Psychology and Web Design

The last time, I discussed about the 3 types of consumers. Now, I will go on and talk more about the correlation between psychology and web design. For this post, I will explain further on the topic of importance of setting criteria, and classifying your customers. At the end of the day, people won’t go after a beautiful website, but the site needs to cater to the needs of the audience. Studying consumer behavior and learning various studies is also a crucial step.

• Set a specific limit.

  • Robert Cialdini, the author of the famous book Influence, studied the donations section of the American Cancer Society website. He experimented and used two similar sentences when requesting for monetary donations.
    • The first sentence: “Would you be willing to help by giving a donation?”
    • The second sentence: “Would you be willing to help by giving a donation? Every penny will help.”
  • Indeed, the 2 sentences are identical, and there were four words added on the 2nd sentence yet those words made a substantial impression on the website.
  • The results were definite; people were very generous on their donations when they read the second statement. Only 28% donated when given the first sentence. From a mere 28%, the donations went up to 50%!
  • What’s the lesson here? People will participate more if specific guidelines are imposed. The sentence “Every penny will help.” was the parameter the people needed to affirm that any amount is welcome. With this statement, people won’t hesitate to give because they know the website would accept $10, $5, or even $2.
  • Whether you are asking for a donation or a monthly fee, be specific with what you are asking from your audience. People will take action because you explained to them the distinct parameters they wanted to know.

Related: Psychological Tricks to Apply on Your Website

• Labels are a must.

  • No, I don’t mean you need to put product labels. What I mean here is that it is necessary to label your customers.
  • According to a research, people generally like labels. If they tagged as part of group, they will be honored to be included in such a prestigious list.
  • In one study, 133 voters were asked by the researchers because they were perceived as “politically active.” However, there was no such list, and the researchers just made it up. There were no set of rules, and they were just randomly selected.
  • The group who were tagged as “politically active” had a higher voter turnout compared to the unlabeled group of voters. There was 15% difference between the 2 groups.
  • The truth is, we are more approachable and friendly when we are part of a group. Who would want to be outcast? Being shunned by people is not something we aim.
  • Thus, in a business setting, being a premium card holder is an impressive distinction. “VIP” customers take pride that they are recognized by the company. They will most likely purchase more items because they know that they are highly respected than “ordinary” customers.
  • Whatever you choose to label your customers, they are still your customers and you welcome everyone with open arms. From your perspective, you don’t choose your customers. However, from the consumers’ point of view, they feel delighted to be called your “best” customers.