Everyone knows that effective marketing begins in the mind of the consumer, understanding how they think, feel, and react to different types of stimuli. But to take it a step further, realising what our intrinsic motivations are behind our actions and decision making is the key differentiator between an average brand and a profitable business that is remembered by its customers for the right reasons.
Neuromarketing is the bridge between neuropsychology and market research and it allows us to understand the psychological drivers and triggers that make people respond in a certain way and why.
A type of neuromarketing that most people are aware of is colour psychology; how the colour blue is calm and trustworthy and the colour yellow signals happiness and creativity. These reactions are rooted in psychological effects, biological and cultural conditioning.
We can see colour psychology demonstrated by industry leaders in their branding and advertising.
Take Coca Cola for example, they portray a fun and exciting brand personality in the majority of their advertisements. It’s also shown through their colour red as it gives the feeling of excitement, energy, and desire. Red also stimulates the appetite which makes it the perfect choice when branding a food or drink.
However, colour psychology won’t necessarily translate to a higher conversion rate.
You’re here to learn about the 5 ways you can use neuromarketing to increase your conversion rate. So let’s get into it.
The Zeigarnik Effect
The Zeigarnik Effect is formed from the idea that, as humans, we like to finish what we start. If we don’t complete something we experience discomfort and tension. It’s this tension that makes us pay more attention to the thing we want to finish. This causes us to remember uncompleted tasks more than completed tasks. This is because we have little motivation to remember things we have completed whereas we have a strong interest in incomplete things and that keeps them in our mind.
Russian psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik made note of this effect when she observed that waiters could remember complex food orders but once the customers received their orders, the waiter would forget all of the details. Waiters could easily recall the orders that were still pending but the completed orders were no longer remembered.
We can see this effect in TV series that use cliffhangers to keep you wondering what happens next. It can also be used to ensure customers complete a desired action such as purchasing. Using a visual element of progress can help your customers see how far along they are in the process and this can encourage them to complete the action.
Example:
Customers will understand exactly what the steps are to complete the task and will show them how far along they have come. This also plays into the Sunk Cost Effect which explains how we will persist with things especially when we have invested time and money into them. Even if it’s not something that we want to do.
Hobsons +1 Choice Effect
Understanding Hobsons +1 Choice Effect starts with understanding what a Hobson’s choice is. A Hobson’s choice is an option that you can either choose or refuse. The expression comes from Thomas Hobson who was a wealthy land and stable owner in the 1600s. He had a wide range of horses for people to ride, however he would only let his customers take the horse nearest the stable door at the time as he didnt want to overwork his best horses by allowing people to choose for themselves. Hobsons customers could either take the horse nearest the stable door or not go riding at all. Hobsons +1 Choice is when you give two options to choose from instead of one.
Research has shown that when we are presented with a take it or leave it situation, we are more likely to leave it than take it. If a second option is added then we feel more inclined to choose one or the other since it is human nature to use comparative thinking. This leads us to be less likely to consider the leave it option.
Using Hobson’s +1 Choice in business is easy. For example, allow customers to pick from two call to action buttons rather than presenting a single take it or leave it option. This way, people will feel much more in control of their shopping experience and will be more satisfied with the purchase they make.
Need For Certainty
One of the six basic human needs, as outlined by Jerome Kagan, is the need for certainty. The need for certainty comes from the fact that our brain likes to know what’s going on and feel in control of our surroundings by recognising patterns. Being certain about the world around us gives us a good feeling of security and reward. This is why some people get a feeling of accomplishment when they organise things, it provides a sense of certainty. On the other hand, feeling uncertain gives us feelings of anxiety and discomfort.
When designing a website, you should eliminate any uncertainty that the user may experience. Provide clear guidance and tell the user what is going to happen at each part of their journey in becoming a customer.
This need for certainty is particularly important during times of stress. A customer who is navigating through your checkout process will feel safe and comfortable with a message of reassurance. Also letting the customer know when and how they will be charged will provide them with the feeling of certainty which will increase the odds of them completing the purchase.
The Ben Franklin Effect
The Ben Franklin Effect describes how doing someone a small favour leads us to like them more, even if we don’t like them very much to begin with. This effect makes us more likely to do them a second or third favour.
This happens because if we have agreed to do them a favour, it must be because we like them (even if we don’t) and so subconsciously we decide to like them as we want to be more consistent with our behaviour.
It is known that people enjoy giving their opinion and feedback. So if you ask for this with a short and easy survey, you can increase the chances of people liking you more and being more satisfied with their purchase. This will increase the positive feelings the customer has for your brand which can eventually lead to them coming back or bringing a friend.
This comes as a 2-in-1 tip as you can use the customer feedback to improve future experiences, as well as use the feedback to show the number of happy customers you have.
The Curse Of Knowledge
The Curse Of Knowledge is a cognitive bias where people who are better informed on a subject find it difficult to imagine the subject from the perspective of someone who doesn’t know much about it.
Try this experiment with a friend. You will be the tapper, your friend will be the listener. Tap on a table the rhythm to a well known song such as ‘Happy Birthday’ or ‘Baa Baa Black Sheep’. Ask your friend to guess at what you are tapping, the chances are they wont be able to guess. But in your head, the rhythm makes perfect sense. Now tell them what you are tapping and ask if they can hear it. Now that they know, they will very clearly hear the song you are tapping.
The Curse Of Knowledge often means that concepts and ideas aren’t being presented clearly enough because the person presenting it presumes a certain level of knowledge from their audience.
Keep communications clear and easy for everyone to understand. This is an important factor in making your website both accessible and engaging. This can come in the form of making sure your fonts are clear and readable. As well as clarifying what your S, M, and L sizes actually mean in a size chart. Not everyone will be able to read that size 11 cursive font on your website or know exactly how small your S size shirt is. (Size charts also fulfill the Need For Certainty since the customer will be certain that they have chosen the right size).
So here you have 5 ways to use neuromarketing within your website and increase your conversion rates.
What was your favourite tip?
