Using Pop-ups for your CRO Strategy

If you’re looking for a new way to improve the conversion rate on your hotel website, using pop-ups are a great method to add to your CRO marketing strategy. Pop-ups are visually pleasing windows that appear on your website, to promote a service or offer your hotel is providing, and can be a useful factor in enhancing your website to engage your visitors and generate leads.

What type of pop-ups can increase our direct bookings?

There are a variety of pop-up’s that you could use to encourage your visitors to convert on your website. The great thing about pop-ups, is that they’ll allow you to capture potential customers before they leave your website, and this could provide you with the insight you need, to then create personalised offers for that customer which could lead to more conversions. 

Here are a few different pop-ups you could use to increase your direct bookings: 

• Seasonal pop-ups: Whether you’re preparing unforgettable experiences for Valentine’s Day or a Christmas experience at your hotel, you can promote your upcoming offers by using a seasonal offers pop-up.
• Special offers pop-up: You can use this type of pop-up if you’re offering a discount for those who book direct, or if you’re providing discounts on your delectable Afternoon Tea menu for example.
• Timed delay pop-up: This is a useful pop-up if you do not want to overwhelm your potential customers. Using this pop-up will ensure the window appears only if a website user is looking through your website for an amount of time that you choose.
• Geo-targeted pop-up: If you’re a hotel or hospitality business that has a variety of chains across the world, you could use a geo-targeted pop-up to reach users in a specific location, whether you’re keen on gaining a wider customer base, or are looking to target those closer to home, this pop-up is worth a try.
• Exit-intent pop-up: Notice some of your users are leaving your website without interacting? You could use an exit-intent pop-up to reach visitors who are about to leave, we advise that this type of pop-up to show a special offer, one that would persuade them to book with you, the next time they visit.

How to make sure those pop-ups increase your conversions

It’s best to not create and publish a pop-up to your site blindly, you must ensure you are putting thought and strategy behind it! Here are some ways to do that: 

1. Make it look appealing: The design of your pop is what they’ll notice first. Stay true to your branding and make sure your pop-up uses contrasting colours, high quality images & clear typography.
2. Call to actions: Be clear with where you want your visitors to go! Your CTA should stand out and be easy to click on. Use clear and actionable CTA’s such as “Book A Room” or “Sign Up Now”.
3. Don’t stop there: You’ve disabled your pop-up, what’s next? Your pop-ups should be another marketing tactic that you test and optimise. How do your views compare to your conversions? Did you target your visitors on the right webpage? Try different templates and timings to find out what gets you the best results.

WordPress plugins for pop-ups

Below are a few options, some we are already familiar with:

• Hustle: Hustle, or HustlePro is a flexible and user-friendly plugin, that’ll help you take your marketing strategy to the next level, allowing you to create the ultimate pop-up, and includes features to choose where and how your pop-up appears in detail.
• Popup Maker: Popup Maker is a versatile plugin that provides you with the option of customising your pop-up, along with reviewing its analytics to help you optimise your pop-ups for conversions.
• Popup Builder by OptinMonster: Optimised for both website and server performance, this plugin allows you to create a range of pop-ups and opt-in forms to engage visitors and increase your leads.