40 Welcome Message Examples for Your Website (Copy and Paste)
40 website welcome message examples for online stores, grouped by situation and industry, ready to copy into a welcome popup.
In this article
In short
Good popup design makes one offer obvious: a clear headline, one image, as few fields as possible and an easy way to close. This guide groups 50+ popup ideas by the moment they appear (first visit, product page, cart, exit, returning visitors, seasonal sales and gamified popups), explains 10 examples from the OptiMonk Popup Library, and covers mobile design and which offer to use.
The best popup designs do one thing: they make a single offer obvious. A clear headline with the benefit, one image, as few fields as possible, a high-contrast button and an easy way to close. Below are 50+ popup design ideas from online stores, grouped by the moment they appear, with why each one works.
Use them as inspiration, then turn your favorite into a popup for your own store.
Popup design ideas by moment
A popup that works on a first visit looks different from one that saves a cart. Here are the ideas grouped by when they appear. Every example comes from the OptiMonk popup library.
1. First visit: welcome popups
The job: turn a new visitor into a subscriber with one simple offer.
What works:
- The offer in the headline ("10% off your first order")
- One field (email), with the phone number on a second step
- A product or lifestyle photo, not an abstract graphic
More examples: welcome popups or email popup examples
2. Product page: nudge the decision
The job: help a hesitating shopper choose, without hiding the product.
What works:
- Social proof (reviews, ratings) or a reason to buy now
- A recommendation ("Customers also bought…") instead of a discount
- A smaller format that doesn't cover the add-to-cart button
3. Cart: save the sale
The job: stop a shopper with items in the cart from leaving.
What works:
- Show what's in the cart, or how close they are to free shipping
- A limited-time code with a countdown
- A code that applies itself at checkout
More: cart abandonment popup examples
4. Exit: the last chance
The job: give a visitor who is leaving one reason to stay.
What works:
- A short, direct headline ("Leaving already?")
- A different offer from the welcome popup, such as a gift or free shipping
- An easy "No thanks" that doesn't guilt-trip
More: exit-intent popup examples
5. Returning visitors: welcome them back
The job: recognize people who have been here before.
What works:
- "Welcome back" copy and recently viewed products
- No signup popup for people who already subscribed
- A loyalty or early-access offer for repeat customers
6. Seasonal: holidays and sales
The job: make a sale feel like an event.
What works:
- Seasonal colors and imagery, used sparingly
- A real deadline
- One offer, repeated on every channel
More: Black Friday marketing
7. Gamified: lucky wheels and scratch cards
The job: turn a discount into a moment people want to take part in.
What works:
- Prizes you're happy to give (every slice of the wheel is a real prize)
- A clear "spin to win" call to action
- Collecting the email before the spin, not after
More: gamified popups
10 best popup design examples, explained
These ten popups come from the OptiMonk Popup Library. Each one was designed by OptiMonk's agent for a real store's brand.
For each, note the goal, the offer and the design choice that makes it work, then open it to build your own version.
1. Bark: a free gift instead of a discount
- Goal: turn new dog owners into subscribers
- Offer: free toys for a year with a subscription
- Why it works: a gift the dog will enjoy feels more generous than a percentage off, and the puppy photo does the selling. Even the dismiss link (“No thanks, my dog has enough toys”) stays in the brand's playful voice.
2. Red Bull Shop: type only, no photo
- Goal: welcome new visitors with a discount
- Offer: 10% off
- Why it works: with no image, the offer is the design. The huge headline reads in a second, and the red button is the only other thing that stands out.
3. The Body Shop: sell the routine, not one product
- Goal: raise the order value on the product page
- Offer: 15% off a three-product routine
- Why it works: three products side by side show what “the full set” means, and the button adds them straight to the bag, with no form in the way.
4. Fenty Skin: a quiz that recommends a routine
- Goal: help new visitors find the right products, and collect emails
- Offer: a personalized skincare routine
- Why it works: one question with four answers is quick to finish, and the visitor gets something useful back: a routine that fits their skin.
5. Elbenwald: cart recovery in the brand's own story
- Goal: bring shoppers back to their cart
- Offer: none, just a reminder
- Why it works: “My Precious… Cart” speaks to Tolkien fans in their own language, so the reminder feels like part of the story. No discount means no lost margin, and shoppers don't learn to wait for a code.
