You’ve seen pop ups, and you might even be using them in your business.

But just in case you’re not sure what they are, think back to the last time you went to a webpage and a form suddenly appeared, asking for your info in exchange for a free treat.

That’s a pop up.

No doubt you’ve heard a friend complain about them, or perhaps you’ve even cursed a time or two when you were trying to read a page and a form suddenly blocked your view.

Certainly, you don’t want to do that to your readers, do you? It could cheapen your brand and annoy your visitors.

But… not so fast.

If you haven’t tested using pop ups on your website to help build your list, I highly encourage you to try it. A well optimized and targeted optin pop up that triggers at the right time can multiply your email sign ups 10 fold.

And you already know how important it is to build your list.

Pop up benefits

If you test pop ups against sidebar forms and end of post forms, you’re likely to find the pop ups do far better.

Pop ups force your visitors to make a decision on whether or not to get your lead magnet, and in the process, join your list.

They can increase your email subscription rate 10 fold.

It’s easy to A/B test them for increased conversions.

And they work on autopilot. Just set them up and forget about them.

Pop up problems

However, there is a downside to pop ups, too.

They can appear pushy, but you can fix this by loading the pop up after a certain number of page views, or a longer length of time on site.

They can annoy repeat visitors, but you can fix this with cookie based triggers.

And they can interrupt people when they are consuming your content, but you can fix this by using exit intent technology.

The pop up strategy

Here’s the thought process behind using pop ups:

You write great stuff that brings in traffic.
Your visitors are impressed with your content, see the pop up, and opt in to get your free lead magnet (report, video, email course, etc.)
Your visitors are automatically put on your email list, where you send out messages building rapport and transforming them into regular readers who know you, like you and trust you.
You send them offers to buy solutions to their problems and you earn money when they purchase.

Things to consider:

If your pop up appears too soon, your visitor won’t know yet if your content is great or not and will be less likely to optin.

People subscribe for content, especially the content of your lead magnet. That’s why your freebie has got to be targeted to your reader and valuable to them. If it’s something they would consider paying for, then you’re on the right track.

Follow up with more great content via email that builds on the initial lead magnet. You can tack offers on to the end of your emails, but initially you don’t want to send JUST offers, since your readers need time to learn to trust you and your recommendations.

What to look for in a pop up solution

I wish I could point to free pop up software that does everything you need, but so far I haven’t found it.

But if you don’t mind investing a little money, there are some excellent tools available.

When you look for a pop up solution, things to consider are:

Is it easy to design the pop ups? You don’t want to waste a lot of time on this.

Can you set cookie rules so the pop up doesn’t appear on every single page of your site and annoy your visitors into leaving?

Can you A/B test designs to improve your conversion rate?

Can you segment pop ups, choosing when and where they appear?

Can you use exit intent to capture readers as they are leaving your page?

Is there basic analytics to tell you what’s working?

And is the solution affordable?

Pop Up Solutions to consider:

Here are the best WordPress Pop up plugins:

Bloom Email Opt-Ins
Elementor Popups
HubSpot WordPress Plugin
Icegram
Ninja Popups
OptinMonster
Popup Builder
PopUp Domination
Popup Maker
Popups
Sumo List Builder

I encourage you to do your own research and find the one that is right for you.

Pop Up Tips:

A/B test your visuals – this is the second most important thing on your pop up after your headline.

Choose newsletter optin or bribe. You can offer a generic opt in for your newsletter, or you can offer a bribe (free report, videos, email series, etc.) Well thought out, targeted bribes tend to do 2 to 3 times better than generic newsletters.

Target your freebie offer to what’s on the page. For example, if the page contains a chocolate cake recipe, offer a book of chocolate recipes or cake recipes. If the page contains an article on controlling garden pests, offer a book of natural gardening remedies. Tailoring your freebie to the page’s content nearly always increases conversions.

If possible, offer a higher grade, paid version of your freebie. For example, if your freebie offers to teach them how to do something, offer to sell them the software that makes the process easier. By having an upsell after your freebie, you can convert some of your initial subscribers into paying customers. Make the offer low cost and tightly aligned with the freebie offer.

Test your pop up timing to see what works best. You could have your pop up appear when the page loads, after a certain interval, or upon exit. Generally having the pop up appear when the page loads works better than having it appear after a certain interval or upon exit, but you’ve got to test this out for yourself.

Bottom Line: Pop ups work at increasing the number of subscribers you get from your website.

While you’re thinking of it, do some simple math and figure out what it would mean to your bottom line annually if you doubled or tripled the number of new subscribers you get.

It’s well worth the effort of installing pop ups on your site.