Use popups or not?
By Barrie Davenport and Mary Jaksch
There’s been a heated discussion about using pop-ups recently.
Blogger Corbett Barr put up a question on his blog Think Traffic, called What Do You think of Pop-ups. He got over 100 comments.
Most of the comments read like hate mail. It’s as if Corbett had asked, “What do you think of people who kill their neighbor’s pet?”
At the time, we had just put up a pop-up here on ALBM, primarily because we’re keen to try a lot of different strategies in order to give you considered feedback. Reading the negative comments gave us pause for thought.
At the same time, our friend Leo Babauta wrote a post on Zen Habits, called The Quiet Theory of Influence in which he criticized pop-ups. He also emailed us, setting out a compelling argument against the use of pop-ups (you can read it below).
So in the end, we decided to disable the pop-up we had set up here at ALBM.
In this post we’ll take an in-depth look at problems and promises of pop-ups.
- We’ll outline the problems of pop-ups and explain why we finally decided not to use them here on this blog.
- We’ll also look at why and how some reputable bloggers use pop-ups successfully.
- Finally, we’ll take a look at alternatives to pop-ups.
The real problem with pop-ups
Within the 100 comments to Corbett’s post, the word “hate” appears 49 times.
Here’s an example:
Problem #1: Usability
The key point that Sara makes is about reader experience.
Leo Babauta explained the usability issue succinctly in an email he wrote to us.
There’s a big difference between billboards (which I dislike) and pop-ups on a blog (which are much worse). The billboards don’t get in the way of what you want to do (drive on the freeway).
If the billboard was placed on the freeway, and you had to read it before driving every few miles, you’d hate it. Pop-ups are like that — you go
to a site to read the content, and the pop-up stops you from doing that.Get out of the reader’s way — it’s better for the customer.
That’s a strong argument against using pop-ups. (And that’s part of what convinced us to ditch the plugin here on this blog).
Problem #2: Mobile device barrier
Here’s another usability issue worth considering. Jason, one of the commenters on Think Traffic had this to say:
According to Jason, there is a real problem for readers using mobile devices when they encounter blogs with pop-ups. Have any of you had similar problems?
As you can see, pop-ups create some quite severe usability problems. And not only that – there is a groundswell of negativity around plugins.
Problem #3: Negative reader perception
If you read comments about plugins, you’ll see that there is a groundswell of negativity around pop-ups. In most cases, the rub is a perceived lack of respect for the reader experience.
So why would anyone in their right minds use pop-ups?
Why some bloggers use pop-ups
Bloggers use pop-ups because they work.
In a tutorial that respected self-development blogger Steve Aitchison of wrote for the A-Listing Blogger Club a while ago (Steve is a charter member of the A-Listing Blogger Club), he talked about the effect of pop-ups.
By spending 15 minutes to produce the pop-up, my subscriber rate jumps nearly 400% overnight. I went from 6-10 subscribers per day to 25-40 subscribers per day.
Mary’s story:
After seeing those stats, I decided to run an experiment on my blog Goodlife ZEN last year.
The experiment ran for 22 days. Phase number one ran for 4 days where I collected aWeber signups without the pop-up. In phase number two, I set up a premium plugin, called Pop-Up Domination on my blog, and let it run for 5 days. Then it was into phase 3 without the pop-up, and finally I reactivated the pop-up.
Below you can see the stats of this experiment:
Using Popup Domination on Goodlife ZEN (2010)
Since then I’ve turned off the pop-up twice – but when I saw the dip in subscriber numbers, I turned it back on again. It only shows up once when new people come to the site. My subscriber numbers are steady, and my blog has an active community of lovely people. Goodlife ZEN is in good heart.
Barrie’s story:
I was initially against using a pop-up on my personal development blog, Live Bold and Bloom. I felt this way mainly because Leo shared his feelings about them during an A-List Blogging Bootcamp I attended. This was early in my blogging career.
I didn’t have a strong personal feeling about them myself. They were annoying if they offered something I didn’t want. They were useful if they did.
As I began to study other blogs and blog marketing, I saw them regularly on blogs by people I really respected. I also had a marketing mentor (not Mary) suggest I give it a try. Knowing that I had a valuable free product, I decide it was worth seeing what would happen.
Like Steve Aitchison, my subscriber rate jumped from a handful of people a day to 20-30 a day. When I first put it on my blog, I received a few complaints (less than 10). Since then, none of my readers have complained, and my subscriber numbers have continued to stay strong. I have tested it by turning it off, and my numbers drop. When I put it back on, my subscriber rates jump back up.
Yesterday, I took it down. For me it was a matter of integrity — not so much related to the issue of whether pop-ups are inherently “good” or “bad.”
