Pop-ups have become an integral part of digital marketing and user engagement strategies. Whether it’s a sign-up form, a promotional offer, or an important announcement, a well-timed popup can dramatically enhance user interaction on your website.

For WordPress users, the task of creating such pop-ups becomes even more manageable, thanks to a myriad of plugins. But how do you open a WordPress popup form upon the click of a link, image, or button?

1. The Popularity of Pop-ups in WordPress

It’s no secret that pop-ups in WordPress have been trending for a while now. Their ability to grab a user’s attention makes them incredibly effective, especially when the content is compelling.

The challenge, however, is creating a seamless experience, ensuring that these pop-ups don’t disrupt the user’s journey but rather enhance it.

2. Choosing the Best Popup Plugin for WordPress

While there are several plugins available, the best popup plugin for WordPress often depends on your specific needs. However, one plugin that has consistently garnered positive reviews and is quite versatile is Popup Maker. It stands out due to its simplicity, customization options, and seamless integration with WordPress.

3. A Detailed Guide: Using Popup Maker Plugin

Let’s use the Popup Maker plugin as our reference:

Installation and Activation:
a) Navigate to the WordPress dashboard.
b) Click on Plugins > Add New.
c) Search for ‘Popup Maker’, install, and then activate the plugin.

Creating Your Popup:
On your dashboard, you’ll notice a new ‘Popup Maker‘ section. Click on it.
Select ‘Add Popup’, and this will lead you to an editor similar to the WordPress post editor.

Add your content, such as a form or any other details you want to display.

Setting up the Trigger:
Under the ‘Popup Settings’ box, navigate to the ‘Triggers’ tab.

Click ‘Add New Trigger’. Choose the ‘Click Open’ trigger option.

Now, any link, image, or button can be set to trigger this popup. Simply add the class .popmake-{popup_id} (replace {popup_id} with the ID of your popup) to the element you want to serve as the trigger. I used .popmake-12345 as an example.

What I do next is choose a style for my popup.

After I chose the popup position, next I can use my page builder to design my popup. Basically, you can build anything you wish.

I went on the backend editor, I added a prebuild template from the page builder which will contain a contact form. The template will look like this:

Next thing is to create a button to trigger this popup. I build a new button in my page builder.

Fill all the button details except link url, that will be empty.

The most important part is to add a class to this button. We will use the one we created earlier for the popup trigger .popmake-12345 .

Click Save Changes then click Update.

Now go to your post and check the button.

That’s how my button looks like, and when I click on it, a popup appears.

The fun part is you can use the page builder to design your popup exactly as you wish.

Using an image to trigger the popup

Same thing you have to do if you want to trigger the popup using an image instead of a button.

Add an image in the page builder then add the same class name.

Save changes, then update the post. Now clicking on that image will trigger the popup.

Using a link to trigger the popup

If you want to use a link to trigger the popup, use this code:

<a href="#" class="popmake-12345">Link Text</a>

Manual Pop-up Integration

While using a WordPress popup plugin like Popup Maker simplifies the process, you can manually code pop-ups too. This is a bit more complex and involves:

• HTML: Create a modal content container with hidden visibility.
• CSS: Design the modal’s appearance and position. Use CSS to initially hide the modal.
• JavaScript/jQuery: Write a script that changes the modal’s visibility property upon clicking the designated link, image, or button.

However, manual integration might not offer the intuitive flexibility and compatibility that plugins like Popup Maker provide, especially for those not well-versed in coding.

Wrapping It Up

Engaging your website’s visitors at the right moment can make a significant difference in conversions, sign-ups, or any other call-to-action. With WordPress, the task of creating pop-ups becomes effortless, especially with tools like Popup Maker.

Whether you’re a novice just starting out or an experienced developer, the world of pop-ups in WordPress is both exciting and rewarding.

Remember, the key to a successful pop-up is not just its design but also its content. Make it compelling, and users are bound to engage.