Overview
The ClickBank Order Form Customizer supports the customization of countdown timers. Countdown timers are powerful tools that help drive urgency and conversions.
The countdown timer can has two distinct functionality options: static and dynamic. The difference and use cases for these options are explained below.
This article contains the following sections:
- How to Add a Countdown Timer to Your Order Form
- Adding a Countdown Timer to An Approved Order Form
- Configuring Your Countdown Timer
- Customizing Your Countdown Timer
- Countdown Timer Best Practices
- Countdown Timer FAQs
- Additional Resources & Related Articles
How to Add a Countdown Timer to Your Order Form
Follow these instructions to add a countdown timer to your order form.
Step 1: Log in to your ClickBank account.
Step 2: Select Accounts and then select the account nickname that houses the order form you want to add a countdown timer to.
Step 3: Select Vendor Settings and then My Order Form.
Step 4: Find the order form you want to add a countdown timer to from under the Custom Order Forms tab. Click the kebab icon under the Action menu.
NOTE: Countdown timers cannot be added to an order form that as been approved. In order to add a countdown timer to an approved order form, you must Duplicate the order form, add the timer, and then submit the order form for review. See Adding a Countdown Timer to An Approved Order Form for more information.
Step 5: Click Edit.
Step 6: Locate the Countdown Timer under the Modules menu on the left side of the screen. Drag and drop a countdown timer module to the area of your order form you want it to display in.
Now it is time to configure your countdown timer.
NOTE: If you wish to exit the customizer at any time and return to finish your customizations, simply navigate away from the page. All updates are auto-saved.
Adding a Countdown Timer to An Approved Order Form
If you wish to add a countdown timer to an approved order form, you must duplicate the order form; add a countdown timer; configure and customize the countdown timer; and submit the order form for approval. To duplicate the order form, select Duplicate from the kebab icon.
Once you have added, customized, and configured the countdown timer on the duplicated order form, click Submit for Review to submit the order form for review.
Configuring Your Countdown Timer
Once you have dragged and dropped a countdown timer onto your order form, it's time to configure the settings of that countdown timer. Countdown timer settings appear in two locations:
- The countdown timer edit modal
- The countdown time module ribbon
Follow these steps to configure your countdown timer.
Step 1: Access the order form that contains the countdown timer you want to configure. See How to Add a Countdown Timer to Your Order Form for more information.
Step 2: Select the countdown timer to edit by clicking on the module that contains it. This will prompt the countdown timer edit modal to appear.
Countdown Timer Edit Modal
The follow elements can be configured on the countdown timer edit modal.
- Header Text
- Timer Digits
- Timer Labels
- Footer Text
Use the toggle tool to add or remove elements.
Use the edit icon to edit elements.
Click the < to go back or the X to exit the element editor and add the configurations to countdown timer.
NOTE: To learn more about editing the visual look and feel of your countdown timer, see Customizing Your Countdown Timer.
Step 3: Use the countdown timer module ribbon on the left side of the screen to finish configuring your countdown timer.
The following actions and behaviors can be configured on the countdown timer module ribbon.
Timer Type
There are two types of countdown timers: dynamic and static. These types behave differently and have different use cases.
Dynamic Countdown Timers
Dynamic countdown timers adjust based on each visitor's session. These countdown timers are ideal for creating personalized shopping experiences and encouraging quick action.
A dynamic countdown timer begins counting down once the order form is loaded. When you customize a dynamic countdown timer, you will input hours, minutes, and seconds. This is what will appear on the order form for a customer.
NOTE: Dynamic countdown timers that are set for less than one hour won't show any value in the Hours column on the order form. The minimum duration for a dynamic countdown timer is ten minutes.
To set the timer values for a dynamic countdown timer, enter the Hours, Minutes, and Seconds in the fields under the Timer Type heading.
Static Countdown Timers
Static countdown timers set a fixed end date for your offers. These countdown timers are ideal for flash sales or limited-time discounts.
A static countdown timer is set to count down to a specific date and time. This expiration time is fixed, regardless of when the order form is loaded.
This style of countdown timer is good to use for launch-style offers or for seasonal products or discounts.
NOTE: Static countdown timers must be set for a future date. If they are set for today's date, or a date in the past, the countdown timer will need to be updated before the order form can be submitted for review.
