I Don't Use Exit Popups

by Zeus66
28 replies
This is probably another example of how I'm kind of a lame marketer, but I don't use exit popups on my sales pages. I just don't personally like things popping up when I'm browsing web pages. Honestly, it's that simple. And I prefer to run my business so that I don't do the things that I don't like when I'm on the other side of the table.

I can hear you better marketers scoffing and thinking things like, "Yeah, ok Zeus, you're a fool and you're leaving big money on the table... fine by me!" Well, that's a fair reaction, I say. Guilty as charged.

Just let me run something by you and see how it grabs ya...

I don't know about you, but the thing that motivated me way back in the mid-90s to set out on this online business odyssey and to quit the corporate rat race was the idea that I would be happier doing things my own way. I felt stifled working for a big company that forced my roundness into their square holes on a daily basis. The rules were rigid and genuinely good ideas that might have improved things were shot down in infancy because they rocked the boat too much. Initiative was frowned upon. Any spark of originality was doused by the water of bureaucracy.

So, why now, after building a modestly successful business that is 100% mine, would I do that crap all over again just because "that's how it's done?"

I honestly don't begrudge anyone the things they do to make money. I'm not on any kind of crusade against exit popups. There is absolutely nothing wrong with them. It's just a personal preference thing, pure and simple. It's my prerogative (sing it, Bobby Brown!).

So don't misconstrue my message here, ok? I'm not recommending that anyone stop using exit popups.

I'm just saying, don't lose sight of why you ventured out on your own in the first place. If, like me, it was to carve out your own path, then do it. Don't replace the ridiculousness of corporate-imposed structure with self-imposed slavery to convention.

Be unique and do things that others might scoff at. So what? It's YOUR business, not theirs.

John
#exit #popups
  • Profile picture of the author Christian Sawyer
    Incredible post dude! I completely agree, stick to what you believe in, and be true to yourself...

    -Christian
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  • Profile picture of the author PaulaC
    We don't use exit pop-ups either. I'm not fussed on them. I prefer to keep things simple.
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  • Profile picture of the author LovelyCornSyrup
    Good for you man. Don't worry about people claiming they make a ton of money. Because when it really comes down to it the people who're the most successful don't talk about that kind of stuff. You're selling your own stuff, right? You should know better than anyone that most of claims people throw around are bull.
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  • Profile picture of the author Matt Bard
    John, I was just talking about this with someone the other day.

    As you know, you and I come from the same K.I.S.S. school of marketing.

    Could I make more money if I worked harder and longer hours? Yes of course, but I got into this biz for the lifestyle I wanted.

    I'm able to stop what I'm doing at any point in the day and drive down the road and drop in on my daughter if I want to.

    I don't have to do lawn work on the weekends when all of my neighbors are out there. I'm inside watching the ball games.

    I can stop in here at any time during the day and just read and post all day if I want to.

    Whenever I get an idea in the middle of the night, I can get on the computer and work because I don't have to get up in the morning.

    For a while a few years ago I started to feel like I was not the kind of marketer I could be because I wasn't doing things the "FranK" way. Or didn't do things like so and so. Should I crank everything up a notch? How about email marketing like what's his name?

    Then I remembered why I do things the way that I do and am happy with where I'm at.

    I think we should start changing the way we look at "success" and think more about being "happy".

    For years, my brother had this beat up old car and I wondered why he never got a new one but he was happy with it. I didn't see how but all that mattered was that he really was happy driving that old beat up clunker.

    Joy comes in all shapes and sizes and as Forrest tried to tell us,

    "If life were like a carton of Whoppers, we'd be miserable".

    I think that's what he meant
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  • Profile picture of the author John Romaine
    Johnno, I recall when first started out, I hated sales pages with a passion! I then went about building "regular information based websites" until I started monitoring my statistics more closely and found that the one site where I had used a sales page, was my best converting product.

    Since then, Ive begun implementing sales pages, not because I like them, just because they get results.

    As for popups, I cant stand them.

    I say good on you dude. High five.
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  • Profile picture of the author rondo
    I think the best kind are the dhtml exit pop ups which appear when you move your mouse up off the window. They still get attention but they don't stop you from leaving or force you to click a button.

