As Manchester’s leading web design experts, we keep on all of the latest opinions in design. And a web design and web marketing trick that has divided opinion since day dot, is the popup. Hate them or generally don’t mind, we are yet to find a user who actively likes a popup. So why do companies still use them? Well, believe it or not, popups often get results. And here at Pumpkin Web Design Manchester, we can help you use them effectively, so that you can get these results too! As a result, we have produced this guide to popups and web design: what is good practice?
What is a popup?
We’ve all encountered popups at some point. Sometimes multiple times a day. When a website opens a window, that you didn’t ask for, this is called a popup. A good one will scale out all the colour on the page behind, and use bright, bold, company colours on the popup window to draw your attention, usually to the call to action. It’s often a great way to get you to sign up, and offers something in return, like a discount, or quality content.
But popups do get in the way of usability. And do increase the interaction cost that a user has to put in to get what they want from your website. So while it could help you, it could also put some users off.
Popups and web design: Conversion rates
Popups that are well designed, and well implemented, can help you to increase your conversion rates. After all, if you wanted a visitor to sign up to your email list, a link in your sidebar might be overlooked. Instead, a popup can fully interrupt their online experience, until they have responded. Even if they just click close, your visitor has to acknowledge the popup to continue. This means that if you have website visitors sitting on the fence, unsure about whether to sign up or not, this could be the final push they need to make the jump.
Designing popups effectively
If your website is going to use popups, they need to be well designed. In fact, the link between popups and web design is clear. A well designed popup can make all the difference to your success. You should consider:
- The colour choices- complementary or contrasting? Complementary colours can be easier on the eye, and more in line with your overall web design, and contrasting colours can really grab attention. But with a popup that wont go away without interaction, surely you will have already landed the attention of your visitors? Either way, you should continue to use company colours and branding on the popup as it is simply an extension of your website.
- Button placement- the location of the call to action button on the popup can be a subtle way to guide your visitors to making the right choice. Experiment with different options and see what the results and data show, before you settle on a location.
- The typography- make sure that while your popup looks visually interesting, the typography is still easy to read. Otherwise your message will get lost among the swirly lettering.
- The copy- use positive language to encourage your website visitors to sign up.
Using popups effectively
Once you have designed a fantastic popup range, you need to know how to use them without driving your customers away. There are some important considerations:
- Use a cookie to make sure that you don’t show the same user the same popup, especially once they have already singed up. Too many popups is just visual harassment!
- Make sure you are offering valuable content to sign up for. Anything sub par just gives a bad impression of your company and will result in mass unsubscriptions.
- Time your popup right. When is a good time to show your popup? 5 seconds into the viewing experience? Or once a visitor has had a chance to take a look at your website and make an evaluation? If you offer it too fast, your visitor might not know they want to sign up, but too slow and they might have already left. Different timings will work for different websites, so make sure you use the existing visitor data to make an informed decision. Not just a shot in the dark.
There is a definite link between popups and webdesign, with popups that are created as an extension of the website performing better overall. If you need professional web design support, why not get in touch today, here at Pumpkin Web Design Manchester?