The breakdown of using pop-ups on your website
Important: Google update on January 10, 2017
We couldn’t have timed this article any better really. Just as we were about to hit the publish button, Google announced an update that will penalise sites using pop-ups on mobile. The update will roll out on January 10, 2017, and only affect mobile SERPs.
We typically advise against showing pop ups to mobile traffic anyway, due to the number of UX problems they cause. It turns out Google has a similar opinion about this, so you may need to rethink your approach if you’re mobile users currently see pop ups.
There are some exceptions the update will continue to allow:
The pros of using pop-ups on your website
Google updates aside, there are still some positives to using pop ups for desktop traffic:
None of these will change after January next year as the update only affects mobile SERPs. Just be sure any pop ups you decide to use are only triggered for desktop users.
The cons of using pop-ups on your website
Even before Google announced the upcoming algorithm change, the list of reasons not to use pop ups was big enough:
Essentially, it comes down to what kind of value pop ups bring to your marketing strategy. If you’re generating solid leads by using them, then it may be worth the compromises.
Guidelines for using pop-ups on your website
If you decide pop ups can add value to your marketing strategy, consider these guidelines to reduce friction:
Finally, take a look at the different variations of pop-ups available right now. For example, exit pop-ups only trigger when a user’s mouse moves to the top of the browser, while scroll pop-ups trigger at a certain point of the page or when users scroll up. These can help reduce the negative impact on user experience.
Is it worth using pop-ups at all?
This is a pretty divisive question in the marketing community. Many publishers will say they couldn’t get by without the email sign ups they get from showing pop ups to users. While businesses in services industries might feel they have less to lose from Google’s update announcement.
The fact is pop ups will cost you leads, increase your bounce rate and make you less trustworthy to certain users. If the leads they generate outweigh those losses, then you may be justified in using pop ups – it’s the end result that counts, after all.
Make sure you’re aware of what compromises you’re making, though. Are those email sign ups worth the loss of traffic that may never come back again? These are the kind of questions you need to be asking and you’ll only get the answers from solid data. So test everything you do before using any pop ups and be sure you’re getting a good enough return to justify them.
What do you think?
Personally, I’m not a fan of pop-ups, but what do you think? As a marketer, do you think there is a place for pop-ups? Or as a website visitor do you find them annoying and intrusive?
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