Lightboxes are pop-up windows that cover the main text on a site to direct users’ attention to a specific thing. They can be used for a variety of purposes and styled a number of ways. It’s important to keep your specific message in mind when deciding where on the site to place a lightbox, and to always make the call to action clear. We’ve outlined a few popular options below.
Mailing List Sign-Up
Some websites place a lightbox directly on their homepage to immediately give visitors the option to add themselves to the site’s mailing list. This can be a great way to gain email list subscribers, but it can be off-putting to first-time visitors who aren’t yet familiar with your business. Some sites choose to offer a freebie here as an incentive to sign up.
Cookies Policy
Most sites you visit now will have a lightbox asking users to accept their cookie policy. These pop-ups typically appear as a box at the bottom of the screen, so as not to block too much of the site’s content. This is a good place to also link to your site’s privacy policy.
Promotions
Is your store having a sale? Are you offering a discount on a course? Lightboxes can be a great way to direct users to a specific product or offer.
Country Selection
In some cases it might be beneficial to know right off the bat where your users are based. This is especially helpful for bigger companies who want to direct their site visitors to the correct store for their country.
Exit-Intent Pop-Ups
These give users an incentive to stay on your site when they’re ready to leave. They’re commonly used when a visitor has items in their cart but hasn’t completed their purchase yet.
Some other options to consider with lightboxes are:
- Delayed pop-ups – wait to appear until after the user has spent some time on the site
- Scroll-based pop-ups – only show up when the user scrolls to a certain part of the page
- Interaction-based pop-ups – respond more personally to a user’s actions on the site
There are many ways you can use lightboxes to your advantage. Think about what would most likely catch your users’ attention, and go from there!
