Exit Intent
Last updated: March 2025
Definition
Detecting when someone is about to leave your page and triggering a last-chance offer. Usually a popup that fires when the cursor moves toward the browser's close button. It's a recovery mechanism for traffic you already paid for and are about to lose.
Why It Matters
Most visitors leave without converting. Exit intent captures a percentage of those would-be losses with a targeted offer. It's not about annoying people. Done right, it's a relevant second chance that converts 2-5% of abandoning visitors into leads or buyers.
How to Improve
- Offer something different from your main CTA. If the page asks for a purchase, the exit offer should be a free resource.
- Keep the popup copy to one sentence plus a CTA. Nobody reads a paragraph when they're already leaving.
- Only fire once per session. Repeated popups train people to close them reflexively.
- Mobile doesn't have cursor movement. Use scroll-depth or time-on-page triggers instead.