Traditional discount popups are easy to ignore. Your customers either close them immediately or enter fake emails just to grab a coupon.
Spin the Wheel popups change the game by introducing an interactive element that makes visitors want to engage.
Instead of forcing a discount on users, this strategy turns the experience into a game. people love a challenge, and the chance to win something gives them a dopamine boost, which makes them more likely to claim their discount and complete a purchase.
In this guide, we’ll break down:
- How Spin the Wheel popups work
- The best ways to customize and target them for better results
- Advanced campaign strategies you won’t find in most guides
- Practical examples and copywriting tips to help you launch faster
How A Spin the Wheel Popup Works
Spin the Wheel popups let visitors spin a digital “wheel of fortune” and win a reward such as a discount, free shipping, or a free gift.
Instead of giving away coupons like most e-commerce brands do, an interactive strategy improves the customer experience and adds an element of excitement.
Spin the Wheel popups are also called spinning wheel popups, spin the wheel popups, lucky wheel popups, or gamified popups, but no matter the name they all are the same thing.
Since the outcome is unknown, it creates curiosity and excitement. This small shift in experience will have a huge impact on the decision process of your visitors and make it almost impossible to ignore spinning the wheel.
Spin the wheel popups almost always have a measurable impact on conversions. Simply the act of spinning makes users more likely to claim and use their reward. The interactive format also helps with email collection, since most Spin the Wheel popups require visitors to enter their email before spinning (however that’s entirely up to you, at least if you use Triggerbee).
When comparing Spin the Wheel popups to traditional discount popups, we guarantee you’ll see higher engagement, more email sign-ups, and an increase in completed purchases.
What makes spin the wheel popups powerful?
- Spin the wheel popups feel like a game and trigger engagement instead of a reaction.
- Spin the wheel popups create an instant dopamine reward which makes users more likely to claim their prize.
- Spin the wheel popups boosts email sign up rates (if you require the user to submit an email before spinning)
The result? Higher conversion rates, more signups, and increased sales.
The Anatomy of a High-Converting Spin the Wheel Popup
Most platforms provide pre-made templates which makes setting up a campaign quick and easy. While these templates work well, adding your own custom touches can take the experience to the next level. Here’s how to set up a spin the wheel popup that won’t bother your visitors and grow your list fast.
How to Create a High-Converting Spin the Wheel Popup in Triggerbee
With Triggerbee’s Spin the Wheel, you can increase email signups, drive more sales, and reward loyal customers in a way that feels fun instead of forced.
- Easy to set up. Get your campaign live in minutes. No coding needed.
- Fully customizable. Design, prizes, and settings tailored to your brand.
- Smart targeting. Show the wheel at the right time to the right visitors.
- Unique coupon codes. Prevent abuse and keep discounts under control.
- Works for any promotion. Black Friday, seasonal sales, loyalty rewards, and more.
Set it Up in Just a Few Steps
Design and Customization options
With Triggerbee you get pre-made style presets for your wheel. Just pick a design, tweak the colors, and the campaign is ready to go. If you want a custom look, you can adjust the colors of the wheel, buttons, inputs, and you can even add as many steps as you want.
If you want your Spin the Wheel popup to work, you need a visually appealing design. Here are a few tweaks that can make a big difference:
- Match your brand colors so the popup feels like part of your site. If it looks off, people will close it before even reading your offer.
- Make the offer easy to read with strong contrast. If your visitors don’t see the offer in the first second or two, they won’t bother.
- Make the spin button un-ignorable. Give it high contrast from the background. Or just make the wheel start spinning as soon as your popup appears.
A few small changes go a long way. If your popup looks clean, loads fast, and feels like it belongs on your site, more people WILL engage with it.
A clean design with a bold call-to-action encourages more spins. Bright colors and a clear “Spin” button ensure visitors notice and engage with the campaign.
Fine-Tune the Wheel’s Behavior
Looks matter, but how the wheel feels is just as important. If the experience is slow, people will ignore it. But a few simple tweaks can make the experience feel smooth.
- Keep spin times short on mobile. On desktop, a slightly longer spin adds excitement without feeling slow.
- Make desktop spins slightly longer. Bigger screens, more patience. A bit of suspense can make winning feel more exciting.
- Add confetti or a quick animation when the wheel stops. Winning should feel rewarding. A small visual effect makes a big difference.
