Re: Study Shows Pop Ups Work

From: Phil Tanny <support_at_easy-hits.com>
Date: Mon 02 Jun 2003 18:57:05 -0500

>So where does this lead us? Well if you're a site owner, you know that
>users HATE pop ups and passively put up with rich media!

I'm still wrestling with the logical disconnect between the concept
that "users HATE popups" and the fact that popups are everywhere.
How can "popups work" and "users hate popups" both? Puzzling...

>Users have grown used to clicking the pop-up box closed before it even
>ever loads.

I've been serving pops for 3 years or so and have come across some techniques
that address this somewhat.

One of my pops loads underneath the main window first, and then comes forward
once the contents of the pop are fully loaded. Thus no user, even those on
really slow connections, ever sees an empty or half loaded popup window.

Too many people send popunder traffic to their home page, or some other
landing page that has _way too many_ options and info. A good popunder ad
should state the core proposition of the site in a really concise way.
 Lot's
of white space. If the core pitch doesn't auto enter the users mind
before they
reach the close box, then you've most likely lost them.

Here's an ad I use, as example:
<http://easy-hits.com/popup/popunder_image.html>

>And if pop ups are getting blocked by downloads and the Big Whigs; AOL,
>EarthLink.. etc., then what is the future of this annoying, yet
>responsive advertising medium?

My guess is that if/when Microsoft adds a convenient popup blocking feature
to a future version of Explorer, then the pop era will begin to fade at
that point.

My theory is that there will always be intrusive advertising of some
kind on the Web, and that it will be controversial for years to come.
If users
were willing to compensate site owners via non-intrusive methods
then banners ads would work, or subscription sites would be prevalent.

If the pop era ends, and the intrusive ads controversy continues, perhaps
that will take this conversation between site owners and viewers to
a new more productive level?

Phil









Received on Mon Jun 02 2003 - 18:57:05 CDT