Kleinburg Brewery
- design
- / web
Each time a person peruses the internet, their brain is in action. Considering how much the brain influences how people use the web and how they interact with it, it only makes sense taking it into consideration when designing and developing your website. While there are plenty of factors to consider how psychology affects web design, here are just a few to think about.
1. Facial Area
A specific part of the brain is dedicated to processing human faces, and is located in the visual cortex. It helps us remember faces that we see and process emotions. When we see a human face, it’s this part of the brain that’s activated to decode emotional data, and creates an emotional connection. To apply this concept to web design, be sure to incorporate emotion. In order to do so, include images of people, particularly those who are looking into the camera. Helping a reader develop an emotional connection with the image will help them form a connection with your product.
2. Loss Aversion
When people are afraid to lose something they value, they tend to hold on to it tighter. If you are selling a product on your website, make it possible that they will lose that product. This way, they will be more likely to buy from you. Say something like “limited quantities available” or “only 1 day left at this price.”
3. Belonging
Human beings appreciate being a part of a community, and having a sense of belonging. You should consider establishing a sense of community with your website as an effective way to draw people in. An easy way to do this is to use nouns instead of verbs to create a sense of group identity that your visitors will want to belong to. For instance, instead of saying “Subscribe Here,” say “Become a Subscriber.” This makes it sound as if there is already an established group, which will entice them to want to join.
4. Anchoring
When people see one object, it impacts how they see another. For instance, they might think an orange flower is red, but when it is next to a truly red flower, they’ll see that it’s not red at all, but actually orange. This works the same way with images, words, numbers, and so on. When presenting a price to your visitors, make sure you present something else first that makes them think that price is low. Show them a higher price first, and they’ll think your price is better.
5. Social Validation
People are more likely to read online reviews about a product rather than read the back of the box and trust its description. While the description is likely true, people are more inclined to trust people they know more than they trust a company. This is known as “social validation.” If you have a product that you want to provide testimonials or reviews on, make sure you have lots of sources, including both experts and real people.
6. Reciprocity
When one person gives something to another person, they’re more likely to return the favour in some way because they think they owe that other individual. You can give your readers information, a discount, a free product, and so on. In return, they can give you their readership by signing up for your newsletter or following you on social media.