A Guide To E-Commerce Website Pop-Ups That Convert For Beauty Brands

Like them or not, website pop-ups work. In 2024, pop-ups delivered an average conversion rate of 4.01%, making them an effective tool for engaging visitors and driving action on e-commerce sites. Pop-ups are designed to capture attention at key moments, encouraging shoppers to sign up, shop an offer, or take the next step in their purchase journey.

For beauty brands, where discovery and trust matter, website pop-ups go beyond lead generation. If you’re wondering whether you should add pop-ups to your beauty website, the answer is yes. This guide explores how to use e-commerce website pop-ups to support key business goals and convert more shoppers.

What is an e-commerce website pop-up?

An e-commerce website pop-up is a temporary message or window that appears on an online store to capture a shopper’s attention and prompt a specific action. Instead of living permanently on the page, pop-ups are triggered by user behavior, such as when someone lands on the site, scrolls down, spends a certain amount of time browsing, or shows signs they’re about to leave.

Pop-ups on your website can range from overlays that dim the rest of the page to slide-ins that appear in a corner of the screen. In e-commerce, they’re commonly used to encourage actions like signing up for email or SMS in exchange for a discount, highlighting a limited-time promotion, offering free shipping, building loyalty programs, suggesting add-on products before checkout, and more.

The goal of an e-commerce website pop-up is to draw attention to something important without disrupting the shopping experience, helping brands generate leads, guide purchase decisions, and ultimately improve conversion rates.

Types of e-commerce website pop-ups

Common types of e-commerce website pop-ups, especially relevant for beauty brands:

1. Welcome pop-ups: These appear when a visitor first lands on your site. They are most often used to capture customers’ email addresses or phone numbers in exchange for a discount or early access to new products.

2. Exit-intent pop-ups: These are triggered when a visitor is about to navigate off of your site. They are designed to recover abandoning visitors with an offer, reminder, or last-chance incentive like free shipping.

3. Slide in pop-ups: These pop-ups typically appear after a visitor scrolls a certain percentage of the page. They target engaged shoppers with new products, special promotions, etc., without interrupting initial browsing.

4. Gamification pop-ups: These use interactive, game-like elements such as spin wheels or quizzes to engage visitors and encourage them to take an action. 

5. Timed pop-ups: The pop-ups appear after a visitor has spent a set amount of time on the site. These are useful for promoting newsletters, best-selling products or tutorials, once interest is established.

E-commerce website pop-up ideas by conversion goal

To make any pop-up effective, you first need to determine its goal. By aligning your pop-up with a clear conversion objective, you can choose the type of pop-up and design messages and offers that resonate with your audience. Below, we’ve organized a variety of e-commerce pop-up ideas by conversion goal to help beauty brands engage visitors and maximize conversions.

1. Lead generation pop-ups

Goal: Capture prospects' emails or SMS

Pop-ups that work:

• Welcome pop-up offering first-time buyer discounts

• Welcome pop-up or slide pop-up offering early access to new product launches

• Gamification pop-up offering discounts, free shipping or special offers

Why they work for beauty brands:

Incentivize prospects to provide contact information in exchange for a special offer. 

2. Product education pop-ups

Goal: Reduce hesitation and increase product confidence

Pop-ups that work: 

• Timed pop-ups highlighting specific ingredients

• Gamification pop-ups, such as shade-finders or skin quiz prompts

• Timed pop-ups showcasing product tutorials

Why they work for beauty brands:

E-commerce beauty purchases are trust-driven. Education removes uncertainty and boosts conversion rates.

3. Exit-intent pop-ups

Goal: Recover abandoning visitors

Pop-ups that work:

• Exit intent pop-ups offering last-chance discounts

• Exit intent pop-ups offering free shipping

• Exit intent pop-ups offering a percentage off the customer's next order to capture their email before exit

Why it works:
Exit pop-ups catch indecisive shoppers or high-intent shoppers (they are already on your site!) at the last minute with an offer encouraging them to convert. 

4. Loyalty and retention pop-ups

Goal: Turn customers into repeat buyers

Pop-ups that work:

• Slide in pop-ups reminding customers to create an account or log in for perks

• Slide in pop-ups with an invitation to join the loyalty program

• Slide in pop-ups to remind customers of program rewards

Why it works:
Retention is valuable in the beauty industry as repeat customers are more profitable than new ones. Plus, loyalty programs are known to increase lifestyle value (LTV) and brand loyalty. 

5. Social proof pop-ups

Goal: Build trust and credibility

Pop-ups that work:

• Timed pop-ups on product pages showing product review highlights

• Timed pop-ups on product pages showing “X people purchased today”

• Timed pop-ups showing Influencer or press mentions

Why it works:

Beauty shoppers rely heavily on social proof before committing. Social proof pop-ups increase customer confidence. 

6. Promotional and campaign pop-ups

Goal: Increase campaign engagement

Pop-ups that work: 

• Welcome pop-up with product launch announcements or offerings

• Slide-in or timed pop-ups showcasing new products or offerings

Why it works: 

Shoppers, especially new visitors to your site, won’t necessarily know you’re having a promotion unless they see it on social media or land on your homepage, where it is showcased. Slide-in pop-ups or timed pop-ups on your website allow you to showcase campaigns, no matter where on your site a shopper lands. 

Website pop-ups that work

Next time you ask yourself, ‘Should I add a pop-up to my website?’, remember that e-commerce website pop-ups are a great tool online beauty brands can use to guide shoppers toward action. Whether your objective is capturing emails, educating customers, recovering abandoned visitors, or driving repeat purchases, the most successful pop-ups are built with a clear goal in mind.

For brands working with Blanka, implementing these strategies is easy. Blanka’s dropshipping model and e-commerce integrations allow beauty founders to launch and scale without holding inventory, while website pop-ups help maximize every site visit by turning traffic into leads and sales. 

START FREE