Avoid Choice Paralysis

There is a marketing phenomenon called “choice paralysis”. This occurs when the users are provided with too many choices. While giving an option is great, customers may become confused when presented with several choices. No one wants a buyer’s regret, wherein he/she chooses a product then changes his/her mind later on. When customers spend more time than usual in selecting an item, they become paralyzed.

If customers are given too many choices, this causes them to avoid a particular service or task in most cases (Paradox of Choice), and this is what designers should keep in mind when it comes to designs.

As a solution to choice paralysis, make it simpler for consumers to find the product/service that best suits them. Let them know why a particular option is great, then recommend one they should choose. You can highlight the top-selling products by means of visuals, and entice potential customers. If they feel that the product does not fit them, they will try another one, but in case they become confused, you can prevent choice paralysis with a “default” choice.

Display the Product

When you go to a physical store such as a grocery, you can see, inspect and even taste the food products for sale. Your decision to buy is based on the available information like appearance, smell and taste. Are the tomatoes already ripe? Are the strawberries as sweet as they look? Does the bread smell freshly baked?

If you plan to sell Web apps or services on the Internet, you have to do show the product as in a physical store. It is surprising to know that some websites selling software do not display screenshots of their apps. Though these are intangible digital goods you can neither touch nor smell, they can still be seen.

People can easily judge products based on what they look like. For them, appearance is an indicator of a product’s usability, whether this idea is right or wrong. This is called the aesthetic-usability effect.

Direct Attention

You should be able to guide your visitors all through your content. This can be done by aligning items in a consistent, flowing manner and using images to guide the eyes. For instance, you could use a big arrow to focus attention to a particular direction. When visitors notice the arrow, they would want to follow where it leads to.

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