The reaction of the vocal responders on Corbett’s blog and the very strong reaction of a dear friend (Leo) have made me question whether it’s worth offending people, even if it’s only a few people. I had to ask myself, “Is it worth the extra subscribers if I know that I am annoying people I care about?” For me, the answer was no.
It has also made me think about surveying my readers at Live Bold and Bloom to get their feedback. When I do, I’ll report back here to let you know their responses.
Want to use Pop-ups? How to do it skillfully
How people respond to a pop-up depends to a certain degree on how it’s used.
See Beny Schonfeld’s comment to this point:
If you want to use pop-ups, here are some important points.
- Offer an optin gift that is of real value
- Set the plugin so that it only comes up once.
- Make sure no other pop-ups or bars cover the exit button.
- Disable cache plugins, such as Super Cache.
- Set the timer of the pop-up so that it comes on after 40 seconds or later. (It’s more annoying if a reader doesn’t get the chance to read the post before the view is blocked by the pop-up.)
- Use language on the pop-up that presents the benefits of your product but doesn’t scream about it.
In a recent conversation, Michael Dunlop, the creator of the plugin PopUp Domination, said this:
Out of those who hate pop-ups, 99% probably don’t make a living from the Internet… PopUp Domination has been a huge success as we pass 10,000 sales. The tool does a job and does it well.
Michael runs an excellent blog, called Income Diary and he has the sweetest customer care we’ve encountered anywhere.
Alternatives to Pop-ups
Let’s say that after reading all this you decide to forget about pop-ups. What to do?
There are two alternatives you can turn to. They are both popup plugins, but offer some other interesting options that we can use without encountering popup problems.
WPSubscribers
WPSubscribers is similar to PopUp Domination. You can create a pop-up, or a footer or header bar with signup box. But it’s got one special feature that ‘s very useful: you can create an attractive banner with a sign-up form that sits between post and comments. That’s what we’ve got here on A-List Blog Marketing.
It’s a great way to entice readers to get your opt-in gift without interrupting the reading process. When a reader fills out the form, they are immediately added to the list you’ve designated on your preferred email responder service, like Aweber or Mailchimp. However, non of the three plugins we mention in this article work with Feedburner.
WPSubscribers allows you a lot of freedom to create an attractive banner. It’s not that easy to learn how customize it, though. (That’s why we’ve created a how-to video that explains step-by-step how to customize WP Subscribers. See note below the post).
Subscribers Magnet
Subscribers Magnet offers similar options to the pop-ups above. Again, there is one particular way to use Subscribers Magnet that’s very interesting. It’s a small tick box underneath the comment box. We saw that on Pat Flynn’s must-read blog, Smart Passive Income. You can see below what it looks like here on ALBM:
The tick leads directy to AWeber subscription
The important thing here is that the commenter who ticks the box is immediately subscribed to whatever email list you are using. The reader doesn’t have to go to a squeeze page or fill out another form. You can use it with most email responder services like Aweber, Mailchimp, etc.
So far, the results have been encouraging, but it’s too soon to give you exact stats.
Should you use a pop-up or not?
Ultimately, this must be a personal decision on your part. As you can see, Barrie and Mary have both tried them. People like Mary, Steve Aitchison, or Chris Guillebeau are using them successfully on their blogs.
This particular issue (pop-ups) is probably the best example of how each blogger must define what integrity-based marketing means for themselves. Sometimes it is not black and white.
The ‘Good Karma’ aspiration that we hold here on A-List Blog Marketing helped us to make a clear decision. ‘Good Karma’ implies wholeness instead of division, connection instead of disconnection, and peacefulness instead of aggravation.
When we looked at the decision whether to disable the pop-up, it was clear that eliminating a pop-up would lead to wholeness, connection, and peacefulness. That’s why we disabled the pop-up.
What are YOUR thoughts on pop-ups?
Note: We’re affiliates for Popup Domination, WPSubscribers, and Subscribers Magnet. If you purchase them through our affiliate links, email us proof of purchase and we’ll give you access to training videos which will show you exactly what setup works best.
{ 46 comments… read them below or add one }
I am moving over to WP subscribers. I use them as I work on the theory if someone has been on the site 3/4 minutes then they may be interested in subscribing. It shows once a week. Have been on sites where they show on every single page.
I had an issue with Pop Up Domination, I contacted support and I am still waiting for a response, that was back in May. I had a plugin conflict with WP subscribers and I was helped within 20 minutes.
I think if you use pop-ups aggressively you will lose readers, but using them gently and persuasively then you will not.
Sarah Arrow recently posted..Review: The Little Fish Guide to Networking
Those are interesting points Sarah. Customer support with a product is an important part of using a product. It can make or break your experience. I like the idea of using Pop-Ups “gently and persuasively” Sarah. My take on that would be that they are delayed several seconds before appearing on the blog or they come up as you are about to leave; the language on the pop-up is low-key, not hype; and that you can easily see how to close the pop-up. Would you agree?
