28 Types of popups to make your website appealing14 min read

28 Types of popups to make your website appealing

There are many different types of popups, each one of them with its own advantages and disadvantages. Although popups are often perceived as annoying and distracting, companies still use them to grab attention. And there is a great reason for that! When offering value to the right person at the right time, popups are a super powerful marketing tool for boosting conversion.  

In this blog post, we will guide you through the most popular types of popups. However, we will also introduce you to the concept of Interactive Popups. You might have seen small windows appearing on a page inviting you to spin a wheel. These are gamified experiences. Now imagine the possibility of incorporating ANY type of Interactive Content in your popups, taking engagement to the next level. Think of it as “Popups 2.0”!  

Table of contents:

How do popups work?  

Popups load when a visitor has spent a certain amount of time on a page. They could also appear as a result of actions like clicking, hovering, or trying to exit the page.  

You can define and set any trigger. For example, you can choose “2 minutes time on page”. So, when users browse a certain page for two minutes, a message will load. Selecting your triggers is a crucial element of your popup strategy success.  

Finally, when you combine popups with Interactive Content, the messages load based on custom conditions. When visitors engage with Interactive Experiences on your website, you can collect information on their preferences. For instance, a Guided Selling experience will tell you more about the products every user prefers. Therefore, you can display personalized popups with discount codes on your audiences favorite items.   

Popup on the Dot.vu homepage
This is an example of a popup that appears after 30 seconds on page or 75% scroll.

How to create effective popups?

These are the factors that set bad popups apart from excellent, effective popups: 

  • Irresistible offer and value. Time is precious. When you interrupt your visitors, you must bring value. Otherwise, you are running the risk of pushing users away.  
  • Context. Your popups need to appear ONLY when it makes sense. For instance, when a user is browsing a wine product page, showing a popup with discount codes for whiskey is out of context.  
  • Respecting the user. If a user closes the popups, he or she is not interested. Programming your message to appear over and over again will annoy your website visitors. So, remember to respect people’s choices.  
  • Right timing. Stumbling upon an intrusive window right after opening a page is annoying. Give your visitors some time to explore your website first. 
  • Personalization. Generic popup messages tend to have lower conversion rates. The more personalized the offer, the higher the chances of grabbing the user’s attention.  
  • Interactivity. Popups have been there for years. Even if you use all the best practices we mentioned, you will not differentiate your messages. Encouraging your audience to interact with the popups will spark interest. There is another factor that plays a significant role here – the Zeigarnik effect. People are more likely to recall unfinished tasks better than completed ones. They are also more likely to finish the process once they’ve started. Therefore, placing an Interactive Experience in your popup will increase your completion rates. Why? Because if visitors play a game, engage with a video, or answer a quiz, they are prone to continue their interactions with the popup.  
This is a popup set to display after 2 minutes on page.
This is another example of a relevant popup that appears after the user has spent some time on the page.

Benefits of using website popups  

When used correctly, popups have a plethora of benefits for your business. Let’s explore them detail:  

  • Capturing people’s attention. As a popup window interrupts your visitors, the message captures attention immediately. Therefore, you have the perfect opportunity to communicate with your audience.  
  • Customizable. You have complete freedom in terms of the design. You can customize your popup in any way that makes sense for your brand identity and business goals.  
  • Increasing sales. Some popup messages tend to have a reasonable conversion rate. However, it all depends on the offer you display – so make sure make it irresistible.  

Nonetheless, you should consider the disadvantages, too: 

  • Bad reputation. As previously mentioned, people perceive popup messages as annoying. As a result, many of them rush to close the windows and continue browsing. In the worst-case scenario,  
  • Ad blockers. The increasing usage of ad blockers might ruin your efforts. Although they don’t remove all popups, chances are not all visitors will see your offers.  
  • Bad user experience. Overusing popups might cause a bad user experience.  
Beauty Booster, an Interactive Experience your can place in your popup.
Example of an Interactive Experience you can place in your popup to boost sales.

28 Types of popups to make your website appealing 

1. On-landing  

As soon as the visitor opens a specific page, a pop up loads. In some cases, showing a new message to your audience before they even got a chance to know you could be a bit “aggressive.” 

2. On-exit  

Also called exit-intent, these popups appear when a user tries to exit the page. Using mouse tracking, this type of popup has the purpose of encouraging your visitors to stay a bit longer on your website.  

3. On scroll  

Companies also set their popups to appear based on the user scrolling to a particular part of the page.  

4. On click  

The on-click popups allow businesses to make relevant offers. After all, when users click on an element, they show interest.  

5. On hover  

Similar to the popup triggered by clicks, an on-hover popup loads when a user hovers over a specific element.  

6. Time on page  

These popups reveal after the user has spent a certain amount of time on your website.  

7. Custom actions 

You can also program popups to show to users based on the person’s previous actions on your website.  

8. Multiple conditions 

This is a more advanced trigger, requiring the user to complete a combination of actions. For example, it can be a mix of pages and time.  

9. Page level targeting 

These popup types show after a user scrolls a certain % of the page.  

10. Inactivity popup 

This popup appears if a visitor remains inactive for some time. The purpose is to reactivate the user.  

