seductive How to design a

website

@andrewfantastic

Liking, authority

Social proof

Social proof

Email #3: We emphasized scarcity by placing a time limit on the offer

“…only 12 days away.”

#5: We emphasized scarcity by making something unavailable

“You can’t buy it until World Usability Day next week.”

#7: We invoked social proof by implying that hundreds of people will be signing up

“…if you’re one of the first 200 to buy.”

#9: We emphasized scarcity by making something unavailable

“The Redesign Bonanza is now CLOSED.”

#10: We re-opened the offer, for 6 hours.

Guess what happened? (I’ll tell you at the end)

seductive How to design a

website

Desirable

Usable

Useful

Help people to

Choose well

Hick’s Law

“The time it takes to make a decision increases as the number

of alternatives increases”

T = b • log2(n+1)

1. Design ‘6-jam’ web pages

Which circle is bigger?

Choice is relative

Men pay more for accessories after buying a suit than before

2. Consider cross-selling and up-selling

On a voting paper where would you want your name on the list?

The first row is three times more likely to be clicked on than the second row

3. Make sure the first item is the thing you want to ‘sell’ the most

How much for an add-on?

Making it deliberately hard for people to make choices is evil

Design for

Social proof

We tend to follow the patterns of similar people

(particularly in new or unfamiliar situations)

Which rating would you trust more?

4. Use reviews and ratings

5. Use data and statistics

6. Use graphs and charts

Be

Likable

We like people like us

7. Use testimonials and case studies

(With photos and relevant details that help visitors to relate to

them)

8. Show photos of your team

75

9. Show some personality

And have a sense of humour

If someone is physically attractive, people tend to

assume they also have a host of admirable qualities, such as intelligence and honesty

- B.J. Fogg

Teachers presume that good-looking children are more intelligent than their

less attractive classmates

A visually appealing website is seen as more

credible

10. Be attractive

Design for

Scarcity

If something has limited availability, then we

assume that it is more valuable

11. Emphasize limited numbers

12. Emphasize deadlines

13. Use phrases like ‘today only’ and ‘for a limited time’

14. Encourage competition

Design for

Reciprocity

What would happen if you sent Christmas cards to 578 complete

strangers?

If I give something to you or help you in any way, then you are obliged to

return the favour

The most popular spot on the Xero home page?

‘Try for free’

15. Give away free…

…product…information

…recommendations…upgrades

Visitors are twice as likely to fill out the form after receiving the freebie

16. Give people the freebie before asking them for anything

in return

Conclusion

• Scarcity e.g. one day only

• Reciprocity e.g. giving money to the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund

• Likeness e.g. tone of the emails

• Authority e.g. WUD and UPA logos

• Social proof e.g. customer logos, testimonials

• Loss aversion e.g. re-opening the special

World Usability Day special

17 sales were made before the doors were opened

Re-opening the offer for 6 hours resulted in an extra 15% sales

5 months’ revenue in one month!

Next steps

Help people to Choose well

1. Design ‘6-jam’ web pages

2. Consider cross-selling and up-selling

3. Make sure the first item is the thing you want to ‘sell’ the most

Design for Social proof

4. Use reviews and ratings

5. Use data and statistics

6. Use graphs and charts

Be Likable

7. Use testimonials and case studies, with photos and relevant details that help visitors to relate to them

8. Show photos of your team

9. Show some personality, and have a sense of humour

10. Be attractive

Design for Scarcity

11. Emphasize limited numbers

12. Emphasize deadlines

13. Use phrases like ‘today only’ and ‘for a limited time’

14. Encourage competition

Design for Reciprocity

15. Give away free product, information, recommendations, upgrades

16. Give people the freebie beforeasking them for their contact details

trent@optimalusability.com

@trentmankelow@OptimalNZ

Sign up to our newsletter at www.optimalusability.com

Links / Picture Credits

• Slide 1: Photo is of Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss from www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Psyche_revived_Louvre_MR1777.jpg

