ECommerce marketers are always on the hunt for the holy grail: consumers’ data. Whether it’s building an email marketing list, persona mapping, segmentation or remarketing – without customer data, none of that is possible. With spam at an all-time high, getting your hands on an email address isn’t always easy, and that’s where pop-ups come into play.
Before you start rolling out pop-ups and banners, think about this scenario: if your pop-up was a person, would it follow a potential customer around the store, interrupting their browsing to ask them the same question over and over again? We’re guessing – no.
While some consumers love them, most don’t, so perfecting your pop-ups needs to be top of mind. With the potential to be pesky and intrusive, here are a few tips to help you build engagement without burning bridges.
It’s All About Timing
Online consumers are creatures of habit and are fast cottoning on to opportunities for discounts. While most shoppers welcome a discount or incentive, there is a right time to get that message across. With a new study from Microsoft Corp. showing human attention span has decreased to 8 seconds, captive audiences are fast diminishing.
While this may encourage some online retailers to roll out the pop-up instantly, no shopper wants to be immediately bombarded. Give your website visitor at least 30 seconds to settle in. Nailing the timing comes down to trial and error, A/B test your messaging, experiment with timing and location, and remember to keep an eye on bounce rates and subscription statistics to track conversions.
Come Up With Quality Content
With the human attention span now shorter than that of your average goldfish, nailing your messaging has never been more important. It’s not just about witty one-liners, it’s about tying the message into the customer journey. If it’s a new visitor, slapping them with a ‘welcome back’ message isn’t going to hit a home run. Quality content is as much about enticing messaging as it is relevant and insightful offers. Use real-time data and analytics to tailor your pop-up content and where possible, use triggers to customise your message. A classic example of this is exit offers which are triggered when a browser moves their mouse towards closing the window. At this stage, offering a discount or coupon may help reduce abandonment.
Focus on The Design
When it comes to designing the ultimate pop-up – less is more. Stick to a simple call to action and make sure the message is clear and uncomplicated. While the whole idea of the pop-up is to drive engagement, it’s crucial that the cross to close the pop-up is visible and easy to use. The last thing you want to do is trap your traffic. Keep an eye on the data and A/B test your design and message to see what hits the mark.
Make Use of Geotargeting
As a digital marketer, geotargeting is something you want in your arsenal. With most consumers expecting free and fast shipping, geotargeting can help you deliver the right message, to the right person, at the right time. Implementing a geotargeting filter can help you push a free-shipping offer to the right market and exclude international visitors.
Incentives for Frequent Visitors
Keeping an eye on statistics and data allows you to hone-in on repeat visitors and help steer them towards conversion. Depending on which pop-up software you choose, you may be able to target visitors who’ve been to your site numerous times without taking action. Offering them an incentive such as a coupon code, or free shipping the next time they visit, may push them over the line.
The Wrap Up
When mismanaged, pop-ups have the potential to be pesky. Before getting carried away with offers and incentives, make sure you put yourself in the customer’s shoes. In your efforts to increase conversions, you could be turning your customers off. So, like any digital strategy, always test and refine; never set and forget.
