Using Psychology to Boost Your Conversions in 2016

Last year there was a lot of focus on UI and UX design but what about the psychological motivations of user interactions?

While we don't talk of 'psychology-driven design' on the web, advertising agencies have been keen students of the public mind from their earliest days. Unsurprisingly, they often have a psychologist or two on the payroll.

So, that leads to the question: can you use psychology to boost your web conversions? The answer is: absolutely. Why not try it this year as you get your site off the ground.

Challenge The Positively

Positive reinforcement – or the idea of rewarding good behavior – is as old as civilization itself. While some might see it as a manipulatory practice, the fact is good design changes minds. But how do you work it into your conversions?

Each January we see plenty of "buy one - get one free" offers – but don't be afraid to offer a little more. You want to challenge your visitor because most people like a good challenge.

Try crafting your words to make yourself appear a little "vulnerable" as the Maintenance Free does in the image above. You want your visitor to say "challenge accepted".

One of the simplest methods to achieve this is the "100% guaranteed or your money back" but also try to think outside of the box. Try alleviating their fear of commitment with a high reward. Perhaps the pitch is: "we're 100% certain that you'll enjoy your membership that we bet our house on it".

Ok, maybe not quite that big but you get the point.

Offer More Choices

Narrowing the number of consumer choices has its place but it can also prove to be restricting to some. Inversely too many choices can create what is known as the "paradox of choice". This is caused by offering too many options which in turn paralyzes and overwhelms the consumer making them unhappy.

It's crucial to find a balance between the 'paradox of choice' and the one-way street. That will usually mean offering 2-3 choices of action instead of just one. Your user is more likely to find a choice that best suits them and ultimately convert.

For example, your goal may be to encourage users to download your app. Rather than only offering them the download option, you might want to offer three CTAs, in this case, which you might title "See Live Demo", "View Features" and "Download Now". The actual labels and the executable action is entirely up to you.

Establish Countdowns

Deadlines are motivating. When it comes to trying to get potential consumers to actually consume initiating a countdown can be beneficial especially this time of the year.

Consider the driving force behind the annual Black Friday sales. Sure, the huge markdowns are important but the core component is the subconscious fear that is instilled within the masses'. It's 'FOMO' - Fear Of Missing Out.

Scarcity drives demand and that demand turns into sales, so consider using "limited time" messaging for your product or service. The objective with designing countdowns is to encourage people to commit to a decision.

Try this as a test. The next time you propose a movie night with friends, be sure to add a time ultimatum e.g. "I need to know by lunchtime tomorrow". You'll probably be surprised to see that you'll get more decisive answers without actually having to do much work. It works the same with design.

Don't Beat Around the Bush

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A lot of websites are bound to pop up in the first two months of this year, some of them legit and others not so much so users are going to be wary. This is why you must be upfront. Let potential converts know what you want and what they should expect during and after conversion.

Sharing any pertinent information or even information that may not be as crucial lets the user develop trust for you and your business. The more trust that you receive the more the likelihood of conversion increases.

In his book Psychological Foundations of Trust, psychology researcher, author and professor, Jeffry A. Simpson wrote:

"Trust involves the juxtaposition of people’s loftiest hopes and aspirations with their deepest worries and fears".

While it is hard to gain trust it is very easy to lose it due to these underlining complications of worry and fear.

Providing descriptive text is just one way to share information. Showing a visual guide either animated or static to show how they should go about their conversion is another viable option. There are many options aside from these so there really isn't any excuse to be secretive.

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by Gabrielle Gosha via SitePoint