How to Amplify SMS Acquisition with Website Modals

Best Practices for SMS Modal Windows

As the most personal marketing channel, SMS empowers brands to build relationships with consumers. It is also one of the most effective ways to recover lost revenue, with its proficiency in abandonment campaigns, customer service use cases, and promotion amplifications.

As eCommerce continues to grow at an impressive rate it’s important for companies to nurture their customer relationships to succeed in the competitive market.

A study by 99 Firms shows 91% of customers are interested in signing up for texts, and while nearly all customers surveyed said they would sign up to receive texts from brands, over half of them had already done so.

VoyageSMS offers robust ways to amplify your SMS subscriber opt-ins. One of the most effective list building tools in your arsenal are custom modals.

Modal: A modal is a pop-up window that draws a user’s attention to specific text or images, used in this context to ask for a customer’s email or phone number. It is common practice for eCommerce brands to have a welcome modal on their website for new visitors, including a discount or special offer to incentivize them to subscribe to their marketing list.

Check out Voyage SMS Glossary for More Terms and Insights

Here are some tips to keep in mind when crafting the perfect SMS modal opt in for your site.

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1. Drive Conversions with Thoughtful Modal Mechanisms

There are two types of modal windows — user-initiated and system-initiated. User-initiated modals are designed to appear on your site when a user triggers them with their actions. This is often based on a specific click path, page depth, or time on site. System-initiated modals are triggered based on backend system settings, and not on user action, and can interrupt a user’s current task if not effectively deployed.

The most effective way to use modal windows is by thoughtfully curating their use on the site based on user behavior. Initiating modals based on an action taken by users is the best approach to incorporating them into your user experience. Modals initiated by the system can feel like they’re disturbing the user's experience and force them into a specific action.

To drive conversions with your modals, focus on delivering the best modal experience, keeping the end user in mind and making your modal as delightful and beneficial to the visitor as possible.

2. Craft Clear, Obvious Modal Messaging for Higher Conversions

Having a clear and descriptive message gives context to your visitors why the modal window appeared. It should be easy for the user to read and effectively convey the actions required.

Modal CTA button text should match the modal window title intent, making it clear and easy for users to understand the context. Be sure to use a distinct button label that states exactly what will happen when the user clicks it.

The most effective converting modals use powerful headlines and are concise with messaging. The scrollbar should not be needed to read the entire text; your SMS modal window should contain only essential information and actions.

With your brief, highly targeted messaging, be sure to include no more than two actions with your modal. Additional action options increase the risk of leaving the task unfinished, diluting your conversion rates.

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3. Design Your SMS Modal for Success

When it comes to modal design, user experience is key. The modal window should cover 25% or less of the screen it’s overlaying. The dismiss control and opt-in button should both be clearly marked and easy to access. It should be easy for the user to register or leave the modal whenever they want.

All modals should be device friendly. Voyage offers desktop and mobile full screen, floating and button modal types to support an effective mobile-first user experience.

Pro Tip: Thoughtfully use modals for special offers -- present only relevant, necessary content for visitors to make them the most impactful. Avoid spammy designs or underwhelming offers to drive higher interactions.

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Bolster SMS Opt-Ins with Voyage SMS Modal Features

Voyage offers custom designed modals that match your brand experience rather than limiting brands to using a template library. Clients are free to edit modal source code giving you full control. Check out the modal design options and top features to get your SMS channel kick started.

• Designed by Voyage: Request a fully-custom, on-brand modal design from Voyage. Our typical turnaround time is 3-7 business days.
• Your Own Custom: Use your own custom-designed modal by starting with our baseline HTML template. Covers mobile full, mobile floating, mobile bottom or desktop type modals.
• Voyage Two-Tap Anywhere: Build your own mobile modal with Voyage’s embedded button code. See Voyage Two-Tap Anywhere for full implementation instructions.
• Custom Keyed Entry: Build your own desktop modal with Voyage’s custom keyed entry. Refer to our Custom keyed entry article for more instructions.

• Modal Events: Fine tune your modal settings to deliver the best customer experiences. Control when and how modals show on screen, including using delays, display on specific page depths, hiding options, and what pages they do and don’t display on.

Pro Tip: When crafting your modal strategy, be sure to design with all device options in mind. With Voyage, you can curate modal campaigns based on device types, interacting with your desktop, mobile, and tablet visitors in the most effective way based on their devices.

• Modal AB testing: Test modals on a certain percentage of your website visits. This gives you an opportunity to test design, size, timing, overall copy and messaging, and offers with a subset of your visitors to get your modal laser-focused for optimal conversions.

Start your new year off on the right foot. Let Voyage help you develop your SMS marketing campaign through custom modals. Get in touch today to find out what Voyage can do for you.