If the wheel feels fun and responsive, more people will actually use it. With Triggerbee you can adjust these settings to fully customize the behavior of your spin the wheel campaign:
- Spin duration
- Auto-spin
- Borders, shadows, and pointer style
Customize Prizes and Winning Probabilities
Not every visitor should win a major discount. With Triggerbee’s built-in winning probability settings (See screenshot below), you can adjust the odds for each prize.
If you want most visitors to win small discounts while reserving larger ones for fewer people, you can easily set those probabilities in the editor.
You decide what users can win and how often. Each slice can be labeled with a discount, free gift, or a “Try Again” message.
- Adjust win probabilities to limit or increase specific rewards.
- Show the prize instantly or require an email signup first.
If you want to drive immediate sales, show the coupon code right away. If your focus is growing your email list, requiring an email before revealing the prize turns the game into a lead-generation tool.
Unique Coupon Codes: Prevent Fraud and Overuse
Triggerbee has built-in email validation which also stops repeat abuse. If someone has already received a discount, they won’t be able to use the same email again to claim another prize. A common trick is using incognito mode to refresh the page and spin again.
Standard discount codes can be copied and shared, but when using Triggerbee’s coupon sets, you can be sure that every code is unique and single-use.
- Each visitor gets a one-time-use coupon which prevents sharing and multiple redemptions.
- The campaign can automatically pause once all codes have been used.
- Even visitors using incognito mode won’t be able to spin multiple times, since the system recognizes past email entries.
With unique coupon codes, every winner gets a one-time-use discount. This prevents visitors from sharing codes or claiming multiple discounts.
This is essential for VIP discounts, limited-time promotions, and fraud prevention. If you want to reward only high-value customers, you can target those who have spent above a certain amount (requires revenue tracking).
Target the Right Users at the Right Time
Most guides tell you to trigger the popup after a few seconds or when someone is about to leave. That’s fine, but it’s not how you get the best results. The real magic happens when you show the wheel to the right visitors at the right time based on what they’ve done on your site before.
Instead of blasting the same popup to everyone, fine-tuning who sees it makes a massive difference.
Someone browsing for the first time won’t respond the same way as a repeat customer. A shopper who added something to their cart needs a different nudge than someone just looking around.
Trigger settings in Triggerbee: When to display the wheel
- Exit intent: Show the wheel just as someone is about to leave. This works well for first-time visitors who need an extra incentive to stay.
- Cart abandonment: Only trigger the popup if someone has added items to their cart but hasn’t checked out. Offering a discount at this moment can save the sale.
- Time on page: Display the wheel only to visitors who have spent time browsing. Someone who has been on a product page for a while is much more likely to engage than someone who just landed on the homepage.
Not every visitor should see your spin the wheel popup, and even if they should, there should be at least some targeting involved. With Triggerbee’s trigger settings, you can decide when to display the campaign.
For checkout-based triggers, showing the wheel only when a user is about to abandon their cart helps reduce drop-off rates.
Session Conditions: Who Sees the Wheel
Session-based targeting allows you to personalize the campaign based on visitor type, browser settings, or referral source. If a user arrives from an Instagram ad, the campaign can be customized to reflect that offer.
Someone coming from a paid ad might need a stronger incentive than a repeat customer who already trusts your brand. Personalizing rewards based on visitor type makes the popup feel relevant rather than generic.
- New vs. returning visitors: First-time visitors might respond better to a discount, while repeat shoppers might appreciate free shipping or bonus loyalty points.
- Target by UTM parameters: If someone clicked an ad on Instagram, their popup could highlight a product featured in the ad. Visitors from email campaigns might see a different reward tied to the email offer.
- Segment by past purchases: Offer bigger rewards to high-value customers while keeping discounts smaller for those who haven’t bought yet.
New visitors might see an introductory discount, while returning customers get a loyalty-based spin.
Audience Targeting: Personalize Based on CRM & Purchase Data
For even deeper personalization, Triggerbee allows you to target specific customer segments based on CRM data and past purchases.
For stores that track customer data, targeting based on previous transactions and CRM insights can make Spin the wheel even more effective. Instead of showing the same popup to everyone, tailor it based on what customers have already done. Smart targeting makes your popup feel more relevant and timely instead of an interruption.
- Show the wheel only to customers who have completed a purchase.
- Reward VIP customers based on their spend amount (requires revenue tracking).
- Trigger the wheel for email subscribers only, using CRM sync.
For example, if you want to offer higher discounts to customers who have spent over $200, set up revenue logging and create a segment based on past transactions.
