Skill: leooooooow/exit-intent (version 1.1.0)

--- name: Exit Intent description: Design exit-intent popup strategies for ecommerce sites including trigger rules, offer types, copy variants, and A/B testing plans that recover leaving visitors without degrading UX or brand perception. --- # Exit Intent This skill designs end-to-end exit-intent popup strategies for ecommerce stores — deciding when to fire, what to offer, what copy and creative to show, and how to measure lift — so that recovery offers catch abandoning visitors without interrupting the ones who are still shopping or ready to check out. ## Quick Reference | Decision | Strong | Acceptable | Weak| |---|---|---|---| | Trigger timing | Fire only after 15s+ on page AND cursor leaves viewport toward browser chrome | Fire on scroll-up past 60% of page | Fire immediately on page load or after < 5s | | Offer type | Tiered by cart value (% off high carts, free shipping low carts) | Single universal discount code | Generic "Don't leave!" with no incentive | | Copy length | Headline ≥ 8 words + 1-line value prop + single CTA | Headline + short paragraph + CTA | Wall of text with multiple competing CTAs | | Mobile handling | Slide-up drawer triggered by back-button or tab-switch, respects scroll | Smaller modal with close button at top | Full-screen overlay blocking content, no close affordance | | Frequency cap | 1 show per session, s-day cookie cooldown | 1 show per session, no cross-session memory | Shows on every page, no cap | | A/B test design | Sequential test: trigger → offer → copy → creative, 1 variable at a time | Multivariate test with interaction analysis | Change everything at once with no control | | SEO / CWV safety | Lazy-load popup JS, < 20 KB, no layout shift, defer until after LCP | Popup JS in main bundle but < 50 KB | Large third-party script blocking render, CLS > 0.1 | | Close behavior | Visible X button + click-outside-to-close + Esc key | Visible X button only | No close mechanism or hidden close button | ## Solves 1. **High cart abandonment with no recovery system** — stores losing 60-80% of carts with no popup or only a generic browser-default prompt. 2. **Popups that annoy engaged shoppers** — exit overlays firing too early, on wrong pages, or for users who are actively browsing or already at checkout. 3. **Weak or generic popup copy** — "Wait! Don't leave!" headlines that fail to provide a compelling reason to stay or convert. 4. **No offer strategy by visitor segment** — same 10%-off code for a first-time visitor with a $20 cart and a returning customer with $300 in cart. 5. **Mobile popup compliance gaps** — overlays violating Google's interstitial guidelines, breaking mobile UX, or failing to display correctly on small screens. 6. **Unmeasured popup impact** — no A/B testing, no control group, no tracking of incremental revenue vs. margin erosion from discounts. 7. **Brand and trust damage** — aggressive popup patterns (multiple overlays, fake urgency timers, dark-pattern close buttons) that erode brand trust over time. ## Workflow ### Step 1 — Audit Current State Collect baseline metrics before designing the strategy: - Current desktop and mobile bounce rates by page type (home, collection, product, cart, checkout) - Cart abandonment rate (carts created vs. orders completed) - Existing popup tools in use (Privy, Justuno, OptinMonster, Klaviyo forms, native Shopify) - Google Search Console Core Web Vitals status (especially CLS and INP) - Current popup frequency and trigger rules if any exist - Revenue per session and average order value for context on offer sizing Deliverable: Baseline metrics snapshot with annotated problem areas. ### Step 2 — Define Trigger Rules Design trigger conditions that balance recovery rate with UX: **Desktop triggers (use AND logic):** - Time on page ≥ 15 seconds (proves engagement before interrupting) - Cursor exits viewport toward top of screen (true exit signal) - Page type is product or cart (highest-intent pages) - User has NOT already seen popup this session - User has NOT completed a purchase in the last 30 days **Mobile triggers (use OR logic since no cursor):** - Back button or navigation-away gesture detected - Browser tab switch after 30s+ on site - Scroll-to-top after reaching 70%+ page depth (intent reversal signal) **Exclusions (never show):** - User is mid-checkout (past shipping step) - User arrived via email campaign with existing discount - User has active discount code in cart - User dismissed popup within last 72 hours Deliverable: Trigger rules matrix with conditions, logic operators, and exclusion list. ### Step 3 — Design Offer Tiers Create segmented offers based on cart value and visitor type: | Segment | Cart Value | Visitor Type | Offer | Rationale | |---|---|---|---|---| | High-value abandoner | > $150 | Any | 10% off or free express shipping | Protect margin, high motivation to convert | | Mid-value abandoner | $50-150 | Returning | Free standard shipping | Familiar with brand, shipping cost is friction | | Mid-value abandoner | $50-150 | New | 15% off first order | Acquisition cost justifies deeper discount | | Low-value browser | < $50 | Any | Email signup for 10% future discount | Build list, don't discount low-margin orders | | Cart page abandoner | Any | Any | Cart reminder + urgency (stock/price) | No discount needed — just remove friction | Deliverable: Offer tier matrix with segment definitions, offer values, and margin impact estimates. ### Step 4 — Write Copy Variants Create 3 copy variants per offer tier for A/B testing: **Structure for each variant:** - Headline (≤ 8 words, benefit-led or curiosity-driven) - Subheadline (1 line, specifics of the offer) - CTA button text (action verb + benefit) - Dismissal text (low-pressure, no guilt) **Copy principles:** - Lead with what they GET, not what they're LOSING - Use specific numbers ("15% off" not "a special discount") - CTA should complete the sentence "I want to..." - Dismissal text should be neutral ("No thanks, I'll pay full price" not "No, I hate saving money") Deliverable: Copy matrix with 3 variants per tier, each with headline, subheadline, CTA, and dismiss text. ### Step 5 — Specify Creative and Layout Define visual specifications for the popup: - **Format:** Centered modal on desktop (max 500px wide), bottom slide-up drawer on mobile (max 40% viewport height) - **Visual hierarchy:** Headline → product image or lifestyle shot → offer details → CTA button → dismiss link - **Colors:** CTA button uses brand primary, background uses white or light neutral, text uses brand dark - **Animation:** Fade-in with subtle scale (200ms ease-out), no bounce or shake effects - **Close affordance:** X button top-right (min 44px touch target), click-outside-to-close, Esc key support - **Accessibility:** Focus trap within modal, aria-modal="true", role="dialog", aria-labelledby pointing to headline Deliverable: Creative spec document with wireframe, color tokens, animation timing, and accessibility requirements. ### Step 6 — Build A/B Testing Plan Design sequential tests to isolate each variable: **Test 1 — Trigger sensitivity (Week 1-2):** - Control: No popup - Variant A: Trigger at 15s + cursor exit - Variant B: Trigger at 30s + cursor exit - Primary metric: Incremental revenue per session - Guardrail: Bounce rate increase < 2pp **Test 2 — Offer type (Week 3-4):** - Use winning trigger from Test 1 - Control: Free shipping - Variant A: Percentage discount - Variant B: Dollar-off discount - Primary metric: Popup conversion rate - Guardrail: Gross margin per converted session **Test 3 — Copy and creative (Week 5-6):** - Use winning trigger + offer - Test 3 headline/CTA combinations - Primary metric: Popup click-through rate - Guardrail: Overall site conversion rate **Statistical requirements:** - Minimum 1,000 popup impressions per variant - 95% confidence level, 80% power - Run each test for minimum 2 full business cycles (14 days) Deliverable: A/B test roadmap with timeline, variants, metrics, sample sizes, and decision criteria. ### Step 7 — Monitor and Iterate Set up ongoing monitoring dashboards and iteration cycles: - **Daily:** Popup impression count, CTR, conversion rate, revenue attributed - **Weekly:** Compare test variant performance, check guardrail metrics - **Monthly:** Review offer margin impact, update copy for seasonal relevance, check CWV scores - **Quarterly:** Full strategy review — retire underperforming variants, test new offer structures Deliverable: Monitoring dashboard spec with KPIs, alert thresholds, and review cadence. ## Examples ### Example 1 — DTC Skincare Brand ($85 AOV, 72% Cart Abandonment) **Input:** "We sell premium skincare DTC on Shopify. AOV is $85, cart abandonment is 72%. We have no exit popups. Our margins are 65%. We get 40K monthly sessions, 60% mobile." **Audit findings:** - No existing popup infrastructure - Desktop bounce rate: 48% (acceptable), Mobile: 61% (high) - Cart page drop-off: 38% of users who add to cart never reach checkout - CWV scores: All green (LCP 1.8s, CLS 0.02, INP 120ms) - No existing email popup or discount system **Trigger rules designed:** - Desktop: Time on page ≥ 20s AND cursor exit toward top AND page is product or cart AND no popup shown this session AND no purchase in 30 days - Mobile: Back-button gesture after 25s+ on product page OR tab-switch from cart page - Exclusions: Checkout pages, users with active promo code, users who dismissed within 72h, users arriving from Klaviyo email links **Offer tiers:** | Segment | Trigger Page | Offer | Expected Margin Impact | |---|---|---|---| | Cart > $100 | Cart page | Free express upgrade (normally $12) | -$12/order, ~14% conversion lift | | Cart $50-100 | Cart page | 10% off | -$7.25/order avg, ~18% conversion lift | | No cart, browsing | Product page | Join VIP list → 15% first order | $0 immediate, builds email list | **Copy variant A (winning):** - Headline: "Your cart is waiting" - Subheadline: "Complete your order in the next 15 minutes and get free express shipping" - CTA: "Upgrade My Shipping — Free" - Dismiss: "No thanks, standard shipping is fine" **Results after 6 weeks:** - Popup impression rate: 12% of sessions (correctly filtered) - Popup CTR: 8.4% - Incremental revenue: $18,200/month - Cart abandonment: 72% → 64% - CWV impact: None (popup JS: 14KB, lazy-loaded) ### Example 2 — Electronics Accessories Store ($42 AOV, High Mobile Traffic) **Input:** "We sell phone cases and accessories on WooCommerce. AOV is $42, margins are 45%. 