1. What is Usability and User Experience?
A brilliant reference for persuasive techniques

2. The Most Influential Persuasive
Design Techniques
by Paul Rouke (@paulrouke)
Head of Usability & Conversion at PRWD
27th November 2012 @
Conversion Conference London

3. About Me
I run the UK’s Leading North
West Based Usability & Conversion
Optimisation Consultancy
 I provide public and in-house training for Econsultancy’s global clients including
Tesco, O2 and Santander
 PRWD provide services to help brands improve their website conversion rate
•Usability testing (moderated & remote)
•Expert evaluations
•Usability training
•In-house consultancy
•Conversion rate optimisation

4. PRWD Clients

5. Econsultancy Clients I Train Include..

6. What is Usability and User Experience?
About this session
• Based on 12 years experience working with blue chip brands
• Insights from over 100 hours of user testing studies
• Major and subtle persuasion tips & techniques which positively
affect user behaviour
• Live examples of where brands are combining different
techniques to enhance the influence on user behaviour
• A showcase of the most influential persuasive techniques that
influence user behaviour

7. What is Usability and User Experience?
A brilliant reference for persuasive techniques

11. How Booking.com combine different
persuasive techniques...
Saving
Social Proof
Recency Scarcity

12. What is Usability and User Experience?
See how Booking.com persuades visitors to book
http://bit.ly/bookingBP

13. Tips to demonstrate scarcity & encourage action
Use words such as “selling fast” on some products to introduce social proof
Use words such as “last few remaining” to create intrigue
If you indicate current activity (like Booking.com) make this genuine
Provide a filter in your navigation for “low stock availability” as some users will be
attracted to these products
Position the stock message in close proximity to the call to action
Indicate when someone last made a purchase decision
Indicate scarcity more than once, using different language to say the same thing

15. ASOS display a simple but highly prominent message to
create a sense of urgency within the consumer

16. Oxfam start applying urgency as soon as visitors add a second
hand product to their basket. The simple use of the clock
icon provides visual stimulus to draw users attention

17. At the next stage of the purchase journey Oxfam then make
it really clear that the visitor has a limited time to make their
purchase – with excellent language and tone of voice used

18. “ Never pressure people to PUSH
them into purchasing.
Instead, use pressure to PREVENT
them from procrastinating.
There is a fundamental difference
between the two.
@michelfortin
http://www.copyblogger.com/the-smart-way-to-create-a-sense-of-urgency/

19. Naked Wines combine both urgency & ability to make a
saving to stop visitors from procrastinating – positioning this
message where it is guaranteed to get noticed

20. Tips to create a sense of urgency
Use a dynamic stock reservation countdown message
Use icons to draw attention to the fact this is time specific
May close attention to the copy you use - this can be a great way to bring
out some of your brand personality
Use language which visitors will be able to relate to
Don't be shy about using these tactics
Ensure these messages are positioned in prominent positions where users
will pay attention to
Combine social proof & scarcity and other persuasive techniques like
showing that visitors can get something for FREE

22. Vancouver Convention Centre pay considerable attention to
the importance of establishing & demonstrating social proof
– they also provide different types of content to engage
visitors in ways appropriate to their behaviour

23. “ When I see examples of big
organisations who have hosted
events and conferences at a
particular venue this has a strong
influence on how I think about that
venue. Video testimonials are
more convincing than written
testimonials.
A user taking part in an in-depth research study

24. The view from quantitative feedback
How important is it to see snapshots
of past events & conferences?

25. As well as showing ratings on the lister pages, Speedo
position the star rating & number of reviews in the ideal
position where users will focus attention on

26. Ratings are provided in a number of important areas, which
visitors can filter by, and Speedo go to considerable lengths
to ensure visitors can empathise with the reviewers

27. “ I really like how the reviews are
designed with the little bar-charts.
You see where people are happy or
disappointed with a product.
I really like how you classify what
type of swimmer you are.
I can tell if the reviewer is in the
same mind-frame as me.
A user on the Speedo website

28. Goskyride miss the opportunity to demonstrate social proof
on their search results pages by not featuring rider
comments

29. On the ride detail pages the rating isn’t displayed in an
optimal area and the comments are hidden behind a tab link

30. Tips to showcasing social proof
Don't rely on ratings being on your product pages - use them through the
user journey in key areas of focus for visitors
Bring customer comments to the surface, not hidden away in tabs
Combine both famous & non famous people to provide social proof about
your proposition
Allow visitors to filter reviews to find their most relevant that they can
empathise with
Provide reviewers with the opportunity to describe/categorise themselves
– demonstrate authenticity & allow visitors to empathise with them

32. ASOS have provided customers with a perfect way to
consider a wider range of products rather than having to
make a decision to ‘add or not to add to my basket’ – plus
they provide a seamless experience to purchase items

33. So how many visitors are
using this feature?

34. “ Short answer? Shitloads.
Hundreds of thousands
of saves a day.
James Hart, eCommerce Director at ASOS

