Exit-intent popups are perfect for increasing your conversion rate without disrupting your visitors’ experience. They give you one more chance to turn abandoning visitors into email subscribers or paying customers.
In this ultimate guide, we’re going to share:
Let’s get started!
Exit-intent technology tracks your site visitors’ mouse movement from the moment they land on your website and detects when they’re about to leave your page.
Thanks to this technology, an exit-intent popup appears at the exact moment when a visitor attempts to bounce.
The most common exit-intent popup trigger on desktop is when a user moves their mouse to the top right corner of their screen.
This indicates they’re about to click the “X” button on their browser. At that point, an exit-intent popup will appear.
On mobile devices, there’s no mouse to track. But that doesn’t mean exit popups can’t be used on mobile!
Instead of tracking mouse movements, exit-intent on mobile devices works by deploying the popup when a user switches between tabs or uses the “Back” button. (You can read more about the technical details here.)
OptiMonk’s popup software allows you to decide if you want your exit-intent popup to appear only on desktop, only on mobile, or on both types of devices.
Now that we know how exit popups work, the next question is…
The short answer to this question is yes!
But it’s important to point out that the type of popup you use and the message you’re sending can have a big impact on your conversion rate.
That’s why quantifying how much exit-intent popups increase conversions is a bit more complicated.
But don’t worry—OptiMonk’s own data can give us a better idea of how often different types of exit-intent popups convert:
If your popups convert at these levels (or better), it can make a massive difference for your bottom line.
Recommended reading: 18 Popup Statistics You Must Know
Now it’s time to take a look at some of our favorite exit-intent popup examples so you can learn some strategies for your own store.
First, let’s take a look at a discount exit popup example from The Oodie.
They use a friendly, engaging approach in their exit popup form. Their message, “Would you like a hug? And $25 OFF,” immediately captures attention with its warm tone.
To access the discount, site visitors only need to enter their first name and email address.
The popup features an image of one of their cozy products, enhancing visual appeal. Additionally, a contrasting color for the call-to-action button ensures it stands out, guiding users to take the desired action easily.
This exit-intent popup example from Kiss My Keto was shown to visitors who attempted to leave after adding items to their cart.
It uses an authoritative call-to-action, “Give up trash. Start eating Keto,” to encourage shoppers to adopt a low-carb lifestyle.
The ticking clock on their exit popup informs customers that they only have 15 minutes to make a decision about their diet (and grab their 15% discount), which increases the sense of urgency.
They also use OptiMonk’s auto-redeem feature, automatically applying the discount code at checkout, so no one forgets to use their coupon.
This effective exit-intent pop-up strategy resulted in a 15.05% conversion rate.
Recommended reading: How Kiss My Keto Decreased Their Cart Abandonment Rate by 20%
The most compelling exit popups often have a very simple design, like in this great example from Christopher Cloos.
Featuring an image, concise text, and ample white space, this popup overlay is easy to read and visually appealing.
They used a 15% discount as the exit-intent popup offer, and the use of an emoji in the CTA button adds a playful, eye-catching element.
This straightforward design ensures that visitors quickly understand the offer without feeling overwhelmed, making it more likely they’ll stay and complete their purchase.
Bibado effectively uses cart value thresholds on their exit-intent popups to motivate customers.
When a visitor tries to leave with items worth $25 in their cart, the popup encourages them to spend a bit more to access a significant discount.
This strategy not only reduces cart abandonment but also boosts the average order value.
Additionally, the promise of getting first access to limited designs and special offers makes the offer even more appealing, compelling visitors to complete their purchase.
Ecommerce Influence takes a unique approach by offering a free guide instead of a discount.
This exit popup example provides an ecommerce founders growth pack, a valuable resource for their audience. This strategy targets potential customers who are highly interested in their niche, making them likely to become high-quality leads.
It’s a great example of how offering something other than a discount can still create high-converting exit popups, attracting and engaging visitors effectively.
Indestructible Shoes effectively uses an exit popup to promote a discount code for abandoning visitors.
The popup features an image showcasing the durability of their shoes, reinforcing the brand message.
The discount is prominently displayed as “EXTRA 25% OFF” to grab attention, and the CTA, “UNLOCK MY 25% DISCOUNT,” uses a strong action word to motivate customers.
Additionally, a countdown timer increases urgency, leading to more conversions.
Tiny Beast Designs showcases the power of minimalism in their exit-intent popup.
