This talk to the Smart Insights 2013 Marketing Priorities summit by user experience consultant Paul Rouke featured a review of major and subtle persuasion tips & techniques which positively affect user behaviour. It also included live examples of where brands are combining different techniques to enhance the influence on user behaviour.

1. The Most Influential Persuasive Design
Priorities for 2013
Paul Rouke
Head of Usability & Conversion
PRWD
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 Priorities 2013 Summit
11th January 2013. Brought to you by:

2. About Dave Chaffey
 Books  Digital marketing advice, training and consulting
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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

3. 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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4. 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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5. 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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6. AWhat is Usability and User Experience?
brilliant reference for persuasive techniques
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8. How Booking.com combine different
persuasive techniques...
Saving
Social Proof
Recency Scarcity
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9. What is Usability and User Experience?
See how Booking.com persuades visitors to book
http://bit.ly/bookingBP
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10. 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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12. ASOS display a simple but highly prominent message to
create a sense of urgency within the consumer
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13. 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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14. 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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15. Never pressure people to PUSH
them into purchasing.
Instead, use pressure to PREVENT
them from procrastinating.
There is a fundamental difference
between the two.
@michelfortin
http://www.copyblogger.com/the-smart-way-to-create-a-sense-of-urgency/
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16. 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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17. 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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19. 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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20. 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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21. The view from quantitative feedback
How important is it to see snapshots
of past events & conferences?
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22. 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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23. 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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24. 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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25. Goskyride miss the opportunity to demonstrate social proof
on their search results pages by not featuring rider comments
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26. 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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27. 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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29. 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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30. So how many visitors are
using this feature?
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31. Short answer? Shitloads.
Hundreds of thousands
of saves a day.
James Hart, eCommerce Director at ASOS
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32. When we started working with Molton Brown their shopping
basket wasn’t encouraging visitors to proceed to checkout
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33. 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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1 Checkout is now the most prominent CTA
2 Dynamic messaging encourages additional purchases
2 3 Delivery costs & timescales are now visible
3 4 Emphasis is drawn to the FREE samples & gift options
5 Ticks are used to demonstrate positive messaging
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6 Users are discouraged from trying to obtain a promo code
7 Security assurances are provided to increase confidence
8 The call to action provides security assurance
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6
8
7
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34. How didis Usability and User the
What these changes impact Experience?
performance of this page?
Visitors proceeding to checkout
increased by 37%
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35. 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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37. 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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38. ASOS now provide one the most simple, barrier free checkout
pages for new customers – simply asking them to continue
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39. How didis Usability and User Experience?
What this change in message and call to
action impact the performance of this page
Abandonment Rate
Was Reduced by 50%
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40. 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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41. 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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42. How didis Usability and choices for new
What this reduction in User Experience?
customers affect conversion rate?
New customer conversion
rate Increased by 18%
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43. 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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45. What is Usability and User Experience?
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46. Believe it or not on first viewing, Lings Cars feature a wealth
of persuasive techniques to encourage visitors to buy
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47. 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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49. 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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50. Would you trust this woman?!
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51. What is Usability and User Experience?
In 2011 the value of the
cars they leased was over
£38million
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52. What is Usability and User Experience?
See how Lings Cars persuades visitors to buy
http://bit.ly/batshitinsane
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53. POLL
Ling Valentine – creative genius or freak of nature?
 Creative Genius
 Freak of Nature
 Both of the above
 Ling who?
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54. Bella Center in Copenhagen provide a non personable
experience for when visitors are interested in making contact
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55. 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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56. 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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57. 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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58. Summary
 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
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59. 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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60. Connect with me Office:
+44 (0)161 228 0585
Mobile:
http://uk.linkedin.com/in/paulrouke +44 (0)7739 745 126
Email:
paulrouke @ prwd.co.uk
Web:
http://twitter.com/paulrouke http://www.prwd.co.uk
Extensive usability & conversion best practice PRWD
articles & presentation slides available online 22 Lever Street
here:
Manchester
M1 1EA
http://bit.ly/CROresources United Kingdom
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