Popup design: how to capture emails without tanking conversion

Timing, copy, and trigger logic that boosts list growth and on-site conversion at the same time.

Popups capture emails. They also kill conversion if mistimed. Here’s how we deploy them without burning the funnel.

Three rules

• Wait for intent. Trigger on exit-intent or 30s on-page, never on load.
• One ask. Email, or SMS, or 10% off — not all three.
• Mobile gets a different popup. Smaller, no overlay, dismissible in one tap.

What never works

Wheel-of-fortune popups. Two-step popups asking for first name + email + phone. Popups that fire on a scroll event below the fold.

Capture is a price you pay for content. Make the content worth it.