6. waterdrop: a free guide instead of a code
- Goal: capture emails from visitors who are leaving
- Offer: a free expert guide to hydration
- Why it works: not every exit popup needs a discount. A useful guide attracts people who care about the topic, and it costs nothing per signup.
7. Tropicfeel: early access with a countdown
- Goal: turn visitors who are leaving into an early-access list
- Offer: first access to a new travel kit
- Why it works: “Access granted to the few” makes signing up feel exclusive, and the live timer gives a reason to do it now.
8. Liquid Death: pre-orders for a new flavor
- Goal: collect pre-orders before launch
- Offer: early access to a new flavor
- Why it works: the irreverent copy (“Pre-order now or die of regret”) could only be this brand's, and the dark, high-contrast design makes the launch feel like an event.
9. Pandora: Black Friday with a countdown
- Goal: drive sales during Black Friday
- Offer: the Black Friday sale on the whole collection
- Why it works: the countdown turns Black Friday into a deadline, and the dark, gold design keeps the sale feeling premium rather than cheap.
10. CeraVe: spin for samples, not just discounts
- Goal: grow the email list with a game
- Offer: a chance to win a free sample or a full-size kit
- Why it works: product prizes put CeraVe in people's hands instead of cutting prices, and every slice of the wheel is a real prize.
What every great popup design has
Looking across the examples, the same six elements show up again and again:
- A clear call to action: one button, with words that describe the result ("Get my 10% off").
- Compelling copy: short, specific, in the brand's own voice.
- A motivating offer: a discount, a gift, free shipping or something exclusive.
- One strong visual: a product or the benefit, not decoration.
- User-friendly design: an obvious close button, few fields, readable on a phone.
- The right moment: the trigger fits the goal (welcome on arrival, saver on exit).
For the principles in depth, see popup design best practices.
Mobile popup design
Most store traffic comes from phones, so design the mobile version first, not last.
- Smaller and simpler: a short headline, one field, one button.
- Easy to close: a large close button in a corner your thumb can reach.
- Never cover the add-to-cart button.
- Time it with care: don't cover the whole screen the moment someone arrives from search. Google advises against interstitials that hide the entire page; a delay, scroll trigger or exit intent avoids the problem.
OptiMonk's agent designs a separate mobile version of every popup, so the phone layout isn't just a shrunk desktop design.
Which offer to put in your popup
The design draws the eye; the offer makes people act. Here's when each common offer fits.
| Offer | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| % discount (e.g. 10% off) | First orders, broad audiences | Training shoppers to wait for codes |
| Free shipping | Stores where shipping cost causes cart abandonment | Low-value orders that become unprofitable |
| Free gift | Premium brands that don't want to discount | Gifts people don't value |
| Mystery or gamified prize | Curiosity, higher signup rates | Prizes that cost more than they earn |
| Exclusive access | Loyal customers, launches, sales | Needs a real benefit behind it |
Not sure which one wins for your store? Run an A/B test. For a worked example of discount vs free shipping vs a gift, see how deep should you discount.
Turn an idea into your own popup
Found a design you like? You don't need a template or a designer to make your own version.
- Describe it: "An exit-intent popup like waterdrop's, offering a free guide for an email address."
- Pick a concept: the agent draws four concepts for your brand. Pick one, or two to A/B test.
- Set who sees it and when, then build it and put it live.
Browse more finished designs in the popup library.
Popup design FAQ
What size should a popup be?
Big enough to read at a glance, small enough to see the page behind it. On desktop, a centered popup usually takes up a third to a half of the screen; on mobile, keep it to the lower part of the screen or a compact centered box, with a large close button.
When should a popup appear?
It depends on the goal: a welcome popup after a few seconds or some scrolling, a cart saver on exit intent, a product nudge after a visitor has viewed a product for a while. Avoid showing anything the moment someone lands from search on mobile.
How many form fields should a popup have?
As few as possible: usually one (email). If you want more, such as a phone number or a preference, ask on a second step after the first conversion.
Do popups hurt SEO?
Not if they don't hide the whole page. Google advises against interstitials that cover the entire page or redirect visitors elsewhere. Timed, scroll-triggered and exit-intent popups avoid this.
How do I make a popup match my brand?
Use your brand colors, fonts and tone of voice, and a photo from your own store. OptiMonk's agent reads your brand when it designs the concepts, so the result starts on brand.
Create your popup
Pick an idea from this page, describe it in a sentence, and put it live today.
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