How to set up Announcements

When you have something to tell your visitors and customers, such as a special promotion or upcoming website downtime, Announcements are the answer. When used strategically, Announcements can grow sales, generate leads and build trust with your customers.  

Here’s how to set up Announcements

Note: Account Owners, Admins and Creators can create Announcements. 

  1. Navigate to Communicate from the left navigation
  2. Select Announcements 
  3. Click on the purple New Announcement button
  4. Select the type of Announcement you want to create
    1. Sticker: Displays as a small call-to-action in the corner of your website. It will display in the same corner of your website as your Chat button. It’s less interruptive to your visitors. 
    2. Lightbox: Catch your visitors’ attention with a full screen takeover for important messages. Due to the interruptive nature, we recommended using it sparingly. 
  5. Select a category
    1. Offers & Promotions: Prompt your current sales and offers, such as a coupon code
    2. Education & Events: Provide ongoing education and events, such as a lunch webinar or demo
    3. News & Updates: Used sparingly for important messages, such as upcoming website down time 
  6. Give your Announcement a name for internal reference and click the purple Next button

At this point, you’ll proceed through a four-step process

  • Step 1: Content
  • Step 2: Triggers
  • Step 3: Delivery
  • Step 4: Review 

Step 1: Content

Decide what is shown to your visitors

  1. Add a headline. A preview of the question will appear to the right.
  2. OPTIONAL: Add supporting text
  3. OPTIONAL: Add an image 
    1. Select the image from your desktop
    2. Click on the image to move it around the image space in the preview
    3. Alternatively, you can use the minus (-) or plus (+) buttons to make the image larger or smaller
    4. Depending on your Announcement type, you’ll be able to adjust the image position: 
      1. For Sticker Announcements: the image will be placed above the content. No layout customizations offered. 
      2. For Lightbox Announcements:  Adjust the layout to show the image to the Right, Left or Top of the content
    5. Click the purple Done button to save your changes 
  4. Select a Primary Button Action. This will decide what happens when the primary call-to-action is clicked by visitors: 
    1. Dismiss: The Announcement will close
    2. Go to URL: Visitors will be taken to a designated URL 
  5. OPTIONAL: Edit the Primary Button Label
  6. OPTIONAL: Decide the Page Overlay. This is how the screen will display behind the Lightbox:
    1. Light: Shows white behind the announcement
    2. Dark: Shows gray behind the announcement
  7. OPTIONAL: Click the toggle next to Reverse Colors to show white text over the color fill. Click here to learn how to adjust your company Accent color that will display for Announcements and other features. 
  8. When ready, click the purple Next Step button

Step 2: Triggers Customize when the Announcement is shown to visitors 

  1. For basic triggers, use Simple. This is the default for Triggers. 
    1. Location on the website (select one):
      1. Any page: The announcement will be shown on whatever page the visitors lands on, whether it’s the homepage or a product page. 
      2. Specific URL:  This can be set for one specific URL (Exact) or part of a URL (contains). 
    2. Devices (select one): Show to all devices or select one device (Desktop, Tablet or Mobile)
    3. Delay (select one): 
      1. No delay: Shows the moment someone visits your website
      2. Time: Triggers between 3 seconds and 5 minutes, started once a visitor lands on your website
      3. Scroll: Displays the announcement after the visitor scrolls between 10% and 100% down the page
      4. Event: Shows to visitors once they trigger any Event. Click here to learn more about Events.
  2. To further narrow your announcement audience, click on Advanced
    1. Add AND or OR conditions
      1. AND: A visitor completes both/all rules. For example, the announcement would only show to someone who lands on both your homepage AND came from Facebook. 
      2. OR: A visitor completes any of the set rules. For example, the announcement would show to anyone who landed on your homepage or came from Facebook, regardless of whether they occurred together. 
    2. Select from an expanded set of rules
      1. Event: This will show a list of your site’s Events. Click on the drop-down to see a full list of Events. Key Events will be highlighted in color. 
      2. First Visit: Display announcement to visitors whose first visit was in the 1 - 90 days
      3. Last Visit: Display announcement to visitors whose last visit was in the 1 - 90 days
      4. Scroll Delay: Display announcement to visitors after they scroll between 10% and 100% down the page
      5. Segment: Display announcement to a specific segment of visitors. Click here to learn more about segments. 
      6. Source: Display announcement to visitors that are from or not from a specific source. Click on the drop-down to see your visitors’ sources. 
      7. Time Delay: Display announcement between 3 seconds and 5 minutes after the visitor lands on your website
      8. Current Page: Display announcement on a specific page based on URL (exact) or part of a URL (contains) 
      9. Visit Number: Display announcement to visitors who have visited your website a certain number of times 
      10. Visited Page: Display announcement to those who have visited a specific page based on URL (exact) or part of a URL (contains)
  3. When ready, click the purple Next Step button.

Step 3: Delivery

  1. Click how long you want the Announcement to be active. Options include:
    1. Ongoing: Shows to visitors until you pause it
    2. 1 week: Shows to visitors for seven days 
    3. 2 weeks: Shows to visitors for 14 days
    4. 1 month: Shows to visitors for 30 days
  2. When ready, click the purple Next Step button

Step 4: Review

  1. Check over your announcement. The Announcement triggers and delivery settings will be shown in text on the left. A preview of what visitors will see will be shown on the right. 
  2. To edit any part of the Announcement or the Announcement settings:
    1. Click on any of the underlined triggers or display settings from review
    2. Select any of the steps at the top of the page
    3. Click the gray Prev Step button 
  3. If it looks good: 
    1. Click Save to save it to your Announcements table; it will remain paused and inactive.
    2. Click Launch to make it live on your site