Category: Case Study

Have you ever heard that a smile can take you a long way? Charisma and body language are present in everyday interactions, and play an important role in convincing or persuading others. The best sales people are those who provide a personalized and relatable experience to their customers, creating a connection and hopefully cultivating a new bond.

The changing media landscape spawned fledgling business models and underscores the need for news organizations to monetize their website traffic. So it's no surprise they often use popovers to convert readers into subscribers. In this blog post, we examine the popover techniques and Persuasive Free Offers (PFOs) utilized by CNN, the New York Times, and The Guardian.

The Time Doctor website asks visitors simple questions (1 & 2). The questions are designed to be answered affirmatively, which leads the user to an invitation to try Time Doctor’s software for free (3). If the user accepts it, the following popovers ask for more information (4) and to start installation (5).

Upon opening ESPN.com, a popover advertising products from Home Depot takes over about one third of the page (1a). The ad contains a "close" option in the top right corner, but it recedes to a horizontal banner format within a few seconds (1b). The message in the popover is reinforced by two vertical banners (2) and a rectangular ad further down the page (3).