This post previously appeared on Zepo Blog!
Popups are a bit of mixed bag in terms of reactions. Some swear by it, while some find it to be plain annoying. Online shoppers in 2017 are now increasingly used to first being shown a popup before being able to browse the content that e-commerce sites have to offer.
New research has revealed that in a study of 50 Indian online shops, 32% use a pop-up on their homepage.
What purpose do pop-ups serve?
For the e-retailer, the integration of a pop-up window to welcome shoppers onto their site can have a range of benefits.
- Most often, pop-ups are used to bring the user’s attention to a particular service offered by the shop, or perhaps also to a current promotion that is running.
- It is common to use a pop-up to encourage shoppers to sign up for the shop’s newsletter, as well as to shout about the range of social media that the store is active on.
- Some stores also use pop-ups to promote sales, giveaways and special discount vouchers, and done in the right way, this can be a very effective way to bring your customer’s attention to your best deals.
Discount Offer Popups
Subscriber List Popup
Coupon Code Popup
How many online shops in India use pop-ups?
In a mini-study by price comparison site www.idealo.in, it has been found that out of 50 Indian online shops, a sizable 16 of them have integrated a pop-up window that appears when a user visits the homepage. This means that on the whole, 32% use this strategy to entice customers.
5 things to consider for effective use of pop-ups in e-commerce
- Consider how large your pop-up needs to be. Many potential customers might be distracted or put off by a pop-up that is so overwhelmingly large that it takes up the whole screen, go for something more compact.
- Consider the placement of your pop-up. Some shops in our study had opted to put the pop-up discreetly in the bottom right-hand corner, where a user could acknowledge it, but not have to click it straight away.
However, a pop-up in the middle of the screen is certainly more likely to grab your customer’s attention. - Consider color palettes. If possible, ensure that your pop-up fits with the color scheme of your homepage, perhaps with one striking extra color such as red, pink or yellow which will make it stand out.
- Consider timing. Do you want your customers to be confronted with your pop-up the very moment they land on your homepage, or would it be better for them to have a few seconds to scan your site first? Many customers would prefer the second option.
- Consider its purpose. Your pop-up can be multi-purpose, for example, it can encourage shoppers to sign up for your newsletter as well as follow you on social media, but be sure that the pop-up isn’t too chaotic, or it might just get closed straight away.
How do you use pop-ups on your e-commerce site? How do you feel about them from a user point-of-view? Let us know in the comments, or get in touch on Twitter!
Author Bio
Katy Phillips is an E-commerce editor for the price comparison group, Idealo. She began her career by researching and writing about the UK e-commerce market and has recently turned her attention to exploring the world of Indian e-commerce.
