Spain does NOT top the list of countries with the most online sales; in fact, the Spanish market is one of the least developed when it comes to attracting and engaging online shoppers.
Knowing this, we need to pay closer attention to the end consumer, their shopping habits and the emotions that drive them to make a particular purchase.
We can’t change users’ behavior to make them buy our products; instead, we must study and understand how shoppers’ subconscious works and adapt our marketing strategies to the findings.
Neuromarketing seeks to understand how the human brain responds to buying stimuli and to marketing campaigns, using tools from neuroscience.
We’re not going to dissect the human brain to analyze everyone’s behavior, since prestigious international universities have carried out very thorough studies on this; below we summarize their most revealing findings.
Social influence
Humans are creatures of habit: if something works for them or for others, they’ll end up doing it again and again.
“When people are free to do as they please, they usually imitate each other” – Eric Hoffer.
What better way to convince a potential customer to buy on our website than with testimonials from our customers, or referrals from friends and family who know us.
Let’s not forget that word of mouth is the best way to boost a brand.
Your social media presence, follower count and the number of times people have shared something about your company should be displayed to attract more followers. Likewise, if you have few followers, it’s better not to show it.
Priming
Your brain will link the first thing it sees to the impression it forms of your online store. So first impressions DO matter.
The first things users read and the first prices they see are what will keep them on the site. That said, show the products you want to sell first.
Don’t put the most expensive products at the top, because if something looks expensive, it is expensive.
Avoid prices with decimals: even if the price is low, the length of the digits is the first visual impact.
Avoiding losses over seeking gains
The feeling of losing hurts more than missing out on a gain.
The human brain isn’t wired to lose, so any product that’s running out or available for a limited time will catch the consumer’s eye.
For example, during Black Friday shopping records are broken, not because prices are slashed, but because of the fear of missing the chance to buy.
More is less
Our brains aren’t good at math. Faced with two different percentages, we’ll pick the bigger one even if the end result is worse.
Studies by the University of Minnesota found that “50% bonus pack” generated 71% more sales than “35% discount”, even though the final unit price was lower with the discount.
And let’s not forget FREE, a motivating word for every kind of consumer. Instead of “25% extra” or “25% more”, use “25% more FREE” to boost sales.
It’s not just for product prices; you can also use it for “free shipping”.
Visual impact
The so-called isolation effect states that an item that stands out from the rest is more likely to be remembered. This is because the human eye and brain are constantly looking for what breaks the pattern.
The drawing below shows 4 identical apples, but one is a different color. Which apple does your eye go to?
The same happens when we design a website: the eye will be drawn to whatever stands out from the rest.
Let’s try it. Take a look at the following website:
Now look at the eye-tracking results from the study’s visitors. Does it match what you were looking at?
Attention goes to the color and the logos, the things that stand out from everything else.
Just a reminder that 100% of your audience has a brain. Keeping this in mind when designing your online store can bring more visits and, as a result, more sales.
And as a consumer, you now know how websites grab your attention and get you to buy.
