We need to create an ecommerce customer journey that is easy to use and persuasive.
Working Psychology defines Persuasion as being:
“Persuasion attempts to win “the heart and mind” of the target. Thus persuasion must induce attitude change, which entails affective (emotion-based) change. Although persuasion is more difficult to induce, its effects last longer because the target actually accepts and internalizes the advocacy.”
The following post will explore what brands are doing at each step of the customer journey. We will discuss signing up, emailing, landing on a page, product page, checking out, and abandonment.
Sign up/registration
Persuasion tactic: reciprocity
Reciprocity is the feeling of obligation to provide discounts or concessions to others if they have received favours from those others. Psychology states that humans dislike feeling in debt to other people.
When we subscribe or register for something, we often invoke the principle of reciprocity, even if we don’t fully realize we’re doing so.
Persuasion tactic: cognitive ease > explicit visual design cue
The general idea of the principle is that organisms naturally choose the path of least resistance The “Principle of Least Effort” is a law that covers diverse fields from evolutionary biology to web design. The principle states that organisms naturally choose the path of least resistance.
According to this theory, animals, people, and even well-designed machines will always take the path of least resistance, or the path that requires the least amount of effort.
Usability studies have repeatedly shown that readers only skim websites, looking for info that is relevant to them, rather than reading word-by-word.
Designers need to provide visual cues to help guide readers to the content they need and influence them to take action.
Persuasion tactic: implicit visual design cue
Subtle directional cues that are not stated explicitly, such as positioning and line of sight, are used to direct the readers’ eyes to the objective.
Persuasion tactic: anchoring
The cognitive bias of anchoring refers to the human tendency to rely too heavily on the first piece of information offered when making decisions.
Anchoring occurs during decision making when individuals use an initial piece of information to make subsequent judgements.
Persuasion principle: emotion
We pride ourselves on thinking that we make decisions consciously by analyzing all the information available and deciding what the best option is.
Despite what we may tell ourselves, we often make purchasing decisions based on our emotions, and then try to come up with a rational justification for our choice after the fact.
Solutions/product page
Persuasion principle: von Restorff Effect
An item is more likely to be remembered if it stands out from the others. In other words, if you want to remember something, highlight it in green.
This can be done by using strong, persuasive language that urges the reader to take immediate action.
Your call-to-action should be something that you want your audience to do. This example from ASOS is great because it is punchy and persuasive. If something is hidden and difficult to see, it will be difficult to act on.
The call-to-action is effective because it stands out and is relevant to what the user wants. The copy is persuasive and reassuring, making it more likely that the user will take the desired action.
Checkout
Persuasion principle: Hicks Law/paradox of choice
This checkout login page is trying to have an option for everyone, which is a good thing.
The reality is that the page is messy and confusing, which causes many prospective customers to leave at this point. The problem? There are too many choices.
This step in the process is disruptive because it interrupts the consumer’s happy shopping experience.
The ad is too demanding, requiring the consumer to stop and think, which often interrupts an enjoyable shopping journey. Too many choices and too busy.
Persuasion principle: commitment & consistency
We have a strong need to be seen as consistent by others.
When we have committed to something publicly, we are more likely to stick with it and be consistent. The reason people are committed to staying with a certain activity, from a psychological perspective, is because it is in line with their self-image.
A customer who has just made their first purchase is asked to provide a password to create an account.
This process uses Cialdini’s commitment and consistency principle to encourage customers to create an account during the purchase process. By adding just one more detail, customers can take advantage of special offers the next time they shop.
Abandonment
Persuasion tactic: cognitive ease > implicit visual cue
This subtle overlay is very effective at drawing the customer’s attention to the call-to-action by aligning with the direction the model is facing.
Containing the task and offer within the overlay helps to support the call-to-action very simply and nicely.
Persuasion tactic: scarcity & loss aversion
If you want to communicate scarcity and trigger loss aversion, a live countdown clock is an effective tool.
Make them put effort
Consumers are loss-averse. They would rather not lose than get equivalent gains.
Their lack of tolerance for risk makes them loyal to brands that meet their expectations. Customers are rational and open to better options.
One way to persuade people to switch sides is by involving them in creating their own experience. However, there are some consumers who believe that they are the only ones who understand what they want. Making it possible for them to customize their products could earn you their loyalty.
Enabling shopping experience customization makes customers feel in control of their purchasing decisions and a part of your ecosystem.
Ben & Jerry sold $1 billion worth of ice cream in 2021, $200 million more than Haagen-Dazs which came in second. It may be a challenge to gain a foothold in the market.
