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No pop-ups --> 10% as many people join our newsletter --> we can't track whether we are having any impact --> no donations --> website disappears.

I don't find the results that surprising, but many people do.

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Regardless of whether your argument is correct [0], I can't imagine your target audience is more likely to sign up (vs. bounce) when hit with a second pop-up before reading half an article.

[0] e.g. pop-ups --> less tech savy users 'dismiss' popup by signing up --> newsletter unread and/or marked as spam --> can't {accurately} track whether you're having any impact --> etc

Yeah you are right, we may be over-doing it. Think we should drop the all-screen one from the first page view when we add a special appeal because of a HN spike? I'll bring that up with the team. :)

Thanks for the suggestion. We have tested whether people who sign up to the newsletter from appeals read it or click on link, and they do at the same rate as everyone else. :)

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