If they are off in the upper hand on the side or whatever, then I am ok with that. But if it keeps constantly popping up and I keep x-ing it out, that gets annoying, and I have left certain websites when it gets annoying.
Especially some of these new up and coming websites. I don’t think they invest as much money as bigger websites. They do such a good job that I don’t mind those pop-ups.
- Michelle, Austin
It is important what Michelle says here. She acknowledges what customers like to proclaim out loud - that they will nope right out of there if they see a pop-up.
That’s just not true. Visitors know the game. They aren’t abandoning a web search because of that. But if it gets annoying, then it’s different.
She also points out that more mature companies understand their customers better. They have invested time into knowing what their customers want and why. Their pop-up strategy has been tested. It is not a copycat of another brand or following “best practices.”
To her, it is mostly new and up-n-coming brands that miss the mark. Not in a negative way. Just that they haven’t had the time or resources to work on it.
People don’t demand perfection, but at the same time, they expect things to be smooth and less jarring than what we see on many sites.
I don’t like spam personally or email marketing. I try to avoid popups because its just an influx of emails that comes through.
However there are certain things that would make want to put my email address down, like loyalty. Loyalty in terms of, like, a company offers certain discounts at certain times, or discounts depending on how many times you’ve purchased.
Lauren, Houston
For others, it is the random emails that they don’t want from brands. Lauren puts email marketing right next to spam, but when it is part of a wider structure of a loyalty program, emails are just fine.
She wants a little more control over how a brand interacts with her. Knowing when or why she will receive those emails takes away the spamminess.
These choose-your-own-adventure types, like Lauren, are not going to sign up immediately. They expect what follows will be one-sided and transactional. They will however sign up when it makes sense.
I’m always looking for the x…
- Steven, CA
The vast majority of your visitors are more like Steven… playing whack-a-mole with the hard work your email marketers are putting in.
I watched over a dozen consumers visit websites, hit the x, and couldn’t recall what discount was blaring in 72-pt font when asked. Even the $500 giveaway from one store.
But… and this is a big but… Every one of those who said or did this admitted they’d find a way to sign up for a discount later if they decided to buy something. Making it easier to find that on your website might nudge them to checkout.
I get that it is a numbers game, and that those numbers are important, but your customers are all different. Trying to paint them all with the same brush won’t cut it.
A zillion online stores opened up in the last two years. All of them are trying to build up their email list. Most haven’t invested time or resources into doing things right. It kind of makes it harder for the rest of us.
So what about you? What do you consider when it comes to popups and building your customer list? (comment below!)