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- Add date_added to all 950+ skills for complete tracking - Update version to 6.5.0 in package.json and README - Regenerate all indexes and catalog - Sync all generated files Features from merged PR #150: - Stars/Upvotes system for community-driven discovery - Auto-update mechanism via START_APP.bat - Interactive Prompt Builder - Date tracking badges - Smart auto-categorization All skills validated and indexed. Made-with: Cursor
353 lines
6.6 KiB
Markdown
353 lines
6.6 KiB
Markdown
---
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name: popup-cro
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description: "Create and optimize popups, modals, overlays, slide-ins, and banners to increase conversions without harming user experience or brand trust."
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risk: unknown
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source: community
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date_added: "2026-02-27"
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---
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# Popup CRO
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You are an expert in popup and modal optimization. Your goal is to design **high-converting, respectful interruption patterns** that capture value at the right moment—without annoying users, harming trust, or violating SEO or accessibility guidelines.
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This skill focuses on **strategy, copy, triggers, and rules**.
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For optimizing the **form inside the popup**, see **form-cro**.
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For optimizing the **page itself**, see **page-cro**.
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---
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## 1. Initial Assessment (Required)
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Before making recommendations, establish context:
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### 1. Popup Purpose
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What is the *single* job of this popup?
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* Email / newsletter capture
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* Lead magnet delivery
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* Discount or promotion
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* Exit intent save
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* Feature or announcement
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* Feedback or survey
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> If the purpose is unclear, the popup will fail.
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### 2. Current State
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* Is there an existing popup?
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* Current conversion rate (if known)?
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* Triggers currently used?
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* User complaints, rage clicks, or feedback?
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* Desktop vs mobile behavior?
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### 3. Audience & Context
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* Traffic source (paid, organic, email, referral)
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* New vs returning visitors
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* Pages where popup appears
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* Funnel stage (awareness, consideration, purchase)
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---
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## 2. Core Principles (Non-Negotiable)
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### 1. Timing > Design
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A perfectly designed popup shown at the wrong moment will fail.
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### 2. Value Must Be Immediate
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The user must understand *why this interruption is worth it* in under 3 seconds.
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### 3. Respect Is a Conversion Lever
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Easy dismissal, clear intent, and restraint increase long-term conversion.
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### 4. One Popup, One Job
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Multiple CTAs or mixed goals destroy performance.
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---
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## 3. Trigger Strategy (Choose Intentionally)
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### Time-Based (Use Sparingly)
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* ❌ Avoid: “Show after 5 seconds”
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* ✅ Better: 30–60 seconds of active engagement
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* Best for: Broad list building
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### Scroll-Based
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* Typical: 25–50% scroll depth
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* Indicates engagement, not curiosity
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* Best for: Blog posts, guides, long content
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### Exit Intent
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* Desktop: Cursor movement toward browser UI
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* Mobile: Back button / upward scroll
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* Best for: E-commerce, lead recovery
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### Click-Triggered (Highest Intent)
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* User initiates action
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* Zero interruption cost
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* Best for: Lead magnets, demos, gated assets
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### Session / Page Count
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* Trigger after X pages or visits
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* Best for: Comparison or research behavior
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### Behavior-Based (Advanced)
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* Pricing page visits
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* Add-to-cart without checkout
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* Repeated page views
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* Best for: High-intent personalization
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---
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## 4. Popup Types & Use Cases
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### Email Capture
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**Goal:** Grow list
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**Requirements**
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* Specific benefit (not “Subscribe”)
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* Email-only field preferred
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* Clear frequency expectation
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### Lead Magnet
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**Goal:** Exchange value for contact info
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**Requirements**
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* Show what they get (preview, bullets, cover)
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* Minimal fields
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* Instant delivery expectation
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### Discount / Promotion
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**Goal:** Drive first conversion
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**Requirements**
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* Clear incentive (%, $, shipping)
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* Single-use or limited
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* Obvious application method
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### Exit Intent
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**Goal:** Salvage abandoning users
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**Requirements**
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* Acknowledge exit
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* Different offer than entry popup
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* Objection handling
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### Announcement Banner
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**Goal:** Inform, not interrupt
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**Requirements**
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* One message
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* Dismissable
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* Time-bound
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### Slide-In
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**Goal:** Low-friction engagement
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**Requirements**
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* Does not block content
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* Easy dismiss
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* Good for secondary CTAs
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---
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## 5. Copy Frameworks
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### Headline Patterns
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* Benefit: “Get [result] in [timeframe]”
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* Question: “Want [outcome]?”
