Let’s face it, everybody needs a sidekick.

We all need somebody to back us up when things get tough.

Have you ever thought about what Hans solo would be like without Chewbacca?

Or what would happen to Frodo Baggins if he didn’t have Sam with him on his journey to Mordor?

Most importantly: what would happen to your website if there was nothing to back you up when your visitors started leaving?

The truth is, we all need somebody by our side.

And in this case, when things get bad, and people start running away from our web page, we need a sidekick to come in and make our offer better than ever to keep them there.

The good thing is, we’re in luck!

Our “cyber-sidekick” exists and he has a name.


EXIT POPUP!

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What is an exit popup?

For those of you that are unfamiliar with the term, an exit pop-up is literally a pop-up box, which shows up on a website if your visitors are about to leave. It’s backed up by exit-intent technology.

In simple terms, this technology tracks what your visitors are doing as they navigate your site. It senses when someone is about to leave, and before that happens, a popup box shows up on their screen to prevent them from doing so.

Unfortunately, it’s rather a shame, because most people have associated the word pop-up with negative connotations. Some of the most common words that may come to mind are spam, annoying, disturbing, and etc. But it is important to remember that an exit popup is NOT related to these things in any shape, way, or form.

So how are these things different and effective?

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First of all, it is a tool that does not open new windows.  An exit popup will not ruin your experience by opening up new web pages without your request.  It will only open up on the website you are in, with an offer by the people who created it.

The second thing to keep in mind, is that an exit pop-up will not disable or restrict the navigation of users from leaving your page. Spammy websites do just the opposite.

Have you ever been on a website, and when you tried to leave, a pop-up box would not allow you to do so? The page would freeze. You would click on the “x” button and nothing would happen. You got stuck on it and frustrated because of this. Just know that this is not the intent of an exit pop-up, nor will this ever happen if you implement it correctly into your website as an online lead generation strategy.

Another important thing to remember is that it is not controlled by third-party advertisers. People who are using this method are not out trying to make a quick buck. It is controlled by site owners who are trying to win their visitors respect and attention, not repel them. They focus on giving value and creating long term relationships with users.

An exit popup is simply a tool they use to prevent their prospects from leaving, because they know, that deep down, if they can keep them on their page, they will be able to provide them with valuable insights and help solve a deep and underlying problem they may have.

Finally, an exit popup is only activated when your visitors are about to leave your page. It does not pop-up at random times. So don’t worry, it will not negatively affect your users experience.

If it’s so good, I’m sure you must be thinking…

Why Don’t Most People Use Them? Because of the bad rep the word popup has developed!

Most people fail to recognize the benefits that a carefully crafted exit popup can have on their business.

That is why in this day and age; it is considered one of the simplest, effective, and over looked marketing tools in an online marketer’s arsenal, simply because people fail to recognize this mechanism as a profitable, lead generating asset.

How are BIG companies using them to generate leads?

Some people, no matter what you tell them, are still sceptical of using this method. However, the actions speak for themselves. Large companies are using this consistently and have been achieving outstanding results because of its implementation into their marketing strategy.

Want to know why it works so well?

Here are some examples of the psychological strategies used by big businesses to capture conversions that they should have lost.


Strategy #1 – Discounts

Let’s start off talking about Quicksprout.

Quicksprout is owned by Neil Patel. He is considered to be one of the top 10 online marketers according to Forbes and helps Fortune 100 companies grow their revenues through cutting edge internet marketing strategies.  With his credentials, it becomes obvious and safe to say that exit popups not only work, but work for the biggest and best companies in the world, and whose implementation is recommended by some of the top minds in business and marketing.

One of his strategies on his site is to use a coupon or immediate discount as soon as someone is looking to leave his website.

How does this work?

It’s quite simple actually.

Picture this…

Imagine yourself in a local store / flee market type environment. You’ve laid your eyes on a product you like, but the price tag isn’t so pretty.

The offer has suited your wants and needs.

You want to buy it, but you don´t want to shell out the amount of money the vendor is asking for it.

He then notices that you’ve taken interest; however, he realizes that the only objection you have, that´s holding you back from going through with the sale, is price.

Of course, he can lower it if he wants too, but he´s waiting to see your response.

He wants to test you and see if you´ll go through with the purchase.

But you hesitate…

He immediately starts to build up an argument on the value of the product in order to minimize your objection on price.

But you’ve heard all of this nonsense before and you’re not falling for it.

You still have yet to see the benefit in paying so much for what he´s offering.

So with this being said, you kindly decline and decide to leave the shop…

But then, out of the blue, just as you were about to put your foot out the door, he screams…

“I´ll sell it to you at a 50% discount!”

You stop, look back at him, and with a big smile on your face say:

I´ll take it!”

Believe it or not folks, the same thing happens on the internet. Exit-intent technology can track your behavior online and realize what made you not go through with a deal. As soon as you decide to “leave shop”, a popup will come on your screen offering you exactly what you wanted at the price you were probably willing to pay.

Here´s an example of this strategy in action…


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Here’s another site…

Want to use discount popups for your offers? Here are some tips…

Who should I target?