Focused on a simple 15% discount, the popup uses a clean design with ample white space, making the offer clear and easy to understand. A countdown timer adds urgency, prompting visitors to act quickly.
This straightforward approach proved highly effective, achieving a 23.51% conversion rate. It’s a testament to how a minimalist exit popup works well and drives results.
Scarletto’s exit popup effectively reminds shoppers of the items left in their cart with the message, “Wait, don’t leave all that style in your bag.”
They offer a $20 discount targeted at first-time buyers, without requiring an email address. The discount code is displayed directly on the first page of the popup, making it easy for customers to use it immediately.
This straightforward approach can grab the visitor’s attention who is about to leave and significantly reduce cart abandonment.
Winternational uses a sleek black-and-white design for their exit popup, offering first-time shoppers a 10% discount.
To access the discount, visitors must subscribe to their email list, which helps generate new leads.
This type of exit popup helps to encourage visitors to join their email list and also prompts them to make a purchase quickly.
This exit-intent popup example from Qure offers a compelling combination of a 5% discount and a free face serum with each order.
This approach leverages the appeal of free items to motivate potential customers to buy immediately.
An engaging image on the left side of the popup grabs the visitor’s attention, while the “Get my gifts now” CTA drives conversions.
Forever Coffee Pods uses an attractive exit-intent popup to ask for a visitor’s email address in exchange for a 20% discount on their first order.
To add more value, they include a monthly draw to win $250 for those who sign up.
The exit-intent pop-up also features a clever “Nah, I’ll pay full price…” option, encouraging visitors to opt for the discount instead.
This combination of immediate savings and a chance to win a substantial prize helps to effectively convert visitors.
Atlanta Luxury Bags’ exit popup emphasizes a substantial $50 discount, an offer likely to catch any visitor’s attention.
To access the discount, visitors are asked for their first name, email address, and phone number. Collecting phone numbers allows for SMS marketing, an effective channel for engaging customers.
Recommended reading: Ecommerce SMS Marketing: An Ultimate Guide
In the skincare space, potential customers often want to try products before making a large purchase. Earthlove’s exit popup effectively taps into this by offering a free sample box with orders.
To receive the free gift, visitors are asked for their email and phone number.
This approach not only provides an enticing incentive for customers to try the products but also helps Earthlove build their email list and engage with customers through SMS marketing.
Yes Please Health uses a fun, conversational tone to offer a 5% discount in exchange for a visitor’s email.
Notice how the emphasis stays on the email signup, and the link to close the popup features small text and copy designed to make the visitor think twice before abandoning the offer.
Tapestry Girls effectively fights shopping cart abandonment with an exit-intent popup offering a 10% discount for completing the order within 15 minutes.
They also set up a reminder sticky bar for customers who click on the cart abandonment campaign button.
This dual approach creates a sense of urgency and keeps the discount offer visible, and it helped Tapestry Girls increase their first-time customer conversion rate by 50%.
BOOM! by Cindy Joseph uses this exit popup to fight cart abandonment and collect email addresses.
The popup encourages shoppers to “Check out now” and enter their email addresses to receive a 10% discount on their first order.
The prominently displayed “10% OFF” text is hard to miss, making the offer highly visible and enticing.
This exit-intent pop-up strategy proved effective, with nearly 40% of visitors accepting the offer, thanks to its compelling message and precise targeting.
Fuller’s Flips uses a few different exit popup hacks in this simple example.
They offer a compelling combination of free shipping and $10 off, making it hard for users to resist clicking through to the checkout page.
They also incorporated a countdown timer to create a sense of urgency and included a “No thanks” option for users who might still be on the fence.
Kettle Gifts uses an exit popup to ask for feedback from visitors. This approach demonstrates their commitment to improving the customer experience by valuing real customer opinions.
By directly engaging with visitors and seeking their input, Kettle Gifts shows they care about meeting customer needs and continuously enhancing their service.
These kinds of exit campaigns provide valuable insights and foster a sense of involvement and loyalty among customers.
This exit popup from Natural Vital offers a free gift to cart abandoners with a clear call-to-action button: “I want the gift.” Even better, they pair their offer with a timer that encourages people to act right away.
This popup strategy achieved an impressive 31.42% conversion rate, generating an additional 226,498 HUF in revenue during a 26-day test period.
Czar ekszer’s exit-intent popup uses enticing language. The large “Wait!” immediately grabs visitors’ attention, focusing them on a 15% discount.