Beyond Discounts: Creative Spin the Wheel Campaign Ideas
Daily Deal Wheel
Instead of giving visitors a discount they can only claim once, let them spin every day for a new reward.
Electronics retailer Power used a daily deal wheel for their Black Week campaign in Sweden 2024.I for one came back every day to use my 3 spins.
This turns the wheel into a reason for people to come back, check out new offers, and stay engaged with your brand. If you’re running a multi-day sale, like Black Friday week or a holiday countdown, this setup keeps the excitement fresh and going for longer
It’s also a great fit for loyalty programs. Customers who know they can spin for an exclusive deal every time they visit are more likely to return.
Spin & Save – Email List Growth
Visitors must enter their email before spinning, making this a great way to collect leads.
Limited-Time Spin for Cart Abandoners
Over 70% of your visitors abandon their carts. A well-timed exit-intent Spin the Wheel can stop them right before they leave and give them a last-minute reason to stay. But don’t give out a regular exit discount like 5% off or free shipping. Instead frame it as an exclusive, one-time chance. The spin should feel urgent. Like if they don’t take the offer now it’s gone. It’s a small shift in messaging that can dramatically reduce your cart abandonment rates.
Black Friday Mega Spin – Limited-Time Sales
A high-intensity campaign featuring deep discounts, free gifts, and exclusive flash deals.
Wheel of Love – Valentine’s Day Special
A seasonal campaign featuring romantic-themed discounts or couples’ offers.
Why These Strategies Work
By using a spin the wheel popup as a strategy to engage repeat visitors or loyalty members, cart abandoners or referrals, you can turn it into a long-term conversion tool instead of just another discount popup.
Tracking & Optimization: Improve Performance Over Time
Creating and publishing your Spin the Wheel popup is just the start. To get the best results, you need to optimize it continuously.
One of the biggest mistakes we see e-commerce brands commit is that they are constantly coming up with NEW campaigns.
Truth is, if you have an offer that works… Squeeze out every last drop of it. And that can only be done by optimizing what you already have.
Key Metrics to Monitor
Some numbers matter more than others. Here are the most important ones to keep track of:
- Spin-to-signup conversion rate – How many visitors enter their email and spin the wheel? Aim for more than 5%. If this number is low, the offer might not be compelling enough, or the popup might be appearing too soon.
- Email quality – Are you collecting real, usable emails, or are people entering fake ones just to grab a discount? If you’re seeing a lot of temporary or throwaway email addresses, consider adding email validation or requiring users to confirm their prize via email.
- Discount redemption rate – A visitor spinning the wheel is great, but how many actually use their prize at checkout? If redemption rates are low, your offer might not be enticing enough, or visitors might not feel urgency to claim their discount.
How to Improve Performance of your Spin the Wheel popup
Adjust Prize Distribution
If visitors aren’t engaging enough, it could be because the rewards aren’t exciting. Try testing different prize distributions—if most users only win small discounts, they might not find it worth spinning. Adding a few higher-value rewards, even if rare, can make the experience feel more rewarding.
Refine Your CTA for Higher Engagement
The wording of your call-to-action matters. If “Spin to win!” isn’t performing well, test variations like “Try your luck!” or “Unlock your exclusive deal”. Even subtle differences can impact how many people participate.
A/B Test Different Designs
A simple color change, a different wheel size, or moving the spin button can make a surprising difference in conversion rates. A/B testing helps you find the most effective combination by comparing two versions of your popup and seeing which performs better.
📌 Screenshot Placeholder: Example of an A/B test comparing different Spin to Win popup versions
Small Changes, Big Impact
A Spin the Wheel popup isn’t something you set and forget. The best results come from constant testing and improvement. By tracking key metrics and making data-driven changes, you can increase email sign-ups, boost conversions, and get more visitors to redeem their rewards.
If engagement drops, don’t assume the popup doesn’t work—tweak the prize, adjust the timing, or test a new CTA. Small optimizations can turn a good campaign into a great one.
Final Thoughts: Make Spin the Wheel a Part of Your Strategy
A well-executed Spin the Wheel campaign does more than just collect emails—it creates an engaging experience that visitors actually want to interact with. By personalizing your campaign, optimizing its targeting, and using creative incentives, you can turn casual visitors into repeat customers.
If you’re ready to increase conversions, grow your email list, and drive more sales, launch your first Spin the Wheel campaign today and see the difference gamification can make.