Timed email pop-in vs footer button: +204% email sign-ups
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsShowing an email capture pop-in within 15 seconds of landing lifted newsletter sign-ups by 204% on average, compared with a sign-up button at the bottom of the page.
CleanChoice Energy ran this test on three pages that received paid traffic, and it was published as a VWO case study (now Wingify, after VWO and AB Tasty merged).
The team then kept the pop-in on the site for good.
- Email submissions: +204% on average across the three test pages. The pop-in roughly tripled sign-ups.
- Per-page results, visitor counts and confidence levels were not shared.
- The team made the pop-in permanent and started testing pop-ins with different messages on other pages.
The change
A timed email pop-in replaces the footer newsletter button
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
The newsletter sign-up was offered only as a button at the bottom of each page. Visitors had to scroll all the way down to find it.
Variant
An email capture pop-in appeared within 15 seconds of a visitor landing on one of three test pages. The footer button was the only way to sign up before.
Why it likely won
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- The visitors came from paid campaigns and were curious but not ready to buy. A newsletter is a small ask that suits that stage.
- A footer button only reaches people who scroll to the end. A timed pop-in reaches everyone who stays 15 seconds.
- Showing it after a short delay, not on page load, gives visitors time to see what the site offers before being asked for an email.
Caveats: Only the average lift across three pages was shared, with no sample size, duration or significance. The test counted email submissions, not whether those subscribers later became customers.
Who ran it
CleanChoice Energy ran this test and published the results (AB Tasty / Wingify case study). The numbers are theirs; the summary and commentary on this page are ours.
Read the original case study on CleanChoice Energy →
How to run this test on your site
- Hypothesis
- If we show an email capture pop-in a few seconds after visitors land, instead of relying on a footer sign-up button, then email sign-ups will rise because more visitors see the offer before they leave.
- Primary metric
- Email sign-ups per visitor
- Guardrails
- Bounce rate
- Primary lead or sign-up conversions
- Unsubscribe rate of pop-in subscribers
- Who should test it
- Lead-gen businesses with long buying cycles and lots of top-of-funnel paid traffic, where a newsletter keeps people warm. It may not help if most visitors arrive ready to request a quote, since the pop-in can get in the way of the main action.
Questions
When should an email pop-in appear?
CleanChoice Energy used a delay of up to 15 seconds after landing.
A short delay lets visitors see the page first, but the best timing depends on how long your visitors usually stay, so test it.
Do pop-ins hurt lead generation?
They can if they block visitors who are ready to take the main action.
Track your main lead form alongside email sign-ups so a gain in one doesn't hide a loss in the other.
Are newsletter sign-ups worth chasing for lead-gen sites?
They are useful when people take weeks or months to decide.
An email lets you follow up with visitors who aren't ready to talk to sales yet.
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