Yesterday I showed you examples of some really bad popups. Today will be quite the opposite.
What constitutes a great popup? There are 7 principles you can judge them by: Clarity, Control, Creativity, Relevance, Charm, Value, & Respect.
None of the above scored 100%, meaning best scores in all 7 principles. But there are a few really good examples. It’s a good inspiration as a starting point for your popup.
You’ll find a wide variety of examples because they each show different aspects of the delight criteria.
Tasting Table
I like the use of a question headline in this popup. If you aren’t then you probably shouldn’t be on the site, so they’re helping to self-select their ideal customer/subscriber.
Leesa Mattress
There are so many mattress 2.0 companies out there now, it’s hard to tell them apart aside from the color. This one’s really plain, and quite boring, but it does get bonus points for the countdown timer, and not breaking any of the fundamental delight rules. Hard to argue with a discount, too.
GetResponse
Simple and a bit weird (and basic) looking, adds some playfulness to stand out.
This one, I’m not so sure about. It might work for some, but it didn’t work for me. I have seen this one in the wild.
You see it when you cancel your account with GetResponse. When you cancel an account, there’s usually an important reason behind it. Saying “Come back, pretty please,” or something along those lines, won’t cut it. It leaves you even more frustrated. It basically says to me: “Had a problem with an account? I don’t understand! Just come back, and keep getting frustrated, while we keep being happy because you stayed.” It doesn’t solve my problem in any way.
GetResponse might show this popup when you unsubscribe from a newsletter too. Then this would make more sense. Although even in such case I’d go for something more than “come back, just because, give us a shot.”
In any case, it gets bonus points for creativity and being unusual. Like it or not, you will at least read it before closing.
Groupon
This is what I’m referring to regarding looking different from a shape perspective. Yes, it’s a circle and not a rectangle, but that’s the point. 99.9% of popups are rectangles. So this simple change makes a world of difference. And the transparency allows lots of breathing room, and for it to not look like it’s completely shutting out the site. And again, hard to argue with a deal.
ClassPass
On brand, clean, to the point, great value. Sometimes you don’t need to be needlessly creative if a simple message will do.
PetSmart
I included this one because of its simplicity. Sometimes an offer is just an informative statement.
You would be amazed how often people miss a piece of information, even if you include it in your header area, on each page, in the footer, and in emails. You would still get questions about it. Like “How much is the delivery and when will I get it?” when you have “Free 3-day delivery” in every imaginable place.
This popup practically makes sure that you won’t miss it. Good job.
You can hate popups, but they remain one of the most effective tools in a marketer’s toolbox. Now you know how to use it better.
11 Surprisingly Awesome Popup Design Examples
PS. Thank god we can’t have popups in emails. That would be too meta. Show popup > capture email > to show another popup. Once is enough 😊
