In order to influence the behavior of users, websites should employ psychological techniques. Hence, web designers should understand how mind works and how people make decisions. This is crucial as people will interact to a site through site’s design, so your users will determine whether your site has been successfully interpreted what they want. Here are 5 killer ways that can influence your user behavior.
- Apply the Scarcity Effect
People tend to take action when they know that something has limited quantities or availability. Therefore, you can create something that others might not have access, this makes it becomes exclusive. Besides, people also more appreciate things coming in limited quantities. This is called the scarcity effect. So, you can use this to your advantage such as using timers in your design elements while your user is making decision.
You can also show users quantities of certain items are limited, or have flash sales on items that only last a certain time on ecommerce site. Moreover, you can allow users to upgrade and access exclusive premium content on a content-focused website. If you’re releasing a new product or major update, give people ‘exclusive invitations’ and let them only invite a limited number of friends to have a sneak preview.
- Apply Persuasion Tactically over the User Journey
Persuasion is a combination of stimulation, context, and behavior. Therefore, it cannot work in isolation. To persuade more users, you can apply scarcity as a persuasive message, ask a high price for money, or create social proof to validate your product with the wisdom of the crowds. There are three fundamental dimensions of consumer behavior, such as emotion, motivation, and ability to use persuasion effectively. Segment strategically in a data-driven manner, gain insight into their journey, and understand the assumptions and values that your customers are bringing into the process. Then apply persuasive techniques tactically, whether it is aiming at an impulsive click or tap, or to improve the brand perception (and re-engagement) over the course of several visits. But, doing it the other way will alienate and infuriate your users.
- Design a Great Service
To influence user behavior, you may have to involve cognitive biases, and then do a bunch of A/B tests. You’ll get some uplifts and you’ll probably feel good about yourself. In fact, the best way is to influence user behavior is to design a great service that fulfils user needs. When you fulfil their needs, good service comes along the way.
- Know your Boundaries
By knowing your boundaries, you will not approach a project where there was the potential to use design for the wrong ends. This encourages me to develop my own code of conduct:
- Don’t trick
- Don’t cheat
- Don’t lie
- Provide positive benefit
- Consider What People are Trying to Achieve
Since we don’t know what causes of behavior, we tend to guess and misallocate our resources. Apart from intuition, which is hard to reproduce, the best clues I’ve been able to find have come from a process of analysis of ‘jobs to be done’ for the consumer. This is not a utilitarian view of intention or a measurement of economic value. In fact, it’s an understanding of the urges people feel that comple them to do things.
So, it is important to understand what they are actually trying to achieve and provide ways for them to achieve that. This is what UX analysis and design is all about.