So you thought pop-ups were dead? Time to think again.
The new generation of hi-tech pop-up, also known as the Fly-In ad, is a massive breakthrough in fast moving world of internet marketing. Also known as floating, or dhtml windows
Many other forms of advertising such as ordinary pop-ups, pop-unders, banner ads and emails are not only consciously ignored by your casual internet user but also increasingly they are automatically filtered by browser technology. Ad blockers and pop-up blockers are no longer for those who buy separate tools but these are now built in to browsers like Internet Explorer and switched on by default. Current statistics are that 86% of normal pop-ups are being blocked by such software!
Hi-tech pop-ups provide an unexpected, fresh type of ad that instantly grabs people's attention. Since these ads form part of the web page you are viewing they current cannot be filtered, so the ad is guaranteed to be delivered (unless javascript is turned off).
In addition, these ads can be configured so that they cannot be ignored. In these circumstances they must be physically viewed and actively closed before the visitor can proceed.
However, you still need to choose the application of this new technology wisely. The reason for the proliferation of pop-up and ad blockers is because people don’t want to see pop-ups or banner ads. It’s that simple. So when should you use these little marvels?
Well, using these hi-tech pop-ups you can emphasize parts of your website or your advertising but in a subtle way. A very popular use for this is to get people to opt-in to your mailing list. It’s not unknown for the careful use of a fly-in ad to increase signups to subscription services by a factor of 4, with some people claiming a ten-fold increase in quality signups.
These hi-tech ads are usually highly configurable, allowing you to specify the size, position, and image for the ad. There are some services that go one better, and allow you to specify the frequency of the ad and also more specific timings. For example, a large ad that the user has to click in, bang in the middle of the screen, could do more harm than good. Far better to:
1 – have the page load normally.
2 – have the ad “fly in” from the side after a second or two, to grab the visitor’s attention.
3 – take up a reasonable size in a less obtrusive part of the page.
4 – give a simple, relevant message such as “Click here to join our free mailing list”.
4 – fly out again after a few seconds if the visitor does not click on it.
5 – only show once per visit, or once per visitor.
You want the visitor to be interested in the ad, and want to read it, not have it drive them away from the site! The more sophisticated of these pop-ups will allow you to do all of these options plus more.
So with a little bit of technology and a bit of marketing savvy, it’s possible to harness the power of the internet once more and get your site converting visitors into all important sales.
The author, Vince Lewis, is an experienced professional of 15 years, and has worked with many UK blue chip companies. He recommends ansa-me.com's pop-its for ease of use, functionality and customer support.