    Andrew
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  • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
    OK John, this is really scary, but you remind me of me.

    I was fortunate when I started out. I just did what I do in my offline world, and that's to treat folks online as I prefer to be treated. That meant no pop-ups, no spamming, and so on. And you know what ... it worked for me. I was earning a full-time living before I even knew what Internet marketing was.

    Yeah, maybe I could make more if I tried that other stuff, but maybe not. Maybe I wouldn't enjoy what I was doing as much either. I agree with Matt in that lifestyle is one of the attractions, and part of that lifestyle is doing it my way.

    Ah yes ... I can hear Frankie singing now.
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    • Profile picture of the author Ken Leatherman
      Originally Posted by Dennis Gaskill View Post

      OK John, this is really scary, but you remind me of me.
      OMG! A monkey lover and grizzly looking old man are to much alike. The WF cannot take this punishment. It's unfair and will cause much IM Chaos which is the Nectar of the IM Gods.

      Now for the pop ups. The only time I like them is when they save me some money on something I have an interest in. But man if they slam me with more than one, no way will I purchase nor return to the page.

      Since I'm a techie dunce I have never tried them on my own sites, but I doubt seriously if I ever would. This really boils down to my own personal preference. Not because of anything John, Zesus, Dennis, Matt, Leslie or anyone else said above.

      And for you folks really need to know John (Zesus) is really round in his waistline, but with a few well chosen insults you can punch him into a very small triangle.

      Ken
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  • Profile picture of the author Matt Bard
    Originally Posted by Dennis Gaskill View Post

    OK John, this is really scary, but you remind me of me.
    Except that you have hair and that little white thing you're holding doesn't look like a monkey
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    • Profile picture of the author Zeus66
      Originally Posted by Matt Maiden View Post

      Except that you have hair and that little white thing you're holding doesn't look like a monkey
      The monkey told me to tell you that you just made "the list," Matt. That's not a good thing. You might want to get your affairs in order.
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  • Profile picture of the author Janice Sperry
    I agree totally. I have never used pop-ups and I never will. I have never even tested them because it doesn't matter to me if they get more opt-ins/conversions. I applaud anyone that wants to enjoy what they do and wants to do it their own way.
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  • Profile picture of the author JayVance
    I find them annoying plus I won't promote a product if it has a popup. Usually means a stolen sale and a waste of my time.
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    • Profile picture of the author TristanH
      They annoy the crap out of me. I've never gone back to a site that has them. Whenever I see them, I just have to exit on principle!

      It's like when you're at a crappy dinner party and you try to leave but someone grabs the back of your shirt right before you reach the door...
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  • Profile picture of the author Leslie B
    John, you're spot on. And not only about the exit pop-ups, but also when you say that you should be doing what feels right for you. That's something I try to do myself in my business, only do things where I'm 100% sure that I wouldn't mind them when I'm surfing the net myself. I might have a long way to go before I'm as successfull as you, but at least this tells me that I'm not that wrong in my thinking

    Leslie
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  • Profile picture of the author Barry Unruh
    Wow John,

    There you go misleading me again. I thought I was coming into this thread for a vigorous discussion of exit popups and instead I get a lesson in life philosophy. I had to sit here nodding my head. Lifestyle choice is much more important than one simple technique.

    What the heck is that monkey whispering in your ear anyways? It seems to be working!
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    • Profile picture of the author DavidMaddux
      Thank you John, it is good to hear someone else voice those opinions.

      I don't mind the initial pop-up, when I first visit a page. I look at that as fair game. But then, when I'm finished with the page, I can't stand to have to go through maybe 2-3 exit, pop-up screens to get away from the site.

      That is simply a nuisance.

      Then if I re-visit the site, at a later time/date, I have to do it all over again, and I'm instantly reminded of how much I "hate" it!

      I don't want to force my visitors to "hate" visiting my site. In fact, I would like them to "love" visiting my site instead.

      Basically, I hear you Zeus

      Best wishes.
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      • Profile picture of the author Frank Donovan
        "A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between he does what he wants to do." Bob Dylan

        Great post, John. You're a man after my own heart (but you'll have to wait 'til I've finished with it)


        Frank
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  • Profile picture of the author Lee Wilson
    I hate them with a passion and will never use them because of that reason. Do they earn you a boat load more money? Maybe, but I couldn't care less about that in my business. Most of what I do is based on long term goals. I'm not in the business of constantly chasing new customers to replace old ones.

