Welcome Mat Popup: How to Engage Visitors Right from the Start

Barbara Bartucz
November 28, 2024
Conversion
6 min read

How do you grab your visitor’s attention immediately without being intrusive?

Enter the welcome mat popup. This powerful tool creates a bold, full-screen first impression that can drive higher engagement and conversion rates than traditional small-box popups on both desktop and mobile devices.

If you’re looking for ways to convert more visitors into leads or customers, welcome mat popups could be your solution.

In this guide, we’ll explore what they are, why they work so well, real-world examples, best practices, and how to create your own fullscreen welcome mats with OptiMonk.

Let’s dive in!

What is a welcome mat popup?

A welcome mat popup is a full-screen message that greets visitors as soon as they land on your site.

Unlike traditional popups that appear as smaller overlays, welcome mat popups cover the entire screen, serving as mini landing pages right at the entry point.

Their purpose is to immediately capture attention with a single, compelling message or call-to-action (CTA), encouraging visitors to stay and engage with your content.

Why should you use a welcome mat popup?

Welcome mats are more than just an eye-catching design element. Here’s why they’re worth considering:

Higher conversions: Compared to regular popups, welcome mats consistently outperform in terms of conversion rates, with many achieving 10% or higher.
Mini landing page effectiveness: Because they cover the entire screen, welcome mats can act as a standalone landing page, guiding visitors toward a specific action.
Instant attention grabber: Their fullscreen format naturally draws focus to your message or offer, reducing the likelihood of visitors clicking away.

7 welcome mat examples

Let’s look at seven brands using fullscreen welcome mat popups effectively to engage visitors from the start.

1. Hero Pet Health

Hero Pet Health’s welcome mat gets straight to the point. Visitors are greeted with a clear incentive: 10% off their first purchase.

The message is paired with a bright yellow CTA button that reads “Claim 10% Off.”

Visitors know exactly what they’re getting and what’s expected of them to redeem the discount—just enter their email address.

2. Mott & Bow

Mott & Bow’s welcome mat popup taps into their visitors’ emotions—and their wallets. Their approach is direct and playful, with a message that asks, “Want to pay $26 less for your jeans?”

The answer for most people is a resounding “yes.” The bold CTA button that says “Yes, please” makes the decision effortless for visitors.

3. Prestige Botanicals

Prestige Botanicals takes a more sophisticated approach, using their welcome mat popup to learn about their visitors’ preferences. The popup asks visitors to indicate their primary interest: home decor, event decor, or office decor. This quick survey enables the brand to tailor promotions more effectively, creating a personalized experience for each visitor.

4. Sassy Scents

Sassy Scents brings urgency into the mix by tapping into FOMO (fear of missing out). Their welcome mat popup offers 15% off for new visitors but adds a little extra pressure with the message “Save it before it’s gone!”

This sense of scarcity creates urgency, prompting visitors to act quickly to avoid missing out on a good deal, thereby boosting email signups as visitors provide their contact information to secure the offer.

5. Seoulbox

Seoulbox uses their welcome mat popup to learn about visitors’ interests while offering a 10% discount.

Visitors are asked to select their primary interest from a few options: Korean snacks, K-pop, or K-beauty.

This quick choice helps Seoulbox better understand its audience’s tastes, allowing it to deliver targeted offers and emails that feel more relevant to each visitor.

6. The Oodie

The Oodie keeps things cheerful and relatable on their welcome mat with a lifestyle photo of their product in action—cozy, warm, and inviting. They offer 10% off and ask a simple question: “Are you shopping for yourself or someone else?”

This personalization option lets visitors feel more connected and invested, whether they’re buying for a loved one or themselves.

7. NOTIQ

NOTIQ’s welcome mat popup embodies elegance and minimalism. Their popup is clean, featuring an elegant black-and-white photo alongside a straightforward offer of 10% off.

The CTA is simple yet effective: “Grab 10% Off.” By presenting their products in a stylish, sophisticated layout, NOTIQ’s welcome mat popup appeals to visitors looking for high-quality, professional planners.

6 best practices for designing an effective fullscreen welcome mat popup

To ensure your welcome mats deliver results, follow these tried-and-true best practices:

1. Wait a few seconds before showing it

Timing is everything. Instead of displaying the welcome mat immediately, delay it by a few seconds to let visitors settle in. This approach prevents overwhelming users and ensures your message feels helpful, not intrusive.

2. Optimize for mobile

Mobile optimization is essential. Ensure your welcome mat looks great on smaller screens and is easy to interact with, helping you capture new subscribers across all devices.

3. Make it multi-step

If you’re offering something complex or valuable, consider using a multi-step welcome mat. By breaking down your offer into stages—like an initial greeting followed by an opt-in form—you make it easier for visitors to say “yes” step-by-step.

This strategy can increase completion rates and engagement, effectively turning visitors into email subscribers.

4. Make it easy to close

A simple “X” or “Close” button is essential. Visitors appreciate the freedom to opt out, and if they feel trapped, they might leave your site altogether. A non-intrusive close option allows visitors to stay on your site and explore other content if they aren’t ready to engage with your welcome mats.

5. Add trust-building elements

Including trust signals like social proof, testimonials, or trust badges can make a big difference. These elements give visitors confidence that your offer is legitimate, helping to build trust and making them more likely to engage with your brand.

6. Focus on a single, compelling message

Simplicity is key. Keep your message clear and focused on one primary CTA. The more straightforward your offer, the faster visitors will grasp its value and act on it.

How to create a welcome mat popup with OptiMonk?

Ready to create your own welcome mat? OptiMonk provides an easy-to-use platform to design and launch effective welcome mat popups. Here’s a quick guide on how to get started.

Step 1: Choose a template

Start by selecting a template from OptiMonk’s library. There are a variety of options to fit different goals, like collecting emails or promoting discounts.

Using a pre-designed template saves time and ensures a professional look right from the start.

Step 2: Customize your popup

Next, personalize your welcome mat by adding your brand’s colors, logo, and message.

OptiMonk’s drag-and-drop editor makes customization a breeze, allowing you to create a unique design that aligns with your brand identity.

Step 3: Set triggering and targeting options

Set up the display rules to control when and where your welcome mat appears.

OptiMonk lets you choose to delay the popup by a few seconds or trigger it based on user behavior, such as scrolling or exit intent, to maximize engagement.

Step 4: Launch your popup

Once everything is ready, launch your welcome mat!

OptiMonk’s built-in analytics can be used to monitor performance and make adjustments to improve conversion rates over time.

When visitors enter your site, they will be greeted with a compelling offer that captures their attention immediately.

Wrapping up

These examples demonstrate how tailored welcome mat popups can convert new visitors into loyal customers and subscribers.

From learning about visitor preferences to creating urgency, these strategies help brands engage their audience effectively.

Ready to create your own?

Simply create your OptiMonk account, design your welcome mat, and start engaging visitors right from the start.

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Written by

Barbara Bartucz

Barbara is a Content Marketer at OptiMonk. She takes pride in creating different forms of content, whether it’s an article, a video, or an e-book.

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Conversion