This week, I dove deep into Oakywood’s website popup.

What began as a quick look at wooden desk accessories became a 2-hour deep dive into their mystery discount popup strategy.

What I’m about to show you is the same breakdown I provide during strategy calls with DTC Mac and remote work tech accessory brands.

My goal is to help you turn website traffic into cash. My main focus is on building email lists that convert, without using discounts as bait.

Ready? Here’s the Oakywood popup:

Why Oakywood caught my attention

Oakywood makes wooden desk accessories and standing desks for remote workers and eco-friendly professionals.

Founded in 2017 by Mateusz Haberny in Poland, they blend traditional Polish woodworking with modern technology. And their strong reputation reflects this unique value proposition.

Their products range from $25-$1,150, positioning them in the premium workspace accessories space.

What caught my eye was their beautiful craftsmanship and sustainable messaging. Yet their popup screams discount store instead of premium brand.

Let’s break down 4 core components of their popup:

1. Headline effectiveness and offer strategy

Here’s what they’re doing well: “You’ve Got A Mystery Discount” creates curiosity and feels more engaging than a generic “Get 10% off.”

Here’s what they could do better: The headline focuses entirely on the discount rather than the workspace transformation Oakywood actually provides.

When someone’s spending $200+ on a wooden laptop stand, they need confidence it’ll solve their problem, not 10% off.

This trains customers to expect discounts on premium handcrafted goods and attracts bargain hunters who’ll never pay full price.

Here’s how I’d fix it: Test outcome-focused questions like “Ready to transform your workspace?” paired with a “5-Day Workspace Transformation Guide” showing before/after setups, ergonomic tips, and product combinations.

This speaks to the real motivation behind Oakywood purchases without training people to wait for sales.

2. Call-to-action buttons

Here’s what they’re doing well: The category buttons (Desks, Desk Organization, Chargers) help segment visitors by interest, which is smarter than a generic “Sign Up” approach.

Here’s what they could do better: The buttons focus on product categories rather than outcomes or problems solved.

For example, “Desk Organization” shows what you sell but doesn’t explain the problem you solve.

The mystery discount headline doesn’t match the category buttons. This mix-up confuses what the popup really offers.

Here’s how I’d fix it: Transform the buttons to outcome-focused copy that reinforces the headline’s promise.

• Instead of “Desk Organization,” try “Eliminate desk clutter”.
• Instead of “Chargers,” use “Go cable-free”.
• Instead of “Desks,” try “Improve ergonomics.”

This links the promise in the headline with the results in the buttons.

3. Timing trigger

Here’s what they’re doing well: Popup loads after about 10 seconds, giving visitors time to briefly understand the product lineup before interrupting their experience.

Here’s what they could do better: The popup completely takes over the entire screen on both desktop and mobile, creating a jarring interruption that feels too aggressive for a premium brand like Oakywood.

It’s like walking into a furniture showroom and having a salesperson immediately push a clipboard in your face before you’ve even touched the wood grain.

Here’s how I’d fix it: Increase the timing to 60+ seconds and use a smaller popup so it doesn’t cover the whole screen.

This lets visitors check out the site while still seeing the page behind the popup. It helps them feel less trapped.

4. Close/exit options

Here’s what they’re doing well: The “No, thanks” option is clearly visible and doesn’t use manipulative copy that makes users feel guilty.

Here’s what they could do better: After someone clicks “No, thanks,” that’s it—dead end, and they’ve lost a potential subscriber forever with no backup plan.

For a brand selling $1,150 standing desks, that’s not just a lost email—it’s potentially thousands in lifetime value walking away.

Here’s how I’d fix it: Add micro-segmentation after the initial “no” by asking “What brings you to Oakywood today?” with options like “Just browsing,” “Planning an office upgrade,” or “Looking for a specific product.”

Then offer relevant content based on their answer.

Here’s my fixed popup:

Let’s break it down to make it crystal clear for you to see:

Fixed headline: “Ready to transform your workspace?”

Fixed offer: “Avoid these 5 mistakes that lead to back pain by lunch, productivity crashes at 2 pm, and looking unprofessional on video calls (even if you spent $3,000 on your setup)”

Fixed CTA button: “Get the Workspace Transformation Guide”

See the difference?

And here’s a before-and-after view:

Oakywood’s popup is built on a strong foundation. It keeps the brand consistent on all devices. It also offers clear exit options and uses smart visitor segmentation.

But they’re making a classic mistake that I see too often. They focus on discounts instead of highlighting the workspace changes that matter to customers.

Here’s what’s hurting their conversions:

• Discount messaging that trains customers to wait for sales
• Category buttons that describe products instead of solving problems
• Full-screen takeover on a 10-second delay
• No exit recovery to capture declined visitors

These are all easy fixes that could boost their popup conversion rate by 45-60%.

Quick tips

→ Premium buyers need different motivation: Transformation beats discounts for $100+ accessories

→ Match buttons to your headline promise: Create consistency between what you promise and what you deliver

→ Always have an exit recovery plan: Turn “no thanks” into micro-segmentation opportunities

Which brand should I analyze next?

I’m always on the lookout for tech companies using creative popups and email strategies.

Hit reply and let me know.

Until next time, see ya!

Gannon

P.S. I only do 5 of these teardown calls per week (they take serious prep time). If you want yours, grab a slot before they fill up!​