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    • Mon Jan 12, 2009

    Web Design for the Brain

    NeuroIt’s funny what the brain makes us do. A recent flow of books on the subject of the brain when it comes to marketing and making decisions is due in part to better understanding of how the brain works.

    For a recent episode of the Duct Tape Marketing podcast I visited with Susan Weinschenk, author of NEURO Web Design – What make them click?

    Susan’s book is a fascinating look into what makes people buy online. And yes, we did talk about sex!

    We also discussed

    • How the mind triggers a person to purchase a product or service
    • Research on the unconscious mind and how specific words or phrases impact the consumer
    • Applying the studies on the unconscious mind to web site design through:
      ~ Social Validation principle
      ~ The “fear” tactic
      ~ Creating a sense of obligation

      ~ The use of food and sexuality

    Susan Weinschenk has a Ph.D. in Psychology and a 30 year career in applying principles of Psychology to the design of technology interfaces. Her experience includes user experience consulting and training for Fortune 1000 companies, designing the user interface of software, intranets, websites, web applications, and even copiers, microwaves and medical devices.

    Dr. Weinschenk is currently Chief of Technical Staff at Human Factors International (HFI). She manages the sales, consulting services and training development and delivery for the USA operations of HFI. She is also a well known, international, public speaker.

    iLinc Web and Video ConferencingThis episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast is brought to you by iLinc – Web and Video Conferencing that’s easy to use, affordable and powerful enough to make your online meetings really come alive.

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    Posted by: John Jantsch on Jan 12, 09 | 9:09 am
    Category: Web design | Tags: , ,

    Comments
    « I Want to Feature Your Referral Story | Home | Who Holds You Accountable? »
    • Sex does sell. Also catchy music sells. Just look at the $5 footlong song for subway. I cannot get it out of my head and now I want a sub. Ahhh!
    • Sex attracts viewers, but depending on the context and the target audience, it can hurt a brand and long term sales.

      Music works to attract a target audience (hip hop music in an ad attracts youth, Frank Sinatra attracts retirees, Grateful Dead guarantees an aging hippie audience)....But I's say the $5 footlong deal is responsible for the Subway success...although the jingle doesn't hurt!
    • Our brains do have funny ways of working. Certain things we see or hear can trigger or influence us to do or think certain things. I don't know enough about brain triggers to know what those things are, but it certainly is fascinating and can have an impact on a business.
    • Sex attracts viewers, but depending on the context and the target audience, itc an hurt a brand and long term sales.

      @John Gillett, Thanks for this important distinction. Attention is not nearly enough to drive sales over the long term. In fact, as any parent of an acting-out teenager can attest, not all attention is positive. :)
    • Liz
      Considering how peoples' brains work when they make buying decisions is pretty darn interesting, all right. How come some ideas are understood and remembered, and have a lasting impact — they change our opinions or behavior - and others just evaporate? (We like the heath Brothers SUCCESs model in Made to Stick). Antonio Damasio, professor of neuroscience at the University of Southern California, has found that people who lose the ability to perceive or experience emotions as the result of a brain injury find it hard or impossible to make any decisions at all. They can’t shop. So are we back to what agencies have known intuitively for years - people buy emotionally, then justify their purchases with more rational reasons. There's a great article The way the brain buys in The Economist you might enjoy reading: http://www.economist.com/science/displaystory.c...
    • Sure, we all know that sex sells. I have been involved in business marketing for a few years now, and can confess to using sexy models / sex in adverts. BUT, what we tend to forget is how effective 'sex' can be for website marketing. I'm sure that some people would only come back to see the website banners ;) .
      Great article, thanks!
    • It is interesting to know more about that "fear tactic".
    • Hmmm, some pavlovian responses being focused on here! Freud would've also been interested in this work, that's for sure!
    • Our brain is a powerful tool. I've already done this stuffs, especially i focused on the first way, and it was absolutely useful, thank you for posting this informations, i just saw this blog inadvertently, and i just wanted to share my experience with other people who read this blog, I'm a musician after i forced my self to write and doing my work with opposite hand, i created more complicated melody lines, I'm telling you all, believe it and do it. Use your brain power
    • Thanks alot for the great post
    • nice, thanks.
    • Really Nice Post. Thanks For Sharing Info.
    • Very interesting. As with a lot of web design initiatives, however, translating design to effective implementation is always the tricky part. Im sure the discussion focused on how to convert the visitor...but isnt an important question to ask "how did you get here?"
    • Thanks for good info.
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