Popups

---
name: Popups
description: Use when the user wants to create or optimize popups, modals, overlays, slide-ins, or banners for conversion — email capture, exit intent, promotions, or announcements.
category: CRO
version: 2.0.0
tools: []
---

# Popup CRO

Create popups and modals that convert without annoying users or damaging brand perception.

## Initial Assessment

Search the Knowledge Base for existing product-marketing context first, and only ask what isn't already covered. Understand: **Purpose** (email/newsletter capture, lead magnet delivery, discount/promotion, announcement, exit-intent save, feature promotion, feedback/survey). **Current state** (existing performance, triggers used, user complaints, mobile experience). **Traffic context** (paid/organic/direct, new vs. returning, page types shown).

## Core Principles

Timing is everything — too early interrupts, too late misses the opportunity, right timing offers help at the moment of need. Value must be obvious — a clear, immediate, contextually relevant benefit worth the interruption. Respect the user — easy to dismiss, no traps or tricks, remember preferences, don't ruin the experience.

## Trigger Strategies

- **Time-based:** avoid showing after only 5 seconds; 30-60 seconds is better (proven engagement) for general visitors
- **Scroll-based:** 25-50% scroll depth indicates content engagement; best for blog posts and long-form content (e.g., "You're halfway through — get more like this")
- **Exit intent:** detects the cursor moving to close/leave, last chance to capture value; best for e-commerce and lead gen (mobile alternative: back button or scroll-up detection)
- **Click-triggered:** user-initiated, zero annoyance; best for lead magnets, gated content, demos (e.g., "Download PDF" → popup form)
- **Page count/session-based:** after visiting X pages, indicates research/comparison behavior; best for multi-page journeys
- **Behavior-based:** cart abandonment, pricing-page visits, repeat visits; best for high-intent segments

## Popup Types

**Email capture** — clear value prop (not just "Subscribe"), specific benefit, single email field, consider an incentive.

**Lead magnet** — show what they get (cover image/preview), a specific tangible promise, minimal fields, set an instant-delivery expectation.

**Discount/promotion** — a clear discount (10%, $20, free shipping), a deadline for urgency, single use per visitor, an easy-to-apply code.

**Exit intent** — acknowledge they're leaving, offer something different from the entry popup, address common objections, give a final compelling reason to stay. Formats: "Wait! Before you go...", "Forget something?", "Get 10% off your first order", "Questions? Chat with us."

**Announcement banner** — top of page (sticky or static), a single clear message, dismissible, links to more info, time-limited.

**Slide-in** — enters from a corner/bottom, doesn't block content, easy to dismiss or minimize; good for chat, support, secondary CTAs.

## Design Best Practices

Visual hierarchy: headline (largest, seen first), value prop/offer, form/CTA (obvious action), close option (easy to find). Sizing: 400-600px wide on desktop, never cover the entire screen; on mobile use full-width bottom or center, never full-screen. Close button: keep visible (top-right convention — users who can't find it will bounce entirely), large enough to tap, offer a "No thanks" text link and click-outside-to-close. Mobile: can't detect exit intent (use alternatives), full-screen overlays feel aggressive, bottom slide-ups work well, use larger touch targets. Imagery is optional — a product image or a face increases trust, but copy can work alone.

## Copy Formulas

Headlines: benefit-driven ("Get [result] in [timeframe]"), question ("Want [desired outcome]?"), command ("Don't miss [thing]"), social proof ("Join [X] people who..."), curiosity ("The one thing [audience] always get wrong about [topic]"). Subheadlines expand the promise, address an objection ("No spam, ever"), or set expectations ("Weekly tips in 5 min"). CTA buttons: first person converts better ("Get My Discount" vs. "Get Your Discount"), specific beats generic ("Send Me the Guide" vs. "Submit"), value-focused beats generic ("Claim My 10% Off" vs. "Subscribe"). Decline options should be polite, not guilt-trippy ("No thanks" / "Maybe later"), never manipulative ("No, I don't want to save money").

## Frequency and Rules

Cap at once per session, remember dismissals via cookie/localStorage, wait 7-30 days before showing again. Target by new vs. returning visitor, traffic source, page type; exclude converted users and recently dismissed visitors. Exclude checkout/conversion flows from page rules and match the offer to page context.

## Compliance and Accessibility

GDPR/privacy: clear consent language, link to the privacy policy, never pre-check opt-ins, honor unsubscribe/preferences. Accessibility: keyboard navigable (Tab, Enter, Esc), focus trap while open, screen-reader compatible, sufficient color contrast, don't rely on color alone. Google guidelines: intrusive interstitials hurt SEO, especially on mobile — cookie notices, age verification, and reasonable banners are allowed; full-screen overlays before content on mobile are not.

## Measurement

Track impression rate (visitors who see the popup), conversion rate (impressions → submissions), close rate, engagement rate, and time to close — plus popup views, form focus, submission attempts, successful submissions, close-button clicks, outside clicks, and Escape-key dismissals. Benchmarks: email popup 2-5% conversion typical, exit intent 3-10%, click-triggered higher (10%+, self-selected).

## Output Format

Report: type, trigger, targeting, frequency, copy (headline, subhead, CTA, decline), and design notes (layout, imagery, mobile) per popup. For multiple popups, define conflict rules so they don't overlap. Include test hypotheses with expected outcomes.

## Common Popup Strategies

**E-commerce:** entry/scroll first-purchase discount, exit-intent bigger discount or reminder, cart-abandonment complete-your-order prompt. **B2B SaaS:** click-triggered demo requests/lead magnets, scroll-based newsletter/blog subscription, exit-intent trial reminder or content offer. **Content/media:** scroll-based newsletter after engagement, page-count subscribe prompt after multiple visits, exit-intent don't-miss-future-content. **Lead generation:** time-delayed general list building, click-triggered specific lead magnets, exit-intent final capture attempt.

## Experiment Ideas

**Placement & format:** top bar vs. banner below header; sticky vs. static banner; full-width vs. contained; countdown timer vs. none; center modal vs. corner slide-in; full-screen vs. smaller modal; bottom bar vs. corner popup; desktop/mobile size and corner-position testing.

**Triggers:** exit intent vs. 30-second delay vs. 50% scroll depth; time-delay testing (10s vs. 30s vs. 60s); scroll-depth testing (25% vs. 50% vs. 75%); page-count trigger; intent-prediction vs. page-specific vs. return-visitor vs. referral-source targeting; click-triggered for lead magnets; button- vs. link-triggered modals; in-content vs. sidebar triggers.

**Messaging:** attention-grabbing vs. informational headlines; "limited-time offer" vs. "new feature alert"; urgency vs. value-focused copy; headline length/specificity; CTA text, color, and single vs. primary+secondary variants; decline-text tone; countdown timers; with/without images; product preview vs. generic imagery; social proof inclusion.

**Personalization:** dynamic content by visitor data, industry-specific content, page-visit-tailored content, progressive profiling; new vs. returning messaging; traffic-source segmentation; engagement-level targeting; excluding already-converted visitors.

**Frequency:** once-per-session vs. once-per-week capping; cool-down period after dismissal; different dismiss behaviors; escalating offers across multiple visits.

## Task-Specific Questions

1. What's the primary goal for this popup?
2. What's current popup performance (if any)?
3. What traffic sources are you optimizing for?
4. What incentive can you offer?
5. Are there compliance requirements (GDPR, etc.)?
6. What's the mobile vs. desktop traffic split?

## Related Skills

lead-magnets (planning lead magnets to promote via popups), cro (optimizing the form inside the popup and the surrounding page), emails (what happens after popup conversion), ab-testing (testing popup variations).