This simple yet powerful approach encourages potential customers to reconsider leaving without making a purchase.
As a result, this campaign generated an additional 1,072 USD in revenue in just one month.
Now that we’ve seen some great exit popup examples, it’s time to check out nine tips that will help you increase the conversion rate of your exit-intent popups for any target audience and any use case.
The typical exit-intent popup design contains a simple opt-in form and one call-to-action button.
But somewhat counterintuitively, you can increase the conversions of your exit-intent popup form by 30-40% by adding an opt-out option.
Why?
Because when saying yes isn’t the only option, your website visitors feel like they have a choice, making them more willing to engage with your offer.
Another option is to frame the “No” option in a way that reinforces the value of saying yes.
For example, if you’re going to offer free shipping, you could add an opt-out link that reads “No thanks, I’d rather not have free shipping.”
When presented this way, a website visitor will naturally think, “Oh, of course I want free shipping! I’d better sign up.”
See some examples below:
People on the web are so used to seeing exit-intent popups that closing them is almost a reflex for experienced online shoppers. This means that your popup might get closed before most visitors have actually read the content or considered the offer!
You can mitigate this problem by delaying the appearance of the “X” button for a few seconds.
While they’re looking for the exit button, they’ll have the opportunity to take in the value proposition of your exit-intent popup.
And if you’re offering something really great, like significant discount codes or a free sample box, these extra few seconds are all it takes to convince a website visitor to engage with your offer.
This simple, effective method can result in a 20-30% higher conversion rate.
It’s essential to group the people who visit your website into segments so that you can deliver messages tailored to the needs of each group.
You have to make sure that all the messages you send are relevant to your visitors, but the truth is that no single message will be relevant to all the shoppers on your webpage.
As a rough guide, you can show different messages to:
Ensuring you don’t bother your returning visitors with the same message over and over is a good place to start. From there, work on providing messages for buyers in different stages of the process for better results.
For example, you could collect emails from abandoning visitors in the early stages of the customer journey using an exit-intent popup.
But for an abandoning visitor that has items in their cart, you’d be wise to use a cart abandonment popup with a highly visible discount offer. That’s because the latter group is further along in the customer journey and closer to making a purchase.
Showing relevant messages to different segments of customers makes a huge difference in how well your popups convert and, as a result, how much they’ll increase sales.
Recommended reading: Top 9 Ecommerce Segments & How to Help Them With Popups
Exit-intent popups only have a few moments to capture the attention of website visitors.
If your exit popups take too long to load, the abandoning visitor will have closed the page before your message even appears!
Make sure that there’s not too much text to load or—even worse—big high-resolution photos. Keep your message simple and use one good picture to ensure your exit-intent popups load almost instantly.
Luckily, OptiMonk popups are optimized for both desktop and mobile, so they load fast on any device.
And despite the widely-held belief that popups will slow down your website as a whole, they actually help you cut down on the amount of main-page content and avoid problems with “flickering” due to personalization. Thus, not only does your website load faster… the experienced page load time (EPT) will be faster, too.
In general, a responsive popup will have a higher conversion rate than one that is not designed to render well on a variety of screen sizes and devices. You should follow the same responsive design principles as you would when working on a website.
All OptiMonk popups are responsive and designed to look great on every device.
Responsive design can increase conversions by 10-15%.
Using countdown timers in your exit-intent popups will add a sense of urgency and encourage visitors to consider the offer and make a purchase.
For example, SwissWatchExpo, an online watch retailer, displays an exit-intent popup that offers shoppers a $100 discount and free shipping. But there’s a caveat—the shopper gets a unique coupon code that expires in just 15 minutes. If they don’t use that code during that time, the offer is gone.
Using the countdown timer offer, SwissWatchExpo increased their online transactions by 25% compared to the previous year.
A widely-used, highly-effective sales strategy employed by merchants (both offline and online) is the power of scarcity.
According to social psychologist Robert Cialdini, humans put a higher value on things that are scarce versus things that are abundantly available.
That explains why every year in the US, people line up for Black Friday deals outside their favorite retailers: they know that those once-in-a-year deals will only be available on that day, and it’s usually on a first come, first served basis.
It also explains why Amazon Prime Day (a one-day event) and Singles Day (Alibaba China) are massive for both Amazon and Alibaba. These online shopping bonanzas occur only once a year on a specific day, and consumers don’t want to miss out on new product launches and discounted deals.
