Ecommerce Popup Benchmarks: Q3 Data to Power Your Black Friday Campaigns

November is peak traffic and conversion time for ecommerce. This report shares ecommerce popup benchmarks based on 84M popup sessions and shows which tactics work best ahead of Black Friday.

Key Ecommerce Benchmarks

Sessions

Our data shows that November is the busiest month of the year for ecommerce popups. Popup sessions spike with a 39% increase compared to the average month, giving brands more opportunities to capture subscribers and drive sales.

Sessions by device

67% of all popup sessions in November happen on mobile, while desktop accounts for just 33%. Most Black Friday visitors will engage with your campaigns on their phones, which makes mobile-first optimization essential.

Subscriber growth

List growth also peaks in November. Our data shows that ecommerce brands collect 52.5% more subscribers compared to an average month, proving that visitors are more willing to exchange their email for the right incentive during this season.

Conversion rate

The average popup conversion rate across all campaign types is 4.13% across the year. In November it jumps to 9.3%, which means popups perform 125% better during this month, making it one of the strongest periods of the year for campaign performance.

Conversion rate by device

Mobile campaigns convert 47.2% higher than desktop. Since mobile is also where most traffic comes from, optimizing for mobile-first is one of the fastest ways to improve results.

Takeaway

November brings more traffic, more subscribers, and higher conversions, especially on mobile. Ecommerce brands that prioritize mobile-first campaigns and list growth during this month set themselves up for the strongest Black Friday results. For more insights on what drives performance, explore our Popup Statistics Report.

What Works in Black Friday Campaigns

Not all popups are created equal. In November, three tactics consistently stand out for ecommerce brands preparing for Black Friday.

Use Urgency to Drive Action

Campaigns with a countdown timer perform better than those without. Shoppers know Black Friday deals are limited, and urgency reinforces that feeling. Add a timer to show when your sale starts, when it ends, or how long a free gift will be available. The clearer the deadline, the faster visitors act.

Build Your List Early With Exclusive Access

Early access popups invite visitors to subscribe before Black Friday to unlock deals first. These campaigns are highly effective for growing your list ahead of the sales period while rewarding loyal customers with exclusivity. By the time your offers go live, you’ll already have a warm audience ready to shop.

Add Gamification to Boost Signups

Gamified popups like Spin to Win convert 132% better than a classic email popup. They work because they make subscribing feel fun instead of a chore. During Black Friday, when competition for attention is high, gamification is a proven way to capture more leads.

Takeaway

Urgency turns interest into action, early access builds your list before the rush, and gamification boosts signups. These three tactics give ecommerce brands a strong foundation for Black Friday success.

Incentives That Convert

The right incentive can make the difference between a visitor ignoring your popup and one who subscribes. Looking at the best-performing ecommerce campaigns in November, five incentives stood out:

• Discounts
• Early Access
• Giveaways
• Gift Cards
• Free Shipping

Discounts Drive Volume

Discounts were the most popular incentive, used in one out of five campaigns. The sweet spot for list growth was 15%, which delivered the strongest conversion rates. Smaller discounts didn’t create enough motivation, and bigger discounts didn’t improve results further.

Early Access Builds Your List Before Black Friday

Early access offers invite visitors to subscribe in exchange for being the first to shop your Black Friday deals. These campaigns converted at 15% in November and are one of the best ways to grow your list ahead of the sales period. They also make subscribers feel valued, giving them an extra reason to open your emails when the deals go live.

Giveaways Attract a Wider Audience

Giveaways converted at 20% and outperformed discounts. They appeal to both ready-to-buy customers and those still considering a purchase, making them ideal for list growth ahead of Black Friday.

Gift Cards Create Urgency or Broad Appeal

Gift cards were used in two ways. Some brands ran competitions where visitors could win a card to spend anytime, while others limited the card to Black Friday. Both outperformed discounts—the first appealed broadly, while the second created urgency to return during the sales.

Free Shipping Helps at Checkout

Free shipping wasn’t used as a standalone incentive in the best-performing campaigns. However, it played an important role in the basket by reducing cart abandonment and helping close sales.

Takeaway

Discounts dominate in popularity, but giveaways and gift cards deliver stronger conversion rates for list growth. Early access helps you grow your list before the sales begin, while free shipping supports the final purchase. Matching the right incentive to the visitor’s journey is key. For more inspiration, explore our Incentive Library for Black Friday.

Real Ecommerce Examples

Data is useful, but seeing how other ecommerce brands run their campaigns makes it easier to act. Below are three examples from November that show how different incentives and formats can deliver results.

Spin to Win

Conversion rate 24.27%

Ditur used a Spin to Win popup during Black November with a mix of incentives including discounts, free gifts and brand-specific offers. The gamified format made signing up fun and converted far higher than a classic email popup.

How you can copy it:

Add a Spin to Win popup with a mix of rewards to make subscribing feel exciting and engaging.

Last Chance

Conversion rate 12.76%

Shoe-d-vision created urgency at the end of Black Week with a clear “last chance” message guiding visitors to the best deals. A strong call to action turned urgency into results and kept shoppers from leaving without buying.

How you can copy it:

Use “last chance” messaging in the final days of your campaign to push visitors to act before the offer ends.

Limited Edition

Conversion rate 32.79%

Vissevasse offered a limited edition poster as a free gift with every order. The exclusivity of a product only available during Black Friday created strong engagement and delivered one of the highest conversion rates.

How you can copy it:

Offer a limited edition product or gift that shoppers can only get during your Black Friday campaign.

Takeaway

The best performing campaigns combine creativity with a clear incentive. Gamification makes subscribing fun, urgency pushes shoppers to act and exclusivity creates loyalty. Test different approaches and see what resonates with your audience. For more inspiration, explore our Black Friday Use Cases.

Ecommerce Action Plan for Black Friday

The data is clear. November is the best time to grow your list and convert more visitors. Here is a simple five-step plan to prepare your campaigns for Black Friday.

1. Build your list before Black Friday
   Do not wait until the sales start. Launch your list-building popup in early November so you already have an engaged audience when your offers go live.
2. Test your main Black Friday incentive
   Find out which incentive resonates best with your audience. Discounts, giveaways and gift cards all perform differently depending on your visitors.
3. Use urgency with teasers and countdowns
   Teasers catch attention and countdowns push action. Together they make sure visitors do not miss out.
4. Turn new customers into returning buyers
   On Black Friday you get 145% more new customers compared to an average day (Hello Retail). The challenge is not the first purchase, it is getting them back for the second and third. Collect their email and run a competition or give them a voucher for their next purchase to turn one-time shoppers into loyal customers.
5. Optimize for mobile first
   67% of Black Friday traffic comes from mobile and mobile converts 47% higher than desktop. Design your campaigns for mobile first to capture the majority of your visitors.

Takeaway

Your list is your biggest asset on Black Friday. Build it early, test your incentives, use urgency to drive action, and focus on turning first-time customers into loyal ones.

Final Takeaway

The November benchmarks show that this is the biggest month of the year for ecommerce. More traffic, more subscribers and higher conversions make it the best time to prepare your Black Friday campaigns.

Use urgency to drive action, early access to build your list before the rush and gamification to boost signups. Match the right incentive to your audience, learn from the best-performing campaigns and follow the Ecommerce Action Plan for Black Friday to set yourself up for success.

Ready to put the data into action? Try our ready-to-use ecommerce Black Friday templates in Sleeknote and launch your first campaign today.