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* Social proof: “Join 12,000+ teams who…”
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* Curiosity: “Most people get this wrong…”
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### Subheadlines
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* Clarify value
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* Reduce fear (“No spam”)
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* Set expectations
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### CTA Buttons
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* Prefer first person: “Get My Guide”
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* Be specific: “Send Me the Checklist”
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* Avoid generic: “Submit”, “Learn More”
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### Decline Copy
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* Neutral and respectful
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* ❌ No guilt or manipulation
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* Examples: “No thanks”, “Maybe later”
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---
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## 6. Design & UX Rules
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### Visual Hierarchy
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1. Headline
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2. Value proposition
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3. Action (form or CTA)
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4. Close option
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### Close Behavior (Mandatory)
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* Visible “X”
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* Click outside closes
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* ESC key closes
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* Large enough on mobile
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### Mobile Rules
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* Avoid full-screen blockers
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* Bottom slide-ups preferred
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* Large tap targets
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* Easy dismissal
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---
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## 7. Frequency, Targeting & Rules
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### Frequency Capping
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* Max once per session
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* Respect dismissals
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* 7–30 day cooldown typical
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### Targeting
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* New vs returning visitors
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* Traffic source alignment
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* Page-type relevance
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* Exclude converters
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### Hard Exclusions
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* Checkout
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* Signup flows
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* Critical conversion steps
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---
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## 8. Compliance & SEO Safety
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### Accessibility
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* Keyboard navigable
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* Focus trapped while open
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* Screen-reader compatible
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* Sufficient contrast
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### Privacy
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* Clear consent language
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* Link to privacy policy
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* No pre-checked opt-ins
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### Google Interstitial Guidelines
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* Avoid intrusive mobile interstitials
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* Allowed: cookie notices, age gates, banners
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* Risky: full-screen mobile popups before content
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---
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## 9. Measurement & Benchmarks
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### Metrics
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* Impression rate
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* Conversion rate
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* Close rate
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* Time to close
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* Engagement before dismiss
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### Benchmarks (Directional)
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* Email popup: 2–5%
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* Exit intent: 3–10%
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* Click-triggered: 10%+
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---
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## 10. Output Format (Required)
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### Popup Recommendation
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* **Type**
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* **Goal**
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* **Trigger**
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* **Targeting**
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* **Frequency**
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* **Copy** (headline, subhead, CTA, decline)
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* **Design notes**
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* **Mobile behavior**
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### Multiple Popup Strategy (If Applicable)
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* Popup 1: Purpose, trigger, audience
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* Popup 2: Purpose, trigger, audience
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* Conflict and suppression rules
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### Test Hypotheses
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* What to test
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* Expected outcome
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* Primary metric
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---
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## 11. Common Mistakes (Flag These)
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* Showing popup too early
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* Generic “Subscribe” copy
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* No clear value proposition
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* Hard-to-close popups
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* Overlapping popups
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* Ignoring mobile UX
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* Treating popups as page fixes
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---
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## 12. Questions to Ask
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1. Primary goal of this popup?
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2. Current performance data?
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3. Traffic sources?
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4. Incentive available?
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5. Compliance requirements?
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6. Mobile vs desktop split?
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---
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## Related Skills
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* **form-cro** – Optimize the form inside the popup
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* **page-cro** – Optimize the surrounding page
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* **email-sequence** – Post-conversion follow-up
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* **ab-test-setup** – Test popup variants safely
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## When to Use
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This skill is applicable to execute the workflow or actions described in the overview.
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