To Pop, or Not To Pop? That is the question.

Ask an opinion on the use of popups and you’ll receive two opposing views.

• On one hand is the belief that popups are evil, the worst thing since Europe’s Black Plague.
• On the other hand is the belief of marketers that they are the greatest software development since the internet itself.

Somewhere between is the reality.

If the first rule of copywriting is to capture the reader’s attention, then popups certainly enable the web designer to succeed.  Who hasn’t had his eyes drawn away from graphics and fonts to the content of an unassuming, yet unavoidable popup? And with test results ranging from 10 to 30% conversion improvement, it’s hard to call for eliminating popups from our direct response marketing efforts.

But let’s not forget those days, not long enough gone, when marketers and virus writers alike polluted our screens with popping windows without end. It’s no wonder that those who remember the bad old days don’t want a repeat brought on by new technology.

So let this be a call for decency and order. Let popups be used but not abused. When the best way to display your information is with a popup, then do it.  But remember that an annoyed visitor will exit quickly, never to return.