Modal vs Popup vs Overlay: What's the Difference?
What separates a modal, a popup and an overlay, how to make a modal accessible, and which one an online store should use when.
In this article
- What is a Black Friday popup?
- 1. Promote your upcoming sale for new visitors
- 2. Grow your email list during Black Friday
- 3. Announce your Black Friday deals to all visitors
- 4. Launch an exit-intent popup for subscribers
- 5. Launch a quiz
- 6. Recommend relevant products
- 7. Save cart abandoners
- 8. Gamify the user experience
- 9. Use a subtle reminder for all visitors
- FAQ
- Plan your Black Friday popups
In short
Black Friday popups show your sale, collect emails and recover carts while shoppers compare deals. They work because a well-timed offer reaches visitors before they leave for a competitor. Start early with an early-access popup, then add exit-intent, cart and lucky wheel popups during the sale.
Black Friday is a fierce competition for attention: U.S. shoppers spent a record $11.8 billion online on Black Friday, according to Adobe. To stand out, online stores need one thing: popups.
Though they have a mixed reputation, when used properly, popups can transform your Black Friday marketing campaign.
In this article, you will find:
- nine creative Black Friday popup ideas,
- real brand examples,
- popup examples from the OptiMonk library,
- tips to boost your sales and generate leads.
What is a Black Friday popup?
A Black Friday popup is a message that appears on your store during the Black Friday sale period. It announces your deals, collects emails or phone numbers for early access, and brings back shoppers who are about to leave or abandon their cart. The best ones target one visitor group with one clear offer.
1. Promote your upcoming sale for new visitors
Let's face it: potential customers visiting your site for the first time are often just window shopping. They're curious but not yet committed.
This is where well-timed popups for first-time visitors can nudge them in the right direction.
Take WodBottom as an example. They used a popup to inform new visitors about their upcoming Black Friday promotions enticing them to join their email list in exchange for early access to exclusive discounts.
Obvi took a similar approach but opted to collect phone numbers instead of emails.
Why? Because recipients open SMS messages as much as 98% of the time. On the other hand, only about 20% of emails end up getting opened. That means that customers will actually see your Black Friday deals if you text them rather than email them.
Another important aspect of this popup is the countdown timer, which increases the sense of urgency.
For a ready example, The Crystal Countdown, a popup designed for Swarovski, offers early access to Black Friday deals in exchange for an email address.
2. Grow your email list during Black Friday
While building your email list before Black Friday frenzy is crucial, don't forget that the day itself offers another golden opportunity for holiday sales.
A popup targeting new visitors or those who haven't subscribed yet can help you expand your list even further and significantly boost Black Friday revenue. This approach is an essential part of a successful Black Friday marketing strategy.
For instance, Mosaic Fine Art Collective used a popup to offer 20% off and free shipping during their Black Friday sales. This simple yet effective approach can help to drive sales and grow your email list in the process.
The Modern Minimalist, a popup designed for RXBAR, uses the same idea: 25% off the first order for joining the email list.
3. Announce your Black Friday deals to all visitors
Announcing your Black Friday sales to every visitor ensures that no one misses out.
A bold popup that says your deals have arrived can be just what you need to capture attention. High-Street Holiday, designed for Princess Polly, announces up to 80% off with one headline and one button.
Alternatively, you could use a full-screen popup that dominates the page, showcasing your best offers with high-contrast colors.
Midnight Velocity, a fullscreen popup designed for Nomad, shows how: a dark background, high-contrast type and a single message, “Black Friday is live.”
4. Launch an exit-intent popup for subscribers
Remember how Obvi used a popup to announce its upcoming Black Friday campaign?
Once the early-access campaign was over and the Black Friday sale started, they set up exit-intent campaigns for abandoning visitors.
Notice how they didn’t ask for an email address on this popup? It’s because they only targeted visitors who have already subscribed to their email list.