To set the timer values for a static countdown timer, enter the date that the offer expires in the Enter End Date/Time field under the Timer Type heading.
Expiration Action
Each timer type has three options for what happens when the timer expires. When the timer expires, the expiration action determines what the user sees or experiences once the countdown time goes to 0:00.
-
Hide Timer
If Hide Timer is selected as the expiration action, then the timer element will go away and the order form will appear as if there is no countdown timer present.
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Purchase Disabled
If Purchase Disabled is selected as the expiration action, then the timer element will stop at 00:00:00 and show the expiration message the user has created. When this happens, any new visitors to the form will not be able to complete their purchase.
-
Redirect to New Order Form
If Redirect to New Order Form is selected as the expiration action, users will be redirected to a new order form with the product and other items you specified. To create this type of expiration action, you will be prompted with additional settings that must be filled out for the timer to be valid.These settings are:
- Select Product: Sellers can choose to select a product to be shown on a separate order form that is shared with the customer once the countdown timer expires.
- Select Template: When you select a template, customers who are redirected to the new order form will be taken to a new order form that is using that custom order form template.
- Select Coupon: When you select a coupon, customers who are redirected to the new order form will automatically have the selected coupon applied.
- Select Upsell: When you select an upsell, customers who are redirected to the new order form and complete a purchase will be directed to that upsell flow.
Related: [link here] - Vendor Tracking ID (VTID): When you provide a vendor tracking ID (VTID), that VTID will be tracked on the order form impressions and sales of customers who are redirected to the new order form on timer expiration. VTIDs are shown in reporting and analytics within your account and are also accessible through data in the API and INS.
- Custom Parameter(s):Sellers can add custom parameters to payment links for their own tracking purposes. When you provide custom parameters for a new order form redirect, those parameters will be tracked on the transactions (initial sale and any upsells) of customers who are redirected to a new order form and complete a purchase.
NOTE: Custom parameters are not visible in reporting and analytics within your account. This data is stored as ‘vendorVariables’ and can only be accessed through the API and INS.
Related: Instant Notification Service
Style
The style of the countdown timer can be customized to the following options:
- Standard
- Digital
- Inline
- Circle
- Square
These styles do not impact the functionality of the countdown timer.
Background
Use the Background setting to customize the background color of your countdown timer. You can select from the color picker or enter a desired hex code. Additionally, you can save colors to be reused on your countdown timer by clicking the + icon under the Saved Colors heading.
Padding
Use the Padding setting to adjust the padding in the countdown timer module you are configuring.
Border
Use to Border setting to add and/or adjust the border around the countdown timer module you are configuring. You can customize the border color, width, and curve.
Responsive Settings
The Responsive Settings section allows you to hide the countdown time on different devices. You can opt to omit the timer from the order form on desktop, tablet, or mobile by using the toggle.
To view what your order form will look like on specific devices, use the device preview options location in the top right corner of the customizer.
To view what your order form will look like on specific devices, use the device preview options location in the top right corner of the customizer.
Customizing Your Countdown Timer
All visual edits are made in the countdown timer edit modal. To make visual edits to your countdown timer, follow these instructions.
Step 1: Access the order form that contains the countdown timer you want to configure. See How to Add a Countdown Timer to Your Order Form for more information.
Step 2: Click the countdown timer module to bring up the countdown timer edit modal.
This modal controls the messaging and appearance of the countdown timer. From here, you can edit or remove the following items from the countdown timer:
NOTE: All edits are autosaved.
Header Text
The header text is directly above the countdown timer digits. It is toggled on by default. To edit this text, click the edit icon and customize to fit the look and feel of your order form. You can change the font, size, color, alignment, style, and background color of this text.
Timer Digits
The timer digits are the numbers that appear in the countdown timer that indicate the time left until the timer expires. These are displayed in the center of the countdown timer. These are a necessary component of a countdown timer and cannot be toggled on or off. To edit this text, click the edit icon and customize to fit the look and feel of your order form. You can change the font, size, color, alignment, style, and background color of this text.
Timer Labels
The time labels are directly under the days, hours, minutes, and seconds of the countdown timer (if applicable). These labels are toggled on by default. To edit this text, click the edit icon and customize to fit the look and feel of your order form. You can change the font, size, color, alignment, style, and background color of this text.
