Step 04 of 07

Product pages

Where the decision is made.

The product page is where most of the deciding happens, and it’s where most of the database applies: 73 of the 104 principles are at work here in some form. They cover how the product is shown, how its price is judged, what other buyers say, and what makes it feel safe to buy.

Pricing and value perception Anchoring The first number people see biases their judgement of later numbers. Mainly Product, also Homepage, Category, CartMainly here Tested on real shoppers Strong Loss and scarcity Anticipated regret People choose in ways that avoid regret they expect to feel later. Mainly Product, also Cart, Checkout, Post-purchaseMainly here Tested on real shoppers Moderate Social influence Authority People defer to credible experts and institutions. Mainly Product, also Homepage, Sitewide, CheckoutMainly here Tested on real shoppers Moderate Social influence Blemishing effect A small negative alongside strong positives can make the overall message more persuasive. Mainly Product, also CategoryMainly here Tested on real shoppers Moderate Choice architecture Compromise effect Given a range, people tend to avoid the extremes and pick a middle option. Mainly Product, also CategoryMainly here Tested on real shoppers Strong Choice architecture Decoy effect Adding a clearly worse option makes a similar, better option more attractive. Mainly Product, also CategoryMainly here Tested on real shoppers Contested Pricing and value perception Discount framing (% vs £) The same discount feels bigger as a percentage on cheap items and as a cash amount on expensive ones. Mainly Product, also Homepage, Category, CartMainly here Tested on real shoppers Moderate Loss and scarcity Endowment effect People value things more once they feel they own them. Mainly Product, also Cart, Post-purchaseMainly here Tested in shopping-like settings Moderate Choice architecture Framing effect The same information leads to different choices depending on how it is presented. Mainly Product, also Homepage, Category, CartMainly here Tested in shopping-like settings Strong Motivation and commitment IKEA effect People value things more when they helped create them. Mainly Product, also CartMainly here Tested in shopping-like settings Strong Pricing and value perception Left-digit effect £19.99 feels meaningfully cheaper than £20 because the left-most digit dominates. Mainly Product, also CategoryMainly here Tested on real shoppers Moderate Social influence Liking and similarity We are more persuaded by people who are like us. Mainly Product, also HomepageMainly here Tested on real shoppers Moderate Attention and perception Mental simulation Content that helps people imagine using a product can raise purchase intent. Mainly Product, also HomepageMainly here Tested on real shoppers Moderate Emotion and memory Narrative transportation Being absorbed in a story reduces counter-arguing and shifts attitudes. Mainly Product, also HomepageMainly here Tested in shopping-like settings Strong Trust and risk reduction Perceived risk Buying is held back by perceived financial, performance and social risk. Mainly Product, also Cart, CheckoutMainly here Tested on real shoppers Strong Attention and perception Picture superiority effect Images are remembered better than words. Mainly Product, also Homepage, Category, SearchMainly here Tested on real shoppers Strong Trust and risk reduction Precise-number credibility Specific numbers read as more factual than round ones. Mainly Product, also HomepageMainly here Tested in shopping-like settings Moderate Motivation and commitment Present bias People overvalue immediate rewards relative to later ones. Mainly Product, also Cart, CheckoutMainly here Tested on real shoppers Moderate Pricing and value perception Price-quality heuristic When quality is hard to judge, people read a higher price as higher quality. Mainly Product, also CategoryMainly here Tested on real shoppers Moderate Loss and scarcity Scarcity Limited availability raises perceived value and desire. Mainly Product, also Category, CartMainly here Tested on real shoppers Strong Emotion and memory Self-reference effect Information that relates to oneself is processed more deeply and remembered better. Mainly Product, also HomepageMainly here Tested in shopping-like settings Strong Trust and risk reduction Signalling theory Costly commitments signal quality that shoppers cannot observe directly. Mainly Product, also Homepage, SitewideMainly here Tested on real shoppers Framework Choice architecture Single-option aversion People hesitate to buy when shown only one option, even one they like, and go off to search. Mainly Product, also CartMainly here Tested in shopping-like settings Moderate Social influence Social proof When unsure, people look to what others have done and follow it. Mainly Product, also Homepage, Category, Cart, CheckoutMainly here Tested on real shoppers Strong Pricing and value perception Temporal reframing (pennies-a-day) A cost feels smaller when broken into a small daily or per-use amount. Mainly Product, also CartMainly here Tested on real shoppers Moderate Loss and scarcity Urgency (time limits) Deadlines can speed up decisions, and restrictions can signal that a deal is good. Mainly Product, also Homepage, Cart, CheckoutMainly here Tested on real shoppers Contested