Popups are a popular tactic to increase conversions on e-commerce websites. But not all popups are created equal.
Without adhering to best practices, popups can become an annoyance that causes visitors to exit instead of convert.
One crucial element of creating popups that convert is mastering the art of popup copywriting.
Let’s dive into the most critical elements of writing website popup copy that converts.
Best practices for website popup copywriting
There are numerous types of website popups, but in general, their goal is to prompt a site visitor to take a specific action, like:
- signing up for email marketing,
- purchasing a new product,
- or taking advantage of a new discount.
No matter the type of pop-up, it’s essential that you keep the goal of the pop-up top-of-mind when crafting the copy. That way, the popup will add value to an online shopper’s experience rather than be an annoyance that they quickly click away.
💡To convert, every popup needs copy that grabs a site visitor’s attention to keep them engaged.
Craft a Compelling Call-To-Action
If you want your pop-ups to convert, you must write with your audience in mind. Understanding your audience will help you to create messaging that resonates with their wants and needs.
🎨 Shape the language and tone of your copy to your audience.
For example, Hug Sleep uses copy in this pop-up that appeals to their target demographic: anxious sleepers who want to sleep through the night. The headline “Hey, sleepy head!” is likely to resonate with visitors.

Keep your copy on brand
In addition to writing for your specific audience, pop-up copy should always be on brand. Staying within your brand guidelines is essential because there should be consistency in the user experience when shoppers visit your website. Match your tone, style, and messaging to your website’s style.
For example, Olipop uses playful, light-hearted copy that matches the tone on its homepage.

In this popup, Tucky matches their style of wordplay both in the headline and in the copy of their homepage.

Imagine if Tucky used a more formal tone on their site – then the bold headline “Get TUCKED!” would feel strange.
☝️That’s why it is important to write for your audience and stay on brand with your pop-up copywriting.
Keep it short and specific
✅ Simplicity and clarity are essential for pop-up copywriting.
Less text and information makes it easier for visitors to read and comprehend your copy.
With too much text, the cognitive load makes it harder for visitors to process what’s going on.
Paddle Smash has a very engaging video in this pop-up – but with two big text walls on the side plus a video, there is a lot of content to process for visitors.

This copy could easily be shortened to: “Win your own Paddle Smash Set 🏓 Only one winner will be chosen for every 250 orders. Enter for your chance to win.”
With these revisions, you could more easily scan and understand the main message of the pop-up and highlight the giveaway itself in greater detail.
Cincha’s popup may be simple, but this makes it easier to understand.

At a glance, you can understand the pop-up’s goal, offering a discount, and the desired action: clicking yes to accept the deal.
If you click “yes”, you are directed to a simple form you can fill in. This is a seamless path for those interested in a discount. And for those disinterested, they can quickly click “No thanks” to exit.
But be careful not to go too simple. This pop-up from Springer is an example of where simplicity can create confusion.

While they claim to have a special offer, the lack of specificity and clarity may deter people from converting. It is unclear what the offer is, which makes it feel less special.
Create benefit & action-driven CTAs
🎁 If you want customers to act, you need to clarify what’s in it for them.
From creating benefit-first headlines to leveraging psychological principles, there are several copywriting tricks that you can use here.
State the benefit first
One popular approach to pop-up copywriting is to include the benefit in your headline.
American Giant puts the benefit in big, bold letters in their headline.

They follow up their headline with concise and specific copy that clarifies that this discount is applied to your first order and that you will get further discounts by taking this action.
Putting the benefit upfront makes it easy to understand what you get from interacting with a popup. But if the offer isn’t enticing enough on its own – you might want to try using psychological design principles to leverage the emotional side of your visitors.
Drive action with scarcity and urgency tactics
Another way to drive action with pop-up copywriting is to highlight factors like urgency and scarcity to create FOMO.
For example, Candy Club uses copy that emphasizes the urgency to act now.

Their copy uses the psychological scarcity design principle, which says that “people value things more when they’re in limited supply”.
By emphasizing the “limited time” that this promo is available, they encourage people to sign up before it is too late.
Make them an offer they can’t refuse
The Wobbles offers an exclusive, free cross-sell in their pop-up that is too good to refuse for fans of their products.

From an online shopper’s point of view, why would you say no to this pop-up? You’re getting a free product that is an excellent addition to your primary purchase.
This pop-up copy also makes it feel like any click you make is taking an action.
You either get your free tin or express that you don’t like free things.
This makes for an engaging and memorable shopping experience, regardless of whether or not someone takes advantage of the offer.
By highlighting the benefits of engaging with a pop-up, you increase the likelihood of visitors converting!
Final thoughts
When it comes to pop-up copywriting, you need to write with your audience in mind. Don’t distract or confuse them with lengthy or complicated walls of text. Instead, inspire them to take action by making the benefits clear and easy to understand. By creating a clear link between your pop-up and your brand, you will foster a seamless and memorable experience. These are the key best practices behind powerful pop-up copywriting.
If you don’t know where to start, look to other brands for inspiration and adapt these website popup best practices to your audience.

About the author: Rebecca Anderson is the Host of Click to Buy (a conversion-focused podcast) and the Content Marketing Manager at Instant Landing Page Builder – the all-visual, no-code Shopify page builder.