Persuasive Design
As technological advances have evolved so have the fundamental requirements of Website design because of the interactive environment. Design teams must be more strategic at creating Websites that engage users, motivating them to make decisions that lead to high conversion rate. The science behind PET design offers a set of new design principles for understanding customers’ emotional triggers through the science of cognitive psychology. It goes beyond usability it predicts what customers will do on the site.
The rest of my research paper will introduce the principles of PET Design – persuasion, emotion and trust; and how this new innovative approach to design effectively supports user needs discussed earlier, in an evolving interactive environment of smart users (Schaffer, 2009).
Persuasion
Persuasive design uses psychology to influence online behavior. This is accomplished through creating design elements that change motivation and instill trust. These design elements must be presented when a customer’s motivation is high so timing is crucial in the presentation to keep customer retention (Baxter). A customer must be able to navigate through these design elements without distractions, unaware of time. This concept is referred to as flow and transparency. When a customer is in a state of flow they are easily engaged in activities that motivate their behavior, which creates happy customers (Cooper, Reimann & Cronin, 2007).
Emotion
The thinking process customers go through to make decisions can be complex and emotional not linear or logical. Rather designing around what-if scenarios, UX designers now use the principles of scientific research to understand the human brain so that they can persuade someone to make a decision. Understanding a customer’s cognitive process is imperative to understanding their feelings (Cooper, Reimann & Cronin, 2007).
Trust
As mentioned earlier trust is a critical component of PET design. Customers’ must have trust in the online retailer. Without trust the customer will not be motivated to continue through the flow of the website to purchase product (Schaffer, 2009). A customer will consider risks involved in purchasing product from a Website. The higher the customer perceives the risk the more likely they will buy the product from a brick-and-mortar store. Research shows the biggest concerns consumers’ have with shopping online is financial risks such as credit card information; product risk because they cannot determine the quality as viewed on the screen; the concern of returning a product; and the fear that product will not be delivered (Mohammad, Moshref, Hossein, Mojtaba, Amir & Ahmad , 2012).
Establishing trust through design has been deeply researched by industry leaders. Research shows that the most effective way to establish trust is to add an FAQ page to a Website. Other research shows publishing information on Website customers already know as true will strengthens credibility. In other words, when a customer sees known content that is proven true on a Website it makes them feel confident about continuing to browse the Website (Schaffer, 2009).
PET Design
Often designers are asked to define something they have never seen or experienced before. PET design principles offer an effective framework that designers can work within to gain a deeper understanding of user’s needs and goals. With this powerful knowledge designers can create a trustworthy Website that engages the customers in the activities that persuade online shopping behavior.
References
Armando , R. (2013, july 24). Ecommerce and brick-and-mortar retail converge. Retrieved from http://www.practicalecommerce.com/articles/4114-Ecommerce-and-Brick-and-mortar-Retail-Converge
Baxter, L. (n.d.). Why persuasive design should be your next skill set. Retrieved from http://uxmag.com/articles/why-persuasive-design-should-be-your-next-skill-set
Kevin, K. (2005, april). User behavior and purchase decisions in ecommerce how deep insights drive exceptional experiences. Retrieved from http://slant.avenuea-razorfish.com/0405_slant/040305_user_behavior_final.pdf
Mohammad, H., Moshref, J., Hossein, D., Mojtaba, N., Amir, P., & Ahmad , A. (2012). An analysis of factors affecting on online shopping behavior of consumers . International Journal of Marketin g Studies, 4(5), Retrieved from http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/ijms/article/view/18487/13453
Schaffer, E. (2009, January 26). Beyond usability: Designing web sites for persuasion, emotion, and trust. Retrieved from http://uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2009/01/beyond-usability-designing-web-sites-for-persuasion-emotion-and-trust.php
Cooper, A., Reimann, R., & Cronin, D. (2007). About face 3: the essentials of interaction design. (3rd ed.). Indianapolis, Indiana: Wiley Publishing Inc.
