How to create effective exit-intent popups 

Would you like to capitalize on visitors right before they leave your website? Exit-intent popups could be the solution you need. These popups appear at the critical moment when a visitor is about to exit your site, potentially converting them into valuable leads or customers. They provide an opportunity to reduce cart abandonment, increase email subscriptions, generate leads, and boost overall engagement with a well-placed offer or call to action.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to craft effective exit-intent popups using Advanced Ads, regardless of your technical expertise. I will explore various examples, detail how they function, and share best practices for creating impactful popups. Whether setting up your first exit-intent popup or refining an existing strategy, this guide will provide the tips and hacks about exit-intent popups you need.

What are exit-intent popups?

Exit-intent popups are designed to grab visitors’ attention just as they are about to leave your site. This technology monitors user behavior—such as mouse movements toward the screen’s top or upward scrolling on mobile devices—signaling an intent to exit and triggering the appearance of a popup ad unit. 

Imagine being in a store, heading for the door, when a compelling advertisement catches your eye, prompting you to stop and reconsider. Exit-intent popups serve the same purpose online, offering a last-minute opportunity to engage users and prompt the desired action.

Why should you use exit-intent popups?

Exit-intent popups are essential for capturing value from visitors who are about to leave your website. The primary goal is to convert disengaged users into active participants, whether by getting them to subscribe to a newsletter, follow you on social media, or complete a purchase they’ve abandoned.

By strategically placing these popups, you can turn lost opportunities into conversions. They are highly customizable, enabling you to tailor them to meet your objectives and audience. When used effectively—through precise timing and compelling messaging—exit-intent popups can significantly boost your conversion rates. They also help reduce bounce rates, improve SEO by keeping visitors engaged longer, and enhance overall customer retention.

Research indicates that exit-intent popups can increase conversions by up to 15% through key benefits such as:

• Offering discounts: Encourage immediate purchases by providing incentives at the critical moment when a user is about to leave, such as “Wait! Get 15% off your order if you complete it now.”
• Encouraging newsletter sign-ups: Turn leaving visitors into future leads with prompts like “Subscribe for exclusive updates!”
• Introducing new content or promotions: Capture attention with fresh information or deals, ensuring they leave your site with added value, e.g., “Download our free Onpage SEO checklist!”
• Collecting feedback: Gain valuable insights into user behavior and reasons for leaving, enabling you to refine your site and improve engagement. Use prompts like “Help us improve by sharing why you’re leaving.”

Implementing exit-intent popups with Advanced Ads

Advanced Ads provides an easy solution for creating and integrating exit-intent popups in WordPress, making it accessible even for users with limited technical expertise.

Creating the ad unit

Ensure you have Advanced Ads and the required Popup and Layer Ads add-ons installed. 

1. Navigate to Advanced Ads > Ads > Add New and create a new ad unit.
2. Choose your ad type, such as an image banner ad or Plain text and code for a form ad.
3. Publish the ad.

Once you have created this ad unit, the next step is to strategically place it on your website to ensure it effectively reaches visitors.

Setting up a placement and exit-intent triggers

Go to Advanced Ads > Placements. Create a new placement and choose the PopUp placement. Assign your ad unit to it. In the placement’s settings, set the dedicated trigger to show the ad when a user wants to leave the page. Additionally, you can set the popup’s position, an effect like fade in or slide in, and define the effect duration when Advanced Ads displays this ad.

Also, you can configure a background and add a close button with an optional auto-close function. A timeout you can assign to all popup placements helps avoid bothering your visitors by showing such popup ads multiple times.

Targeting and customizing the exit-intent popup

You can significantly increase engagement and conversion rates by targeting specific user behaviors.

To ensure relevance, you can limit the popup to certain pages, categories, or user segments by using Display and Visitor conditions to tailor it to different user segments. For example, you can show exclusive offers only to first-time visitors or those who reached your site via a particular email campaign.

Consider excluding mobile users, as exit-intent popups may not perform well on small screens.

