How To Create Popups That Convert 10%+

Hey there, Tarun from Milkshake🥤

Popups don’t have to suck.

Done right, they can add thousands of emails to your list every month, without hurting your user experience.

We’ve built hundreds of high-converting popups for ecommerce brands, and here’s the exact strategy we use to maximize opt-ins (and conversions).

Let’s dive in 👇

1. Always Have An Offer

The core reason why most visitors will interact with your popup is the value they get in return.

If you’re asking for their email, you need to offer something in exchange.

Why it matters:

• Incentives motivate customers to take action. Offering a discount, free shipping, or a gift can significantly improve your conversion rates.
  

• Without an offer, visitors have no reason to opt-in. They may just ignore the popup and leave your site.

Examples of offers:

• "Get 10% off your first order"

• "Free shipping on your next purchase"

• "Enter to win our monthly giveaway"

If you're unsure where to start - the most common offer is 10% off. You can start with that and run experiments such as:

• 10% off vs $10 off

• 10% off vs 15% off

• Gift w/ purchase vs discount

2. Make It Straight To The Point

Your popup needs to be understood in 2 seconds.

Avoid bloated forms, unnecessary fields, or vague copy.

More questions = more friction = fewer signups.

BAD Popup Example:

• Why TF are they asking for title?

• First name AND last name?

• Why not just ask for mothers maiden name while you're at it

GREAT Popup Example:

• Make the offer the largest text size on the form and add it to the top so it's the first thing they see

• Have concise copy

• Don't ask for too many details in one go

3. Show The Coupon Code Immediately

After someone opts in, show the discount code right on the success page, don’t make them check their inbox.

Why this matters:

• They’re already on your site and ready to buy

• Email follow-ups are good, but immediate conversions are better

• Making them leave to fetch a code = friction = lost sales

Show the code, keep them shopping.

4. Add The Offer In The CTA

Don’t make your CTA button generic.

Instead of “Submit” or “Sign Up” - restate the offer.

High-converting CTAs:

• “Get 10% Off Now”

• “Enter to Win”

• “Claim My Discount”

Small change = big lift in conversions.

5. Make It BIG

Small popups get ignored.

Oversized popups get closed.

Here’s the balance:

• Mobile: Full-screen popups work best

• Desktop: Test full-screen vs. smaller modals, both have their place

6. Ask For A Micro-Commitment

Instead of asking for a big commitment right away (like submitting an email)

Asking for a micro-commitment can make the process feel more natural and less daunting.

A microcommitment is a small action that increases the likelihood of the user taking the next step (like entering their email address or signing up)

Popups that start with a microcommitment see a substanially higher conversion rate.

This is something you want to always test when building your popups

Final Thoughts:

Your popup is often the first interaction someone has with your brand, make it count.

Here’s what to focus on:

• Have a compelling offer (10% off, giveaway, free shipping)

• Keep the copy simple and the form short

• Show the coupon immediately after signup

• Use a CTA that repeats the offer

• Make it big and noticeable, especially on mobile

• Test micro-commitments to boost opt-in rates

Start with these principles, and tweak from there.

See you in the next one,

Tarun

PS: If you’re an ecommerce brand making over 50K/month and you want a free in-depth Email Marketing Audit, book a call with me personally here.