Looking to grab your ecommerce visitor’s attention and encourage them to take a specific action on your site? Modals could be the website element you and your team need to do just that! Commonly used by ecommerce brands, modals enable marketers to do everything from alert website visitors about a product launch to collecting email addresses of shoppers looking to snag a discount.
Whatever your use case may be, keep reading for a crash course in all things ecommerce modals! In this blog, we’ll cover what modals are and why you should use them, along with nine examples of modals from real ecommerce brands.
What is a Modal in Ecommerce?
A modal, also known as a lightbox, is a webpage component that appears in front of and disables all other content on the page. To resume interaction with the main content, website visitors must interact with the modal by taking the specific action featured or closing it. Modals are commonly used in ecommerce to direct users' focus toward a desired action or important information on a website.
Why You Should Use Modals in Ecommerce
Below are just a few of the reasons you should experiment with modals on your ecommerce website.
Communicate Information Without Disrupting the Buyer’s Journey
Modals communicate information with customers without taking them to a new page or opening a separate window. Once they’ve completed the action presented in the modal or clicked out of it, they are free to resume right where they left off.
Ensure Customers See Your Message
Because the modal appears in the visitor’s active tab, they are sure to see the deal, offer, or other message you are promoting.
Save Space
Rather than featuring your desired message on a key page of your site, you can save space by placing the media or information in a modal instead.
Ecommerce Modal Examples
Looking for inspiration to get started with modals on your ecommerce website? Take a look at these three examples from top ecommerce brands.
Peloton
When Peloton’s site visitors attempt to navigate away from the brand’s financing page, they’re met with the below exit intent modal. Because looking at the pricing and fees associated with Peloton indicates clear buyer intent, the brand attempts to re-engage those leaving the page with a modal featuring refurbished bikes, a cheaper option to Peloton’s standard offering.
Check out what other fitness brands are up to by reading our blog, 4 Social Proof Strategies for Fitness Equipment Websites.
Saatva
Mattress brand, Saatva, welcomes homepage visitors with a modal that touts the brand’s “Election Day Extravaganza Sale” across the site. The modal serves only as a notification of the sale and does not require visitors to enter their email addresses to snag savings.
Bath & Body Works
Beauty retailer, Bath & Body Works, is no stranger to experimenting with website modals. Upon loading the brand’s homepage, visitors are met with a modal encouraging them to join Bath & Body Works’ rewards program. Offering visitors a rewards program is a great way to foster brand loyalty and collect valuable contact information.
Curious about other ways beauty brands are stepping up their website strategies? Download our eBook, 15 Website Experiments for Beauty Brands.
We hope these nine examples give you the inspiration you need to start experimenting with modals on your ecommerce brand's website. If you’re already using Intellimize, sign into your account now to start testing out modals ASAP!
