Campaigns
Countdown Timer Popups

Countdown Timer Popups

6 Clever Countdown Timer Popup Examples That Drive Urgent Action

A countdown timer popup is essential for inducing FOMO to encourage action. But, there are a few nuances to using live timer-bearing popups. In this post, we share six examples of countdown timer popups and templates to get you going.

Sharing well-timed popups but still not seeing the results you anticipated? Adding a timer to your popup can help. 

Essentially, a countdown timer popup encourages immediate action by instilling a sense of urgency. This, in turn, convinces people to act because they find themselves in a “now or never” situation.

Ready to use countdown timer popups for growing your conversion rates?

Learn how you can do so with the six examples in this post of timer popups done right. We’ve also got countdown timer popup templates to help get you started today. 

What is a countdown timer popup?

A countdown timer popup is a popup containing a live countdown timer that shows the time left to avail an offer.

As with other popups, you can use these to increase sales, create a waitlist around a new collection/feature launch, or hype an event that you’re hosting.

Key countdown timer things to remember

The idea behind countdown timer popups is to induce FOMO—the fear of missing out—by instilling a sense of urgency. In turn, this encourages site visitors to avail your offer.

However, the key thing to remember is that while FOMO can be incredibly effective, it’s basically rooted in negative feelings. This means you need to keep the following in mind:

  • Don't overuse them. Limit the use of countdown timer popups so you don’t overwhelm visitors. Their limited use is also what makes them more believable, therefore, effective.
  • Keep your promise. If your popup copy reads “offer ends in 7 hours,” make sure it does. This helps you keep visitors’ trust.
  • Pair your countdown timer with FOMO-instilling copy. Phrases like “before it’s gone forever” and “don’t miss this offer,” for example, induce further urgency.
  • Make sure your offer is worth the timer popup. No matter how effective a countdown timer is, it wouldn’t be able to work its magic if your offer isn’t enticing and relevant enough to your audience.

Countdown timer popup examples

With that, let’s look at how others are using countdown timer popups to grow their conversions.

1. Kettler Sport’s winter sale countdown timer popup example

The German fitness online store, Kettler Sport, uses a countdown timer to promote its time-sensitive winter sale:

Countdown Timer Popup Examples: Kettler Sport
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It shows up four seconds after a visitor lands on the site and takes up the entire screen (overlay popup) to grab the audience’s attention. 

The popup features a clean design, which helps keep the focus on the offer and the ticking timer. What’s more, the background imagery amplifies the winter sale message by using the image of snowy mountains. It is essential to select high-quality stock photos for your background imagery that not only match the theme but also add visual appeal and make the popup more engaging to visitors.

Not to mention, the CTA button encourages action, too—thanks to its clickable design and contrasting color.

2. Betabrand’s first-time purchase countdown timer popup example

This popup shows up when a user heads for the exit. It catches attention with a simple “before you go” headline and a compelling offer:

Countdown Timer Popup Examples: Betabrand
See full example

What’s interesting, however, is that Betabrand allows their site visitor to save their discount (but within a set time, so they’re enticed into sharing their information immediately). This way, they aren’t pushing people to buy right away—only when they’re ready—all while getting their hands on potential shoppers’ contact details. 

Moreover, visitors can choose from sharing their email address or saving their discount with Facebook. This allows those who don’t want to share their email address to enjoy the discount too. 

And finally, there’s a note at the end in small text that informs people that the offer is for first-time purchases and doesn’t apply with other offers. This helps Betabrand prevent customers from getting confused if the code doesn’t work. 

Editor’s note: 

3. Keyportal’s flash sale countdown timer popup example

This Swiss ecommerce store, Keyportal, uses a countdown timer in its popup to share an up-to-35% discount as a flash sale:

Countdown Timer Popup Examples: Keyportal
See full example

The popup surfaces within two seconds of visiting and takes over the screen. This makes sense as it aims to immediately alert buyers of their limited-time offer.

Note that the popup colors align with Keyportal’s brand colors. Like the other countdown timer popup examples, this one is also minimally designed, so the focus is on the offer and the live timer.

4. ConvertFlow’s sidebar popup countdown timer example

This sidebar popup shows up eight seconds after a visitor lands on the page—positioned on the side of the page (sidebar popup), where it stays for as long as the visitor doesn’t close it:

Countdown Timer Popup Examples: ConvertFlow
See full example

Its aim? To instill FOMO and take the user directly to the pricing section at the end of the long page.

Meaning: whenever visitors are ready to convert—no matter where they’re on the page—they can click the CTA and jump to the packages. Not to forget, the countdown timer instills urgency.

The popup copy also does the same—instilling FOMO by sharing the offer’s scarcity (“limited spots available”).

Note that the popup’s design aligns with ConvertFlow's visual branding, which is essential when it comes to popup design. As for the CTA button: it’s direct and designed in a contrasting blue, all of which encourages action.

5. SwissWatchExpo countdown timer popup example 

This is an excellent example of a popup designed to encourage sales by offering a discount and free shipping on the product in the cart:

Countdown Timer Popup Examples: SwissWatchExpo
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It instills urgency both with the countdown timer as well as the copy that pushes people to avail the discount within 15 minutes. The CTA copy does the same, clearly explaining the benefit of clicking, therefore, encouraging action.

6. Tapestry Girls countdown timer popup example

This is another cart recovery popup example that features a countdown timer:

Countdown Timer Popup Examples: Tapestry Girls
See full example

What makes it stand out, though, is the minimal design and copy. The headline goes straight into the offer “10% off” in bold font to catch visitors’ attention. 

The timer then clarifies that the buyer has only 15 minutes to make the most of the discount. 

The popup offers a clear exit route with a cross in the upper right corner and clickable text below the CTA for those not interested.

Timer popup templates

Ready to create your own countdown timer popup?

Pick from one of ConvertFlow’s popup templates that we share below to start today without having to wait on a developer's help.

Some templates come with a built-in timer. But, you can also add in a timer element to any popup (or other CTA) that counts down in a number of ways:

All you have to do is customize the template to your brand visual guidelines, and you’re good to go. So, choose from the following timer popup templates to get started:

About the author
Masooma Memon
Contributor, ConvertFlow
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Masooma is a B2B writer for SaaS who has worked with awesome publications like Hootsuite, Vimeo, Trello, Sendinblue, and Databox among others. You’ll usually find her writing in-depth content, making to-do lists, or reading a fantasy novel.