Although this was a challenge, eCreamery found a way around it by letting customers personalize their ice cream.
The brand offers over 20 flavors to choose from. One can also make the pint more personal by adding their own photos or titles, and there are over 50 different designs to choose from depending on the occasion.
Repetition is key
If you want to be more persuasive, try saying the same thing more than once.
Even though your customers can hear, it does no harm to repeat something good, as Plato said in 360 B.C.
Selectively repeating information that is in favor of a certain decision will more likely lead to that decision being made, say three German psychologists.
Stefan Schulz-Hardt and his colleagues were researching how the repetition of specific information influences decision-making. If you say something enough times, people will start to believe it–even if it’s not true. Saying something enough times can make nearly 70% of people believe it, even if it’s not true, according to a study of 100 college students.
This principle can be applied to your eCommerce store design to create a consistent look and feel that reinforces your brand messages, making them more believable and trustworthy.
Dollar Shave Club uses the same color throughout its website to help create a sense of consistency for users.
Woo them with words – Use persuasive words and phrases
It is important to connect with your web visitors on a deeper level in order to create a lasting relationship with your brand. This can be done by creating a strong emotional connection with your audience. This means that you have to be careful with the words you choose.
According to Gregory Ciotti of Copyblogger, certain words are more likely to influence buying decisions than others. If you want to make your offers more persuasive and compelling, you should use power words on your website or in your sales copies.
You might want to begin with these:
- Free
- Because
- Instantly
- New
- You
Consumers love to maximize value. They also crave instant gratification, personalized experience, and exclusivity. But customers also need reasons to buy from you. Companies that use words that appeal to people’s primitive desires will be more successful in selling their products.
The use of the word “you” on the Stitch Fix website is designed to create a more personal connection with the customer. The company may feel that speaking in general terms to a large audience would be less effective in communicating the value of their product. Instead of using a generic message, using a power word allows businesses to talk directly to their customers in a more personal way.
Connect their wants to their needs
What your customers want is based on one of Maslow’s five levels of needs.
Abraham Maslow believed that people are motivated to achieve their goals by having their different levels of need met in a sequence.
Maslow believes that people’s needs must be met in lower levels before they can begin to focus on needs in the next level. He stated that human needs become more psychological and social as people move up the pyramid.
If you promised someone who is hungry and homeless a car, it would be a waste of time. However, simply making the same promise to those who have already fulfilled their basic needs could be sufficient to convince them.
If you want to sell something to someone more easily, you should understand what motivates them and tailor your offering to match their wants. You should segment your market so that you can individually tailor your offers to each group.
Offer them more control
By giving your customers more freedom, they will be able to make decisions more quickly.
Customers crave immediacy—they want it now. Nobody wants to spend the whole day shopping online. Making the process more efficient makes it easier to convert leads.
You can offer buyers instant gratification and more control over their shopping experiences with simple things like:
- Shorter form fields
- Guest checkout
- Fast loading web pages
- Live chat feature
- Same-day delivery or fast shipping
As well as wanting a refund, customers also want to be able to return items easily and have a warranty. Offering them these experiences lets them shop without regrets.
Don’t let your customers fail
Keeping customers happy by providing a smooth shopping experience will keep them coming back.
The Baymard Institute found that 18% of online shoppers in the US stop completing their purchase because the checkout process is too long or complicated. The study revealed that 12% of people don’t continue using a website because of an error or crash.
Most consumers shop online for convenience. People often get frustrated when pages take a long time to load or when the checkout process is complicated. If you don’t meet their expectations, they may go somewhere else for a better experience.
If you make it easy for visitors to complete tasks, they will be more likely to take action.
You can support these visitors in at least nine ways:
- Showing error messages in forms
- Providing them with explainer videos
- Using live chat support to provide real-time assistance
- Introducing flexible payment options
- Eliminating sales barriers with social proofs
- Streamlining product discovery with recommendations
- Enabling guest checkouts
- Formulating a seamless return policy
- Providing mobile apps to allow customers to shop on the go
Activate Your Persuasion Marketing
convincing customers to switch to your brand is more difficult than it may seem. You can be successful in persuading others using these methods.
Adding the tactics to your marketing toolkit will allow you to win more sales with less effort.
Starting with the easier strategies first ensures that you won’t get overwhelmed and run out of energy before you even start. Designing an implementation plan and having a timeline can help streamline the process.
In order to eliminate guesswork, it is important to A/B-test any changes that are made.
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