Usually websites that insist with these subscription popups have mediocre to poor content.
If your work is good enough, people will subscribe because they like it. Don't force it.
I use an email popup. It's greatly increased email list signups. No one's comaplained, time on page did not decline. Nothing bad happened.
You should always test a chance like this, but net-savvy hackers are a poor representation of most demographics.
I've been experimenting aggressively with different techniques for email capture (e.g. [1]) and, looking at my analytics, the exit-intent popup accounts for 47.27% of all emails.
[1]: http://rs.io/behavior-modification-techniques-if-then-rules/
That said, I know that pop-ups work. That does not make them less irritating to all of those people who like to know what they sign up for before actually writing their email address there (the pop-upon-loading one). 42% more of 2% still annoys a large chunk of the 97% left.
1. Open the page in incognito
2. Read for a moment.
3. Move your mouse outside the tab. Something should pop-up.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ls79ipe0997zfs6/Screenshot%202014-...
That's STILL not the exit intent popup. That only happens when you stop reading and go to leave.
I personally don't like the forced left column reading of this site. I'd rather read on the right. I don't like that the email subscribe box follows me down, it makes me dizzy.
That said, what do you think of the popup I'm using?
I like it, but any sign ups?
blog.frontapp.com##div.sumome-popup
blog.frontapp.com##div.sumome-scrollbox-popup