Barrie Davenport recently posted..The Ultimate Guide to Pop-ups: Problems, Solutions, and Alternatives
Thanks for sharing the tip about Subscribers Magnet. For the record, that’s how I joined your list (so we know it worked at least once!). It works because it asks the visitor to further the relationship at the point where they are the most engaged with the site (they are, after all, leaving a comment).
The advantage of pop-up’s is they force the users attention (if only to click them off). In that moment of attention, they may actually read and potentially consider your offer.
On my site, I offer free WordPress training videos (geared to WordPress newbies). For a while I had an Aweber form on the sidebar, with a headline. It converted, but not as much as I would’ve liked.
I’ve since evolved this form by placing an attention seeking animated-graphic that naturally draws your eye to the form itself. It’s not a pop-up, but it does ask for your attention. Conversions have skyrocketed with this simple addition. I think it works for 2 reasons…
1. It’s unobtrusive and gentle vs. in-your-face and annoying.
2. Even if you ignore it, it is still visible. It’s there, in the background, gently asking for attention the entire time the visitor is on the blog. That’s more powerful than a one-time-ask pop-up, no?
Not sure if pop-up’s will eventually be in our future. For now, I’m going to opt toward providing a better user experience and using the combination of a compelling offers with gentle attention grabbers.
Mercer recently posted..How To Get More Traffic to a WordPress Site
Mercer,
Wow! I just took a look. That is so cool, and it definitely gets your attention. Would you kindly share with all of us where to find that amazing graphic (or something similar)??
Barrie Davenport recently posted..The Ultimate Guide to Pop-ups: Problems, Solutions, and Alternatives
I am very sorry to see you reverse your decision to use popups here at ALBM. I’m currently watching your video series–one of many tremendous resources I’ve discovered thanks to popups. In choosing to visit a website, I will give it extra attention if the author has taken the time to put together a terrific resource they are proud enough to offer in such a highly visible way. It says to me they are committed to providing value. If I’m not interested in the resource, I click to close the window. Easy. Your comment in the above-mentioned post was one of the few bright spots, and I even replied to your comment, saying how glad I was that you felt popups fit in with the good you are trying to do with ALBM. I found myself far more annoyed with the grade-school tone of “hate it, hate it, hate it” than I’ve ever been by a popup offering me a potentially useful resource. Perhaps I’m extra sensitive as I just purchased PopUp Domination after seeing it used respectfully by people like Pat Flynn (and previously this blog.). I do plan to implement it on our filmmaking blog–along with a resource I believe will help others. BTW I discovered Pat’s blog, and a few others, from one of your posts here. The first thing I did was join the mailing lists of those that had popups. Can’t say I did the same for those that didn’t.
Best,
Biagio
Biagio recently posted..Betting On Doc from Julie Keck, Jessica King, & Chris Grimes
Hi Biagio,
Thank you so much for your words of support on Corbett’s post. Believe me, Mary and I had a lot of conversation about whether or not to disable the Pop-Up here. We really didn’t expect this conversation to happen so early in the life of our new blog. But Corbett’s and Leo’s posts launched a groundswell of opinion that we couldn’t ignore. We are not coming down against Pop-Ups. We encourage you to use them if that feels right for you and your blog. We made the decision we did because we felt that we wanted to calm the issue rather than fuel it. There were other subscriber options for us, so we chose what felt right for us on this blog. We don’t want to disappoint anyone, but with this issue, I think that’s impossible, don’t you?
Barrie Davenport recently posted..The Ultimate Guide to Pop-ups: Problems, Solutions, and Alternatives
I admit to being conflicted about pop-ups. I do not use them on my site at the moment because I find them so annoying. In fact, I have opted out of several blogs who use them.
But I also know they work and that’s the dilemma …
Being a relatively new blogger who is technically-challenged, I’d love to find a pop-up that “knows” if the reader has already subscribed and therefore doesn’t pop-up. That way my regular readers are not bothered and the new ones have the opportunity to “opt-in.” Does anyone know of one that does this?
Cheryl recently posted..What kind of world are you choosing to inhabit?
Hi Cheryl,
Pop-Up Domination has the option to have it appear only once. However, I’d encourage you to look at Mercer’s blog and his very cool attention-grabbing graphic. I’m hoping he will let us know where he got it, but we will research it regardless and share it here. There are other options, like WP Subscriber, which I just put on my other blog, http://www.liveboldandbloom.com.
Barrie Davenport recently posted..The Ultimate Guide to Pop-ups: Problems, Solutions, and Alternatives
Being one of the negative votes on Think Traffic, I do feel as a reader, pop-ups can be a distraction. After reading your information and seeing the value of increased subscriptions, I can see why a blogger would want to use them. I don’t use pop-ups on my blog, and probably will not. I am, however interested in your two alternatives, and will look into one of those for my blog. Again, thanks for great information.