Testing, tracking, and optimizing exit-intent popups

Ongoing testing and tracking are crucial to maximizing the effectiveness of your exit-intent popups. By examining performance data, you can hone your strategies, boost user engagement, and improve conversion outcomes. Predicting which headline, CTA, or image will capture attention is difficult, so experimentation is highly recommended.

Use Advanced Ads’ ad tracking and placement tests to compare different popup designs, messages, and triggers. Monitor key performance metrics such as click-through and conversion rates. A/B testing allows you to identify the combinations that yield the best results, helping you refine your approach continuously.

By regularly experimenting with various designs, messages, and timings, you can tailor your popups to your audience’s needs. This iterative process ensures that your popups remain engaging and efficient, driving the highest possible conversion rates.

Best practices for exit-intent popups

Ultimately, your offer should align with your marketing objectives and the needs of your audience. By considering what can simplify or enhance the visitor’s experience, you will likely find the right hook for your exit-intent popup. Tailoring each offer to specific visitor segments can maximize its impact and improve your overall conversion rate.

Craft the perfect offer

The primary goal of an exit-intent popup is to capture visitors’ attention just as they’re about to leave, encouraging them to stay and take action, such as making a purchase or subscribing to a newsletter.

To achieve this engagement, your popup should present an enticing offer or message that resonates with your audience. Here are some ideas and strategies.

Discount codes and promotions

Offering a discount code or product promotion can be a powerful motivator. For example, a generous one-time discount might push a hesitant shopper over the edge to complete his purchase. Phrases like “Get 20% off your order now!” can create an immediate sense of value.

Content upgrades

A content upgrade—like a downloadable whitepaper PDF, an exclusive article, or a checklist—can be very appealing for blogs or content-heavy sites. Visitors are more likely to provide their email addresses in exchange for information that enhances their experience or knowledge.

Product page offers

On product pages, consider providing additional services such as customization or configuration of a product. Alternatively, suggest related items that complement the visitor’s consideration, increasing customer satisfaction and sales.

Demo or trial version

If you sell software or offer services, a free trial or demo can demonstrate the value of your product. You can convert hesitant visitors into paying customers by showcasing what you offer.

Keep the design simple

Consider how the exit-intent popup can solve a problem or offer a helpful solution. While visuals aren’t mandatory, they can help attract attention and increase conversions. Position the popup strategically on the screen to enhance its effectiveness. Many users are accustomed to seeing popups in a centered position, so placing them in a corner could make them stand out visually, capturing more attention and potentially increasing engagement.

Ensure relevance

Present targeted offers that align with your visitor’s interests to enhance conversion rates significantly.

Behavioral and audience targeting

Begin by segmenting your audience to deliver relevant messages to each group. Since not all visitors will react the same way, tailor your popups according to their source and behavior. For example, differentiate between new and returning visitors or customize offers based on whether traffic originates from social media, partner sites, or paid ad campaigns. 

Additionally, consider your visitors’ geographic location for an even more personalized approach. Use frequency capping to avoid repeatedly showing returning visitors the same message, which can lead to annoyance and disengagement.

Contextual targeting

Utilize the page context that visitors view to tailor your popup content. The topics they explore provide insights into their interests and intentions. For instance, offering a discount on gardening tools can be very effective if a visitor reads gardening tips. On the other hand, irrelevant offers, such as promoting winter wear on a summer vacation blog, may decrease engagement and deter users.

Creating urgency

Leveraging scarcity is a powerful online sales strategy. People naturally value items in limited supply, which motivates them to act before the opportunity vanishes. This is why phrases like “limited-time offer” or “Only a few items left!” are effective—they tap into the fear of missing out. Therefore, creating a genuine sense of urgency can significantly boost engagement and conversion rates.

Incorporating countdown timers into your exit-intent popups amplifies this urgency further and encourages visitors to act swiftly. It’s human nature to procrastinate, especially when deciding on purchases or newsletter subscriptions. A timer acts as a visual signal that time is ticking, prompting immediate action.