• Slide 3: www.optimalworkshop.com

• Slide 4: www.worldusabilityday.org

• Slide 22: Jam photo from www.caterwauls.ca/new_page_15_files/berry%20jams.JPG

• Slide 22: Diagram of jams from Neuro Web Design (2009)

• Slide 23: www.dropbox.com

• Slide 24: www.slideshare.net/adamsmith1/from-zero-to-a-million-users-dropbox-and-xobni-lessons-learned

• Slide 26: www.sovereign.co.nz

• Slide 27: www.aia.co.nz

• Slide 28: www.pinnaclelife.co.nz

• Slide 30: www.travelbug.co.nz/b

• Slide 33: Images from www.3wisemen.co.nz

• Slide 34: www.woolworths.co.nz

• Slide 36: Image from www.elections.org.nz/voting/votingsub/sample-ballot-paper.html

• Slide 38: www.newplymouthnz.com

• Slide 39: www.nelsoncitycouncil.co.nz

• Slide 40: www.aucklandcity.govt.nz

• Slide 46: www.whatsmynumber.org.nz

• Slide 47: www.telme.org.nz

• Slide 51: Image from www.odt.co.nz/118554/apples-iphone-4-sale-after-delay

• Slide 52: www.tripadvisor.com

• Slide 54: www.rabodirect.co.nz/term-deposits/default.aspx

• Slide 55: www.consumer.org.nz/reports/vacuum-cleaners

• Slide 57: www.treatme.co.nz

• Slide 57: www.grabaseat.co.nz

• Slide 57: www.powershop.co.nz

• Slide 57: www.xero.com

• Slide 57: www.powerswitch.org.nz/powerswitch

Links / Picture Credits

• Slide 59: www.powershop.co.nz/greater-savings-pricing.html

• Slide 60: www.opower.com

• Slide 62: Image from www.superpunch.blogspot.com/2011/03/facebook-like-button-added-to-elevator.html

• Slide 63: www.careers.govt.nz

• Slide 68: www.powershop.co.nz/smarter-power.html

• Slide 68: www.xero.com/customers

• Slide 68: www.kiwibank.co.nz/personal-banking/investments

• Slide 68: www.inform.co.nz/testimonials

• Slide 70: www.optimalusability.com/our-clients/client-feedback

• Slide 71: www.optimalusability.com/about/our-people

• Slide 72: www.anz.co.nz/personal/investments-advice/financial-planning

• Slide 72: www.asb.co.nz/Personal/Investments/Get-advice/Choose-a-Wealth-Manager#centralnorthisland

• Slide 74: www.localist.co.nz/

• Slide 75: www.twitter.com/#!/AirNZFairy

• Slide 76: www.sorted.org.nz/blog/sorted-turns-8

• Slide 77: www.snapper.co.nz/newsroom/2011/03/24/pimp-your-phone-with-a-snapper-ringtone

• Slide 80: Image from www.nzia.co.nz/projectImages/672132fd/Images/Art%20Maths%20Classroom%20Block%20_%20Classroom%20_%206%20of%206.jpg

• Slide 81: www.siphawaii.com

• Slide 84: www.sonar6.com

• Slide 89: www.grabaseat.co.nz

• Slide 93: www.grabone.co.nz

• Slide 100: www.grabaseat.co.nz/secure/auctions

• Slide 102: www.onceit.co.nz

• Slide 105: Image from http://feelincrafty.wordpress.com/2011/01/04/oh-christmas-card-oh-christmas-card

• Slide 107: www.linkedin.com/home

• Slide 107: www.trademe.co.nz

• Slide 108: www.xero.com

Links / Picture Credits

• Slide 109: www.westpac.co.nz/olcontent/olcontent.nsf/Content/Buying+a+house+checklists

• Slide 111: www.theanswerroom.co.nz

• Slide 112: www.fatso.co.nz

• Slide 112: www.amazon.com

• Slide 113: www.bnz.co.nz

• Slide 115: http://www.slideshare.net/Optimal.Usability/how-to-create-online-experiences-that-people-love

• Slide 123: www.getmentalnotes.com

• Slide 124: www.danlockton.com/dwi/Main_Page