Cathy | Treatment Talk recently posted..Life Lessons from the Highway
Hi Cathy,
That’s great — I’m so glad there are alternatives that help the reader find great free content. Let us know how they work for you.
Barrie Davenport recently posted..The Ultimate Guide to Pop-ups: Problems, Solutions, and Alternatives
The real problem with popups is that they indicate a much more fundamental problem: the blogger/website doesn’t understand the basic idea of putting the reader first.
Bloggers have popups so that they can increase subscriber numbers, or sales, or email list signups. From the blogger’s point of view, they’re very effective, as the numbers in this post indicate.
But from a reader’s point of view, the popup does *absolutely nothing* to help them with their goals. Their goals are to read the content, and solve one or more of their problems. Popups don’t help with those goals — they absolutely get in the way of them.
And so popups show the reader that you as a blogger are more interested in your goals than the reader’s goals. If you don’t understand why this is a huge, huge problem, you are missing the point of blogging.
Leo recently posted..The 5 Principles of a Profound Workday
Hi Leo,
Thank you for dropping by and sharing your comments! Your words and position definitely helped us make our decision to remove the Pop-Up from this blog. I agree that the reader comes first, but I ultimately decided to put a pop-up on my blog because I felt the value of what I offer the reader with my free product outweighed the intrusion. I received a lot of positive emails from subscribers thanking me for the info. I did receive a few complaints (less than 10) when I first put it up, but none since then. It seems like readers become immune to the sidebar subscription form because they see those so often. However, there are other ways to direct the readers’ attention to your free product without being as intrusive, so I’m glad of that and am trying WP Subscriber on my blog now. If you are blogging as a business, it is a delicate balance between your readers’ interests and striving to make an income, especially if you have just a few thousand subscribers.
Barrie Davenport recently posted..The Ultimate Guide to Pop-ups: Problems, Solutions, and Alternatives
Most people who are irritated by popups don’t complain. They close the window with your site in it and don’t come back.
Leo recently posted..The 5 Principles of a Profound Workday
Hi Mary, Hi Barrie,
First off, thanks so much for quoting my comment from ThinkTraffic here on your blog! Super cool!
Now, I wanna jump in here and exchange some ideas with Leo (and the rest of your readers) as I differ a bit from Leo’s assessment.
Like I said in my original comment, as a reader I mostly hate pop-ups. But as a new blogger, the research tells me that I should weigh the option carefully (and I am, which is why I loved this post!) because the numbers show that they seem to work.
I hate them when they pop-up waaaaaay too soon. When they pop up again and again as I explore the site… every time a page loads the friggin’ thing pops-up again. I might even like the blog and sign up, and the thing will still pop-up… It definitely freaks out my iPhone too when I’m reading the blog on it. All of this definitely degrades my experience as a user, it certainly makes me feel disrespected, and even if I like the content, I may choose at some point that enough is enough, and probably won’t return to that blog unless a “killer headline” on Twitter lures me in! And then… pop-up…
Now Leo, you said something very interesting and dear to me, which is that as a blogger (or business person of any kind really) we must put our readers’/customers’ interests and experience first. No argument from me there.
I do believe, however, that respecting our readers is not necessarily black and white. Meaning, in this particular context, that not having a pop-up doesn’t necessarily mean we are respecting our readers. The opposite holds true for me as well: having a pop-up does not necessarily disrespect our readers either.
I believe there are ways, and some of them were pointed out in this blog post, to implement a pop-up, while remaining respectful and adding value to our readers.
For me there’s one requirement to achieve this: please just let me read the whole friggin’ post, and THEN let me choose whether or not I want to sign up for anything… and if I say no, I mean it. Don’t ask me again on the same visit to the blog (And if I said yes, don’t ask me again either!).
Ok, those where two requirements.
When people follow the above, I feel that my experience has been taken into consideration (respect) and I am understanding of the blogger’s attempt to sign me up because, after all, he/she is trying to build a business. And for that he needs leads, prospects, etc.
I am a new blogger. I have my readers’ goals, problems, frustrations and success in mind in everything I’m doing and planning. And yet I must, must, find a way to give my own needs a place in the equation. I must find a way to help my readers succeed, to tackle their problems and frustrations, and help them reach their goals and still put food on the table.
It doesn’t matter how much respect I may have for my readers, If I can’t put food on the table I’ll have to shut the blog down and get another miserable job. And then nobody receives value. No one’s problems are solved. No one succeeds
Of course, some would argue that if my content is epic, helpful, solves readers’ problems and helps them succeed then the sign ups will come all on their own. As will my success as a blogger. Well, yes, to a certain degree. And yet there are many bloggers that are generating content like this, that are using pop-ups to “help things along”. Why?
