Pop Out for a Pop-Up
| Category: Marketing Strategy | Date: 2003-11-13 |
The battle lines are clear. Pistols are drawn. The combatants face each other at 20 paces distant. The sun peeps over the horizon. The adjudicator lowers the white handkerchief. And up pops another %$#!# pop-up!
Controversy continues to rage over their use, but the fact remains that pop-up windows are highly effective. Like them or not, the evidence is clear that they improve the effectiveness of a site.
Recently, the trend has been to use pop-under windows (as opposed to pop-over or pop-up, which are the same things with two different names!). The reasoning is that a pop-under window, which only appears AFTER the visitor has left your site, is far less obtrusive than a window that appears before they've even had a chance to find out what your site is about.
Personally, I fall in a camp somewhere in the middle. My own belief is that a small pop-up window suggesting that the visitor subscribe to an ezine or similar is acceptable before the visitor gets into your site proper. However, if you're going to use a pop-up that promotes an affiliate site, it is best left until the visitor has finished reading what you have to say.
Unlike pop-up windows that load over your web page, pop-under windows quietly load under your web page. Your visitors probably won't even see the pop-under window until they're finished at your site and close the window. And this is exactly what you want. While they're interested in what you have to say, why distract them with another window and risk losing the sale?
On the other hand, a pop-under that appears as they close the first site window, catches them at their most receptive... they're ready to see something new.
When your visitor first enters your site, their mind is on what brought them there to begin with. A large, obtrusive pop-up can cause them to close your window before viewing its content. On the other hand, a small window inviting them to subscribe to your ezine is more easily forgiven and accepted as being a part of your site.
Because pop-windows can be intrusive, you should always try to think how you can effectively use them without offending your visitors. Below are a few guidelines to assist you.
++ Don't use more than one pop-window per page. If you've ever visited a website that bombards you with pop-windows from all sides, then you know how irritating it can be. Sometimes it seems like each window you close launches two more. Nothing will annoy your visitor more.
++ Use a script that utilizes cookies. This will allow you to decide how often your window should appear. You can change the variables to avoid it launching each time your visitor enters your page.
++ Provide your visitors with an easy way to close your pop-windows. Include a button or a link that staes clearly "Close" or "Close Window". It makes them feel you care.
++ Make your window large enough to view all your information. If your window is too small and you have disabled the scrollbars, part of your message will not be seen. That's a waste of a window - and maybe a visitor.
If done correctly, pop-up windows can be a most effective marketing tool. Because of their "hit-the-eye" nature there are five additional points that you must take into account to increase their effectiveness:-
1. - Use your headline to DEMAND attention
2. - Include the most important benefits within the headline
3. - Make the headline's font size B-I-G
4. - Keep your message short and to the point
5. - Use short, powerful incentives
6. - TELL your visitor to take action
If you would be interested in adding a pop-under window to your site, Steve Shaw, King of the pop-ups, has produced a PopUp Master Course, which you can download here for FREE: http://www.thetrafficjam.com/popupmasters.html
You can also link with his Web site from here: http://www.topprofits.info/link/popupmaster.html
Steve's powerful utility enables you to fill out a simple form and instantly generate the pop-window code for your site. With this code generator, you can select the type of pop-window, set the length of cookies, and completely customize the look and feel of your window.
If you're considering adding a pop-window to your site, do so with caution and be guided by an expert like Steve Shaw. The last thing you want to do is drive your visitors away.
About the Author
Graham Hamer produces the TopProfits weekly ezine of Internet Marketing. His ebook The Secret Goldmine can be downloaded from http://www.unique-book.com/ and a collection of some of the Internet's best names are listed on his site:
graham.hamer@noos.fr
http://www.www-websites.com
Controversy continues to rage over their use, but the fact remains that pop-up windows are highly effective. Like them or not, the evidence is clear that they improve the effectiveness of a site.
Recently, the trend has been to use pop-under windows (as opposed to pop-over or pop-up, which are the same things with two different names!). The reasoning is that a pop-under window, which only appears AFTER the visitor has left your site, is far less obtrusive than a window that appears before they've even had a chance to find out what your site is about.
Personally, I fall in a camp somewhere in the middle. My own belief is that a small pop-up window suggesting that the visitor subscribe to an ezine or similar is acceptable before the visitor gets into your site proper. However, if you're going to use a pop-up that promotes an affiliate site, it is best left until the visitor has finished reading what you have to say.
Unlike pop-up windows that load over your web page, pop-under windows quietly load under your web page. Your visitors probably won't even see the pop-under window until they're finished at your site and close the window. And this is exactly what you want. While they're interested in what you have to say, why distract them with another window and risk losing the sale?
On the other hand, a pop-under that appears as they close the first site window, catches them at their most receptive... they're ready to see something new.
When your visitor first enters your site, their mind is on what brought them there to begin with. A large, obtrusive pop-up can cause them to close your window before viewing its content. On the other hand, a small window inviting them to subscribe to your ezine is more easily forgiven and accepted as being a part of your site.
Because pop-windows can be intrusive, you should always try to think how you can effectively use them without offending your visitors. Below are a few guidelines to assist you.
++ Don't use more than one pop-window per page. If you've ever visited a website that bombards you with pop-windows from all sides, then you know how irritating it can be. Sometimes it seems like each window you close launches two more. Nothing will annoy your visitor more.
++ Use a script that utilizes cookies. This will allow you to decide how often your window should appear. You can change the variables to avoid it launching each time your visitor enters your page.
++ Provide your visitors with an easy way to close your pop-windows. Include a button or a link that staes clearly "Close" or "Close Window". It makes them feel you care.
++ Make your window large enough to view all your information. If your window is too small and you have disabled the scrollbars, part of your message will not be seen. That's a waste of a window - and maybe a visitor.
If done correctly, pop-up windows can be a most effective marketing tool. Because of their "hit-the-eye" nature there are five additional points that you must take into account to increase their effectiveness:-
1. - Use your headline to DEMAND attention
2. - Include the most important benefits within the headline
3. - Make the headline's font size B-I-G
4. - Keep your message short and to the point
5. - Use short, powerful incentives
6. - TELL your visitor to take action
If you would be interested in adding a pop-under window to your site, Steve Shaw, King of the pop-ups, has produced a PopUp Master Course, which you can download here for FREE: http://www.thetrafficjam.com/popupmasters.html
You can also link with his Web site from here: http://www.topprofits.info/link/popupmaster.html
Steve's powerful utility enables you to fill out a simple form and instantly generate the pop-window code for your site. With this code generator, you can select the type of pop-window, set the length of cookies, and completely customize the look and feel of your window.
If you're considering adding a pop-window to your site, do so with caution and be guided by an expert like Steve Shaw. The last thing you want to do is drive your visitors away.
About the Author
Graham Hamer produces the TopProfits weekly ezine of Internet Marketing. His ebook The Secret Goldmine can be downloaded from http://www.unique-book.com/ and a collection of some of the Internet's best names are listed on his site:
graham.hamer@noos.fr
http://www.www-websites.com
Copyright © 2005-2006 Powered by Custom PHP Programming