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What is Usability and User Experience?A brilliant reference for persuasive techniques

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Persuasion, Personality, Conversion – PPC for the Smart Kids

by Paul Rouke (@paulrouke)Founder & Director of Optimisation at PRWD

5th Septmber 2013 @Conversion Summit, Frankfurt

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PRWD work closely with brands to optimise their online conversion rate across desktop, tablet and mobile

About Us

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What is Usability and User Experience?About this session

• Leading examples of where brands are using some of the most influential persuasive techniques

• Examples of where brands are combining different persuasive techniques to enhance their influence on positive user behaviour

• Examples of one of the most significant missing ingredients in almost all online experiences

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What is Usability and User Experience?A brilliant reference for persuasive techniques

Getmentalnotes.com

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ScarcityRecency

Social Proof

How Booking.com use scarcity and other persuasive techniques...

Saving

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What is Usability and User Experience?

See how Booking.com persuades visitors to book

http://bit.ly/bookingBP

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Tips to demonstrate scarcity & encourage action

Use words such as “selling fast” on some products to introduce social proof

Use words such as “last few remaining” to create intrigue

If you indicate current activity (like Booking.com) make this genuine

Provide a filter in your navigation for “low stock availability” as some users will be

attracted to these products

Position the stock message in close proximity to the call to action

Indicate when someone last made a purchase decision

Indicate scarcity more than once, using different language to say the same thing

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Vancouver Convention Centre pay considerable attention to the importance of establishing & demonstrating social proof – they also provide different types of content to engage visitors in ways appropriate to their behaviour

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When I see examples of big organisations who have hosted events and conferences at a particular venue this has a strong influence on how I think about that venue. Video testimonials are more convincing than written testimonials.

“A user taking part in an in-depth research study

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As well as showing ratings on the lister pages, Speedo position the star rating & number of reviews in the ideal position where users will focus attention on

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Ratings are provided in a number of important areas, which visitors can filter by, and Speedo go to considerable lengths to ensure visitors can empathise with the reviewers

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I really like how the reviews are designed with the little bar-charts. You see where people are happy or disappointed with a product. I really like how you classify what type of swimmer you are. I can tell if the reviewer is in the same mind-frame as me.

“A user on the Speedo website

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Tips to showcasing social proof

Don't rely on ratings being on your product pages - use them through the

user journey in key areas of focus for visitors

Bring customer comments to the surface, not hidden away in tabs

Combine both famous & non famous people to provide social proof about

your proposition & service/products

Allow visitors to filter reviews to find the most relevant ones that they can

empathise with

Provide reviewers with the opportunity to describe/categorise themselves

– demonstrate authenticity & allow visitors to empathise with them

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ASOS have provided customers with a perfect way to consider a wider range of products rather than having to make a decision to ‘add or not to add to my basket’ – plus they provide a seamless experience to purchase items

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So how many visitors are using this feature?

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Short answer? Shitloads.

Hundreds of thousands of saves a day.“

James Hart, eCommerce Director at ASOS

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When we started working with Molton Brown their shopping basket wasn’t encouraging visitors to proceed to checkout

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BEFORE

AFTER

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BEFORE

AFTER

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BEFORE

AFTER

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BEFORE

AFTER

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BEFORE

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AFTER

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BEFORE

AFTER

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BEFORE

AFTER

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The revised shopping basket aims to encourage visitors to act on their previous decision to add products into their basket

1

2

3

4

5

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8

1

Checkout is now the most prominent CTA

2

Dynamic messaging encourages additional purchases

3

Delivery costs & timescales are now visible

Emphasis is drawn to the FREE samples & gift options

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Ticks are used to demonstrate positive messaging

6

Users are discouraged from trying to obtain a promo code

Security assurances are provided to increase confidence

7

The call to action provides security assurance

8

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What is Usability and User Experience?How did these combined changes impact the

performance of this page?

Visitors proceeding to checkout increased by 37%

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Tips to maintaining visitor’s momentum

Repeat key proposition messages through the user journey, not just at the

initial decision making point

Provide customers with a lower level of initial commitment, not just ‘add to

basket’

Focus the user on what they are there to do - distractions can be toxic

Use colours to draw peoples attention to your key persuasive elements -

just being there isn't always enough

Use ticks to provide positive, visual affirmation of what the user has done

and what benefits they will be getting

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ASOS originally used the phrase “create an account” in both the copy and on the call to action for new customers. They also had 3 competing calls to action using the same button style

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ASOS now provide one the most simple, barrier free checkout pages for new customers – simply asking them to continue

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What is Usability and User Experience?How did this message change and call to

action impact the performance of this page?

Abandonment Rate Was Reduced by 50%

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AllSaints originally provided new customers with 2 different options at the start of checkout – create an account or continue as a guest

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The redesigned checkout provided new customers with one option which was to start entering their details, whilst de-emphasising the login facility for returning customers so as not to distract new visitors

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What is Usability and User Experience?How did this reduction in choices for new

customers affect conversion rate?

New customer conversion rate Increased by 18%

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The new order confirmation page for this retailer aims to focus first time buyers attention on choosing to create their account – see also the aspirational imagery to get customers thinking about the goal of their online shopping journey

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Tips for reducing choice & improving completion

Provide visitors with as few options as possible, just one if they are new

customers and you are selling online

On key landing pages limit the number of calls to action to focus the visitor

on what you want them to do

Pay particular attention (and test) the wording on your call to action

elements, to understand how they impact completion

Reduce or even remove text that accompanies primary action buttons as

this slows down progress or is often disregarded

Use tick icons to highlight the benefits users will get by making a decision

Aim to create a sense of momentum by allowing visitors to make quick &

easy decisions early on within a process of pages/tasks

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What is Usability and User Experience?

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Believe it or not on first viewing, Lings Cars feature a wealth of persuasive techniques to encourage visitors to buy

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Assuming you can fulfil the service or goods supply that you offer, the biggest thing to get right is simply to emotionalise your offering

“The irrepressible Ling Valentine (@LINGScars)

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It is about gaining trust and then providing a way to deliver a 100% digital service, while remaining personal.

“The mad as toast Ling Valentine (@LINGScars)

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Would you trust this woman?!

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What is Usability and User Experience?

In 2012 the RRP of the cars they leased online was over €58million

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What is Usability and User Experience?

See how Lings Cars persuades visitors to buy

http://bit.ly/batshitinsane

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Bella Center in Copenhagen provide a very boring, in-personal experience when visitors are interested in making contact

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Manchester Central have a clear understanding that “people buy people” and provide visibility of who are the key contacts that potential buyers will be working with

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Richer Sounds also recognise the importance of demonstrating their personality and humanising their online content

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You need to bring people and emotions to the front. We do business with people, the human touch is the way things are moving towards

“A user looking for a service provider online

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Tips for introducing delighters, personality & humanising your online content

People buy people - show visitors who they will be dealing with, not just

names, emails and telephone numbers

Pay close attention to goal completion pages of your site and provide

content which adds value

Look at opportunities in your copy to demonstrate some personality

Don’t be afraid to show your human side

Use language which resonates with visitors & potential buyers

Provide short video case studies & client testimonials to let your customers

sell your products & services for you

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What is Usability and User Experience?Summary

> Persuasive design is everywhere (in small bits)> Instilling trust is fundamental, no matter who you are> Avoid the dark arts (see http://wiki.darkpatterns.org) to remain credible & trustworthy> Focus on the full customer journey, including the end

Combine usability, persuasion & personality for the biggest commercial (and user experience) impact

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Extensive usability, persuasion & conversion resources available online here:

bit.ly/CROresources