Psychology is a powerful sales tool. But how can we take advantage of it on our e-commerce sites and avoid the danger of taking things too far? We all like to believe that we make decisions through logical choice. But nothing could be further from the truth. Those who suffer from damage to the part of the brain that handles emotions struggle to make decisions. Emotion is a key component in the way we make decisions. This applies even when shopping online. Understanding exactly what influences our purchasing decisions is an important skill. This is especially true when designing and running eCommerce websites. However, psychology is a discipline that is overlooked among digital professionals. In this post, I want to introduce you to the basics of how to influence a user’s purchase decision.
I hope you get excited enough to investigate the topic further. We start by looking at how psychology can help us position products in the marketplace. You May Also Like: 17 Incredible Ecommerce Trends That Will Boost Your Sales In 2017 Positioning your products using psychology One of the best known representations of human psychology is Maslow’s hierarchy Papua New Guinea Email List of needs. This simple pyramid shows the different motivators that drive decision making. From basic needs, such as food or housing, to personal self-esteem and reaching our potential. Psychology for Shaping Ecommerce Success: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is a powerful tool to position our products. All this may sound theoretical. But it has application in the real world.
Positioning Your Products
It allows us to stop selling based on features and start appealing to users’ emotions. Take for example the automobile industry. All cars offer the same. They get a user from A to point B. Admittedly, they accomplish this with varying degrees of comfort and speed. But most cars offer a similar set of features. What differentiates one model of car from another is more psychological than physical. For example, Volkswagen is based on creating a sense of belonging. But Volvo appeals to our desire for safety. Then, of course, there are the high-end automakers that target our desire for esteem. Psychology for Shaping Ecommerce Success: Bentley Bentley is just one example of a car brand that sells using our desire for esteem. Ask yourself what critical need your product addresses.
This will allow you to stand out from the competition, even if they offer a similar product. This is because it can make your product feel more appealing. Of course, persuading users to want your product is only half the battle. We also have to force them to buy. Psychology can also help us here. Encourage action through psychological triggers Psychological characteristics also influence our decision to act. This is true whether you buy something or sign up for a newsletter. That’s why understanding our psychological triggers will prove invaluable when designing user interfaces. There are too many of these triggers to cover here. That’s why I would recommend ‘100 Things Every Designer Needs To Know About People’ by Susan Weinschenk. But for now let’s focus on five that I use the most when working on eCommerce sites.
Encourage Action Through Psychological
These are: paralysis of choice status quo bias social proof Shortage Framed Psychology for Shaping Ecommerce Success: 100 Things Book Susan Weinschenks’ book on Psychology is a must read for any eCommerce owner or designer. Let’s start with the most dangerous psychological characteristic. One that, if ignored, can undermine sales. 1. Choice paralysis If you ask any of us if we like the choice, we’ll say yes. But our behavior does not support this claim. In fact, we suffer from paralysis of choice. In other words, when there are too many options, we feel overwhelmed and can’t make a decision. This could be problematic on e-commerce sites with a wide range of products. This is not a problem if people visit the site looking for a specific product. But if they choose between similar products, it can lower your conversion rate.
