We are going to discuss a subject that can not only help web designers boost their income, but when it comes to designing websites for clients, it will also give insights as to how they can maximise the performance of their website too. The subject in question is website conversion, and specifically some of the psychological triggers that can turn a website visitor into a buyer. Here are ten of them.
Psychological Trigger #1 – Scarcity
People hate the thought of missing out on something, or equally love that they are getting something few others can have. You might show a countdown to a date and time when your special offer ends, or highlight you have a limited number of discounted website designs available.
Psychological Trigger #2 – Anchoring
Believing that the price of something is high, and then being offered a lower price, even if only slightly lower, can induce a prospect to buy. This can be facilitated by displaying the prices of your very highest priced web design services which include all the extras.
Psychological Trigger #3 – Authority
More than ever, customers want to know they are dealing with a business that has authority, even if that is only a perceived authority. You can show authority by publishing testimonials and any badges relating to industry associations and organisations you are a member of.
Psychological Trigger #4 – Reciprocity
This comes from our desire to react to something positive by doing something positive in return. By offering a free web design factsheet that prospects can download, or by giving a client payment terms rather than insisting on full payment, you can trigger this response, which might be to buy.
Psychological Trigger #5 – Social Proof
This has spiked massively as the internet has grown with people wishing to see that others have used a product or service they are considering. This is where all your positive testimonials and reviews come to the fore, and you highlight previous websites and their delighted owners.
Psychological Trigger #6 – Rhyming Words
This might sound bizarre, but when people hear a phrase that has rhyming words, it resonates more and is more easily remembered. Well-known examples are “Beanz Meanz Heinz” and “Do you…Yahoo?”.
Psychological Trigger #7 – Loss Aversion
Avoiding loss is a big motivator, so if you can trigger the idea that a person’s business will lose money if it does not have a great website, then you have a prospect who is far closer to buying than if they thought their business would simply break even.
Psychological Trigger #8 – Fewer Options
If you give someone too many choices they can be overwhelmed and thus pass and move on. Keep the number of offers you display to a maximum of three. If you have lots of services on offer, break them down into categories with three options in each.
Psychological Trigger #9 – Repeated Commitment
If you can set your sales funnel up so that the customers have to keep making choices by selecting “Yes” repeatedly, when it comes to their final decision to buy, the overwhelming urge will be to say “Yes” again.
Psychological Trigger #10 – Great Design
We are sure all web designers will love this one. It is certainly true that a well-designed website that looks professional is more likely to trigger a positive response towards buying than a poorly designed website.