The role of usability and persuasion in conversion-critical processes
When it comes to designing conversion-critical processes, usability and persuasion are two concepts that often come to mind. They may be complementary, but they can also be opposing sometimes.
This is my oh-so-biased view:
| Usability | Persuasion | |
|---|---|---|
| Is the brainchild of… | engineers | advertisers |
| Treats the user as… | an agent: will consider her options and do what she thinks is right | a patient: her behaviour can and should be influenced |
| From a marketing perspective, is affine to… | product marketing | promotion marketing |
| If a conversion funnel were a slide, it would deal with… | making the slide frictionless and safe | nudging the user down it |
| If it was a period of Prehistory it would be… | Neolithic: about breeding and exploiting long-term relationships with customers | Paleolithic: about hunting/gathering customers |
| Relies on tactics such as… | Putting the user in control | Creating a sense of urgency or scarcity to drive the user to action |
When it comes to interactive design, some designers put persuasion at the same level of usability. If you ask me, I think persuasion is a spice, not an ingredient. As a matter of fact, persuasion in Web design is like nutmeg: in small doses and some applications it may be beneficial, if overused becomes unpalatable, and in large doses it’s downright toxic.
As I see it, the most influential single factor in conversion is good matching between your value proposal and the users that come to you. It never ceases to amaze me how many people give up working on this factor, and get obsessed with other details instead.
If you are concerned with conversion, work on the definition of your value proposal and your target audience first of all. Once you’ve done your homework here, usability can do a lot to make sure there are not obstacles in the way. And given you have the right value proposal and a usable process, persuasion can certainly help you walk the extra mile to prevent users from procrastinating, or to help users understand and feel the uniqueness and attractiveness of your proposal. But to a point. Beyond that point, it may look as if your immediate conversion figures are improving, but chances are your lifetime customer value will be unaffected or even damaged.
Of course, this is just an opinion. What is yours?
Posted: August 25th, 2008 under Design.
Tags: conversion, persuasion, usability
Comments
Comment from Miguel
Time August 26, 2008 at 7:16
I’m not sure if this is a good approach but a sample of success, using an overdose of ‘persuasion’, is the iPhone.
From my point of view this device is not ‘easy’ in terms of usability, but because of ‘persuasion’ people talk about excelent iPhone usability… prior to buy it
Comment from inaki1980
Time August 27, 2008 at 2:36
Perdonadme pero sólo sé explicarme bien en español.
Creo que hay una relación inversa entre la eficiencia de la persuabilidad y el grado de implicación del producto.
Creo que la persuabilidad no transmite la seriedad y transparencia que requieren los procesos de adquisicón de productos de alta implicación.
No me voy a comprar un ordenador que me cuesta 1000 euros porque me pongan “Violators”, me hablen en imperativo, call to actions, etc.
¿qué opinais?
Comment from outsider
Time August 27, 2008 at 3:56
Ha ha, Iñaki, you’ve used precisely the word I was trying to avoid 
Seriously, I try not to use the word “persuadability” (or the Spanish “persuabilidad”) as the mix of usability and persuasion, because I find it kind of a trademark for one particular consultancy firm, and I don’t think it is a term over which all interaction designers can claim ownership.
About your idea, I agree in part, specially if you change “persuabilidad” by “persuasión”. Of course, those who call themselves “persuadability consultants” may answer you that persuasion, like any other design tactic, must be used well, and that the right persuasion tactics can be of help in any application as long as they are done right.
Comment from inaki1980
Time August 28, 2008 at 12:34
Ok. So you mean: good interactive product is the best pesuability?
Pingback from El dilema de la persuabilidad y la usabilidad: 4 consejos « Phurious (Usabilidad? User experience? tendencias tecnológicas? HCI? diseño de interaccion?)
Time August 31, 2008 at 1:36
[...] Relacionado: The role of usability and persuasion in conversion-critical processes Diseño centrado en el usuario o en el cliente Etiqueta con:conversión, estrategia digital, negocios, persuabilidad, usabilidad « Obligados (1) [...]
Comment from jesus
Time September 9, 2008 at 11:12
Aristoteles explain in his book “Rethoric” how matters the persuasion in the communication side of the human brain.
I think that the word have changed so little from then.
As Marketing profesional persuasion is the key to convert customer in evagelist.
Usability is like merchandising in the retail market…very, very important but with good usability you don´t have advocate costumers.
Comment from Visto / Bien
Time October 8, 2008 at 10:23
Pressure, pressure, pressure!:
So take note now that the time factor will be one of the most frequently-used resources in future for exerting greater pressure on our users.
Seen here.
Comment from Outsider
Time October 9, 2008 at 10:26
Sergio [Visto/Bien], I’m honored to have you here!
The example you’ve provided explains for itself, better than my post, what I was trying to convey.
I’m not the kind of guy who cites the Bible, but this one is perfect to make the point:
“No one can serve two masters, because either he will hate one and love the other, or be loyal to one and despise the other” - Matthew 6:24
Pingback from Phurious » Blog Archive » El dilema de la persuabilidad y la usabilidad: 4 consejos
Time February 4, 2009 at 9:41
[...] Relacionado: The role of usability and persuasion in conversion-critical processes Diseño centrado en el usuario o en el cliente [...]
Comment from Javier Cañada
Time August 26, 2008 at 2:34
persuasion=marketing