Have you ever wondered why Supreme and AirJordan always have a shopping and bidding frenzy? It’s because both brands sell exclusive content in limited quantities for limited time periods (or once every few years). Loyal customers usually line up outside their stores for hours just so they don’t miss out on the chance to own their special-edition streetwear.
Retailers have capitalized on this scarcity principle for decades. There’s just something magical about “limited supply” that makes consumers want to get in on the action!
A powerful way to increase the sense of scarcity on your exit-intent popups is to show your visitors how many other people are currently viewing the product they’re interested in.
Many things go into making an exit-intent popup more effective and convert better:
However, any CRO specialist will tell you that the copy is also critical. The words you use in your exit popup (for your headline, description, and call-to-action) have a significant impact on how well your popup performs.
Use attention-grabbing headlines to make the visitor pause and consider the offer. Using strong words like “Limited,” “Free,” and “Special” will often do wonders.
Another simple word that will make a shopper pause? “Wait.” It naturally makes them curious about the rest of the headline and the description.
Here’s an exit popup example from BlendJet, an online store selling blenders, that makes good use of the word “Wait.” They displayed the exit-intent popup below to shoppers who were abandoning their carts.
BlendJet offered them a 10% discount in exchange for their email. As a result of this campaign, they collected 15,000 new subscribers.
This final tip is one you’ve probably heard before— but it’s highly underutilized.
A/B testing is an essential step in the process of conversion optimization. After all, you can’t always predict which versions of a headline will be lead magnets and which will flop!
Using OptiMonk’s built-in A/B testing functionality on your exit-intent popups, you can easily test alternative headlines to find out which messages and CTAs are the most effective for your website traffic.
This is the best way to boost an exit popup’s conversion rate and get the most out of your efforts.
Ready to start launching high-converting exit popups?
You’re in luck, because we’ve created a checklist of best practices to help you design exit-intent popups that turn visitors into email subscribers and paying customers.
Use the checklist below to increase your conversion rate and save those abandoning visitors.
Use the checklist above to design a high-performing exit-intent popup that drives conversions and keeps visitors on your page!
And finally, let’s see exactly how you can create exit-intent pop-ups with OptiMonk.
If you haven’t already, register for a free OptiMonk account before following these step-by-step instructions.
Browse through our templates below or visit our extensive library of templates to find one that fits your needs.
Whether you’re looking for a sleek design or something more detailed, we have a variety of options to help you get started quickly and efficiently.
Each template has its own campaign goal, like:
Most of the campaign templates also collect users’ email addresses. That way, you can grow your email list while targeting website visitors with an offer.
Use our drag-and-drop popup builder to create stunning, sophisticated popup forms that complement your website’s theme. No coding required!
You’ve finished designing your exit popup. Now we’ll show you the best way to target your exit intent visitors.
The recommended settings depend on the template you’ve chosen. In this case, it already uses exit intent trigger.
But you can configure any template to be an exit popup. Here’s how:
Now it’s time to tweak your exit popup so you get the most out of your campaign. Start by determining who should see the popup.
For this exit popup, we’re targeting people who:
But you can choose from several other targeting options, like:
Also, don’t forget to add your integrations.
OptiMonk integrates with an extensive range of marketing tools, including:
An exit-intent popup is a type of website overlay that appears when a visitor is about to leave the site. It aims to capture their attention and encourage them to stay or take a specific action, such as completing a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or receiving a discount.
Exit-intent popups are triggered by detecting user behavior that indicates they are about to leave the site, such as moving the mouse towards the browser’s close button or the back button.
On mobile devices, exit-intent popups work by detecting actions like scrolling up quickly or hitting the back button. These behaviors indicate that the user is likely to leave the site, prompting the popup to appear and engage the user before they exit.
At the end of the day, a well-chosen exit-intent popup can help your store benefit from visitors who are about to leave. Whether that benefit comes in the form of lead generation from email lists, valuable feedback, or preventing cart abandonment, exit popups will help your store grow.
We’ve gone over great exit popup examples, some best practices, and a checklist to create the right exit-intent popup for your website.
You’ve got everything you need to create your very first exit intent popup. Why not do it today?
We have an extensive library of popup templates you can use to launch an exit-intent popup in just minutes.
Register for a free OptiMonk account today and see just how easy it is to create exit-intent popups for your ecommerce store!
Looking for more tactics for creating high-converting popups? Check out these articles:
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Product updates: September Release 2024