By delaying the appearance of the close (“X”) button on the popup teaser step by 4-seconds, we believed we could further increase message exposure. Allowing users more time to read and consider the offer before exiting, ultimately improving both email and SMS opt-in rates.

An A/B test was conducted across multiple brands’ website popups to evaluate the effect of extending the delay before showing the close button. Two versions were tested:

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Site visitors were randomly assigned to one of two experiences:

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• The control group saw the teaser with the close button immediately visible.
• The variant group experienced a popup where the close button was hidden for the first 4-seconds.

Key performance indicators:

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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 by dividing opt-ins by total popup impressions.

The delayed close variant outperformed the control across every tested brand:

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Every email and SMS channel saw either a lift or neutral result, with no declines recorded.

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Delaying the close button by 4-seconds consistently boosted performance across all brands. The extended pause gave users more uninterrupted time to consider the offer, resulting in higher engagement and conversion rates. The results support the idea that small, intentional friction, when used strategically, can lead to meaningful gains. For brands looking to increase opt-ins without redesigning the entire popup experience, this is a low-effort, high-impact lever worth pulling.