Improving website popup form conversion rates by up to 10x by following these best practices
We all know what popup forms are…or at least how annoying they can potentially be.
Popups on websites, especially in the context of lead and newsletter audience generation, have been evolving, and the techniques used to implement them have as well.
So how do you make sure you are improving your conversion rates and changing the User Experience from annoying to actually achieving the goal you’ve set for them — increase subscription, newsletter signup rates, paywall, email capture, etc.
Sure, it's generally good to stop your visitors and ask them to sign up on the form, but there’s a caveat.
I’m creating a new definition called
Contextual timing
You heard it first here :)
This is so important when designing pop-ups. Popup modals are made to be disruptive for a reason, so with great disruption comes great responsibility. you need to know when to pop this up otherwise, it will only frustrate your visitors.
What are some drawbacks with popups?
One of the biggest problems with email popup forms is that they can be annoying to people. If the form shows up too often or at the wrong time, it can be very annoying to users and make them want to leave your website. To get around this problem, it’s important to set the timing and frequency of the form so that it shows up at the right time, like after a user has been on the website for a certain amount of time or has looked at a certain number of pages.
Interrupts user experience
Pop-up forms can interrupt the user experience by blocking or hiding website content. To get around this problem, the form should be made so that it doesn’t block or hide important content on the website. It should also be easy for the user to close or dismiss the form if they don’t want to fill it out.
Mobile compatibility
Email popup forms may not work well on mobile devices, which can be a problem as more and more people use mobile devices to access the web. To get around this problem, the form should be responsive and mobile-friendly so that it can be filled out easily on any device.
Concerns about privacy
Email pop-up forms can cause users to worry about their privacy because it may not be clear what information is being collected or how it will be used. To get around this problem, it’s important to be clear about what information is being collected and how it will be used. It’s also important to follow data privacy laws like GDPR and CCPA.
Spam and Unsubscribing
Pop-up email forms can cause a lot of spam emails and users to stop receiving emails. To get around this problem, it’s important to put a link to unsubscribe in every email and make sure emails aren’t sent too often or with irrelevant content.
Low conversion rate
Email pop-up forms may have a low conversion rate because users may not want to fill them out or may not see the point in giving their information. To get around this problem, you should make sure the form gives the user something of value, like a discount or a free trial.
Make sure to follow these best practices if you want to avoid these issues and increase your conversion rates with popups on your website:
Keep it simple
Pop-up forms should be easy to understand and simple. Try not to use too many fields, and try to keep the form as short as you can. If you make it look daunting or if the perceived effort seems greater than the value they will get out of it, users will not complete the form.
Make it relevant
The form should have something to do with the user and what they are looking at. Make sure that the form gives the user something they want, like a discount or a free trial.
Use clear and concise language
Don’t use jargon or technical terms that might confuse the user. Instead, use clear and concise language on the form.
Make it look good
Pop-up forms should look good and have a clean, consistent design that is easy to read. Use color, font, and images to make the form stand out and get the user’s attention.
The main call-to-action should follow Hick’s law, which is to make it easy for users to select the button by increasing the touch target, this makes it easier for users the action you are looking for — press that submit button!
Provide Value
Give an incentive for leaving their email or taking the time to sign up a form or making a purchase, such as a discount or a free trial, etc.
- “You will receive two months of free subscription if you sign up now Offer ends in xx.xx.xx.”
- “Keep up with our latest (non-profit) events by subscribing to our newsletter.”
Mobile-friendly
While something may work on a desktop, make sure the popup form is optimized for mobile and can easily be used on different screen sizes. I’ve seen sites where the "Call to Action" button is hidden off the mobile screen, and this is just another friction point for users not to fill out the form.
Accessibility
Many websites will ignore accessibility because it adds more work for the developers. Best practices are to include alt text for images and appropriate form labels so that users with disabilities can easily use their keyboard to navigate through the form popup.
Set the time and how often
Choose how often and when the form should show up on the website. It shouldn’t happen too often or too soon, or the user might find it annoying.
Use data privacy best practices
Make it clear to users what information you’re collecting and how it will be used, and make sure you’re following privacy laws like GDPR and CCPA.
Test Test and Test again!
This will help optimize the design of the form so it performs better — this data is key because there are so many variations between websites. This testing will help determine what will work best for them as their website evolves.
Overall, email popup forms can be a good way to collect leads, but you need to be aware of their problems and take steps to fix them. Setting the timing and frequency of the form, making sure it works on mobile devices and doesn’t get in the way of the user’s experience, being clear about the information being collected, not sending spam and giving the user a way to unsubscribe, and making sure the form offers something of value to the user are all ways to increase your chances of collecting leads through email popup forms.
By keeping these best practices in mind when making a popup form, you can make a form that is easy to use, looks good, and helps your business get leads.
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