(2024) Social Proof Popup Examples to Boost Conversions

As a business owner, you want to boost your conversions. And one of the best ways to do that is through social proof.

So you add a 5-star rating bar under your product headers, hope people notice, and call it a day.

But what if you could do more? What if you could start proactively garnering customer trust and influencing conversions? Good news: you can with social proof pop-ups.

At ProveSource, as we cover the following social proof pop-up examples in action, you’ll be inspired by all the creative ways brands flex their popularity to boost conversions and engage their audiences.

What is a social proof popup?

It may seem rather self-explanatory and straightforward. It’s a pop-up form containing social proof elements (like positive ratings) that prove your product or service is desirable and loved by your clients, so users feel more confident about their purchase, signup, or other action on the pop-up.

But after seeing some of the examples, you’ll discover that there are some creative opportunities to show that your product or service is in-demand without being as blunt.

And again, it all ties back to the simple idea:

If so many others like it, it must be good.

How social proof popups work to boost conversions?

Social proof popups work by showing what other people have been up to on your website. This could be customer reviews, ratings, or testimonials. When you put this info out there on your site, you’re telling potential customers that your business is legit and reliable.

Another way these popups boost conversions is by making things feel urgent. For example, you could pop up a message that says how many folks have recently bought a product or service. This creates a fear of missing out (FOMO), pushing people to act quickly and make a purchase.

Let’s get into the specific benefits of social proof pop-ups.

  • Validate your product or service. If you need to convince users that your offering is actually something they need, social proof pop-ups indicate that people just like them are buying, using, and enjoying your stuff – demonstrating your product-market fit.
  • You build authority. By showing visitors how many people choose you, you establish some credibility in the public eye and continue building upon it. The bigger your numbers grow, the more natural authority you build.
  • Increase conversions (e.g. sign-up rates). Your pop-up form’s ultimate goal may likely be to score a sign-up or a purchase, and the social proof element can influence a visitor in doing that since they’ll see you trustworthy enough to share their contact info or again, join the crowd.
  • Encourage word-of-mouth marketing. If you use attention-grabbing or wow-factor social proof statistics in your pop-up and other channels (e.g. how many lives you’ve changed, or a hyper-successful case study), then you’re opening yourself up to be raved about by the general public.

Types of social proof pop-up

  1. Streaming numbers (total page visits, conversions, real-time visitors) – mention Combo
  2. Bestsellers
  3. Reviews & testimonials
  4. Sold-out products
  5. Social Counter
  6. Show endorsements & media mentions

Now that you have the shortlist, we’re going to cover every item in the coming sections with leading social proof examples for each. Let’s go:

Grant 10X Cardone – Streaming the Numbers

Let’s talk about one of the most popular and successful types of social proof notifications: tracked-action numbers (e.g., live conversions, real-time visitors/sign-ups, total page visits, etc).

Why are these so effective? When it comes to social proof psychology, customers look to others for behavioral guidance when they’re uncertain about something (this goes for most situations even outside marketing).

So in real-time, you can nudge your on-the-fence customers to take the same action as fellow buyers (members of their community), like the master of sales does himself:

On one of his landing pages, Grant Cardone uses our social proof Counter to record and display his total book sales in the past 3 hours (you can set both the tracked action and time period to whatever you like).

That way, beginner-to-intermediate-level salespeople see that fellow professionals in their field are purchasing this book to get better at their craft. So in fear of getting left in the dust, they might be more inclined to also make the purchase and stay ahead.

So in this scenario, ProveSource’s notifications influence customers through FOMO.

Here’s another example from Woodmart that instead plays on social feedback toward a particular product:

Over here, they not only included purchases, but they’re tracking how many homeowners showed interest in the product too (by checking it out). A high number likely indicates that it’s collectively seen as attractive and desirable, so a customer can feel more confident in this new addition to their home and expect to receive positive feedback after buying it.

For this last example with Andrew Mellen, a widely-adored productivity expert and influencer, we’ll see how alongside FOMO and social interest, popup notifications can also provide a sense of comfort and communal belonging:

He was talking about people struggling with time management and organizing their day meaningfully. But after revealing the sheer amount of people looking for his help through the live social proof notifications, Andrew said he saw an increase in prospect signups because visitors were much more comfortable asking for help.

The Helm – Bestsellers

Your best-selling products are a creative way to flex your social proof. The title of “Bestseller” is like a stamp of great quality and high demand, telling customers that a product is well-loved and desirable.

They’re especially great for first-time visitors who may need a starting point amid the array of options on say an eCommerce store.

