There is a way that we like to test UI changes on the front end of the websites, and many developers hate me for that. That is tweaking the interface with small JS scripts. They can be added to the pages, more often than not just using Google Tag Manager. This allows for quick testing and deployment of changes without extensive development work.
Pop-Ups
Using GTM, you can easily create pop-ups that engage users with special offers, surveys, or important information. These pop-ups can be triggered based on user behavior, such as time spent on a page or scrolling activity. A simple use case can be to announce a new feature and limit the pop-up to appear only once per user with cookies. That way we can get some traffic quick and see the first metrics right away.
Sticky CTA Banners
It's been years since the internet is mobile. But many companies still design desktop-first. That approach leads to having a lot of content spread on long pages that require a lot of scrolling. But what if we could have one most important button under the user's finger at all times?
Implementing sticky CTA banners does just that. These banners can dynamically update depending on the page, staying always relevant.
Personalized CTA URLs
This one is a temporary fix that often stays long-term. Depending on the user, all the standard CTAs on the site can be personalized. Based on URL parameters you can differentiate the visitors from different traffic sources. Paid traffic, or your newsletters - these users will have different jobs to be done and have their own next steps. But not only the URL, everything can be custom depending on dataLayer variables. This is a JavaScript object used by Google Tag Manager, which can be populated with some user attributes.
Dynamic Content Insertion
Using JS in GTM, you can insert dynamic content into your web pages based on user data. For example, display personalized greetings or messages. Imagine, you have a simple survey in your email with multiple buttons. When the user clicks on any, they can arrive on your website, where you show an overlay with a thank you message. Then you simply count the answers using events based on URL parameters.
Interactive Elements
New elements can also be more complex. Adding interactive elements like sliders or carousels can enhance user engagement. These elements can show products or features in a dynamic and appealing way. These should definitely be only test scenarios. You implement them, measure the impact, and then implement them in code if they bring value or discard.
Exit-Intent Overlays
Implementing exit-intent overlays can capture user attention just before they leave your site. We can use the click of the back button, cursor movement out of the window, or scroll up on mobile, which brings up the browser controls. These overlays can offer any type of final offer to the user to grab attention before they leave.
Tracking and Quantifying Interactions
Each interaction with these new elements can be easily tracked using GA4 events. Every link or a button can have it's own on-click event, which is captured by GTM. This enables validation of any UI updates that we are testing before we decide to implement them or scrap.
We've been using these tactics for years not with very different use cases. What speaks in favor of the method is the fact that many of the ideas don't actually work or bring value. Some cannibalize on effect of one another. And knowing that before having the tech team do the changes is great, allowing them to focus on the most important things.
If you like the idea, but find anything confusing, let us know, and we'll be happy to help you implement something for your product.