7 pop-up advertising strategies for advertising success

The opinions expressed by entrepreneurs contributors are their own.

Pop-up ads are often seen as the bad guys on websites. Nobody wants their experience to be interrupted by an advertisement, even if it's a well-meaning email signup form. However, taking the right approach greatly affects how users respond to it. Display pop-ups at the right time during your journey on the site and you will increase conversion rates.

1. Make them an offer they can't refuse

Yes, pop-up ads are annoying. But, if the content of the ad is an irresistible offer, all the awkwardness goes away. For example, if you run an online store, offer new site visitors free shipping on any order or 50% off a single item. This one-time discount keeps visitors on your site and encourages them to buy something.

The same goes for any website. Would you like users to sign up for your newsletter? Give them something in return. Sometimes site owners partner with related sites to offer discounts on online products and services. If you are an education website, you may be able to offer a free two-month trial of an e-learning platform.

2. Wait for them to leave your website

One of the worst types of pop-up ads is one that blocks the entire site before you've even had a chance to see what's on the page. Instead of rushing to ask visitors to shop or register for something, wait until they show signs of leaving. This is often when they start closing the page or typing something into the address bar.

These are exit popups. If you saw a "Before you go" pop-up, you saw exit ads. These can offer a final discount or a call to action to sign up for a newsletter, so the visitor never misses out on great content. These are less annoying and work well for boosting conversions because visitors appreciate that you don't immediately disturb them.

Related: 10 Marketing Strategies to Boost Your Business Growth

3. Announce important news or updates

You won't use this type of pop-up advertising strategy all the time. However, if you have made a major change to your website, site policy, or product selection, use a contextual advertisement to announce it. Many sites did this when GDPR rules were enacted to inform everyone of their data and privacy rights.

You can also use them to advertise upcoming events, such as contests or live streams. It's a simple way to make sure visitors don't miss essential updates and news.

4. Wait and be patient

Immediate pop-up ads usually aren't as successful as if you wait a while. Again, it's about improving the user experience. Imagine that you run a physical store. If you stop people at the door and try to make a sale immediately before they've even had a chance to browse, they'll likely leave. Wait for them to browse for 15 minutes, then offer them a suggestion or discount.

Use this same approach with your pop-up advertising strategy. Set a specific delay before a pop-up window appears, from one to several minutes. Another option is to wait until a user has navigated to a certain point on a page, such as the middle of the page. This gives them time to better understand your site and the value in it before a pop-up appears.

5. Make timely suggestions

If you've ever used social media, you know that if you've recently viewed a product, you'll start seeing ads for related products. You can use pop-up ads in the same way. Maybe someone just added a new pair of jeans to their online shopping cart. Use a pop-up ad to display related items, such as belts or shoes. Users consider this to be a more useful popup. Plus, it can increase overall sales.

Related: How to Use Contextual Ads Without Annoying Your Visitors

6. Remind users of their shopping cart

What's more disappointing for an online store than an abandoned cart? Although you can email them, many buyers don't provide an email unless they actually decide to pay. Where does that leave...