In the vast landscape of eCommerce, where attention is a coveted currency, on-site pop-ups are an often controversial technique for gaining customers as they beckon them with promises of discounts, exclusive deals, and more. But do they work, or just take up more on-site real estate and valuable time? Do customers just end up closing them without a second thought?
Well, in this blog, we’ll be discussing the diverse types of pop-ups, unravelling their benefits, and delving into the best practices so that, if done right, you can create unassuming windows into conversion powerhouses — boosting conversion rates and increasing your zero-party data. All for what goal? Increased Customer Lifetime Value (yep, the golden nugget we love and nurture).
What is a Pop-Up Form?
In case you’re new to the internet, it’s one of those boxes that quite literally ‘pop up’ on your screen when you enter a website. They can sometimes be annoying and cause customers to leave the site, but if done right, they are the perfect place to begin a new relationship with your visitors.
Their main goal is to capture information such as an email address and/or phone number, and they’re definitely not a one-size-fits-all affair. Their makeup is dependent on your brand’s objective and the targeting scenario.
For example, there are entry pop-ups that welcome new customers and encourage them to sign up for your email and/or SMS marketing with the incentive of getting to know your brand and any promotional information you have to share.
There are also exit-intent pop-ups that encourage a user to sign up before they leave. These pop-ups usually have a compelling offer to incentivise the customer to sign up (after all, they’re already on their way out.
Types of Pop-Up Forms
There are many more types. Based on your goal and your target audience, you can utilise email pop-ups, Shopify newsletter pop-ups, and even conversational pop-ups to achieve what you need. For example, you may want to gamify the experience with a spinning wheel to win a prize to bring a sense of uniqueness to your brand. No matter your decision, each pop-up form type serves a unique purpose in your customer interaction, and understanding their roles can elevate your eCommerce strategy.
Some pop-up forms you should keep in mind for strategies include:
- Welcome pop-up: this email pop-up’s sole purpose is to welcome new customers on the homepage, inviting them to become a part of your community.
- Exit intent pop-up: aimed at getting one last conversion possibility, an exit intent appears the minute a customer attempts to close the page.
- Multi-step pop-up: a key pop-up for many; this one takes many shapes and forms, including collecting zero-party data, collecting phone numbers, and collecting email addresses—all in one pop-up.
- PDP pop-up: if you have a popular product page, this is where you can take the opportunity to upsell and cross-sell.
How Can Pop-Up Forms Boost Conversion Rates and Sales?
Here’s the elephant in the digital room—how do these seemingly intrusive email pop-ups contribute to the holy grail of eCommerce conversion rates and increased sales? This is where you’ll need to focus on your targeting, goal, and overall customer journey.
Remember: the bus doesn’t stop with them inputting their email address. It’s all about what information you capture and what you do with that information after the fact. In the end, whether it’s prompting a newsletter sign-up, offering a time-limited discount, or encouraging customers to answer an engaging question about themselves, pop-up forms are catalysts for steering the customer journey in a desired direction.
But before we move on to what to do with the information you gather in your Shopify newsletter pop-up form, let’s discuss what information you should be gathering.
How to Collect Zero-Party Data in Your Pop-Up Form
With the death of third-party cookies, zero-party data wears the crown in helping you create a meaningful relationship with each customer. It allows you to specifically target and personalise your communication and recommendations with them, creating a unique customer journey for each one.
Here’s a fact: people love talking about themselves. So why not embrace that? Use your pop-up to ask a compelling question. For example, if your brand sells products specifically for dogs, you may want to ask the customer what breed of dog they have and provide them with some options to choose from. Or, if you sell products for skincare, you could ask your customers what skin type they have. After they’ve chosen from the provided choices, they’ll be prompted to input their email address.
How to Use Zero-Party Data Collected in a Pop-Up Form
So you’ve collected the data—now what? Easy. You can use the zero-party data to create unique content in your email marketing. For example, using a tool like Octane AI to create a virtual dialogue with your visitors in their quiz pop-ups and integrating it with Klaviyo will allow you to pull all those valuable profile properties into your email marketing. And by adding conditional splits based on their choices (or if you’re feeling extra, adding logic blocks to your emails), you can cater everything from imagery to copy to recommended products based on the answer they chose.
This means you’ll not only increase the likelihood of higher conversion rates due to personalisation, but you’ll also create a unique and nurturing customer journey for your visitors—turning them into long-term customers.
Best Practices to Create Successful Pop-Ups
Crafting effective pop-up forms requires a thoughtful approach grounded in strategic principles. The success of these forms lies in the details of their design and messaging. Here are some crucial pop-up form best practices to keep in mind:
Align with Brand Identity
Ensure that your pop-ups visually align with your brand’s identity. Consistent colours, fonts, and imagery help in creating a seamless experience for the visitor.
Compelling Copy
Craft concise and compelling copy that clearly communicates your brand’s value proposition. Clearly state what users gain by engaging with your pop-up, whether a discount, exclusive content, or a newsletter subscription.
Timing is Everything
Experiment with the timing and behaviour of your pop-ups. Entry pop-ups may work well for immediate engagement, while exit-intent pop-ups capture users before they leave. It’s important to test and analyse the performance of your pop-ups to find the optimal timing for your specific audience.
Mobile Responsiveness
With the increasing use of mobile devices, ensure that your pop-ups are mobile-friendly. A seamless experience across all devices is crucial for user satisfaction.
A/B Testing
Implement A/B testing to understand what resonates best with your audience. Test different designs, copy variations, and triggers to refine your pop-up strategy based on real user interactions.
Blend & Pop-Up Forms
When it comes to strategy, design, creation, implementation, and experimentation, pop-ups may seem a bit more overwhelming than they once were. But if you have the right team on your side, it’s effortless. At Blend, we take a systematic approach by strategising the best pop-up forms for your site, the best tools to use, and the best way to utilise the crucial data collected and increase your conversion rates, sales, and, most importantly, Customer Lifetime Value.
If you’re looking to get a leg up on your competition, get in touch with Blend today.
Published: December 01 2023
