Inked Gaming is a team of gamers designing accessories for their community. They envisioned every gamer showing off their individuality through customized playmats. Today, they make this easy, fun and affordable!
Inked Gaming offers a huge library of designs for printing on various products, and customers even have the opportunity to upload their own art.
This requires a little work from the customer, making it all the more important to capture their email so we can help them through the process. Our primary goal was to capture more exiting traffic so we could better communicate with visitors to persuade them to take action and place their first order.
It all starts with the right introduction
Inked Gaming initially offered the typical "10% off" welcome pop up that captured about 0.29% of traffic.
We had to do something to bring that number up.
Here's a thought: Do you use the same icebreaking approach when you're meeting colleagues, friends at a bar, or a stranger on a bus? I don't think so... you probably adapt your introduction to the specific situation and audience.
This seems pretty obvious in real life, yet stores don't often apply it to online introductions with their visitors.
To boost Inked Gaming's lead capture 8 folds, we used psychology and data. We started by asking "Who are we addressing?" to then determine, "How should we talk to them?"
From scary clown to smooth operator
Picture yourself in a brick and mortar store, waiting behind your front door. Suddenly, a new client comes in. That's when you pounce right in front of them, screaming: "Give me your email and I'll give you 10% off!"
Now picture that on a loop, happening each time your brave customer dares enter your store! This is what a welcome pop up feels like as it immediately triggers every time your store loads.
That's why our very first decision was to switch Inked Gaming from a welcome pop up to an exit-intent pop up.*
Presenting an offer as soon as a customer lands on the homepage doesn't give them time to discover what you sell. It's also intrusive and rude because it abruptly interrupts their flow.
An exit-intent pop up, however, only steps in when a visitor is on their way out. They've had a chance to explore and they know what you're about.
Think of a welcome pop up as a pie thrown in your visitor's face, while an exit-intent pop up is an intriguing parting gift that might tickle their fancy and keep them with you longer. Timing and delivery are important.
*Exit-intent pop ups only trigger when a visitor shows signs of leaving the store. For example, by moving their cursor outside the browser window.
Why throw away margin?
Here's another reason to deliver lead capture offers as an exit-intent pop up: it saves you money.
By giving away 10% off in a welcome pop up to all new visitors, Inked Gaming was biting into their margin for every single first purchase.
But what about those visitors who don't price shop? Those who know what they want and are just trying to get their playmat? They don't need 10% off…
With Inked Gaming's offer as an exit-intent pop up, we are only giving away margin when needed.
If the visitor isn't ready to buy, is about to leave and potentially never come back, that's when we tempt them with a sweet deal.
What does a gamer really really want?
Who is your ideal customer? And what can we offer that they will find irresistible? These are two crucial questions to consider when drafting a lead capture offer.
Generally speaking, the more tangible the offer, the better.
For example, a free product or highly relevant tips will be more tangible than 10% off. The visitor should be able to see herself using the offer. (That's not to say that a discount is always wrong - in some cases, that's what the audience is craving.)
With this in mind, we decided that Inked Gaming's ideal customer would love receiving a free token card. They would instantly picture themselves playing it during their next round of Magic the Gathering.
Creating intrigue to get a click.
When you receive a gift, it's typically gift-wrapped... Why? Seems like a pretty huge waste of paper and time. Well, the fact is, presentation is key because we like intrigue and games.
The same goes for these pop ups.
Check out the Inked Gaming pop up below. This first screen reads:
Which token do you prefer? - Click one to add it to your collection for free
Asking a question is much more intriguing than making a statement (eg. "Here's a free token"). It engages visitors by asking for their preference, and draws them in.
We're also turning the experience into a game by having visitors pick between two options. They're now a key player and they have a choice to make.
The conversation becomes fun and interactive.
No strings attached… yet 🤫
As you can see in the image above, we show the email field on the second screen, rather than the first. There's a deliberate reason for that.
Our initial goal is for the visitor to make a micro-commitment. We want them to decide which token they'd like as a gift. And to picture themselves receiving it.
By having them actively click on their selection, we increase their motivation to follow through once we ask for their email in return.
Most lead capture systems highlight the "ask." They start by asking visitors to "subscribe" and they show off an email entry field immediately.
Instead, Inked Gaming's new pop up doesn't make any requests upfront. It starts by showcasing relevant value only. We don't muddy the viewer's decision-making by showing an email field next to their gift.
The Bottom Line (and a bonus!)
As a reminder, Inked Gaming's original "Welcome 10% off" pop up captured 0.23% of traffic. Switching to this more relevant yet less aggressive offer boosted that rate to 1.89%.
And we haven't even told you the best part yet!
Inked gaming used to give away 10% off. Let's say they have an average order value of around $50. They were, hence, giving away $5 with every first purchase.
Now, Inked Gaming is giving away a token card sold for $1 on their store.
You see where we're going with this? They capture more traffic, this traffic is more relevant since they're on their way out and need an offer, AND the cost per acquisition is five times less.
How can you do the same?
By being thoughtful, we're able to better connect with Inked Gaming's audience.
We present them with something relevant. We turn it into a fun interaction. And we prove that we care enough to make an effort.
Every audience has different needs and wants. So does yours.
Don't simply copy/paste what you see in other stores; try to empathize with your visitors. Understand who they are and what will add value to their experience with your store.
You'll increase your capture rate and, most likely, also increase loyalty and customer lifetime value.
