{"id":36660,"date":"2016-04-28T10:49:45","date_gmt":"2016-04-28T10:49:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vwo.com\/blog\/?p=36660"},"modified":"2025-11-13T17:12:25","modified_gmt":"2025-11-13T11:42:25","slug":"neuromarketing-and-cognitive-biases-for-conversions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vwo.com\/blog\/neuromarketing-and-cognitive-biases-for-conversions\/","title":{"rendered":"The Psychology Behind a Sale | Persuading Conversions Through Cognitive Biases"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ever wondered why \u201cselling\u201d has such a negative connotation about it?<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why is it that the immediate, associative adjective used to describe salesmen is pushy and not helpful? What\u2019s with the bias?<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We come loaded with pre-conceived apprehensions when making buying decisions. Simply put, we are unable to make a buying commitment until our apprehensions are dispelled, our negative bias is countered and a positive bias is induced in favor of our buying decision.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Notice the choice of word. “Bias.”<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Download Free: Conversion Rate Optimization Guide<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The human mind works in weird ways. A lot of times, we are happy to suppress logic, objectivity, propriety and other metrics of rationale. Those in the business of selling SaaS products know it better than anyone else<\/a>. Selling a non-physical product takes a lot of convincing. Creating cognitive biases only makes the job easier.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s Wikipedia\u2019s definition of Cognitive Bias:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cA cognitive bias refers to a systematic pattern of deviation from norm or rationality in judgment, whereby inferences about other people and situations may be drawn in an illogical fashion. Individuals create their own ‘subjective social reality’ from their perception of the input.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

To put it rather mildly, cognitive biases induce interpretations and subsequent decisions that may not be obvious. In addition to increasing your chances of conversions, they can speed up decision-making and make the process of acquisition to conversion far quicker.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cognitive biases are a sales hack!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most conversion pain-points can be traced to <\/span>analysis paralysis<\/span>, hampering the user\u2019s decision-making, subsequently causing action paralysis. Identifying the root of this indecision is the first solid step you take to enhance user engagement and forge conversions. Heatmaps, clickmaps and form analysis<\/a> come in handy when identifying chinks in your website\u2019s UX.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversion optimization is only the summation of users\u2019 motivations,  buying intentions, questions, excitement, surprise, and other associative emotions that influence decision-making. And, as a process, it continues until these emotions are addressed and capitalized on, through optimized UX.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s get to it then. Here are the 5 tips to induce psychological biases, straight up:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Know your audience \u2014 the human brain.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Inspire confidence with psychological triggers<\/a>.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Ask for minimum upfront commitment.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Use availability heuristic for brand\/product recall.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Reduce the pain of paying.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n

    1) Know Your Audience\u00a0\u2014<\/span> the Human Brain<\/h2>\n\n\n

    In her study titled <\/span>“Neuromarketing – Science and Practice”<\/span>, Croatian marketing and forensic science expert, Martina Hedda \u0160ola said that between information, processing and decision-making, there are three parts of our brain that mutually interact, each performing a specific function.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

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    \"Brain_Parts_Old_Middle_New\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n