In the competitive world of e-commerce, converting website visitors into paying customers is key to success. However, many potential customers leave Shopify stores before completing their purchase. Exit-intent popups can be a powerful tool to re-engage those visitors and encourage them to stay or take action before they leave your Shopify site.

What Are Exit-Intent Popups?

Exit-intent popups are designed to detect when a user is about to leave your Shopify store. By analyzing the user’s mouse movements, these popups trigger just as the visitor moves their cursor toward the browser’s close button or back arrow. The goal is to display a compelling message or offer to grab the visitor’s attention and stop them from leaving without making a purchase.

For Shopify store owners, exit-intent popups can serve as a last-chance effort to recover abandoned carts, capture email leads, promote a discount, or remind users of the benefits of completing their purchase.

Benefits of Using Exit-Intent Popups on Your Shopify Store

  1. Recover Abandoned Carts Many visitors add products to their cart but leave before completing the checkout process. Exit-intent popups give you a final opportunity to offer a special deal, free shipping, or another incentive to encourage them to finish their purchase. This tactic can significantly reduce cart abandonment rates in your Shopify store.

  2. Grow Your Email List Building an email list is crucial for any e-commerce business. An exit-intent popup on your Shopify site can help you capture email addresses by offering visitors a discount on their first order or exclusive access to new product launches in exchange for their contact information. This turns potential customers into leads, allowing you to market to them later.

  3. Increase Average Order Value Exit-intent popups aren’t just about saving sales; they’re also a great way to increase the average order value. If someone is leaving your Shopify store, a popup could encourage them to add more items to their cart by offering a discount on a minimum purchase amount or suggesting complementary products.

  4. Reduce Bounce Rates High bounce rates can negatively impact your Shopify store’s SEO performance. By using an exit-intent popup to grab visitors’ attention before they leave, you increase the chances of them exploring more products or pages. This can lower bounce rates and keep visitors engaged with your store longer.

Best Practices for Designing Exit-Intent Popups for Shopify

  1. Offer Compelling Incentives Your exit-intent popup should offer something valuable that makes visitors reconsider leaving. For Shopify stores, effective incentives include percentage-based discounts, free shipping on orders over a certain amount, or a free gift with purchase. For example, offering “15% off your entire cart” can be enough to encourage a purchase.

  2. Create Urgency Use language that creates a sense of urgency in your Shopify exit-intent popups. Phrases like “Limited Time Offer” or “Only 3 Left in Stock” can motivate visitors to complete their purchase immediately rather than leaving to think about it.

  3. Highlight Product Benefits Remind visitors of the unique selling points of the products in their cart. Use your exit-intent popup to emphasize features, quality, or customer reviews that set your Shopify products apart from competitors.

  4. Simplify the Checkout Process If visitors are leaving during checkout, your exit-intent popup could offer a simplified checkout option or guide them through any confusing steps. Consider integrating Shopify’s accelerated checkout options directly into your popup for a seamless experience.

  5. Use Eye-Catching Design The design of your exit-intent popup should be visually appealing and consistent with your Shopify store’s branding. Use high-quality product images, bright colors for CTA buttons, and ensure the popup is mobile-responsive for all devices.

How to Add Exit-Intent Popups to Your Shopify Store

Adding exit-intent popups to your Shopify store is straightforward with MicroWidgets. Here’s a quick guide to setting it up:

  1. Obtain the Script: Log into your MicroWidgets admin panel and obtain the MicroWidgets script. This script is a small piece of JavaScript code.

  2. Access Shopify Admin: Log into your Shopify admin dashboard.

  3. Navigate to Theme Editor: Go to Online Store > Themes in the Shopify admin menu.

  4. Edit Theme Code: Click on “Actions” for your current theme and select “Edit code”.

  5. Locate Theme.liquid: Find and select the theme.liquid file from the list of Layout files.

  6. Insert the Script: Locate the <head> section in the theme.liquid file. Paste the MicroWidgets script just before the closing </head> tag.

  7. Save Changes: After adding the script, click the “Save” button to apply your changes.

  8. Clear Cache: If you’re using any caching apps, clear your Shopify store’s cache to ensure the changes take effect immediately.

  9. Test the Microwidget: Visit your live Shopify store and verify that the pop-up is functioning correctly. Check its appearance and behavior on different devices and browsers.

Remember to always backup your theme before making changes to theme files.

Conclusion

Exit-intent popups are a powerful tool for Shopify stores looking to increase conversions and reduce cart abandonment. By offering targeted messages and incentives at the crucial moment when a visitor is about to leave, you can turn potential losses into sales. Whether you’re looking to boost revenue, grow your email list, or increase customer engagement, exit-intent popups can provide the extra push that makes all the difference in your Shopify store’s success.