Exit intent that doesn't annoy

Most exit intent popups are desperate. "Wait! Don't go!" with a spinning wheel and a fake discount. People close them on reflex.

The ones that work do something different. They offer something genuinely useful at the exact moment the user has decided to leave. Not before. Not as a bribe. As a reason to reconsider.

What works: a single, specific offer that relates to what they were looking at. If they were on a pricing page, offer a comparison guide. If they were reading a blog post, offer the rest of the series by email. Match the popup to the intent.

What kills it: triggering on every page, showing it to returning visitors who already said no, asking for too much information, or using manipulative copy like "No thanks, I don't want to grow my business."

Timing matters too. Trigger on exit intent only, not on scroll or after 5 seconds. The user needs to have engaged with the page first. A popup on a page someone hasn't read yet is just spam.