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POP-UP WINDOWS: A NUISANCE OR A GOLD MINE?
by Karon Thackston
http://www.ktamarketing.com
How many times a day do you see them as you surf the Web? Pop-up and
pop-under windows have become a widely used marketing tool. But do they
work? Are they just a nuisance, or are they really the gold mine that all
the "gurus" claim?
After doing a good deal of research, I've discovered some pretty interesting
facts. After implementing my own pop-up campaign, I've had some enlightening
moments. Allow me to tell you what I've discovered, and you can make up your
own mind.
I started by looking to one of my favorite marketing research resources,
http://www.marketingexperiments.com They actually spent over
$4,000 testing pop-up windows and compiling the results. Their experiment
included using pop-ups for a biweekly ezine publisher and a computer
products retailer.
The results were astounding! The ezine publisher got 100 more subscribers
during a one-week period WITH the pop-up window than
WITHOUT. The computer retailer received over 3,700 new subscribers by using
a pop-up window. That was enough to convince me to look further into using
pop-ups on my own sites.
(NOTE: One thing the experiment was careful to point out is that copy plays
an enormous role in the success or failure of the pop-up. I wholeheartedly
agree!)
Using my KT & Associates site (
http://www.ktamarketing.com ) as the guinea pig, I added a pop-up window
(to show on exit) giving information about my copywriting course. Then I
waited and watched. Success didn't take long!
While I do not conduct the "controlled" experiments that
MarketingExperiments.com does, I do have some basic data to offer you. After
an 11-day period, I checked my site statistics and was very pleased! I had
gotten a number of page views (not "hits" - "page views") using the pop-up
window. I had also seen a 50% conversion rate. (Meaning that 50% of those
who clicked to my copywriting course site purchased the product.) The pop-up
was working great!
What were the factors that made a successful pop-up window? For
the folks at MarketingExperiments.com, it was an offer of some sort. The
computer retailer offered the opportunity to win a prize. The ezine
publisher offered the chance to enter a sweepstake. However, that leads to
another issue (that I won't get into at the moment) of attrition. After the
contest is over, and the prize is awarded, will the subscribers unsubscribe?
For me, I offered something of interest to my visitors. They came to my site
seeking marketing and copywriting information. It made sense that they
would be interested in the course. Viewers never read every single
word of your Web site, so the pop-up window gave me the opportunity to tack
a "PS" onto their visits. Sort of stating, "Oops! You might have missed
this. Don't you want to take a look before you go?"
There are several things to keep in mind when creating pop-up windows (based
on my opinion).
1. Do make your pop-up window visible on exit, not entry, of your site. The
reason being that when people enter your site and a window flashes up
immediately, it blocks their view of your index page. It also can be
annoying. Allow them to browse around a bit and then, when leaving, have
your window pop up.
2. Do make your message short and sweet. Giant, flashing signs and windows
tend to give an overwhelming impression and cause your visitor to back away.
Keeping your message short and your pop-up window small are less obtrusive
and, therefore, more widely accepted.
3. Don't use multiple pop-ups on your site at the same time. That is
one surefire way to send your visitors packing.
4. Don't put pop-up windows on every page of your site. Regardless of
what the so-called marketing gurus tell you, it will backfire due to the
annoyance factor.
While I can't tell you what would work for your site or your particular
target market, I do recommend that you experiment a little with pop-up
windows. You might just find another inexpensive marketing method that will
increase your cash flow!
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Most buying decisions are emotional. Your ad copy should be, too! Let Karon
write targeted copy and ezine articles for you. Visit her site at
http://www.ktamarketing.com , or
learn to write your own copy at
http://www.copywritingcourse.com Don't forget to subscribe to
Karon's free ezine!
mailto:join-businessessentials@lyris1.listenvoy.com
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