Human behaviour is an interesting topic. It’s both fascinating and complex, yet it affects us all. This blog post will help you understand website design from a human behaviour perspective by discussing some powerful principles. These principles in combination, can be used to improve the User Experience (UX) and marketing message in your website. We’ll also talk about how these principles can be applied in practical ways to increase conversion rates on your website.
1 – Reciprocity
One of the most important human behaviour principles that affects website design is the principle of reciprocity. This principle states that humans are social beings who are inclined to return a favour. In terms of website design, this means you should always be looking for ways to give something of value to your visitors.
One way to use reciprocity in your website is to give something of perceived value away for free. This could be in the form of a free resource such as a video program, template or a personal consultation. Another way to use reciprocity is by providing an easy way for visitors to share your content with their friends. You can do this by adding social media sharing buttons.
2 – Social Proof
The challenge with reciprocity strategies is that they may be seen as a marketing gimmick. That’s where social proof can be beneficial. Social proof is a method of convincing website visitors that they are not the only ones who think your business has value.
What others have to say about your company is far more credible than what you have to say about it yourself. That’s precisely how social proof works. For example, you could feature video testimonials of satisfied customers or clients. It’s also possible to implement social proof by adding customer reviews, displaying credentials for validated clients or even written testimonials on your website.
When social proof and reciprocity are combined, they become much more powerful than when used alone. The social proof will help your business be perceived as credible and reliable while the reciprocity may prompt your target market to take action. That brings us to the third key in this powerful combination…
3 – Scarcity
Scarcity is another human behaviour technique that can be used to improve website performance from a marketing standpoint. When people feel like they might miss out on a good deal or an opportunity, it can create a sense of urgency and motivate them to take action. You can use this principle by limiting the availability of your products or services, or by offering a time-sensitive discount.
We humans have a tendency to procrastinate when it comes to making decisions, especially when the outcome is uncertain. This is called indecision bias. One way to overcome indecision bias is to use scarcity in combination with social proof and reciprocity. Fear of missing out is a powerful motivator, so make sure you use it to your advantage in your website!
Humans are Funny Creatures
The human brain is a complex and imperfect machine. We have numerous cognitive biases that influence the way we perceive things and as a result, alter our decisions. We don’t want to make a mistake and therefore we struggle to make decisions at times. We want to understand the context of a product or service and we want to know if we are getting good value.
Marketers have been at it for years, trying to influence people to make a decision. An example of this is the common practice for a retail store to display the recommended retail price of an item next to the “discounted price”. Simple strategies like this work online too.
If you’re looking for ways to improve your website design and performance, consider using the three human behaviour techniques we’ve covered in combination. When used together, they can be a powerful tool that can help motivate people to take action.
Human behavioural psychology is utilised by website experts to assist them with their website designs. It doesn’t have to be difficult, either. Getting a sense of what people want and need on your website is the first step, followed by assisting them in taking the appropriate action. We trust these tips help you do just that.
To your online success!