increasing conversions using the science of persuasion

21 November 2007Richard Sedley, cScape Customer Engagement Director

Key words:

conversion, marketing, persuasion, motivation, web2.0

customer engagement, credibility, cscape, e-consultancy

The role of persuasion in online conversion

E-consultancyOnline Marketing Masterclass: Conversion Keynote

What’s the most powerful page

on your website?

Utility

The conversion triangle

PersuasionUsability

The goal of persuasion is to change someone’s attitudes or behaviour.

Make them comply with a request using an understanding of human psychology

What is persuasion?

• Credibility

• Social proof

• Storytelling

• Timing

Overview

Elaboration Likelihood Model

• High elaboration (central route)Requires great deal of thought to make a

decision

• Low elaboration (peripheral route)Requires little thought, reliant on decisional

heuristics

How we make our decisions

Petty & Cacioppo, 1981

The need for decisional heuristics

500 milliseconds to

determine credibility

4 seconds to

determine usefulness

• Presumed

• Surface

• Reputed

• Earned

Four types of credibility

Stanford University, Persuasive Technology Lab, 2003

=

=

=

=

General assumptions in the

mind of the perceiver

Simple inspection or initial first

hand experience

Third party endorsements,

reports or referrals

First hand experience that

extends over time

The power of credibilityA B

Conversion rate = 2.69% Conversion rate = 3.03%

% change = 12.64%

Projected monthly gain = $30,582.30

Marketing E

xperiments Journal, F

eb 2007

Social proof (consensus)

Experiment: Milgrim, Bikman and Birkowitz

Good testimonials...

Why testimonials do (and don’t) work: Holly Buchanan, Future Now

Sean DeSouza: Pyschotactics

Marketing Experiments: Optimizing site design

• are focused. Talk about specific benefits or

personal situations• overcome objections. Target conversion

barriers• are contextual. Position where customer might

ask questions and need reassurance• are plentiful. Build a wall of satisfaction• are credible. Lead with skeptics and problems

Copyright: Steve Double - www.double-whammy.com

The first,

the last,

the best

and the rarest?

Make them feel proud?

Copyright: Steve Double - www.double-whammy.com

• When you are in a good mood

• When your world view no longer makes sense

• When you can take action immediately

• When you feel indebted because of a favour

• Immediately after you have made a mistake

• Immediately after you have denied a request

Persuasion windows

Stanford University, Persuasive Technology Lab, 2003

What’s the most powerful page

on your website?

Exploit a thank you?

Persuasion is about aligning our needs and desires with the needs and desires of our customers - for mutual benefit

• Creation of persuasion pathways

• Right-touching through persuasion windows

• As part of engagement modeling

The value of persuasion

Thanks for listening

• Richard Sedley: r.sedley@cscape.com

• cScape newsletter: www.cscape.com• Blog: www.loopstatic.com

• Grab me, say hello pick up a copy of 10 tips for online persuasion

1. Are you headlines failing?

2. Setting customer alarm clocks

3. Using your authority

4. More than just buttons

5. Avoiding trade-offs

6. Exploiting a thank you

7. Do you have social proof?

8. How credible are you?

9. Make them feel proud

10.The right picture says more