Maybe it’s because sometimes people need a nudge for them to take action on something THEY want. Some people want to subscribe to a blog, but don’t because they are perhaps weary of spam, privacy issues, etc. Asking those people, at the right time, in the right tone, explaining clearly and honestly what value they will get out of it, may help them finally choose to opt-in.
Lastly, I think part of the reason most opinion is polarized on the issue of pop-ups is precisely because the actual use of pop-ups is polarized. Most bloggers either use them way too aggressively and disrespectfully, or they don’t use them at all for fear of driving readers and potential paying customers away.
I happen to believe there’s a gray area in there that would make most readers feel respected, and still result in more opt-ins for the blogger. I’ve seen very few bloggers find this sweet spot, and I think more should try. Carefully, gently, and putting their readers’ experience and goals first.
I look forward to your thoughts on this!
Regards,
Beny Schonfeld
Beny Schonfeld recently posted..How to Launch your First App: 11 Tips to beat the odds!
Just want to jump in briefly and thank you for your thoughtful comment, Beny. I’m so excited about the discussion here
My pleasure! Thank you for making my otherwise dreadful day by including me in the post…
As I mentioned in the email, I was in a bad car crash this morning which put all my big plans for the day on hold. I’m grateful we’re all OK, and smiling now ’cause “this new blogger got quoted”… LOL.
Seriously, thanks!
Beny Schonfeld recently posted..How to Launch your First App: 11 Tips to beat the odds!
“And so popups show the reader that you as a blogger are more interested in your goals than the reader’s goals. If you don’t understand why this is a huge, huge problem, you are missing the point of blogging.”
Thanks Leo for making total sense of the whole pop-up issue in such a simple, clear, communicable way. I needed to hear that today as I contemplate my next post and try to focus in on why my readers visit my blog and how I can help them.
I really enjoy your blog, Alison. I think you’re an example of a blogger who gives real value to readers.
Thank you Mary. I think you are too
I think the question of “What do you think of popups” is naturally going to get people saying that they don’t like them, but that’s also like asking “What do you think of paying taxes?” of course people will say they don’t like paying taxes but that’s not really the point. At the end of the day they work. Yes I think that depending on your niche they may not be as effective (in this blog’s case or in Corbett’s case you’re marketing to marketers) but I still think they’re useful.
I will say that through my testing the people that come through via a popup are less likely to stick around than people that went through a form on the website, but in niches outside of blogging / online marketing etc. where I make most of my money I use popups a lot because in those niches visitors don’t see them as much so they’re not as immune to them and they don’t care as much as the people that got upset in the comments on Corbett’s blog.
Chris Guthrie recently posted..Podcast 5: How Brian Jones Took His Internet Business From His Condo To A 10,000 Sq Ft Warehouse
You are right Chris — that kind of question begs for a negative answer. You make an interesting point about blogs other than marketing/blogging blogs. Ultimately, we each have to use our own judgment about what works best on our individual blogs.
Barrie Davenport recently posted..The Ultimate Guide to Pop-ups: Problems, Solutions, and Alternatives
Yes! PUSHY advertising DOES work! I think perhaps as marketers and advertisers we need to be aware of the line between results through pushing and simply informing about our products. It is great we are considerate in trying not to be pushy but when we see the RESULTS of being pushy and note the results ARE higher we are tempted to use those methods.
For me my time is my life and I really don’t appreciate someone intruding upon that time, I like to CHOOSE how I use it. I feel pop-ups are one of those intruding life-wasters. Not only do they cover something that may be vitally important but I may need to check something in a hurry on line like a flight schedule, or make a quick note of something to tell someone at a meeting (for instance a wonderful note on Goodlife Zen that could change their lives). It would be a shame to miss it because of a pop-up in those vital moments.
Hey Marilyn – great to see you here! I get your point about popups barring your from important info – especially of course from seeing “a wonderful note on Goodlife Zen”
I know you’re an artist. Marilyn, and that you market some of your beautiful work on the Internet. As Beny says, when we try to make a living on the Internet we need to care not only for others, but also for ourselves. Because if we don’t earn anything on the Net, we can’t sustain the kind of work needed to create and maintain a useful blog or website, or have the freedom to create great stuff.
The ironic thing is that you’re one of my lovely readers on Goodlife ZEN – which is a blog that uses popups. But readers who are subscribed never see them again after the initial view.
Hi Mary & Barrie –
Very interesting topic. I’ve always avoided pop-ups because they’re just too…aggressive. For me.
I think every blog owner has to know where their readers are coming from, and what they feel comfortable doing. I might do a tool like we see here where you subscribe people with a check when they comment. I think that’s low-key.
I’ve known for a while that the stats support pop-ups. Just don’t know if I can get my head around using one. They just seem so…pushy.
In keeping with your good-karma theme, I don’t know if they have good karma.