35. When we started working with Molton Brown their shopping
basket wasn’t encouraging visitors to proceed to checkout

36. The revised shopping basket aims to encourage visitors to act
on their previous decision to add products in to their basket
1
1 Checkout is now the most prominent CTA
2 Dynamic messaging encourages additional purchases
2 3 Delivery costs & timescales are now visible
3 4 Emphasis is drawn to the FREE samples & gift options
5 Ticks are used to demonstrate positive messaging
4
6 Users are discouraged from trying to obtain a promo code
7 Security assurances are provided to increase confidence
8 The call to action provides security assurance
5
6
8
7

37. What is Usability and User the
How did these changes impact Experience?
performance of this page?
Visitors proceeding to checkout
increased by 37%

38. Tips to maintaining visitor’s momentum
Repeat key proposition messages through the user journey, not just at the
initial decision making point
Provide customers with a lower level of initial commitment, not just ‘add to
basket’
Focus the user on what they are there to do - distractions can be toxic
Use colours to draw peoples attention to your key persuasive elements -
just being there isn't always enough
Use ticks to provide positive, visual affirmation of what the user has done
and what benefits they will be getting

40. The original checkout gateway page had 3 options, promoted
create an account significantly and didn’t make it clear what
are the benefits of creating an account

41. The new version provided just 1 option for new customers,
didn’t use the words create an account, and emphasised the
benefits new customers will have when providing their
details

42. What is Usability and User the
How did these changes impact Experience?
performance of this page?
New customers proceeding to the
next stage increased by 12%

43. ASOS originally used the words create an account in both the
copy and on the call to action for new customers. They also
had 3 competing calls to action using the same button style

44. ASOS now provide one the most simple, barrier free
checkout pages for new customers – simply asking them to
continue

45. What is Usability and User Experience?
How did this change in message and call to
action impact the performance of this page
Abandonment Rate
Was Reduced by 50%

46. AllSaints originally provided new customers with 2 different
options at the start of checkout – create an account or
continue as a guest

47. The redesigned checkout provided new customers with 1
option which was to start entering their details, whilst de-
emphasising the login facility for returning customers so as
not to distract new visitors

48. What is Usability and choices for new
How did this reduction in User Experience?
customers affect conversion rate?
New customer conversion
rate Increased by 18%

49. Tips for reducing choice & improving completion
Provide visitors with as few options as possible, just one if they are new
customers and you are selling online
On key landing pages limit the amount of calls to action to focus on what
you want the visitor to do
Pay particularly attention (and test) the wording on your calls to action to
understand how they impact completion
Reduce or even remove text that accompanies primary action buttons as
this slows down progress or is often dis-regarded
Use ticks to demonstrated benefits that users will get by making the
decision to do what you want them to make
Aim to create a sense of momentum by allowing visitors to make quick
decisions early on within a process of pages/tasks

51. What is Usability and User Experience?

52. Believe it or not on first viewing, Lings Cars feature a wealth
of persuasive techniques to encourage visitors to buy

53. “ Assuming you can fulfil the
service or goods supply
that you offer, the biggest
thing to get right is simply
to emotionalise your
offering
The irrepressible Ling Valentine (@LINGScars)

55. “ It is about gaining trust
and then providing a
way to deliver a 100%
digital service, while
remaining personal.
The mad as toast Ling Valentine (@LINGScars)

56. Would you trust this woman?!

57. What is Usability and User Experience?
In 2011 the value of the
cars they leased was over
£38million

58. What is Usability and User Experience?
See how Lings Cars persuades visitors to buy
http://bit.ly/batshitinsane

59. Manchester Central have a clear understanding that “people
buy people” and provide visibility of who are the key
contacts that potential buyers will be working with

60. In contrast, Bella Center in Copenhagen provide a completely
different, less personable experience for when visitors are
interested in making contact

61. “ You need to bring people
and emotions to the front.
We do business with
people, the human touch
is the way things are
moving towards
A user with a budget looking for a service provider

62. Tips for introducing delighters, personality &
humanising your online content
People buy people - show visitors who they will be dealing with, not just
names, emails and telephone numbers
Pay close attention to goal completion pages of your site and provide
content which adds value and
Look at opportunities in your copy to demonstrate some personality
Don’t be afraid to show your human side
Use language which resonates with visitors & potential buyers
Provide short video case studies & client testimonials to let your customers
sell your products & services for you
Video one of your staff singing Hippy Hippy Shake

63. What is Usability and User Experience?
Summary
Persuasive design is everywhere (in small bits)
Instilling trust is fundamental technique
Avoid the dark arts (see http://wiki.darkpatterns.org)
to remain credible & trustworthy
Focus on the full customer journey, including the end
Combine usability & persuasion for the biggest
commercial (and user experience) impact

64. Connect with me Office:
+44 (0)161 228 0585
Mobile:
http://uk.linkedin.com/in/paulrouke +44 (0)7739 745 126
Email:
paulrouke @ prwd.co.uk
Web:
http://twitter.com/paulrouke http://www.prwd.co.uk
Extensive usability & conversion best practice PRWD
articles & presentation slides available online 22 Lever Street
here: Manchester
M1 1EA
United Kingdom
http://bit.ly/CROresources

65. Thankyou for listening to
“The Most Influential
Persuasive Design Techniques”
by Paul Rouke (@paulrouke)
Extensive usability & conversion best practice articles & slides here:
http://bit.ly/CROresources