Footer Text
The footer text is the text at the bottom of the countdown timer. It is toggled on by default. To edit this text, click the edit icon and customize to fit the look and feel of your order form. You can change the font, size, color, alignment, style, and background color of this text.
Expiration Message
The expiration message text is only applicable to dynamic or static order forms with the Purchase Disabled expiration action selected. This message is the text that appears once the countdown timer has expired. It is located in the same module location as the countdown timer. If you have Purchase Disabled selected, you cannot omit an expiration message. To edit this text, click the edit icon and customize to fit the look and feel of your order form. You can change the font, size, color, alignment, style, and background color of this text.
Countdown Timer Best Practices
Countdown timers, like all order form components, are subject to a set of best practices that we encourage all sellers to follow for optimum customer experience.
The Right Countdown Timer for the Desired Action
As mentioned throughout this article, it is critical to choose the right type of timer for your order form in order to achieve the desired action, which is, in most cases, conversion. You can choose between dynamic countdown timers and static countdown timers. Consider your product type, offer funnel, and audience when selecting which countdown timer to use.
Congruent Look & Feel
Your countdown timer should match your order form to keep a consistent look and feel, which improves the user experience for your customers.
All text appearing on the countdown timer, including digits, can be customized to match the themes of your order form.
We recommend using complimentary colors, fonts that are easy to read, and text sizes that are attention-grabbing, but not jarring.
Realistic Durations
The goal of a countdown time is to create a sense of urgency. Therefore, it is important to pick the right duration for the countdown timer style you have selected.
To dynamic countdown timers, consider a time duration that would encourage a customer to "buy now." Twelve hours may be too many to compel someone to convert. Twenty minutes may be a better fit.
Static countdown timers are best used for flash-sales and pricing that may have an expiration date. Think "buy-one-get-one" offers," "free+shipping offers," and holiday sale events. Thirty days might not be that attention grabbing in this situation. One to four may be a better fit.
Countdown Timer FAQs
Q: How can I use a countdown timer on my order form?
All sellers can harness the power of the countdown timer. Countdown timers can create a sense of urgency for customers and boost conversions. Common use cases for countdown timers include the following:
- Flash Sales
- Limited-time Offers
- Product Launches
For instance, a timer can highlight a 24-hour discount, encouraging immediate purchases. Product launches can benefit from countdown timers by building anticipation, ensuring customers are ready to buy as soon as the product goes live.
Additionally, using countdown timers in abandoned cart emails can remind customers of limited-time offers, prompting them to complete their purchase. Special events like holiday sales or Black Friday also gain an edge by emphasizing the temporary nature of deals, driving more immediate actions.
Q: What are the legal requirements relevant to countdown timers?
When using countdown timers in your marketing efforts, it’s crucial to adhere to general guidelines and regulations to ensure compliance and maintain trust with your audience. Firstly, ensure that all claims made via countdown timers are truthful and not misleading; if an offer is said to expire, it must genuinely end at the indicated time.
Transparency is key—clearly communicate the terms and conditions associated with the offer, including any limitations or exclusions. Accessibility is also important; make sure countdown timers are usable by all customers, including those with disabilities, by following ADA guidelines.
Additionally, if dynamic timers use user data, comply with privacy laws like GDPR or CCPA by informing users and obtaining necessary consents. Avoid deceptive practices such as repeatedly resetting timers to create a false sense of urgency. By following these practices, you can use countdown timers effectively while staying compliant with FCC guidelines.
Q: Why aren't timer digits displaying correctly on the order form?
If timer digits aren’t displaying the way you’d expect on the order form, it’s likely one of two scenarios:
- The countdown timer expiration action was Hide Timer and the countdown timer has elapsed.
- If the countdown timer only had minutes and seconds (IE 15:00), you won’t see days or hours since those are omitted from the form if they are zero.
If this is happening and you want to see the timer on your order form, then you need to edit the timer widget expiration action or timer length respectively.
Q: What is the minimum duration of a countdown timer?
The minimum duration on a dynamic countdown timer is 10 minutes. The minimum duration on a static countdown timer is 24 hours from your local time.
Additional Resources & Related Articles
- KNOWLEDGE BASE: Using the Order Form Customizer
- KNOWLEDGE BASE: How to Use the Exit Offer Customizer
- KNOWLEDGE BASE: How to Switch to the New Order Form From the Legacy Order Form