Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) are the busiest shopping days of the year.
With shoppers flooding websites and brands competing for attention, the right popup strategy can make the difference between a bounce and a conversion.
Below, we’ll walk through the best practices for using popups before and during BFCM — and why keeping your popups live during the sale is one of the smartest moves you can make.
Why You Should Keep Popups Live During BFCM
Some brands are tempted to switch off their popups during BFCM, worried they might interrupt the shopping experience. But the reality is the opposite: turning them off leaves money on the table.
Here’s why popups are crucial during the BFCM window:
Reinforce your biggest offer
Your sitewide promotion is only effective if shoppers see and understand it. Popups spotlight the deal so it can’t be missed.Protect your margins
Instead of layering on additional discounts, use your popup to highlight existing tiered offers (e.g., “Up to 40% off — spend more, save more”).Capture signups when traffic peaks
BFCM brings a massive traffic surge. Keeping popups live ensures you’re converting visitors into subscribers during the highest-intent period.Boost urgency
Popups with countdown timers or urgency cues tend to see a strong lift in conversion rates.Enable real-time optimization
Popups can be adjusted on the fly. If bounce rates climb or conversions dip, you can test new timing, copy, or creative immediately.Keep messaging consistent
Reinforcing the same deal across your hero banners, emails, and popups builds trust and clarity.
How to Build Your BFCM Popup
Lead with a clear headline and offer (e.g., “Up to 40% Off Storewide”)
Add a countdown timer to emphasize urgency
Keep the CTA simple and limit form fields
Match your holiday branding — but avoid a full design overhaul if your current popup is already optimized
Consider a small bonus incentive (“Sign up now for an extra 5% off”) if you want to push list growth further
Use behavioral triggers like time delays, scroll depth, or exit intent to avoid disrupting shoppers
Pre-BFCM: List Building & Anticipation
Popups aren’t just for the sales weekend itself. Leading up to BFCM, they’re one of the most effective ways to build anticipation and grow your subscriber list.
Tactics to try:
VIP Early Access: Offer subscribers exclusive first access to your BFCM deals. This builds excitement and makes shoppers feel special.
Teaser Popups: Use countdowns or hints (“Something big is coming”) to condition visitors and drive signups.
Additional Strategies for Maximum Impact
We can group the most effective popup tactics into four key categories:
1. Timing & Performance
Use slightly longer time delays (10–20s) to avoid overwhelming shoppers
Optimize for mobile vs. desktop — popup engagement can differ dramatically by device
2. Cart & Exit Recovery
Cart Abandonment Popups: With nearly 70% of carts abandoned on average, a reminder popup can recover meaningful sales.
Exit-Intent Popups: Simple “Wait! Don’t miss this deal” overlays can keep shoppers engaged when they’re about to leave.
3. Personalization & Segmentation
Tailor messaging for new vs. returning visitors
Adjust copy by geography, device, or browsing behavior
Test multiple popup variants in real time to adapt to shopper behavior
4. Data Collection & Post-BFCM Use
Use popups to collect zero-party data (e.g., “What kind of gifts are you shopping for?”)
Feed this data into email and SMS campaigns for more personalized follow-ups
Leverage analytics like bounce rate and CVR to optimize throughout the weekend
Putting It All Together
Here’s a sample popup timeline:
Phase | Strategy | Goal |
3–4 weeks before | VIP early access, teaser popups | Build list & anticipation |
1 week before | Countdown teasers | Final subscriber push |
During BFCM | Sitewide offer popup + cart/exit recovery, if needed | Maximize conversions & capture new signups |
Post-BFCM | Use collected data in retention campaigns | Extend lifetime value |
Final Takeaway
BFCM isn’t the time to turn popups off — it’s when they can do the most work for your brand. By spotlighting your deals, capturing high-intent subscribers, and recovering abandoned carts, popups can turn your busiest shopping days into your most profitable.
However, every brand is different. You should always draw your own conclusions on your popup experience by A/B testing to see what is optimal for your traffic, offer, and product.
How To Start
At Alia, we're here to help! Reach out to your CSM or live chat for assistance with building your BFCM popup strategy.
Use our powerful editor and pre-made BFCM templates to build new popups for your sale. Simply create a new campaign, click to start building your popup, and walk through the relevant onboarding steps.