Attention and perception Von Restorff (isolation) effect The item that differs from its surroundings is the one noticed and remembered. Mainly Product, also Sitewide, Category, CartMainly here Tested in shopping-like settings Strong Cognitive load and fluency Aesthetic-usability effect Attractive designs tend to be judged easier to use before people have used them, and that first impression forms in a fraction of a second. Mainly Homepage, also Sitewide, Product Tested in shopping-like settings Moderate Emotion and memory Affect heuristic Feelings about something steer judgements of its risks and benefits. Mainly Homepage, also Product Not tested in shopping Strong Trust and risk reduction Ambiguity aversion People tend to avoid options where the chances of a good or bad outcome are unknown, preferring ones where they know what to expect. Mainly Checkout, also Product, Cart Tested in shopping-like settings Moderate Emotion and memory Anticipation and savouring People get pleasure from looking forward to something good, so a wait can add value if it is framed as anticipation. Mainly Post-purchase, also Product, Checkout Tested in shopping-like settings Moderate Cognitive load and fluency Attribute alignability Differences on a shared dimension (4kW vs 6kW) are easy to compare and drive choice; unique features on each product are hard to trade off and get ignored. Mainly Search, also Category, Product Tested in shopping-like settings Moderate Social influence Bandwagon effect Demand for something rises when people see others choosing it. Mainly Category, also Homepage, Product, Search Tested on real shoppers Strong Choice architecture Centre-stage effect In a small row of similar items shown side by side, the one in the centre gets more attention and is chosen more often. Mainly Category, also Product, Homepage Tested on real shoppers Moderate Choice architecture Choice overload Too many options can reduce the likelihood of buying and satisfaction afterwards, but only under certain conditions. Mainly Category, also Homepage, Product, Sitewide, Search Tested on real shoppers Contested Cognitive load and fluency Chunking (Miller's law) People hold only a few chunks of information in mind at once. Mainly Checkout, also Sitewide, Product Tested in shopping-like settings Strong Cognitive load and fluency Cognitive load Working memory is limited, so unnecessary demands on it make tasks slower and more error-prone. Mainly Checkout, also Sitewide, Category, Product Tested in shopping-like settings Moderate Motivation and commitment Commitment and consistency After agreeing to a small request, people are somewhat more likely to agree to a larger related one. Mainly Checkout, also Homepage, Product Not tested in shopping Contested Choice architecture Consideration set formation Shoppers first narrow to a small set they will seriously evaluate, adding an option only if it seems worth the effort of evaluating. Mainly Search, also Homepage, Category, Product Tested in shopping-like settings Framework Emotion and memory Consumption rituals (unboxing) Performing a small structured ritual before consuming something increases involvement and enjoyment. Mainly Post-purchase, also Product Tested in shopping-like settings Moderate Motivation and commitment Curiosity gap A gap between what people know and want to know motivates them to close it. Mainly Homepage, also Product, Post-purchase Tested in shopping-like settings Moderate Choice architecture Default effect People tend to stick with whatever is pre-selected. Mainly Checkout, also Product, Cart Tested on real shoppers Strong Pricing and value perception Evaluability (joint vs separate evaluation) Attributes that are hard to judge in isolation only influence choice when options are seen side by side. Mainly Search, also Category, Product Tested in shopping-like settings Moderate Emotion and memory Expectation-disconfirmation Satisfaction depends on performance relative to what was promised, so beating a modest promise satisfies more than missing an ambitious one. Mainly Post-purchase, also Sitewide, Product, Cart, Checkout Tested on real shoppers Strong Cognitive load and fluency Fitts's law The time to hit a target depends on its size and distance. Mainly Sitewide, also Product, Cart, Checkout Not tested in shopping Strong Motivation and commitment Fogg behaviour model A behaviour happens when motivation, ability and a prompt come together at the same moment. Mainly Sitewide, also Homepage, Category, Product, Cart, Checkout Not tested in shopping Framework Attention and perception Gaze cueing People automatically look where others are looking. Mainly Homepage, also Product Tested in shopping-like settings Moderate Attention and perception Gestalt grouping Elements that are close, similar or enclosed together are seen as belonging together. Mainly Sitewide, also Category, Product, Checkout Not tested in shopping Strong Emotion and memory Halo effect One strong positive impression colours judgement of other, unrelated qualities. Mainly Homepage, also Sitewide, Product Not tested in shopping Strong Attention and perception Information scent (information foraging) People follow cues that predict whether a path is worth the effort, and abandon it when the 'scent' weakens. Mainly Search, also Sitewide, Homepage, Category, Product Not tested in shopping