Digital Marketing Priorities 2013 Summit11th January 2013. Brought to you by:

The Most Influential Persuasive Design Priorities for 2013

Paul RoukeHead of Usability & ConversionPRWD

A showcase of the most effective persuasive techniques that influence user behaviour, helping you understand where you should be focussing your efforts to improve on-site conversion rates

Digital marketing advice, training and consultingwww.smartinsights.com

About Dave Chaffey

About Dave Chaffey• Author of 5 bestselling marketing books first

published in 2000, now in their 4th and 5th editions • Online marketing consultant and trainer since

1997• Manages SmartInsights.com: a marketing advice

site with Expert members in over 50 countries

January Offer: Free copy of Emarketing Excellence for first 50 new Expert-level members Smart Insights Expert membership: www.smartinsights.com/membership

Books

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About this session Based on 12 years experience working with blue chip brands Insights from 100’s of hours spent in user testing studies Major and subtle persuasion tips & techniques which positively

affect user behaviour Live examples of where brands are combining different

techniques to enhance the influence on user behaviour

Please interact using the BrightTALK buttons:

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POLL

Which technique do you feel is the most influential in persuading people to take action?

Scarcity Commitment Social Proof Personality Urgency

Authority Recency Consistency

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About me & PRWD I run the UK’s Leading North West Based Usability & Conversion

Optimisation Consultancy, PRWD I provide public and in-house training for Econsultancy’s global clients

including Tesco, O2 and Santander At PRWD our Profit Optimisation Programme helps brands improve

on-site conversion, customer satisfaction & profitability Brands me and my highly experienced optimisation team work with

inc.

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

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ScarcityRecency

Social Proof

How Booking.com combine different 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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ASOS display a simple but highly prominent message to create a sense of urgency within the consumer

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Oxfam start applying urgency as soon as visitors add a second hand product to their basket. The simple use of the clock icon provides visual stimulus to draw users attention

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At the next stage of the purchase journey Oxfam then make it really clear that the visitor has a limited time to make their purchase – with excellent language and tone of voice used

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Never pressure people to PUSH them into purchasing.

Instead, use pressure to PREVENT them from procrastinating.

There is a fundamental difference between the two.

“@michelfortinhttp://www.copyblogger.com/the-smart-way-to-create-a-sense-of-urgency/

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Naked Wines combine both urgency & ability to make a saving to stop visitors from procrastinating – positioning this message where it is guaranteed to get noticed

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Tips to create a sense of urgency

Use a dynamic stock reservation countdown message

Use icons to draw attention to the fact this is time specific

May close attention to the copy you use - this can be a great way to bring

out some of your brand personality

Use language which visitors will be able to relate to

Don't be shy about using these tactics

Ensure these messages are positioned in prominent positions where users

will pay attention to

Combine social proof & scarcity and other persuasive techniques like

showing that visitors can get something for FREE

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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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How important is it to see snapshots of past events & conferences?

The view from quantitative feedback

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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-set as me.

“A user on the Speedo website

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Goskyride miss the opportunity to demonstrate social proof on their search results pages by not featuring rider comments

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On the ride detail pages the rating isn’t displayed in an optimal area and the comments are hidden behind a tab link

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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

Allow visitors to filter reviews to find their most relevant 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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The revised shopping basket aims to encourage visitors to act on their previous decision to add products in to their basket

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Checkout is now the most prominent CTA

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Dynamic messaging encourages additional purchases

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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

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Users are discouraged from trying to obtain a promo code

Security assurances are provided to increase confidence

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The call to action provides security assurance

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What is Usability and User Experience?How did these 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 words 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 change in message 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 1 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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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 amount of calls to action to focus on what

you want the visitor to do

Pay particularly attention (and test) the wording on your calls to action to

understand how they impact completion

Reduce or even remove text that accompanies primary action buttons as

this slows down progress or is often dis-regarded

Use ticks to demonstrated benefits that users will get by making the

decision to do what you want them to make

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

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 2011 the value of the cars they leased was over £38million

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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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POLL

Ling Valentine – creative genius or freak of nature?

Creative Genius Freak of Nature Both of the above Ling who?

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Bella Center in Copenhagen provide a non personable experience for when visitors are interested in making contact

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In contrast, through consumer research Manchester Central have a clear understanding that for their prospects “people buy people” and therefore provide visibility of who are the key contacts that potential buyers will be working with

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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 with a budget looking for a service provider

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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 and

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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Persuasive design is everywhere (in small bits) Instilling trust is a fundamental technique 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 for the biggest commercial (and user experience) impact

Summary

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Thank you for your participation - Your questions please

Please ask questions and rate this webcast

For more Answers to your Digital Marketing Questions use our free community

Best wishes for 2013!

http://www.smartinsights.com/answers

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Connect with me

http://uk.linkedin.com/in/paulrouke

Office:+44 (0)161 228 0585

Mobile:+44 (0)7739 745 126

Email:paulrouke @ prwd.co.uk

Web:http://www.prwd.co.uk

PRWD22 Lever StreetManchesterM1 1EAUnited Kingdom

http://twitter.com/paulrouke

Extensive usability & conversion best practice articles & presentation slides available online

here:

http://bit.ly/CROresources