    I want my customers to stick with me for as long as possible. That won't happen if I keep smacking them in the face with a virtual insult every time they come visit me. Of course, to some extent I will be doing just that, but you have to choose where to draw the line. It also has to tie in with your own goals.

    Although I hate them personally, it doesn't mean I would never use them. If they fit my business model and I didn't care too much about how long my customers would stick around - maybe I would, but to be honest, I'd probably never choose that kind of business model.

    I think they are utterly disrespectful but unfortunately it's hard for me to have that argument without getting hypocritical. TV ads do this very thing but I'd never be against doing an ad campaign on TV. Hard argument really, but if you are in the business of keeping customers long term (or hoping to) then I'd give these kinds of tactics some serious consideration.
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  • Profile picture of the author shalamigri
    Originally Posted by Zeus66 View Post

    I just don't personally like things popping up when I'm browsing web pages. Honestly, it's that simple.

    John
    I agree. I stopped using them myself for a very simple reason. They frustrate me on other peoples sites.

    A lot of us are wired the same way. Usually, if something bothers us individually, it will probably bother many people as well.
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  • Profile picture of the author Gary King
    The important thing (IMHO) John, is that you *considered* the option.

    We all have choices by the minute in our business, in our lives.

    NOT considering those options (i.e., ignoring other potentially successful ideas) leads (again, IMHO) to failure.

    Evaluating them, ignoring some and rolling others into our fold keeps us moving forward.

    Glad you're on your own vs being forced into a square hole.

    (not sure about the monkey - hopefully he's got a good gig too)
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  • Profile picture of the author BrianMcLeod
    Originally Posted by Zeus66 View Post

    Don't replace the ridiculousness of corporate-imposed structure with self-imposed slavery to convention.
    +19... (hehe)

    Seriously though, great post, John.

    You're like smart... and stuff.

    Best,

    Walter Becker
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    • Profile picture of the author Matt Bard
      Originally Posted by BrianMcLeod View Post

      You're like smart... and stuff.
      Let's not get too exaggerated with our kissing up now

      (hey, I'm already on "the list" :p
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      • Profile picture of the author Karen Blundell
        I'm with you there! I do things my way and I don't really care whether I'm leaving money on the table.
        What's more important is that at the end of the day, I can look myself in the mirror, and say to myself, "you've done the right thing, girl!"
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  • Profile picture of the author sbucciarel
    Banned
    I couldn't agree more. There are many techniques that I dislike when I run across them and I don't do any of them.

    If they annoy me, why would I deliberately annoy my visitors ... yeah, I know. You're leaving money on the table. Honestly, I don't care. I enjoy what I do and I'm not on the streets yet.
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  • Profile picture of the author paul wolfe
    John,

    Totally agree with you.

    What's your take on the 'inverse' version of that - the light box subscribe form? Personally I loathe those and don't use those...and I really hate them when they appear at websites that I'm already subscribed to! Duhhhhh!

    Be interested in your thoughts.



    Paul
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    • Profile picture of the author Testy Today
      When I'm on somebody's list and they rave review something so I feel compelled to click on the URL and it is lower than dog food and then I am mangled by multiple pop-up exits ... then I am ...

      finally really happy to get my revenge by opting off their stupid list.
      ----------

      I'm not sure what a "lightbox subscribe form" is. Is that the thing that smacks me in the face like a dirty screen so (ow!) I can't read the interesting information on the page that I came there to read? So now I am distracted from seeing what I want to see. My 5-second attention span has been exceeded as I try to figure out how to get rid of the screen. I'm gone.
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      • Profile picture of the author Robert Puddy
        Originally Posted by Testy Today View Post

        I'm not sure what a "lightbox subscribe form" is. Is that the thing that smacks me in the face like a dirty screen so (ow!) I can't read the interesting information on the page that I came there to read? So now I am distracted from seeing what I want to see. My 5-second attention span has been exceeded as I try to figure out how to get rid of the screen. I'm gone.
        They worked then, thats the idea to get rid of people with a 5 sec attention span
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