Adding a simple countdown timer for website landing pages is fast, smooth, and requires zero coding, with a ton of marketing and promotional benefits.
We'll run through the steps below if you're unsure how to add a countdown widget to publicize an offer, launch date, or event.
Create a Countdown Timer for WordPress
The first step is to create a POWR account–it costs nothing to register, and you can do so with Facebook, Google, or an email address. From there, you'll need to access your WordPress admin panel and follow these steps:
- Decide where you'd like your countdown timer to go–select a landing page or a product page as required.
- Then, navigate to the spot where your widget will appear and click on ‘Plus.’
- Copy your POWR plugin coding, and paste it into the pop-up window that pings up when you select ‘Formatting.’
- Update your page, and you're done!
It really is that straightforward; all POWR plugins and widgets are engineered to be seamless, easy to install, and coding-free, so you only need a couple of minutes to get your countdown ticking.
Next, we'll explain how to create a five-minute countdown timer for a flash sale or to alert customers about a cut-off time for next-day shipping.
Customizing a Website Countdown Widget
The beauty of a countdown widget is that this relatively simple plugin can have a considerable impact on customer behaviors, conveying urgency, exclusivity, and encouraging quick action. You can customize your timer in multiple ways:
- Select a start and finish date or time.
- Display a message before or after the timer.
- Add CTA buttons below the countdown.
- Choose button colors and styles.
Tailored design tools help you create a bespoke countdown widget in line with your website colors, branding, and layout, so you can set your timer to run every day for a finite period, over several weeks, or for specific parameters.
Benefits of Adding a Countdown Timer Plugin
Professional countdown timer widgets have a range of features and templates so that you can create a special offer or announcement for any purpose. The advantage of a plugin is that your countdown timer can be live almost immediately without hiring a developer or trying to think of design concepts from scratch.
Our online platform shows you how your countdown widget will look, so you can play with formatting and placements and see the finished effect before making any decisions. Plugin templates are hugely useful, drawing on best practices in terms of button sizes and shapes, text formats, and placements; you can use these as inspiration.
Countdown Timer Features
Exploring your options to augment conversions, drive engagement or increase uptake of an offer? Here are some of the features to make good use of:
- Countdown messages: Adding text before, during, and after your countdown starts and finishes can clarify when the event or countdown is due to end and confirm when the sale has closed.
- Custom layouts: You can insert a fixed banner above or below your page text or embed the timer anywhere on your landing page so the timer remains visible even when your visitor scrolls.
- Directional countdowns: Our timers can count up or down, so they can act as a ticker to measure purchases, monitor demand, or convey urgency if you only have a few products or slots remaining.
Animated countdowns can enhance the impact of your timer, with numerous styles and formats to boost interest and merge with your brand themes.
Applications for Online Countdown Widgets
Countdown timers aren't solely used for time-sensitive events, sale offers, or promotions–you can use a timer daily to ensure your customers know when to check out if they'd like their order to ship the same day.
Here are some of the most popular countdown timer uses:
- Flash sales: Countdown timers can display a message explaining how long a discount or buy-one-get-one-free lasts.
- Delivery cut-offs: If you offer same-day or next-day delivery, a countdown timer avoids confusion by making it 100% clear how long your visitor has to checkout.
- Limited editions: A product that is only available to order or pre-order for a restricted period often achieves far higher sales when the deadline is clearly displayed next to the product information.
The extensive POWR plugin library offers a range of professional tools to help improve conversions, engagement, and sales–a countdown timer is a versatile resource with almost endless potential applications.