Alert modals are collapsible windows that typically appear at the bottom or footer area of your website. Alert modals have been useful for informing website visitors about data privacy policies (such as using "cookies"), but they can also be used to promote any of your COVID-19 policies or disclaimers.
Alert modals are easy to use and customize, and are complementary to your other alert strategies. They are particularly effective as they don't obstruct how visitors interact with your website. However, because they appear at the bottom of the page, they are typically reserved for lower-level alerts, legal footnotes, or other pertinent information.
Here's how to build out a simple HTML alert modal for your COVID-19 response:
Add the HTML snippet to your templates or webpages, preferably at the bottom since the element will be fixed to the bottom of the page. Add a URL to the "Learn More" link so that users can get additional information.
Customize all colors to meet your individual brand needs. The main "covid-banner" selector uses the fixed position so that a user prominently sees it when the page loads.
The below JavaScript is optional if you want to enable the "dismiss" feature. Using the below JS (with jQuery needed), you can set a local storage cookie so that users can dismiss the modal and have it not re-appear.