Adding interactive touchpoints will make your popups better than ever. Why would you display a generic 10% discount code to all your visitors, when you can give personalized offers to the users depending on their actions? Here are some of the best types of popups with interactive elements:

11. Gamified popups  

Many businesses use gamified popups to incentivize purchases via rewards. For example, we have seen many popups containing a wheel with discount codes for prizes. However, you don’t have to limit yourself to spin the wheel or slot machines. You can place any type of Marketing Game in your popup to boost engagement and give instant gratification.  

scratch card popup template by dot.vu
This is a Scratch Card Popup, ready to be customized!
This is a Reveal guessing game template by Dot.vu
An example of a Marketing Game you can place in your popup.

12. Popups with Interactive Videos 

Interactive Videos take linear videos to the next level by encouraging the audience to become active participants in the journey. Now, imagine the possibilities you have with combining popups and Interactive Videos, giving your visitors an unforgettable experience with your brand.  

This is an interactive video quiz template by dot.vu
This is an example of an Interactive Video you can insert in your popup.

Related: What is an Interactive Video 

13. Popups with Interactive Flipbooks 

Companies use Interactive Flipbooks, catalogs, and eBooks more often than ever before. Now, you can also place your flipbook in a popup to target specific visitors who show interest in your brand by clicking or hovering on your content.  

This is an interactive product catalog cosmetics by Dot.vu
This is an example of an Interactive Flipbook you can place in your popup.

Related: What is an Interactive Flipbook?

14. Popups with Guided Selling  

Imagine a user browsing, for instance, your houseplant product landing page. He or she has spent some time with your brand and probably considers buying a product. Of course, you can have a written guide for choosing a houseplant. OR you can provide them with an Interactive Guided Selling Experience appearing on the page. By doing that, you give real value, helping your potential customers save time and pick the best houseplant for their preferences.  

product recommender popup template by dot.vu
This is a Product Recommender Popup. Click to explore!
This is an electronics product recommender template by Dot.vu
This is an example of a Guided Selling experience you can place in your promotional popup.

Related: What is Guided Selling? 

Pro tip: Remember to stock up on the items you suggest in your popup Guided Selling! 

15. Popups with Interactive Conversation 

Interactive Conversations are excellent tools for communication with your customers. The good news is, now you can insert an Interactive Conversation in a popup to assist your visitors in their journeys.  

16. Popups with Quizzes or Surveys 

Asking customers about their opinion is a fantastic way to show appreciation. Placing your survey in a subtle scroll or slide-in will not annoy your visitors. On the contrary, the ones who are emotionally attached to your brand will be glad to complete a short questionnaire and share their thoughts.  

This is a service evaluation survey template by dot.vu
This is an example of a survey you can use in your website popup.

Pro tip: When using Interactive Content, you can track every interaction. For instance, you can collect answers, clicks, and time spent on every experience. Therefore, you will get to know your audience better. So, you can use this data to create personalized offers for your customers.  

You can place your popups anywhere on the page. Here are the most common types of popups based on their position:  

17. Website bar  

These popup types appear at the top or bottom of the screen.  

18. Full screen  

This type of popups covers the entire screen. So, it is not a subtle way to grab attention.  

19. Lightbox popups  

You can align your popup vertically and horizontally in the centre of the screen.  

20. Sidebar  

These popup types appear on the left or right side of the screen. They tend to be less intrusive than other windows.  

21. Slide-in popups  

Popups can slide in from the side, top, or bottom of the page for a better effect.  

22. Floating messages 

Popups can load and stay in one place, but they can also float, capturing your audience’s attention to a higher extent.  

23. Promotional purposes 

Promotional popups are extremely popular. In fact, most of the popups messages will have a promotional purpose.  

Single's Day popup template by dot.vu
This template is perfect for your Singles’ Day sale.

24. Seasonal promotions 

As the name suggests, these popups are used during seasonal marketing campaigns. The content can be anything from announcements to giveaways. You can use Hourly Surprises in your seasonal popups to generate a sense of urgency and incentivize purchases.  

black week popup template by dot.vu
Black Week Popup, perfect for your Black Friday seasonal advertising.
Christmas daily quiz template by dot.vu
An example of a seasonal Marketing Game you can place in your seasonal promotion popup.

25. Informational 

Organizations also leverage the power of popups for information purposes. Announcing news or changes via a small window informs the users who already demonstrate an interest in your brand.  

26. Educational 

Promoting your eBooks or educational materials through popups is an effective way to position your brand as a thought leader and generate leads.  

Download eBook Popup template by dot.vu
Download eBook Popup, perfect for promoting your eBooks

Pro tip: Create sense of urgency with limited offers. For instance, you can provide free access to your exclusive eBook for two days only.  

27. Registration forms 

Registration form popups appear on event landing pages. They are not so annoying as they are relevant to the user.  

28. Giveaways 

Some companies give their giveaways more visibility with well-designed popups.  

Free Sample Popup
This Free Sample Popup is great for announcing your free sample giveaway campaign.

Take your popups to the next level with Interactive Content! 

Popups are great marketing tools for any business. But why not replace them with a far more exciting experience – Interactive Popups?! Not only will you justify interrupting your visitors, but you will also provide them with 100% personalized offers they can’t refuse.  

Dot.vu is an Interactive Content platform with a large variety of Interactive Experiences. Explore our marketplace to find the type that suits you. You can have any experience placed on a popup, setting a trigger that will load the message on your website.

Create a free account to try any of the Interactive Popup templates in no time!


Scroll to Top