Carol Tice | Make a Living Writing recently posted..10 Lame Excuses That Keep Freelance Writers Poor
Yes, Carol – it’s a dilemma.
I think it might be a good idea to put your new membership program more front and centre on your blog – you are offering something of real value. As to Subscribers Magnet (the checkbox thing) – we haven’t had it up long enough to really give a considered opinion, but it does look like it’s not nearly as useful as WPSubscribers – which is what you might want to take a look at.
The thing is that most readers have a kind of progression from reader to commenter. They become readers, then maybe subscribers, and then – after a while – they may make a comment. So the checkbox thing comes in at a point where most people have already subscribed. I think that’s why it’s not as potent. But every little bit helps, eh?
Hmmm, interesting distinction, Mary! Thanks for that.
Patti Foy | Lightspirited Being recently posted..Your Magical Mind, Magical Body
I don’t often comment on blogs, but this one is enough of an issue to motivate me to comment. Leo said it very well in a recent comment when he observed, “The real problem with popups is that they indicate a much more fundamental problem: the blogger/website doesn’t understand the basic idea of putting the reader first.” I could not agree more. Pop-ups, fly-overs, and similar devices are annoying to the reader, interfere with the reader’s experience, and distract the reader from engaging with the content in any meaningful way.
Leo also makes a second, very important point in these comments: “Most people who are irritated by popups don’t complain. They close the window with your site in it and don’t come back.” Again, I have to agree. I have only once e-mailed a webmaster to tell them how irritated I was by their expanding gizmos that were supposed to draw attention, but instead distracted me from reading. Every other time I simply closed the pop-up window without reading what was being “sold” in the pop-up, and I frequently hit the back button in quick order. I will occasionally read something after killing a pop-up, but often just leave the site. At that point the website owner has abused my trust and left me feeling violated. The trust is gone before it can be established.
I subscribe to several of Leo’s sites for good reason. Leo delivers top-notch content and has earned my trust and respect. (I also like visiting Leo’s sites because they are visually appealing and never distracting or annoying.) When I subscribe to a site or add my name to a mailing list it is for one of two reasons:
1) I have been reading the site long enough and consistently enough that I don’t want to miss anything. At this point I have developed some trust in the site owner and am willing to share my information.
2) I may subscribe to a site if the writer “gently” and respectfully suggests subscribing at the end of the article. This approach is unobtrusive and respects me as a reader.
Ultimately, consistent, top-notch content will always make me want to subscribe – but only after I have developed some trust with the writer/site owner. Pop-ups violate that trust relationship before it is even started.
Robert Witham recently posted..Rural, Upstate NY is indeed contrary to assumptions
Thanks for your thoughtful comment, Robert.
Yes, trust. It’s all about trust.
I do hope we can gain your trust here at ALBM so that you feel able to subscribe one day.
As to Leo.
Leo is simply awesome. I’m proud to call him my friend and business partner.
Mary,
I love the whole “good karma” approach of this site. I am currently following this in Google Reader. I have recently begun to follow sites on Facebook (when that is an option) and occasionally by e-mail. I think eventually I will want to follow all sites via Facebook, e-mail, or something similar rather than through a feed reader as the feed reader is just “one more thing.”
I’ve noticed many sites (even large sites) doing the whole pop-up thing. To me it kind of comes across as desperate and cheesy. I think what you are doing here with the subscription by the comments is just the sort of low-key thing that can work without annoying readers. Of course, this is only my opinion. I also realize that business always involves a balancing act between asking for the sale (or subscription) and being too pushy.
Robert Witham recently posted..Rural, Upstate NY is indeed contrary to assumptions
Ah yes, ‘subscriptions’ by Social Media is an important point, Robert.
We’ve just appointed a Social Media Manager Intern, Taylor Flanery. She’s awesome! I’m sure she’ll create many options to follow ALBM.
The fact that subscription rates go up when using pop-ups isn’t always good news for the blogger or the user. It could well be that the readers who do respond to pop-ups are not those who go on to become your fans, buyers, loyal readers etc. They may well have been hit by the pop-up before deciding whether the site or article is a good fit for them.
On the other hand if the reader had already decided the site is a good fit and they were getting good value, the pop-up could well change their mind and may be enough to put them off staying, let alone subscribing. This could also depend on the topic of the blog… if it has anything to do with integrity, personal relationships etc. then the effect of the pop-up is likely to be more negative. If it’s a standard (non-people-focussed) marketing blog, or a money-making blog, for example, it’s more likely to work since readers will expect to see all sorts of ‘marketing tricks’ and might even be keen to learn about them.
So, can you tell whether the subscribers you get by using pop-ups are of a different ‘quality’ to those you get when not using a pop-up (by how long they stay subscribed, whether they comment, whether they purchase, or any other markers of satisfaction and engagement)?
