By delaying the appearance of the close (“X”) button on the popup teaser step by 2-seconds, we believed we could give users a moment to fully absorb the offer. This would likely increase the likelihood of opt-in for both email and SMS.

An A/B test was conducted across several brands’ website popups to measure the impact of a delayed close button. Two versions were tested:

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Visitors were randomly split into two groups:

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• One group saw the default popup with an instant visible close button.
• The other saw a version where the close button was hidden for the first 2-seconds, giving the message a chance to land first.

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Key metrics tracked:

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• Email Conversion Rate – % of visitors who submitted their email
• SMS Conversion Rate – % of visitors who submitted their phone number

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Conversion rates were calculated as the number of opt-ins divided by total popup impressions.

The variant outperformed the control in most cases:

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While one brand saw a slight dip, the majority experienced clear gains.

Delaying the close button by 2-seconds resulted in higher conversion rates for most brands, particularly in SMS signups. Giving the popup a moment to breathe before offering an exit seemed to hold user attention just long enough to nudge more people toward engagement. The takeaway: subtle friction, like a brief delay, can be a powerful behavioral nudge. In the right context, a tiny pause delivers a meaningful lift.