The Helm (leather bags and goods retailer) does it with their best-selling bags. There’s so much variety on their website, that a new buyer may feel lost with all the options in front of them. With this social proof popup, they’re shown the common picks that satisfy most customer needs.

The Gamesmen’s 83% Conversion Spike – Leveraging Reviews & Testimonial Notifications

We’ve established that live-streaming quantitative action metrics like purchases do incredibly well for conversion and click-through rates. But when it comes to giving a helpful opinion after using a product or service, qualitative product reviews and customer testimonials can touch customers on a more personal, relatable level.

Through product reviews and customer testimonials, users get to read relevant use-cases, imagine themselves using your offering, and start forming an overall opinion about your brand. In fact, 72% of customers won’t buy without reading reviews.

As a business, it can be smart to proactively display your best verified reviews at the forefront of the customer experience through social proof popups.

And that’s exactly what The Gamesmen did, Australia’s longest-running Video Game retailer since 1982.

By placing hyperlinks to their ‘Reviews & Testimonials’ page on their ProveSource notifications, The Gamesmen increased its page views ten fold. And the byproduct? Google Analytics reported that customers who viewed this page had 83% higher conversion rates.

Wayfair & ASOS – Re-engaging Customers With Sold-out Products

Sold-out products can suck. But looking at the glass half-full, it’s a clear indication that your product is in high demand – so much so that you went out of stock.

Like Wayfair, you have the option to handle the situation by either (a) promising a restock notification – a fantastic opportunity to ask for the customer’s email (but remember to ask for permission before sending other marketing material)…

…or (b) like ASOS, point them to another similar product to encourage a sale right now:

Once you see that a sold-out product essentially screams “I’m adored by the people!” without actually screaming it, it’s time to start turning this negative point into a lead-capturing social proof popup.

Nifty SEO trick: If you’re running an eCommerce or online marketplace business, do remember that pages with out-of-stock items can still rank for search. Make sure that you have killer SEO and conversion-optimized copy and a clear out-of-stock label so that it doesn’t annoy potential customers who may want to purchase that item once it’s available.

Social Counter

Need to promote your social channels from the website? Flex your online presence? ProveSource’s social counter allows business owners to show their number of followers, likes, or subscribers on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.

ProveSource: The #1 Social Proof Platform for Your Website

By seeing the numbers, users get a glimpse down another avenue of value, which is a community of like-minded individuals that they can engage with and relate to. That, in turn, fosters brand loyalty and continues to build your brand authority in the space – increasing a customer’s trust in you.

Partnerships with Influencers + Media Mentions

Associating your brand with the known players in your space upgrades your own credibility, invites audience cross-over for more exposure, and can even score you some meaningful endorsements that are there to stay, like at Martech.com.

pop-up ad example

They successfully capture marketing leads by inviting visitors to watch a webinar held by known Martech insiders Scott Brinker and Anand Thaker.

People may recognize Scott’s name from HubSpot, which of course is an industry authority when it comes to digital marketing. As a result of a phenomenon called the Halo effect, people may attribute HubSpot’s knowledge and authority to this conference, thus trusting it and being more likely to attend.

Media sites are also great because they’re often seen as credible sources of information – and some of that authority gets passed down to you (a plus from an SEO perspective too). So if you ever get a mention from their site, you could paraphrase it or add their logo to your social proof pop-ups for some added credibility.

The Power of Social Proof Notifications

Adding social proof notifications to a website holds remarkable power in shaping visitor perceptions and influencing their actions. By showcasing real-time activities such as customer reviews, ratings, or testimonials, these notifications build a sense of trust and credibility.

Potential customers are reassured by the positive experiences of others, enhancing the perceived reliability of the business. Moreover, social proof notifications create a dynamic and engaging user experience, providing evidence of the website’s popularity and relevance.

The impact is not only on trust-building but also on conversion rates, as these notifications instill a sense of urgency and FOMO (fear of missing out), encouraging visitors to take immediate action, whether it’s making a purchase, signing up, or engaging with the content. In essence, social proof notifications contribute significantly to cultivating a positive online environment that fosters trust, credibility, and prompts user engagement.

Start Using ProveSource to Increase Your Conversion Rates

Now that you know what goes into the best social proof popups, you can start implementing some of them easily with ProveSource’s social proof pop-up creator. You can add it to your website for free and start boosting conversions on autopilot.

Yosi Dahan
Co-founder & CEO at ProveSource
Thinking about new ways to help our customers grow their business, build trust with their website visitors and improve their conversions rates using social proof and psychological tactics.

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