Pop-up windows tend to earn a bad reputation. They’re called annoying, distracting, and even unnecessary. But the facts don’t lie: according to CrazyEgg, opt-in pop-ups can drive 1375% more subscribers.

How do you like them now?

The best thing about pop-up windows is that there are different ways you can use them, depending on your conversion goals.

What are your goals? There are many pop-up options to choose from:

“I want to grow my email list”

Opt-in (or welcome) pop-ups are perfect for generating more subscribers to your email list. Exchange visitors’ first name, last name, and email for something that’ll be of value to them, like a free ebook, a checklist, a template, a welcome coupon, a sales announcement…something truly useful, something that will make them happily type in their email to get their hands on.

The offer should align with your market and your audience. You know what your customers like, so give it to them when asking for their personal information.

“I want to make that sale”

It’s no secret that potential buyers will often fill up their shopping carts and end up buying nothing. How can you make sure they’ll complete the final step, AKA the purchase?

Two words: discount codes. Nothing lights up a buyer’s mood more than coupons, so make good use of them by adding discount pop-ups as they’re shopping.

“I don’t want visitors to leave too fast”

Exit-intent pop-ups will help you with that. Here’s how they work:

As soon as a visitor is about to leave the page (which is monitored by cursor movement), a pop-up window should appear. We also like to call these the “Wait! Don’t leave yet” or the “You’re forgetting something” pop-ups. They’re useful to remind visitors to take a courtesy gift (again, a freebie or a coupon) in hopes they’ll stay.

They work, by the way: you can save 35% of your lost visitors with exit-intent pop-ups.

“I want to increase my social media following”

Often, visitors will spend enough time on your website to let you know they’re interested.

This is the perfect opportunity to inform them you’re on social media, too! After they’ve spent a while browsing, have a pop-up with your social media handles. Encourage them to stay connected by letting them know what they’ll get. Will they be the first to know about updates? Will they receive exclusive content? The more exciting, the better.

Need Swipe-Worthy Examples? Take These.

Although no one likes to be interrupted while browsing, a good, attention-grabbing, mouthwatering pop-up is never an interruption.

The following examples are ideal if you’d like to grab your visitors at every stage of the buying cycle. Here we go.