Companies like Booking.com effectively use urgency by showing users how many others view the same hotel room during the reservation process. This tactic compels users to secure their booking quickly before someone else does.

Trigger popups at the right moment

Timing is crucial when you deploy exit-intent popups. Ensure they only appear when a visitor is genuinely on the verge of leaving without taking any desired action, such as purchasing or signing up for a newsletter. If triggered too early, popups can seem intrusive and disrupt the user experience, potentially deterring future engagement. Above all, avoid interrupting those who have already meaningfully interacted with your site, as this can cause frustration and harm your brand’s reputation.

The goal of an exit-intent popup is to offer a final chance for interaction, capturing the visitor’s attention when it’s most needed. By precisely timing the popup to coincide with exit intent—such as detecting mouse movements toward the browser’s close button or rapid upward scrolling—you increase the chance of re-engaging the visitor.

Easy exit options

To minimize frustration, ensure visitors can easily close the exit-intent popup with a visible “X” or “Close” button. But know that many visitors—particularly seasoned online shoppers— are used to closing popups reflexively, which could lead to your offer being dismissed prematurely.

To counteract this, consider delaying the close button’s appearance for a few seconds. This brief pause allows visitors to engage with your content, especially if the offer is enticing, such as a significant discount or a free sample. These extra moments can be crucial in persuading visitors to take action. This strategy can enhance conversion rates by 20-30%.

However, in such a scenario, offering a discreet exit option is vital to maintaining a positive user experience. Advanced Ads’ Popup placements have an option for clicks on the background to close the ad. This way, visitors never feel trapped, which could negatively affect their perception of your brand.

Optimizing load times

Exit-intent popups have only a few seconds to capture a visitor’s attention, so they must load instantly to be effective. Visitors might leave before seeing the message if they take too long to appear, making your efforts futile. Ensure that your popups are lightweight to prevent slowing down the page, which could annoy users and increase bounce rates.

Keep your message concise to avoid delays, and use a single, well-chosen image. Avoid excessive text and high-resolution images that could bog down loading times.

Exit-intent popups on mobiles

Designing exit-intent popups for mobile devices ensures an optimal user experience across all platforms. Unlike desktop environments, mobile devices require different strategies due to their unique navigation methods and smaller screens.

It’s essential to regularly analyze engagement metrics to determine what’s working and what’s not. If you notice low engagement rates from mobile traffic, consider adjustments or, if necessary, disable these popups for mobile users. 

Conclusion on exit-intent popups

When used wisely, exit-intent popups can significantly enhance your site’s ability to retain users and boost conversions. With the help of Advanced Ads, you can create tailored, responsive popups that address your audience’s needs just as they are about to leave. Focus on crafting relevant, engaging content, and always test and optimize to ensure your popups are as effective as possible.

Exit-intent popups are a simple yet powerful strategy for marketing and lead generation. Once implemented, they can keep more readers on your website and increase conversions and revenue.

At the end of the day, a well-chosen exit-intent popup can help your store benefit from visitors who are about to leave. Whether that benefit comes from lead generation for email lists, valuable feedback, or preventing cart abandonment, exit popups will help your store grow.

Now, it’s your turn to transform exiting visitors into valuable leads! Implement your exit-intent popups today and watch your conversion rates soar.

Frequently asked questions about exit-intent popups

What is an exit-intent popup?

An exit-intent popup is a type of website overlay that appears when a visitor is about to leave the site. It aims to capture their attention and encourage them to stay or take a specific action, such as completing a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or receiving a discount.

How to trigger an exit-intent popup?

Exit-intent popups are triggered by detecting user behavior that indicates they are about to leave the site, such as moving the mouse toward the browser’s close or back buttons.

How do exit-intent popups work on mobile?

On mobile devices, exit-intent popups detect actions like scrolling up quickly or hitting the back button. These behaviors indicate that the user is likely to leave the site, prompting the popup to appear and engage the user before they exit.