7 Ways To Optimize Your Ecommerce Store Pop Ups [With Examples]

One of the most polarizing topics in digital marketing is website pop ups. A 2016 study conducted by SSI found that pop ups were the most disliked type of ads by consumers.  However, the average conversion rate for pop ups is 11% with the top 10% highest performing popups converting at over 42%! So, where is the disconnect? 

The answer lies in how your ecommerce store pop ups are being used. Without an effective marketing strategy and the right messaging, pop ups are a nuisance that will likely irritate your site visitors. However, using pop ups the right way will get your visitors’ attention and ultimately lead to more conversions and sales growth for your ecommerce business.

In this article, we discuss how to optimize your ecommerce store pop ups to grow your business and show some great ecommerce pop up examples.

What Are The Best Ways To Optimize Ecommerce Store Pop Ups?

1. Promote Sales And Discounts
2. Pop Up Campaign For Each Stage Of The Buyer’s Journey
3. Giveaways
4. Create Urgency 
5. Address Shipping Costs
6. Advertise Best Selling Products
7. Get Feedback

Promote Sales And Discounts

Everybody loves a discount. One of the easiest ways to grow your email list and drive sales is to use a pop up that advertises a coupon code or a special offer while requiring an email address from new visitors in exchange.  

Here is an example from Candle Delirium that gives a 10% discount when you sign up for their VIP email list.

Make A Pop Up For Each Stage Of The Buyer’s Journey

Tailoring your message to where each visitor is on the buyer’s journey ensures every user is seeing the right message for them at the right time. If every visitor sees the same pop up, it may not apply to them and can be off-putting. For example, if an ad pops up for a product that a returning customer already bought or a returning subscriber sees a pop up to subscribe to your email list when they already are. 

Instead, choosing a message for each target audience makes the user experience seem more personal.

Types of pop ups for each buyer stage include: 

New visitors- These first-time visitors or potential customers that are not yet on your email list. Encourage them to sign up with their email address with a pop up offering a discount on their first order.

Here is an example from Dermstore:

Returning subscribers. These are potential customers that are subscribed to your email list. Since many ecommerce brands only use pop ups to grow their email list, they stop using popups at this point and then rely on email marketing. However, the goal is to convert them into a customer, and your best chance of that is when they are on your site. A good pop up for a returning subscriber would be a discount code (with an expiration time to show urgency) or an offer for free shipping to encourage them to make a purchase.

Here is an example from Beau Ties: 

Returning customers. These are returning visitors that have bought from you previously. If a user has reached this stage, it means you’ve done something right and they are back for more. The probability of selling to an existing customer is 60-70%, while selling to a new customer is only 5-20%, so nurturing this group is especially important to drive sales. This is your opportunity to increase CLV, or customer lifetime value, by having them make another purchase. 

Examples of good pop ups for returning customers are ads promoting new products or recommendations for products they might be interested in. 

Giveaways 

People love getting something for free. Offering an entry for a giveaway or access to exciting content in exchange for an email address is a fast way to grow your email list.

Giveaways that are great lead magnets include:

• Ebook download
• Webinar/ virtual event access
• Free trial
• Entry for a free gift

Here’s an example from Guilty Soles:

Create Urgency 

Customers are more likely to take action when there is a sense of urgency as they won’t want to experience FOMO and miss out. Create a sense of urgency with pop ups messages such as:

• Limited stock/ products that are close to selling out
• A countdown timer displaying when a sale or promotion is ending

Address Shipping Pricing

Unexpected shipping costs are the #1 reason customers abandon their carts. Displaying your shipping costs with a pop up right from the start, especially when offering free shipping, addresses the main reason why abandoned carts occur and will help improve your conversion rate. 

Advertise Best Selling Products

Using social proof is a great way to increase sales. Showing product recommendations for best sellers on product pages and category pages can help steer your customers towards the product they are most likely to buy. 

Get Feedback With A Pop Up Survey

Collecting valuable feedback helps make the customer experience the best it can be. Targeting cart abandoners with a simple survey asking why they did not complete an order or having a pop up after an order has been placed asking about the user experience can provide you with valuable insights on ways you can improve your ecommerce site. 

Here is an example of a pop up survey from Colgate:

Using Pop Ups To Boost Ecommerce Growth

Pop ups are used by the biggest retailers because they are an effective ecommerce marketing strategy when used correctly. A pop up campaign with the right message for the target audience will increase your ecommerce site’s engagement, revenue, and customer lifetime value.

There’s much more you can do with pop ups for your online store besides what we discussed in this article. If pop up design and strategy is not something your Shopify or ecommerce business has experience with, consider using an email marketing agency that will implement an effective strategy and design your ads with tailored messaging to boost growth and achieve your business goals.