They also used a “Hurry, stock is limited” message to increase the sense of urgency and scarcity. This message is perfect for visitors who are already browsing your product pages but haven’t added anything to their cart yet.
5. Launch a quiz
Quizzes are a powerful tool for engaging your target audience and guiding them toward the right purchase, especially during Black Friday when shoppers are overwhelmed with choices.
By launching a quiz, you're offering a personalized shopping experience that helps visitors navigate your deals and find the products perfect for them.
The quiz asks a few key questions about:
- preferences,
- needs,
- or holiday shopping lists.
It then recommends products or offers that match their responses.
This not only keeps customers engaged but also enhances their shopping journey by making it smoother. Additionally, quizzes serve as an excellent tool to boost customer engagement while gathering valuable customer data for future marketing efforts.
Offering a discount or an upcoming deal at the end can also increase the chances of immediate purchases.
6. Recommend relevant products
When a visitor is about to leave your site, why not suggest a few of your best-selling products to boost sales?
This targeted approach can catch the eye of someone who might not have found what they were looking for but is open to suggestions.
Cozy Classic Black Friday, a popup designed for Barnes & Noble, does this with the store’s Black Friday hardcover specials.
7. Save cart abandoners
Cart abandonment is one of the biggest challenges ecommerce store owners face. And it’s no surprise, since the average cart abandonment rate is a whopping 66.5%.
Luckily, there are ways to save these visitors, and cart abandonment popups are one of them.
A cart abandonment popup with a countdown timer can increase the sense of urgency, convincing online shoppers to buy now rather than later.
The Midnight Woods, a fullscreen popup designed for Mollyjogger, reminds shoppers that their cart is waiting, offers 25% off and adds a scratch card with a gift.
8. Gamify the user experience
Gamified popups add a bit of fun to the process of signing up for an email list, especially during the holiday season. And they have amazing conversion rates: 13.23% on average!
That’s why Zawa Tech used a spin-to-win (or lucky wheel) popup for Black Friday. A lucky wheel is a type of gamification popup that lets your visitors spin a wheel and win a discount in exchange for their email address.
Lucky wheel popups are perfect for less engaged visitors. For example, new visitors who only visited one page on your site and try to leave.
The Lucky Bowl, designed for Ollie, is a Black Friday lucky wheel with prizes like 50% off, free treats or health tracking access.
9. Use a subtle reminder for all visitors
If you’d prefer to tell all your visitors about your sale, you certainly can. A small popup with a countdown timer reminds shoppers how long the deals last, without getting in the way of their browsing.
Holiday Countdown, a popup designed for PANGAIA, tells visitors that the Black Friday event ends soon and offers a first-order discount for signing up.
FAQ
When should I start running my Black Friday popups?
Start early. A solid Black Friday marketing strategy often includes early-access popups weeks before the sale begins. This helps you build anticipation, grow your email or SMS list, and stay top-of-mind when the big day arrives.
How can I improve my Black Friday marketing strategy with popups?
Popups are an essential tool for any Black Friday marketing strategy. By targeting the right audience (new visitors, returning customers, or email subscribers) and showing the right message (exclusive deals, limited-time offers, or personalized recommendations), you can boost engagement and sales.
Should I offer exclusive deals to potential customers?
Yes! Offering exclusive deals to potential customers is a great way to capture their attention and encourage them to make a purchase. By targeting new visitors with special offers, you can turn casual browsers into loyal buyers.
How can I track the success of my Black Friday popups?
Look at metrics like:
- Conversion rate (signups or purchases)
- Click-through rate
- Exit rate
- Time on site after popup interaction
These will tell you what’s working and what needs tweaking.
Plan your Black Friday popups
Pick one idea from this list, such as an early-access popup for new visitors, and describe the popup in one sentence. The OptiMonk agent designs it, builds the mobile version and sets the targeting.
If you’re hungry for more, don’t forget to check out our full library of Black Friday popups.
Free to start. No credit card.