First time customers or people who are about to make a purchase on your website.

This type of offer usually works best for those who have never done business with you before.  Existing clients already know the value of your products or services, and to them, seeing a discount is usually no surprise. You´ve already won their trust anyway and they are faithful to what you provide them with.

This strategy is best used for people who never heard of you and are not confident enough to go through with a transaction (think about sales pages).

It is an opportunity turn a lost lead into a first time customer.

By offering your services at a reduced price, you will be able to gain a new customer and offer him or her the solution to the problem they have.

By going above and beyond their expectations, demonstrating value, and providing exceptional customer service, your new customer will start to see the benefit in your services, and become less likely to stop doing business with you and your company.

This is a small step to take in order to develop a long-term relationship.

As ugly as this may sound, think of this as the drug dealer strategy.

You offer them something at a discounted price to get them on board. But once they become dependent on it, you start charging the price it´s worth.

It’s a small sacrifice worth making since it will lead you to new opportunities.

Where should I use this strategy?

In landing pages, checkout pages, and basically any page that is related to pricing and closing sales.

These sections of your website are where people begin to ponder on price and the value of what you have to offer. It is the medium in which they will exchange their hard earned cash, for your services. So rest assured, this is where they will begin to have second thoughts, and will most likely back off from a transaction.

Things to Consider When Using This Type of Offer

Be careful with price. You need to find a sweet spot. Make sure you are not destroying the value of your products by charging too low, and at the same time, being too pushy with your offer.


Strategy #2 – Capturing Emails by Offering Freebies

In order to run a successful business, you need to have a large and highly targeted email list.

By keeping your prospects information, you will be able to bring them back if they ever decide to leave your website.

By collecting the email address of your visitors, you will get a second chance (or more) to convert them as customers.

That’s because their email inbox is the most personal thing they have online. If they have given you permission to message them through this medium,  you will be able to reach them in a way that’s targeted, with little to no distractions, frequently and at a low cost. If you compare the amount of money spent on ads and spent sending emails, the comparison is huge. (Let’s not even get into detail about the return on investment).

So with this being said, why are the psychological tricks behind this strategy?

Simple.

To start off, you can’t let your visitors become idle on your website. You’ve got to keep them entertained and engaged with your content. If you fail to do this, chances are they’ll leave. And if they do, you need to save them at the last minute by giving them an offer they can’t refuse.

The secret here is to have a pop-up show on their screen as soon as they decide to leave.

From there, you will have to offer them something of massive value, at no cost, as an exchange for their contact information.

It has to be a legitimate offer with no risk on their part.

But don’t try to get sleazy. Deceptive marketing won’t work in these circumstances.

As a matter of fact, if you decide to give them something crappy, they will most likely never want to visit your site again, and will talk bad about your business.

Let’s take a look at this strategy in an interesting example below.

The Millionaire Fastlane is a book written by bestselling author MJ Demarco. It is a book aimed at entrepreneurs and people who wish to start their own businesses. His website provides readers with a bunch of valuable content, at no cost on their behalf.

Even though he is offering things for free, his main goal is to get people to sign up for his online forum or buy his books.

The people who come to his website are often unsatisfied with their lives, yet, they seek change. They do not have a clear sense of direction, but they want to be able to achieve greater things in life (such as financial freedom). They just need some help getting there.

Now, notice how MJ has included an impacting headline when readers are about to leave. (“Stop saying I wish, start saying I will”). This phrase alone will allow him to connect with readers on an emotional and personal level.

It’s exactly what they were thinking when they arrived on his web page.

They spend too much time daydreaming and not enough time doing what’s necessary to achieve their dreams.

All he’s done is given them a kick in the butt to take action.

And that first step to get the ball rolling is to sign up for his newsletter.

By doing so, the reader will receive 3 chapters of his book for free.

Talk about an offer you can’t refuse, right?

You bet.

**Here’s another example of a mailing list.

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To sum things up, these are the two main forms of effective popup ads.

You can mix these through other angles such as: countdowns to create urgency, contact support for more info, and many more. It’s really up to you. Just be sure that it’s something that will connect you with your visitors in a positive way, and can generate leads / conversions for your business.

So if you have been convinced that an exit popup strategy is right for you, we’ll help you get on the right track.

Which One Should I use?

Implementing these strategies can be overwhelming. There are hundreds of plug-ins out on the market.

This can cause us to become confused and suffer from information overload.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

We have been through many of them and made mistakes along the way so you don’t have to.

With this being said, here are the best 3 exit pop-up plugins we have used to date.

  • It contains a drag & drop builder which will allow you to build your very own, high converting exit popup in minutes.
  • You can easily A/B test your ideas and track your results.
  • It comes with 1 click integration with your email marketing provider
  • And works with all websites and e-commerce platforms.

All of these work perfectly, straight out of the box, with no knowledge or special skills necessary to install and use it.

If you want to learn advanced strategies to convert your leaving visitors into hot leads, then you should check out our exit popup guide to converting leaving visitors into hot leads.