Many of the Popups, modals or emerging windows that are included in digital products tend to interrupt users at the moment they are executing a specific task that is important to them.
As a general rule, in the Popups and modals do not usually like users test participants. It generates some frustration and a bad experience.
Differences between Popup and Modal
An emerging window, Popup or modal, is an element or component that appears on the content of the page or screen that is being displayed.
They can be classified whether or not the user can interact with the rest of the page or screen in:
- Manners: The content of the page or screen will be disabled until the user explicitly interacts with the modal.
- modeless: Users can interact with the background content of the page or screen while the modal is visible. For example, they will be able to touch or click buttons or links.
If the background is faded:
- If the background is dimmed, the component is called a lightbox or Lightbox.
- If you don’t have dimmed backgroundis not usually named in any particular way.
In terms of popup anatomy, modal overlays turn off all background content, modeless overlays preserve users’ ability to interact with background content, and lightboxes dim background content.
Factors to consider when using a Popup or modal
Nielsen Norman, in a , detects several problems and provides solutions to each of them, among which it is important to highlight the following:
1. Don’t show the Popup or modal before the page content has loaded
Regardless of the type of element or component to be used, the Popup or modal should not be displayed before the content of the page or background screen has loaded.
By doing this, visiting users will not be able to get the value of the website or application.
It is very intrusive for users as they are interrupted even before they land on the page or screen.
Ideally, before intercepting the user with a modal to request their email or any other data, it is better to give value to visitors and communicate the advantages of filling in the modal fields and granting them that information.
The only example or acceptable case in which to display a modal before loading the content of the page would be the element or component that is intended for the acceptance or configuration of cookies.
2. Show a modal or Popup right after a user Logins
A pop-up window that is shown to a user as soon as they log in has a good chance of being closed.
When a user logs in, they generally want to execute a specific task, if they are interrupted with a modal or Popup, they are likely to abandon the task or close the element or component.
It is better to give users enough time to complete tasks and not show pop-ups right after login. You have to allow a little time to pass before hitting them with a Popup or a modal and give them time to execute their tasks.
If you have to show information about new features, it is better to do it with an Overlay that is not so annoying.
3. Solicit comments, opinions or Feedback before people have done something significant
Some websites and applications tend to present modals or Popups requesting feedback immediately in the hope that they will provide a high score and then continue with their tasks.
Soliciting feedback too soon risks missing it when it matters most.
It’s best to ask or request users to provide feedback immediately after they’ve completed a major task on the website or app.
4. Show multiple popups one after another
Displaying multiple Popups on top of each other makes the App or website look unprofessional, anxious and unorganized. It will cause users to feel overwhelmed by too many hits and waste time closing each one.
If it is necessary to show an error and how to fix it or critical information it is better not to use modals as users tend to close them without reading them.
Placing a message at the top of the screen helps a lot to display this type of information and is more likely to be read by users.
5. Prohibit access to content through a modal
This is often widely used in periodicals. In this type of sites, it is common to see how a Popup is launched to request the subscription to be able to read the complete article.
This type of modal conditions the access to the content of the site. They tend to decrease the credibility and trust of users with the website or application.
For users it is better to allow them to consume the content immediately, without interruptions. If, for example, you want to ask them to subscribe to a newsletter, it is better to use an Overlay at the top or bottom that can be closed easily, without blocking the main task of consuming information.
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