Joshua Franklin Wiedeman

Exit-Intent Offers

An exit-intent offer is a popup that appears when a visitor looks likely to leave. On desktop, it triggers when the cursor moves toward the tab bar or close button. On mobile, it usually triggers on a back-button press, a fast scroll up, or a period of inactivity.

How it works

A visitor who is leaving was not convinced by the page. Repeating the same pitch will not change that. An exit offer works when it changes the deal: a discount not shown before, free shipping, a useful download, or a smaller ask such as an email signup instead of a purchase.

How to do it

  1. Set up detection with a popup tool (OptinMonster, Sleeknote, Wisepops) or a script that tracks the cursor leaving the top of the viewport.
  2. Match the offer to the page type:
    • Product page: discount or free shipping.
    • Blog post: related download or newsletter signup.
    • Pricing page: call or demo booking.
    • Checkout: small cart discount or a saved-cart email.
  3. Show different offers to new visitors and to returning visitors with items in their cart.
  4. Keep the popup to one headline, one sentence, one field, and one button.
  5. Show the popup at most once per session.
  6. Do not show it to visitors who already bought or subscribed, or on account, support, and confirmation pages.

What to measure

  • Recovery rate: Share of visitors who saw the popup and then completed the goal action.
  • Revenue recovered: Revenue from orders placed after the popup, compared against a holdout group that never sees it.
  • Email signups from exit popups: Number of new subscribers captured by the popup.

Best practices

  • Make the exit offer different from what the page already showed. The same 10% off is not a new reason to stay.
  • Write plain, low-pressure copy, such as “Not ready yet? Here is 15% off for later.”
  • Test a short delay after exit is detected. It can feel less abrupt.

Common pitfalls

  • Showing popups on every page and every visit. Set strict frequency caps.
  • Using full-screen mobile popups that are hard to close. Google may treat intrusive mobile interstitials as a ranking problem.
  • Always offering a discount. Visitors learn to fake leaving to get one. Vary the offer.