Subtly Manipulating the Customer

What I have found so intriguing about web design is the absolute subtlety that is employed to 'sucker' us into making purchases that sometimes we 1) don't need or 2) can't afford.

Things as simple as targeted emails driving us back to the site, larger buttons that are highly visible and color coded, making us add something to a shopping cart just to see the real discounted price. These and more tools are being used by companies marketing to us. We know the drill or do we? I often am on my my Yahoo page or in my Yahoo mail and then notice that the side advertising or banner advertising is from one or more companies which I like and shop at - although I usually go to their brick and mortar stores. The reality is that receiving their emails and actually clicking back to their site saves information about my preferences and then those are used to put their advertising right in front of me on sites I would not expect. I have seen the same advertising on sites that I visit for entertainment which have little connection to the retail establishment.

Chapter 9 in Web Design for ROI by Loveday and Niehaus focuses on the Checkout Process specifically. When using sites to make purchases, I am extremely specific. I am one of those type people who like to 'get it now' rather than wait for shipping. As a result, much of my online shopping is actually pre-planning for the visit to the specific store. If I am forced to purchase online, it is usually because I can not get the item another way and I am left with no alternative or the item is on clearance and it is the best way to find my preferred size or color.

When the text discusses shopping cart abandon rates I think back to my own user behavior, I am often one who will do that. Why? Typically, it is because I am price shopping and the only way I can see the discount is to add it to the cart. Again since I would prefer to get things immediately, then I will find a location and go get it. The other thing I have learned this semester is truly the scanning we do of websites. I am totally guilty of this even if I am trying to checkout. Do I always read the fine print or do I go directly to the brightly colored buttons which simplify the process? I go to the buttons. Virgin Atlantic Airlines is featured in the text and demonstrating the change in the colors of the airplane at the top to indicate steps completed, step currently on and steps left. I love things like that because although I am not a visual learner, I like the simplification that it offers.

Nordstrom's checkout is also featured. Ok, I have ordered from Nordie's before and found that their process was extremely painless --- that is until I got my credit card statement and was reminded of what I had spent! Their recent modifications to a more animated home page has made it more difficult to use and rather annoying. I now have to click more times than I had to in order to see info in a particular category.

The other thing I found interesting is the mind game played with the size of the button to check our and what is showing on the page. Changing the word 'Purchase' to 'Complete My Order' sounds different and subtly makes you not think consciously about the fact that you are paying for something - at least that is my opinion. Both are doing the same thing but the word purchase to me makes me ask - do I need it or not? Complete my order on the other hand makes me think that I am acknowledging a commitment that I had already made.

The other thing that I think is necessary is making sure that the consumer feels completely safe and secure using the site. Safe site logos, secure purchasing, Better Business Bureau, Verisign etc and like items help to make a consumer feel more confident of making the purchases online.

I would never purchase without them yet at the same time, I can not remember AT&T, Georgia Power, Scana and others having them and I have no problem paying bills online. Maybe they are there and I just have not noticed.

More later,

CLH