78% mobile traffic. We tried a popup before but it hurt our Google rankings." **Audit findings:** - Previous popup was a full-screen interstitial on mobile (violates Google guidelines) - CLS jumped to 0.18 when popup was active (failing CWV threshold) - Desktop bounce: 52%, Mobile bounce: 67% - Cart abandonment: 68% - Previous popup had no frequency cap — showed on every page load **Trigger rules designed:** - Desktop: Time ≥ 15s AND cursor exit AND product or cart page AND session popup count = 0 - Mobile: NO full-screen overlay. Instead: sticky bottom bar (non-intrusive) that appears after 30s on product page, collapses to icon after 5s if not engaged - Exclusions: Checkout, returning purchasers within 14 days, users who clicked dismiss, search-engine bot user agents **Mobile-specific design:** - Format: Bottom sheet, 30% viewport height, slides up with 250ms ease - Does NOT cover main content — user can continue scrolling - Complies with Google's mobile interstitial guidelines (not penalized) - Touch target: 48px minimum for CTA and close **Offer strategy (low margins require caution):** | Segment | Offer | Margin Impact | |---|---|---| | Cart > $60 | Free shipping ($5.99 value) | -$5.99/order, justified by higher AOV | | Cart $25-60 | "Add $X more for free shipping" progress bar | $0 cost, increases AOV | | Browsing, no cart | "Get notified when this drops in price" email capture | $0 cost, builds list | **Copy variant B (winning):** - Headline: "Free shipping unlocked" - Subheadline: "Your cart qualifies — checkout now to lock it in" - CTA: "Checkout with Free Shipping" - Dismiss: "Maybe later" **Results after 4 weeks:** - Mobile bounce rate: 67% → 63% - CWV: CLS back to 0.03 (green), no ranking impact - Popup engagement: 6.2% CTR - Incremental revenue: $4,800/month - AOV lift: $42 → $47 (from "add more for free shipping" bar) ## Common Mistakes 1. **Firing popups too early** — Showing an exit popup within 5 seconds tells the visitor you expect them to leave. Wait at least 15 seconds to ensure they've had time to engage with the page content. 2. **Using full-screen interstitials on mobile** — Google penalizes intrusive interstitials on mobile in search rankings. Use bottom sheets, slide-up drawers, or sticky bars instead of overlays that cover the main content. 3. **Offering the same discount to every visitor** — A blanket 15%-off code trains all visitors to expect discounts and erodes margins. Segment offers by cart value, visitor type, and page context. 4. **No frequency cap** — Showing the popup on every page visit creates popup fatigue and actively pushes visitors away. Cap to 1 impression per session with a 72-hour cross-session cooldown. 5. **Testing everything at once** — Changing the trigger, offer, copy, and design simultaneously makes it impossible to know what drove the result. Test one variable at a time in sequential experiments. 6. **Ignoring Core Web Vitals impact** — Heavy popup scripts, layout shifts from overlay rendering, and render-blocking CSS can tank CWV scores. Lazy-load popup code, keep the bundle under 20KB, and ensure zero CLS. 7. **Dark-pattern dismiss buttons** — Tiny close buttons, guilt-trip dismissal copy ("No, I hate saving money"), or fake countdown timers damage brand trust and may violate consumer protection regulations in some jurisdictions. 8. **Not measuring incrementality** — Tracking popup conversion rate without a holdout control group overstates impact. Many popup converters would have purchased anyway. Always run with a no-popup control to measure true incremental revenue. 9. **Showing popups to returning purchasers** — A customer who bought last week doesn't need a discount popup. Exclude recent purchasers and let loyalty programs handle retention offers. 10. **Forgetting accessibility** — Popups without focus trapping, keyboard navigation, screen-reader labels, or sufficient color contrast exclude users and may create legal liability under ADA/WCAG requirements. ## Resources - [Output Template](references/output-template.md) — Structured template for the complete exit-intent strategy deliverable - [Trigger Rules Guide](references/trigger-rules-guide.md) — Deep-dive into trigger logic, device-specific patterns, and exclusion rules - [Offer Strategy Guide](references/offer-strategy-guide.md) — Frameworks for segmenting offers by visitor behavior and cart context - [Quality Checklist](assets/quality-checklist.md) — Pre-launch checklist covering UX, compliance, performance, and measurement


Security scan verdicts — ClawScan: clean | static analysis: clean | VirusTotal: clean | SkillSpector: clean (LOW)