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.
Three of the eight page areas.
Three ways to use it, and one to avoid.
- Put the hero product in the middle of a short side-by-side row of three or four product cards.
- Place the hero option in the middle of a plan table.
- Lead with the hero product in long or ranked lists, where the first positions draw the clicks.
- Avoid: labelling the centre item “most popular” or “recommended” unless that is true.
The centre wins in small rows. Position effects are inconsistent elsewhere.
In an Expedia experiment, ranking changed which hotels people clicked on, but not whether they booked once they had clicked.
Christenfeld found that when a supermarket stocked a product in four identical rows, 71% of purchases came from the middle two. Lab and eye-tracking studies with small rows of similar items found the centre got more looks and choices, partly because people assumed it was the popular one. Elsewhere position effects are inconsistent: in an Expedia experiment, ranking changed which hotels people clicked on but, once clicked, not whether they booked.
Five sources, each checked.
Last reviewed
Do not label the centre item 'most popular' or 'recommended' unless that is true.
This is simply a pointer to check, not legal advice. Seek legal advice before you put this principle into action.