From building an email list to collecting more feedback and increasing conversions, we explain how exit pop-ups can help you make the most of your existing traffic.
By Greg d’Aboville
Exit Pop-Up 101
Before we go further, let’s explain what exit intent detection is and its relationship to exit pop-ups.
Exit intent is based on mouse tracking. Using a piece of javascript, it tracks movements that suggest that the user is about to reach to the top of the window to close it.
When exit intent is detected, it triggers a pop-up called an exit pop-up.
A slow-down exit pop-up
This kind of pop-up allows you to reach your visitors when they have finished browsing your website.
Let’s see how you can make the most of them.
6 Ways Exit Pop-Ups Can Help Your Business
Grow Your Email List
If you’re like me, you have seen countless opt-in pop-ups asking for your email address as soon as you land on a website. This kind of pop-up has contributed to making pop-ups one of the most controversial elements of UX design (some even believe that “they ruin the user experience”).
But when this kind of form is displayed on exit, it becomes a different story. You’re not interrupting your users any more. You’re catching them at the best moment, and your form’s conversion rate is higher (on average, 5% higher for our customers).
Collect Feedback
Have you ever wished you knew what the visitors who came to your website without converting thought of your website? Wouldn’t it be cool to have a way to survey them right before they leave?
That’s exactly what exit pop-ups can help you achieve.
You can use them to display a short survey and ask them what discouraged them from buying from you.
An exit pop-up survey example featuring a Typeform
Establish the Contact
Most businesses are run with limited resources, which they need to optimize. Only a few companies can afford sales reps to talk with online visitors all day.
It wouldn’t be efficient anyway, because a vast majority of visitors who want to purchase from you won’t need your help.
But it can’t hurt to add a way for users who are about to leave your site to contact you. It won’t impact your resources too much, and it will help you make sure you’re not wasting leads.
A pop-up contact form on our own pricing page
Retain Abandoned Carts
According to the Baymard Institute, 69% of carts are abandoned.
Shoppers have a lot of reasons to abandon a cart. Maybe they don’t want to take the time to finish checking out. Or they don’t want to search for a credit card…Most of these reasons can be overcome with a good offer.
With exit pop-ups, you make sure your offer is only shared with users who are about to leave, thus limiting your coupon budget while maximizing its potential.
An exit pop-up displayed on the check-out page of Jewelstreet.com
Offer a Free Trial or Free Samples
Customers appreciate getting to test a product/service by themselves. Get an extra chance to convince your abandoning visitors to stay by offering them a way to test your product. It will help you push them through the purchase funnel.
An exit pop-up inviting visitors to start a trial on Mailigen
An exit pop-up on brosa.com.au inviting users about to exit to visit a store to see the product in real life
Grow Your Followers List
This one is especially adapted to media websites and blogs.
Instead of letting your visitors go (and maybe never come back), why not invite them to follow you on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram?
This way, you’re maximizing your chances to see them again.
Wrap-Up
There you go — six ways to use exit pop-ups to grow your business. Any experience with exit intent pop-ups? What do you think of them? Please join the discussion in the comments section!
Greg d’Aboville (@TheWisePops) is a pop-up expert at WisePops. Their app is available on Shopify and many other platforms.
Pop-up stock image by Gal Csilla/Shutterstock