Framework Choice architecture Interactive decision aids Tools that screen options and lay finalists side by side cut effort and improve decisions, and also steer which attributes matter. Mainly Search, also Homepage, Category, Product Tested on real shoppers Moderate Motivation and commitment Labour illusion Showing the work being done on someone's behalf raises perceived value, even when it means waiting. Mainly Search, also Product Tested in shopping-like settings Moderate Loss and scarcity Loss aversion Losing something hurts more than gaining the same thing pleases. Mainly Cart, also Product, Checkout Tested on real shoppers Strong Pricing and value perception Mental accounting People sort money into mental budgets and judge spending within them. Mainly Cart, also Product, Checkout Tested on real shoppers Strong Trust and risk reduction Online trust formation Willingness to buy online depends on beliefs about the seller's competence and integrity, plus structural assurances. Mainly Checkout, also Homepage, Sitewide, Product Tested on real shoppers Strong Pricing and value perception Partitioned pricing Splitting a price into a base price plus surcharges changes how the total is perceived, usually making it seem lower because the surcharges get less attention. Mainly Cart, also Category, Product, Checkout Tested on real shoppers Strong Trust and risk reduction Post-purchase dissonance After a hard-to-reverse choice people feel doubt, and reduce it by seeking reassurance and rating their choice more highly. Mainly Post-purchase, also Product, Cart, Checkout Not tested in shopping Moderate Cognitive load and fluency Processing fluency Things that are easy to read and take in tend to be liked more, and choices between them feel easier to make. Mainly Sitewide, also Homepage, Category, Product Tested in shopping-like settings Moderate Social influence Reciprocity People feel obliged to return a favour. Mainly Cart, also Homepage, Product, Post-purchase Tested on real shoppers Moderate Cognitive load and fluency Response-time thresholds (Doherty) Delays beyond roughly 0.1s, 1s and 10s break the feeling of directness, flow and attention in turn. Mainly Sitewide, also Homepage, Category, Search, Product, Cart, Checkout Tested on real shoppers Moderate Trust and risk reduction Return-fee fairness Who pays for a return strongly shapes later spending, because customers treat a return fee as unfair. Mainly Post-purchase, also Product, Cart, Checkout Tested on real shoppers Moderate Motivation and commitment Review-request timing and incentives A review request works as a memory cue but can feel like pressure, so asking too soon backfires. Money buys more reviews; social norms buy longer ones. Mainly Post-purchase, also Product Tested on real shoppers Moderate Choice architecture Satisficing Most people stop at the first option that is good enough rather than hunting for the best. Mainly Search, also Homepage, Category, Product Not tested in shopping Framework Attention and perception Scanning patterns (F-pattern) People scan web pages rather than read them, and on text with little formatting their attention concentrates at the top and left. Mainly Category, also Homepage, Product, Search Tested in shopping-like settings Moderate Pricing and value perception Search costs and price sensitivity What is easy to search on becomes what people choose on: easy quality information lowers price sensitivity, easy price comparison raises it. Mainly Search, also Category, Product Tested on real shoppers Moderate Emotion and memory Serial position effect The first and last items in a sequence are remembered best. Mainly Sitewide, also Category, Product Tested in shopping-like settings Strong Choice architecture Shopping momentum A first purchase shifts people into a buying mindset that makes further, even unrelated, purchases more likely. Mainly Cart, also Product Tested on real shoppers Moderate Social influence Social identity People favour brands and groups that reflect who they think they are. Mainly Homepage, also Product, Post-purchase Tested on real shoppers Moderate Choice architecture Status quo bias People prefer things to stay as they are. Mainly Cart, also Product, Checkout, Post-purchase Tested on real shoppers Strong Loss and scarcity Sunk cost effect Having already put money, and less reliably time or effort, into something, people are more likely to carry on with it. Mainly Checkout, also Product, Cart, Post-purchase Tested in shopping-like settings Moderate Trust and risk reduction Tracking transparency Customers judge fulfilment by the activity they can see, and visible progress late in the wait counts for more than early progress. Mainly Post-purchase, also Product, Checkout Tested on real shoppers Moderate Social influence Word-of-mouth triggers Interesting products get talked about straight away; products that are frequently cued and publicly visible keep getting talked about. Mainly Post-purchase, also Sitewide, Product Tested in shopping-like settings Moderate Pricing and value perception Zero-price effect 'Free' is disproportionately more attractive than a very low price. Mainly Cart, also Homepage, Product, Checkout Tested on real shoppers Moderate
Along the route

Before and after the product page.

See all seven pages

Some principles apply on every page. See the 38 sitewide principles