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Hello nerd family,
The rule of thumb for conversion rate optimization is to do everything you can to reduce friction.
Fewer steps, shorter forms, because less effort, means more sales.
Or is it?
The research:
Participants were asked to read about a fundraising event and imagine taking part.
For some, the event was described as a fun picnic.
For others, it was described as a grueling marathon.
Everyone was then asked how much money they would contribute to the cause (Olivola & Shafir, 2011).
What they found:
Those who imagined the marathon said they would give more than those who imagined the picnic.
The difficult activity made the act of donating feel more meaningful, which increased people’s willingness to contribute.
Why?
Pain or effort makes people stop and ask themselves why they’re willing to go through it.
The brain logically answers: “I must be a really good person."
Then, when asked to donate, they think: “Well, if I’m a good person, I should be generous or I risk not living up to this new self-image. So I should donate more“.
This happens because our brains don’t like the state of cognitive dissonance and we’ll do anything to uphold consistency.
And, not donating seems risky, because it feels like you’re giving up an identity you feel good about. And we know that losses typically feel more powerful than gains.
Caveat
Not all effort counts. The martyrdom effect only works when the effort feels purposeful. Running a marathon for a good cause makes you feel good.
Going through an annoying meaningless checkout process does not.
💡Takeaway
If you’re promoting something that people will see as a worthy cause: tie it to a challenge, which will make people feel like a “martyr“.
See ya next week,
Ksenia (the biggest nerd)
P.S. If you find this issue helpful, you can support my free newsletter simply by clicking on the sponsor below!👇
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