A PSA to Companies Regarding Their Website Popups
As consumers, we browse websites on a daily basis. We check social media, emails, and any other notifications that we get. We all have our own routine that we follow and do our best to stick as closely to it as possible. When it comes to browsing the web, we’re accustomed to where buttons should be, what animations we see when we scroll, and if you have any audio (which is typically annoying). The most important element that us consumers have almost figured out is the popup.
The Popup
Popups can be a marketer's best friend in certain situations. They’re quick tidbits of information that can be put directly in front of consumers to gain their attention. They typically ask for a name and email to join an exclusive club. If you don’t want to join or subscribe, there’s usually some witty tagline before you close, which I always love.
The problem with popups is that we know they’re coming and we know how to close them out as quickly as possible. This being said, stop putting important information on them!
The Important Stuff
If you have important information that you need to let your site visitors know, put a banner at the top of the page or a smaller popup in one of the bottom corners. Every time there is a popup right in the center of the page, nearly 10 out of 10 times it’s going to ask for the visitor's information. While effective, they also are a nuisance to many people and don’t last more than 3 seconds before being closed.
This means you’re losing the opportunity to convey your message. Maybe you have an update on the software, updated hours, website maintenance being performed, etc. That information needs to be seen, not closed out of. More importantly, if you do decide to add a popup and center it, make sure the information is able to be found elsewhere. If the information is that important, make sure it can easily be accessed if it is closed out of initially.
As marketers, we have to stick together and share ideas. If you have any other tips that need to be shared, please let me know. Ya know, return the favor!
