and an outdoor enthusiast.

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