How to influence with web design

1
How to influence with web design
Millio n s o f d o llars are sp e n t e ach ye
ar p ayin g d e sig n e rs t o make we b sit e s
t h at are u se ab le . T h e p rimary co n ce
rn o f we b mast e rs wh e n t h e y p ay d e
sig n e rs t o make a we b sit e f o r t h e m
is t h at u se rs are ab le t o n avig at e t
h e ir we b sit e s.
T he p ro b le m is that the y avo id o ne o f
the mo s t imp o rtant g o als o f d e s ig n
influe nc ing d e c is io n making . D e sig n
Af f e ct s Use r D e cisio ns It is an e s tab
lis he d fac t that the d e s ig n o f a we b s
ite d ire c tly affe c ts what us e rs d o . T
hat is why thing s like c o lo r s c he me s ,
vis ual layo uts and e ve n the way wo rd s are
fo rmatte d o n a p ag e are he avily s c
rutiniz e d b y d e s ig ne rs . It s ho uld nt
b e to o far fe tc he d to make the c o nne
c tio n b e twe e n d e s ig n and d e c is io n
making . Eve ry e le me nt o f d e s ig n e ithe
r he lp s o r hind e rs us e rs to make a d e c
is io n Twe e t this , whe the r o r no t yo u
re aliz e it. Examp le s o f D e cisio n Making
at Wo rk Chanc e s are that yo ure familiar
with the id e a that c o lo rs affe c t ho w us
e rs p e rc e ive a we b s ite . T hats why b
ank we b s ite s are b lue , s ale s p ag e s
have BUY NO W in b ig re d le tte rs and s
to re s that c ate r to s ho p p e rs o n a b ud
g e t lo ve to us e the c o lo r g re e
n. Co ns id e r the fo llo wing s ituatio n
Two id e ntic al p e o p le are p lac e d o n
a ro ad with a s to p s ig n at the e nd o f
it. O ne s to p s ig n is re d and the o the
r is g re e n. T he p e rs o n with the re d s
to p s ig n s to p s , ye t the p e rs o n with
the g re e n s to p s ig n d o e s nt o b e y
traffic law. T his is o ne b as ic e xamp le o
f ho w d e s ig n influe nc e s d e c is io
n-making . T he c umulative e ffe c t that e ac
h e le me nt o f d e s ig n has o n a we b p ag
e is what ultimate ly influe nc e s a us e r to
c ho o s e a c e rtain d e c is io n. Ho w D o
Yo u Use D e sig n t o Inf lue nce D e cisio
ns? Humans rare ly p o s s e s s the innate ab
ility to d e te rmine the o b je c tive wo
rth o f s o me thing . T hats why yo u c ant p
ic k up an o b je c t witho ut a p ric e tag
and s ay, T his is wo rth e xac tly
4.95. At b e s t, yo u c an d e te rmine a b
ro ad value o f an o b je c t b y c o mp aring
it to the e s tab lis he d value o f ano the
r s imilar o b je c t. T his is o ne o f the ke
y p rinc ip le s that will allo w yo u to g uid
e a p e rs o n to make a d e c is io n b y c
hang ing the d e s ig n e le me nts o f a p ag
e . O ne o f the mo s t e as ily re c o g niz
ab le us e s o f this p rinc ip le is the way
mo s t o nline s to re s lis t ite ms . T he y p
re s e nt two value s the p e rc e ive d wo
rth o f an ite m and the value that a c us to
me r will p ay to p urc has e that ite m.
2
T he wo rth o f the ite m is c o mp le te ly
arb itrary. It c an b e a numb e r that the s
to re d e c id e d to p luc k fro m the air.
What matte rs is that it has a s trike thro ug h
it, and that it is hig he r than the s e c o nd
value that it is lis te d b e s id e s .
By e s tab lis hing that hig he r p ric e as a
b as e line fo r c o mp aris o n, this make s
the c us to me r think, T his ite m is wo rth
59.99, b ut I c an g e t it fo r o nly 29.95
fro m this s to re . T hats a g re at d e al. s
ig nific antly mo re e ffe c tive in c o nvinc
ing the c us to me r to p urc has e the ite
m than jus t g iving the us e r a p ric e o f
29.95.
Its

• Yo u C an Use D e sig n t o Inf lue nce Use r C
  ho ice
• By utiliz ing the fac t that c o mp aris o n is
  e s s e ntial fo r almo s t all humans to d e c
  id e the wo rth o f s o me thing Twe e t this
  , yo u c an c o nvinc e a us e r to c ho o s e
  o ne thing o ve r ano the r.
• Aid s s uc h as p ric e c o mp aris o ns , vis
  ual re vie w rating s and a tab le with c he c
  k b o xe s are all e xamp le s o f d e s ig n
  that influe nc e s us e r c ho ic e .
• By influe nc ing d e c is io n making b y d e s
  ig n, yo u c an e liminate c lutte r, re d uc e
  the amo unt o f
• info rmatio n d is p laye d o n a p ag e and p
  ro vid e a re fe re nc e p o int fro m whic h
  us e rs c an make d e c is io ns fro m.
• Ab o ut t he aut ho r
• De re k is c urre ntly b lo g g ing fo r Hud s o
  n Ho riz o ns , an NJ we b s ite d e ve lo p me
  nt c o mp any that
• d e s ig ns , b uild s , and marke ts we b s ite
  s . De re k e njo ys b lo g g ing ab o ut SEO ,
  we b s ite d e s ig n, us e r- e xp e rie nc e ,
  and mo re . Whe n he is no t b lo g g ing o r
  wo rking , he e njo ys s p e nd ing his time
  in the
• g ym and with his g irlfrie nd .
• N e e d he lp wit h yo ur d ig it al st rat e g
  y?
• G e t yo ur fre e b rand ing g uid e