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The Best Exit Intent Popup Strategies for Ecommerce

The Best Exit Intent Popup Strategies for Ecommerce

February 6th, 2019

Exit-intent popups or exit popups are special messages that appear right before a visitor leaves a website. They are triggered by a mouse gesture, specifically when the pointer is headed for the tab or browser’s close button.

It might sound counterintuitive to use a popup to engage someone who, for whatever reason, has already lost interest. However, given the right messaging, – possibly a free shipping code or an exclusive offer – this could actually be a very powerful tool to re-engage leaving visitors and turn them into subscribers. In fact, exit popups have high conversion rates of up to 35%. That’s a huge difference from the 3% average signup rate of popups that appear at any other time.

The key to implementing this properly is in what you offer as well as how you present what you’re offering. Here are some tips to help you develop the best exit-intent popup strategies for your campaign:

1) Offer a sweet deal.

Keep in mind that the people who will see this are those who have already lost interest in your site. Stopping them from exiting your site using a popup is tricky because it creates more friction. With an exit popup, their earlier disinterest could easily turn into annoyance.

One thing to remember is that the best exit intent popup will stop leaving visitors in their tracks because the offer is so good, they can’t even think of getting annoyed. Different offers will work for different businesses but some tried-and-tested ones include free shipping, discount codes, free trial periods, and exclusive content.

2) Keep it short and direct.

The fact that they were already leaving means you don’t have their attention for very long. Apart from having a very good deal to offer, you need to be able to present it in a concise and candid way. Using as few words as possible, let them feel important and communicate exactly what they have to gain by signing up.

The design and layout also greatly affects effectiveness. These popups are specifically designed not only to match the overall theme of the site but also to garner the largest impact. Fortunately, some of the most powerful email marketing automation tools allow you to easily create custom popups and experiment with sizes, images, layout, and messaging.

3) Limit the information you ask for.

Of course, the more information you have on your subscribers, the more personalized your campaigns could be. However, the exit popup isn’t the right place to gather information. Your goal is simply to salvage your relationship with a person who is about to leave. Make sure you attempt that with as little friction as possible.

Technically, you’ll already have everything you need with just an email address. But, exit intent popups could actually get away with asking for an additional field. Depending on how great your offer is, you can probably ask for a name or phone number in addition to the email address.

The problem is, what’s great for you might not be too great for your audience. Make sure you try different field combinations and compare the results to a version that just asks for email addresses. If the single-field form works dramatically better, stick with it. You’ll have plenty of chances to ask for more information later on.

4) Gamify your offer.

Some email marketing automation tools offer amazing exit intent popup options like the Wheel of Fortune game. The Wheel of Fortune popup lets leaving visitors win a prize by “spinning” an animated wheel. With a powerful enough tool, you’ll be able to set the prizes and integrate them seamlessly onto your site.

The Wheel of Fortune exit popup is so effective that it collects thrice as many signups than regular forms. It works because it adds a layer of excitement to exit deals. It’s definitely entertaining and it adds the extra thrill of winning.

Keep in mind that the best exit-intent popup for one business could perform poorly for another. By keeping these tips in mind, you’ll know what general parameters work and it should be easier to design something specific to your business. Then, simply use A/B testing methods to find the best combination of offer type, messaging, and design to reap the best results from your campaign.