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Lately, we seem to have a lot more artists asking us how to implement an email newsletter signup pop-up form on their websites.

I think it's a bad idea.  This article explains why I feel that way.

First Impressions Matter

Imagine this:  You walk into a high end art gallery.  You've heard about the great art in this gallery from a few friends.  Excited, you walk in and your breath is taken away by the first wall of paintings you see.  You approach the wall for a closer look, and, just as you're getting interested.......a gallery associate appears between you and the painting and says:

"Hi Art Lover!  Wouldn't you like to be notified weekly of great new art we have?  Become part of our gallery community.  Just fill out your name and email address here!  Or, if you don't care about art, I'll leave you alone."

And then he just stands there waiting.  Oh, yeah, there's a little tiny "x" above his head.  If you press it, he'll leave you alone.

Now why were you at this gallery again?  I don't remember either, the nerve of that guy, right?

That's exactly what your doing to your website visitors when you implement an email popup.

Think I'm exaggerating?

Let me show you an example from a site I sometimes read about tech, management and investing.  

Last time I was on the site, while learning valuable information in one of their articles, they unexpectedly popped up the following screen:

They went to all the trouble to develop a good reputation for great information.  I am a regular visitor of the site.  I go there specifically to learn.  And they have the nerve to insult me with a "No thanks, I don't want to learn more" link to dismiss the pop-up form.  Just because I'm not ready to provide my email address [1].

Do You Like Pop-ups?

Let me ask, do you  like popups?  

Most likely, you answered "no."  You find them annoying.  In fact, most people agree that everyone finds them annoying, and a large percentage of people (like me) simply hate them. 

You've heard of the Golden Rule, right?  I believe we should practice it.  As Seth Godin says in professionals push back, "The marketer won't help his client produce a spammy campaign filled with tricks and deceptions, because she knows that her career is the sum of her work."  

But, unfortunately, time and time again we're told, even though we all hate them, to implement pop-ups because "they work".  Why aren't the professionals pushing back?  

This is why we can't have nice things.

The news gets even worse.  Sometimes, these email pop-ups are impossible to dismiss on a mobile device (or, at least, quite difficult).  And, if you still want to implement one, be aware that Google may punish your site if you're not careful how you implement it. 

But Don't Email Pop-ups Increase Conversions?

There are tons of studies that show that pop-up signup forms increase newsletter signups.  I don't think anyone can debate that issue.  But who is signing up?

When I was in the gallery business, we had to constantly train our salespeople in the art of qualifying people.  At an art opening, you must strive to spend time with the people most serious and most likely to purchase.  It's easy for a salesperson to fall into a routine of talking with the people who most want to talk.  It's easy to sign up the people who are eager to join yet another mailing list.  Or at trade shows, to talk to those people who are walking around grabbing free giveaways.  

However, the serious purchasers, the prospects most likely to buy art, were often more reserved, more difficult to approach.  Those people often needed time and space.. But you also had to remain available for that important moment when they did have questions.  When they did want to engage.  The difference between an OK salesperson and a great one wasn't the number of people they signed up.  It was the number of serious and qualified people they engaged with.

If someone loves your art, they will contact you.  They will stay abreast of what you're doing.  And if they like receiving updates via email, they'll sign up for your mailing list.  I'm all for making your signup obvious and easy.  Just don't be the salesperson who gets in your best prospects faces, right when their studying your artwork or reading your latest blog post.  Many of them who actually purchase art (like I do), will hit the back button and leave your site (like I will).  And they'll be left wondering why you didn't let them enjoy your artwork. 

As someone who's sold a lot of art.  I can share a truth that I know is true:  It's better to have a small, but powerful list of serious prospects.

A bigger list of non-prospects is just a time, resource and money drain.

So, do email pop-ups increase conversions?  Sure, they convert lots of people who like to sign up for email lists.  

But do they increase your signups of serious potential art purchasers?  And is it really the way you want to treat your potential customers?  Those are the questions to think through before you implement one.

Sincerely,

Clint Watson

FASO Founder, Software Craftsman, Art Fanatic

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[1]  On most sites, when this happens, I just hit the back button.  But the content on First Round Review is great and, despite the fact that they insult me every single time I go to their site, I keep coming back.  I support them despite their email popup.  Not because of it.  This site caters to people who are interested in startups.  You know who starts great startups?  Hackers (that's what we call great programmers, it's not a word that means "breaking into computer systems").  You know what Hackers hate?  In your face marketing and, specifically pop ups like this.  This site is run by people who want to invest in great startups.  So why are they doing the very thing that their target audience hates?