Hidden tricks of persuasion: study shows how easily we are manipulated
We're actively using 3 principles of influence from Cialdini in our SaaS-product[1] (we also refer to it as 'CaaS', Conversion as a Service).<p>Basically we make persuasion available for the small- to mid-size online shops by providing a tool that integrates tightly with your (shop)backend. Based on data-analysis from your visitors (we ask for a small JS-snippet on each of your pages) we try to predict, by using machine learning, which visitor is sensitive to what kind of messaging at what particular time.<p>Examples:<p>Scarcity: "<i>3 products left in stock</i>", "<i>order within 2 hours and 13 minutes and we'll ship your order today</i>"<p>Social proof: "<i>23 people bought this product today</i>", "<i>the last order of this product was 3 minutes ago</i>"<p>Authority: "<i>Recommended by institute x</i>"<p>We're seeing uplifts in conversions rates from 5% to sometimes 200% (on average 10-15%). Key is timing and finding out what works best for a certain type of visitor. So, for example, shopping at your lunch break often results in a certain behaviour on a shop (ie. going directly or through the shortest route to your desired product) which implicates a sensitivity for a scarcity message. On the other hand, shopping in the evening (more time on your hands) tells us (but not always) that you're maybe more inclined to make a good comparison between products. A social proof message helps the most in that case. It's a simplified version of the reality but you get the idea :-)<p>The tool is easily integrated in shop software (Magento et al) and usable for the less tech savvy users. The messaging is delivered through non-intrusive pop-ups (maybe you've seen them) and are fully configurable on for example: referer, time of day, position, layout, animation, type of visitor, country, etc etc. We also have an integration with Google Analytics to track performance.<p>You can try us for 30 days free, shoot me an email at bart[at]conversify.com, mention HN, and I'll give you 15 extra days for free.<p>[1] <a href="https://www.conversify.com" rel="nofollow">https://www.conversify.com</a>