Your question is very interesting, Jen:
“Can you tell whether the subscribers you get by using pop-ups are of a different ‘quality’ to those you get when not using a pop-up (by how long they stay subscribed, whether they comment, whether they purchase, or any other markers of satisfaction and engagement)?”
It’s very hard to say, Jen.
All I can go on is my experience on Goodlife ZEN where I use a popup for new readers. GLZ has got a thriving community – and I love my readers. They are active, leave amazing comments, interact with each other, and the blog has got a steady growth rate. People seem to get a lot out of the blog and tend to stick around.
The same goes for Steve Aitchison’s blog Change Your Thoughts and Chris Guillebeau’s blog The Art of Non-Conformity. The three of us are not exactly ‘back-street bloggers’
I really don’t like pop-ups. My reaction to them is always annoyance, and if I can’t get the damn thing to go away quickly, I move on. Once my site has been transferred to WordPress.org, I hope to attract more sign ups by placing my email opt-in in a better place, improving my content (from personal diary/blog to more helpful content), and eventually, writing a classy e-book to give away in exchange for a sign up.
Mara Rose recently posted..Moments of Connection and Healing
Sounds like a great plan, Mara Rose!
Barrie and Mary,
Count me as one of those who absolutely hate popups. They are so annoying, and even worse when it includes a talking video. I come to the page to read something quickly and get off the page to do something else. The popup slows down my process, irritates me and makes me feel less positive toward the person who has written the blog post.
Maybe a few years ago, when not so many people had web sites, when fewer people were blogging, and when there weren’t so many different free gifts and paid events to choose from, maybe then a popup was interesting. But not now.
I would like to add to my almost hate list, autoresponder messages when I leave a blog comment. If I have taken the time to comment, I expect a real person to respond and comment back – not an automated message.
Erica
Erica
Thanks for you comment, Dr. Goodstone
Getting an autoresponder when you comment? I don’t think I’ve ever experienced that. I can see how that could make you feel disrespected.
The Plugin Subsribers Magnet has an option that is really nasty, and that’s to subscribe someone who comments automatically without their consent. They then get an autoresponder message to disguise the fact that their details have been harvested. Ugh!
Great discussion, and I love the thought (and research) put into both the post and the insightful comments – all for my mind to toss around ….. This tempestuous topic throws together two historically disparate forces – money (getting subscribers/sales) and trust (extending ‘your hand’ to join your circle). As a career marketer I know only too well the forces at play of money and building business, but as a person I’m in total sympatico with Leo on this one. Pop-ups intrude on the reader/browsers space, and they are designed (in truth) for the owner/bloggers goals, not some supposed altruistic claim of ‘offering something of worth’.
Personally I think this all comes back to the obsession to get the numbers.
Di Mace | Word Swords recently posted..2B or not 2B: should we learn to write?
Hi Di, thanks for your interesting comment about reconciling two forces, money and trust. To bend to either of these forces is easy. I mean, to focus on making sales is easy. And it’s also easy to gain the trust of readers, if we run a blog with integrity. But how to reconcile the two forces. How bridge the gap between earning money AND retain trust – yes, that’s a crucial question.
This blog is really about finding ways to answer the question and bridge the gap.
I think it’s great that this brand new blog has already gotten a fantastic discussion going. I have to chime in and say that I am one of those that really dislikes (OK, hates) popups.
Having said that, I have to comment that I went to check out the comments from the “Think Traffic” post and found some interesting stuff. Those that advocate for the use of popups claim that they really are not ignoring their readers and therefore the fact that popups create many new subscribers justifies using them. These people are really not hearing Leo. Every time that you use the fact that you get more subscribers means exactly that you are looking at your own goal (to get more subscribers) and not your readers’ goals (to get some information from you).
Interestingly enough, I think the less computer savvy you are, the more likely you are to fill in a popup because you don’t really think what to do and maybe they just fill in the form without thinking. They may be on your list, but they will probably never read the blog again because or buy anything because they will be annoyed that they are getting lots of emails from the blog and maybe don’t realize it is because they filled in the popup form. We folks who know our way around a blog know what we are seeing and maybe just click the x. I know that in most cases the popup annoys me that I will move on within a couple of seconds after I close it. The only reason I may stay around is if I know the blog and am familiar with the blogger and know that I really want to read this blog post. Because of the respect that I have for some of the A-List bloggers that I read, I ignore their popups. Blogs where I am still trying to form an opinion and decide what to do have already lost me.
Interestingly, the theme I use, Headway, started marketing or pushing a new popup called Pippity. Pippity claims to be friendlier to your visitors because you can set it up to pop up when it does not disturb their reading. I don’t see anything different about it and didn’t investigate it much because I am not interested in using popups, but I think it is interesting that their marketing is using the point being discussed here.
