Friday, November 30, 2007

Creating Unblockable DHTML Pop-Ups

Pop-ups are mini windows that open when a user takes a particular action. That action could be anything from reaching the site, clicking onto a particular page, or even leaving the site. The problem with using a traditional pop-up on your site is that it will probably be blocked by one of various pop-up blocking tools on the market. However, there are some types of pop-ups that do get around most of the pop-up blockers on the market and many online marketers use these “unblockable” DHTML pop-ups quite successfully. In fact, many businesses use DHTML pop-ups in collaboration with joint venture partners as a way of sharing traffic, but they’re also great ways to collect visitors’ email addresses so that you can keep them informed and send them marketing material. It’s very effective.

So how do you add DHTML pop-ups to your site? The easiest way to employ this technique is using software to build your DHTML pop-ups. You can download a software program for free that will creates DHTML pop-ups for you in a few easy clicks at: www.antssoft.com/wisepopup/ One of the best things about DHTML pop-ups is that they’re very easy to produce. It takes just a few lines of script inserted into the HEAD and BODY parts of your website and, using the software listed above, you don’t even need to hire a programmer to do it for you.

Anyone can do it. But there’s no point in having a working pop-up if the pop-up itself doesn’t have text that is persuasive enough to sell. There are a few sales tactics that you can use on your pop-up to make sure the visitor actually fills in the form and sends you his details:

1. Give Them a Reason to Play

If you really want to make sure your visitors hand over their email addresses, offer them something in return. Free reports are good, ebooks are fine too. In fact, anything that’s free and relevant is likely to get results. You don’t have to go overboard here; if you can find a goody that won’t cost you anything, fantastic.

2. Make the Title Tell

The title tag of your pop-up isn’t going to push it up the search engine listings, but it’s still important. If you leave it out, or worse, write something daft, like “mypopup”, no one’s going to take you seriously. Be professional and you’ll achieve professional results. Use a real title and make it interesting.



3. Use a Hard-Hitting Headline

I’ll talk about headlines in more detail later in this chapter. That being said, I can’t stress how important headlines are. You’ve got about two seconds to grab a reader’s attention and make them read. That’s the job of your headline. It’s got to focus on the benefits the user can expect by signing up:

“Increase Your Sales By 127%!”

“Learn How To Speak Swahili In Three Weeks Or Less!”

“FREE Marketing Newsletter! Sign Up Here!”

Use a boring headline and you’ll get a boring bottom line.

4. Keep it Slim

If your users have to wait more than a few seconds for the pop-up to download, the chances are they’ll close the window before it’s finished. Use minimal graphics and make sure everything’s optimized before you put it on the server.

5. Make it Sexy!

Slim doesn’t mean the same as dull. You can still use cool colors and attractive fonts, but make sure the pop-up looks professional. The copy has to be easy to read, and the whole page has to be good on the eye. Simplicity is key when it comes to effective pop-up design.

6. Offer a Close Button

You might think it’s a good idea to keep the pop-up open until the user signs up. But if they’re not going to register to get the benefits you’re offering, are they likely to opt-in just to get rid of the pop-up box? And if they do, are they likely to buy from you? Keep your users happy; let them close the box easily if they want it out of the way. They might just buy something instead.

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