Untapped potential in e-commerce

A new study by Elaboratum with 2,400 participants shows: If you optimize your website for emotional and intuitive decision-making factors, you can significantly improve your conversion rate. Yet, surprisingly, e-commerce leaves this potential largely untapped. Hardly any websites properly address unconscious behavioral patterns, although it is well known that humans are not rational beings: Humans are not rational beings. 95% of his decisions are made with his intuitive decision-making system - this also applies to online purchases. However, websites are currently optimized for only 5% of the customer's brain - based on the demonstrably false assumption that visitors make strictly rational decisions. Elaboratum has analyzed the effect of subconscious behavior patterns and presents the most successful levers for better conversion in online shopping.

Gut feeling for complex decisions

All people have two decision-making systems: a rational and an intuitive one. Surprisingly, the majority of all decisions are made by our intuitive decision-making system and thus run unconsciously. The more complex the decisions we make, the more we rely on our gut feeling. The basic flowcharts for these intuitive decisions are the so-called "Behavior Patterns" that we all carry within us.Elaboratum has investigated use case scenarios of how real product websites can be optimized for the use of triggers that activate Behavior Patterns and published the results in a recent study. Study authors are Elaboratum consultants Philipp Spreer and Rouven Klein. The representative study shows how optimization works on patterns and which conversion levers they have. The study proves with numerous examples: With the use of Behavior Patterns, digital user behavior can be actively influenced in terms of a better user experience (UX) and higher conversion rates.

 Product pages more attractive, more convincing and more likely to close a deal

The results of the study show that Behavior Patterns have a positive effect on the UX and conversion rate of the optimized page at several points along the sales funnel in e-commerce:-The use of Behavior Patterns makes product pages more attractive and convincing: The willingness to obtain information on the page increased by 6.4% on average. Behavior patterns not only have a positive effect on the persuasiveness of the website, but also on the purchase intention of users: the conversion rate increased by an average of 9.4%. Behavior patterns have an unconscious effect: the business value increases regardless of whether a modified page was rated better or not - by an average of 23.4%.

TOP 5 of the most effective Behavior Patterns

1.   Decoy Effect: If people have to choose between a cheaper option A and a more expensive option B, they usually select the cheaper alternative. However, if a third, significantly more expensive option C is added, this can make the decision for option B easier. Option C is the unattractive decoy that differs so much in price or performance from option B that the latter now appears attractive.2. Hobson's +1 Choice Effect: The Hobson's Choice is a choice with only one option: either the buyer chooses this option or nothing at all ("Take it or leave it."). In the case of a Hobson's +1 Choice, a second choice is added, but with the same goal, to get the buyer to buy. Example: there is not only a "Buy it now" link, but also a second "Add to cart" link. Since the non-purchase dimension is not represented in the two options, it receives correspondingly less attention.3. Authority: We have a tendency to believe authorities. Recommendations from experts, trust seals or one's own expert status can act as authorities and convince buyers of the quality and persuade them to buy. The use of such authorities on websites increases the trust and willingness of buyers to buy.4. Social Proof: If we find it difficult to make a decision, the actions of other people provide good guidance. Whether individuals (experts, testimonials, influencers), the collective of other customers or users, or test institutes, for example: If we are uncertain, we believe that other people who have already made up their minds have more specific knowledge in this situation, on the basis of which they were able to make an informed decision. The perceived risk of our own decision thus appears lowered.5. Endowed Progress Effect: Our brain likes to complete incomplete tasks. If people have already been brought closer to the goal by artificially created progress, their motivation to reach the goal increases. If, for example, initial points or stamps are given in a bonus system, this increases customer loyalty. In online shopping, this effect can be used in the check-out process. If the progress bar already shows progress at the first step, this increases our motivation to complete the process. However, the use of Behavior Patterns on websites is by no means about user manipulation that guarantees fast transactions. Behavior Patterns also don't work as a blueprint, but have a very individual and context-dependent effect. Companies that want to use Behavior Patterns need to know and understand their target groups in advance.internalizing that people make decisions unconsciously but on the basis of clearly defined patterns helps to reduce the cognitive effort of users and to make online shopping a pleasant experience: study author Philipp Spreer emphasizes:

Leading without manipulating

"Operating the intuitive decision system on websites is not about manipulating people. It's about using current insights from psychology and neuroscience for a better UX. When people can act intuitively without being forced to think, it almost inevitably leads to a higher conversion rate. The motto for the use of Behavior Patterns in e-commerce is therefore: 'Lead without manipulating'."

Shedding light on the decision-making processes

In addition to the study, the book "PsyConversion" (published by SpringerGabler), the fundamental work for behavior-oriented conversion optimization, will be published in August 2018. The author is Elaboratum consultant Philipp Spreer. He sheds light on people's decision-making processes, explains which subconscious behavior patterns underlie decisions, and shows how this knowledge can be applied in e-commerce practice to convince users of an offer.

About the study:

How do humans make decisions? What mechanisms are triggered in us when we are faced with a purchase decision? Can targeted placement of Behavior Patterns on websites actually steer user flows and does the skillful combination of different patterns lead to a significantly improved user experience? This study uses real examples from the insurance and financial services industry to examine the influence that the selected Behavior Patterns can have on user behavior and purchasing decisions in e-commerce.-What are Behavior Patterns and why are they important?-What advantage can a website operator hope to gain by using Behavior Patterns?-What concrete added value can be achieved by optimizing with Behavior Patterns?The study answers these questions using real live pages from the insurance industry, for which the effect of individually suitable Behavior Patterns was analyzed. Over 2,400 users were presented with original website examples and website examples modified with Behavior Patterns in an A/B process. User behavior was analyzed using web tracking methods and, in addition, a detailed analysis of user perception and perceived purchase probability of the respective variant was carried out on the basis of a standardized questionnaire. A combination of the generated results with the web tracking data was finally subjected to an expert evaluation.https://www.psyconversion.de/studie/About Elaboratum New Commerce Consultingelaboratum offers manufacturers, retailers and financial service providers holistic digitization, e-commerce and cross-channel consulting from a single source - from strategy, technology guidance and conception to implementation support, marketing, research and testing. At elaboratum, specialists with proven track records work in the top management of Germany's largest e-commerce players, insurance companies and financial service providers.our consultants bring together expertise in technology, conception, user experience and online marketing. elaboratum knows the best practices of a wide range of industries and provides support in leading projects to holistic success. The clients of the expanding, independent consultancy with headquarters in Munich and offices in Cologne and Bern include cross-channel companies and pure players ranging from medium-sized businesses to DAX30 corporations.www.elaboratum.de