I am glad you made the decision to stop using the popup. I don’t really think it is really good karma to use them. I am also glad that I learned about some alternatives that I will look into after my fledgeling blog gets off the ground a little more.
David Goldman
David Goldman recently posted..Your Computer, Magic? Or Just a Tool?
Hey David, good to see you here. I was struck by something you said, “Every time that you use the fact that you get more subscribers means exactly that you are looking at your own goal (to get more subscribers) and not your readers’ goals (to get some information from you).”
I think getting more subscribers is a legitimate goal. If you want to make a living on the Net, you need to build a popular blog. Without that, you’ll just have a pretty blog with great content. But it won’t make you an income.
And here’s the rub:
Creating good content takes a lot of work. At some point, you’ll need to get some financial recompense from all that work. Otherwise you’ll most likely stop blogging. Just like 90% of bloggers do. If you do stop, that will mean ditching your initial goal which was to focus on giving great content to your subscribers.
My point is that we need to take care of our needs, as well as our readers’ needs.
First, to Mary and Barrie, excellent topic coverage — thanks so much!
I have to make a comment about this quote too. Granted, more subscribers can eventually lead to financial recompense, and that’s not a bad thing. The positive to that is that in many cases, if it’s not forthcoming, the blogger will leave and then there’s nothing at all for readers!
But the new point I want to make is this: I know in my case that I want subscribers so I can offer bigger and better stuff for them, paid or not. Readers already are requesting classes but until I have enough subscribers (thus students) to justify that, I really can’t do it. This is not just a selfish, money-making motivation. Point is, our offering can grow as our subscriber base grows. Eventually I’d like to have a forum on my site, and again, you need subscribers for that. (At least you need a lot of active readers, which I assume correlates to subscribers.)
So, in the end, I also have a roving ISP and get poppuped (I’m sure that’s a new verb by now) into irritation. I really appreciate seeing these alternatives you’ve offered. Thanks again for an excellent article and discussion.
Patti Foy | Lightspirited Being recently posted..Your Magical Mind, Magical Body
Mary and Barrie,
Thank you both for the excellent presentation of all sides of the pop-up question.
I would like to clarify that it’s not the case that the pop-up will only appear on the first visit if you have a roving IP as I do. On Good Life Zen, for example, it appears each and every time I visit. I was a regular visitor and commenter at the blog until the pop-up was installed. It didn’t happen consciously, but I gradually stopped visiting Good Life Zen. Now I subscribe to all blogs via RSS so I don’t see the pop-ups.
I think the problem as Leo points out is that most people will not complain about pop-ups and you may never know why someone really unsubscribed from your blog. I once told a blogger that I wasn’t keen on her pop-up and she became incredibly upset. Now, I don’t offer the feedback even when it’s requested at opt-out. So is it really possible to get accurate statistics or feedback?
When you use a pop-up, you get more subscribers but how dedicated are they to your blog? Sometimes it’s easy to click yes just to get the annoying thing out of the way.
I agree with Leo:
“And so popups show the reader that you as a blogger are more interested in your goals than the reader’s goals. If you don’t understand why this is a huge, huge problem, you are missing the point of blogging.”
This is the message I get when people ad pop-ups to their blog. Sure there are popular bloggers that use pop-ups “successfully” but do we still respect them as much even if we tolerate the pop up? As someone said above, it’s easy to start feeling a little less positive about that blogger.
I find pop-ups rude. I wouldn’t slam the door in a visitor’s face and that’s how a pop-up appears to me. It doesn’t help a bit if it’s delayed 40 seconds or whatever amount is recommended. Then I’m engrossed in the article and it’s even more interrupting. And because I have a small screen, I have to scroll up from the place in the article to reach the “close” button, and then scroll back down and find my spot in the article again.
Of course, my experience is multiplied by the fact that I see them every single time I visit the blog due to the roving IP issue!
You two are brave for fielding responses on this issue.
Sandra / Always Well Within recently posted..A Step-by-Step Guide to Overcoming Digital Overwhelm
Hi Sandra – yes, that’s a valid point. Roving IPs – I hadn’t considered that. Thanks for bringing this problem to our attention.
Hi Mary and Barrie,
Help! How do I disable my pop up domination? I googled the question and there wasn’t one article with an answer. Maybe because pop ups work so well?!?
I also contacted their support and haven’t received any yet. Would love it if I could get some guidance!
Hi Tess, here’s how to turn Popup Domination off:
Step 1: Scroll down your sidebar until you see Popup Domination
Step 2: Click the on-off button. It’s on the right side of the Popup Domination page where you can set your popup:
Once you’ve clicked the ‘turn off’ button, it should look like in the image above. Let me know if it worked, Tess.
Took me time to read all the comments, but I really enjoyed the article. It proved to be Very helpful to me and I am sure to all the commenters here! Its always nice when you can not only be informed, but also entertained! Im sure you had fun writing this article.
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