The Change of Direction Killer: How Decision Fatigue is Killing Your Web Copy

The Change of Direction Killer: How Decision Fatigue is Killing Your Web Copy (And What to Do about it) 

Fewer choices may be the secret weapon to your business is missing to increase your conversions However, there is a silent conversion killer that is roaming freely in the open and most of the companies are totally ignoring it, which is decision fatigue, and the discovery of this psychological phenomenon by social psychologist Roy Baumeister comes as a shocking revelation of the way human beings behave in general and how individuals should handle the copy of their websites. It is not merely academic interest to know and use it, but it is a competitive edge that can increase your bottom line exponentially.What Decision Fatigue Is?Decision fatigue is the depletion of our mental resources as a result of having to make too many decisions in a single day.

Consider the decision making power in your brain to be a muscle which grows weaker as it is being used. The implications on the web copywriting are far-reaching by afternoon, the simple decisions such as what to have at lunch can come as a heavy burden. When the visitor comes to your site, he has already made hundreds of micro-decisions that day, what to put on, what path to go to work. The Business Case: Why This Matters More Than You ThinkThink about this: It has been studied that judges are 65% more likely to provide parole in the morning, than in the afternoon. When trained legal professionals are unable to continue delivering the same quality of decision-making decisions all day long, how do we expect the visitors of our websites to effectively digest long descriptions of products, compare various levels of the services offered, or navigate complicated value propositions?The stakes are high. A study done by Columbia Business School established that customers having excessive product choices were 10 times less likely to buy in comparison to those that had lesser ones. This paradox of choice has a direct effect on your conversion rates, customer satisfaction and eventually revenue.

Find Decision Fatigue in Your Web CopyYou may be unintentionally causing decision fatigue in people on your site when you notice: Lots of bounced traffic between afternoon/evening hours. Shopping carts left behind with various products. Poor conversion rates on pages having too many choices. Reduced activity on high-volume pages. Ineffective multi-step form or process. These are the symptoms that tend to be put in the other categories and decision fatigue might be the real reason behind this situation.Strategic Solutions: Copywriting That Works With, Not Against, the Brain1. Progressive Disclosure Technique Do not give visitors too much information all at the very beginning. Introduce information and show it gradually. Begin with your value proposition including your core value proposition and leave the users to explore further. This method acknowledges cognitive constraints and yet gives full information.Example: You can show the best 3 benefits on your home page with a link to a page that lists all the features to interested prospects. The Strategy of the Default ChoicePlay the advantage of defaults by offering a suggested choice. The human mind is mostly attracted to the course of least resistance when people are cognitively depleted.

Turn that path profitable.Implementation: Direct decision-weary visitors to your choice of option by applying such phrases as Most Popular, Recommended to you, or Best Value. The Cognitive Load Reduction FrameworkReduce cognitive load to process your copy: Improve the use of bullet points over thick paragraphs. Introduction of visual hierarchy to make the eye move in a natural way. Do away with unrelated jargons or complicated lingo. Organize information on a group basis. 4 The Sequential Decision ArchitectureThere is no need to have visitors make several decisions at once, develop a rational sequence. Every choice must follow naturally on the last choice and may reduce brain load.Example: To create a copy, take your audience through one choice at a time rather than asking them to select a plan, add-ons and payment frequency together.The Timing Factor: When Your Copy Gets Read MattersConsider the daily rhythms of your audience when writing. The copy must be even shorter and easier to make a decision in case your target customers usually pay visits during lunch breaks or after work. Time-sensitive deals or time-sensitive messages may be more effective in the morning when decision-making abilities are still fresh.

Measuring Success: KPIs that measure these metrics by tracking them to determine whether your decision fatigue-sensitive copy is performing well: Time of day conversion rates to research fatigue patterns. Page depth analysis to view the point of exit by visitors. Comparison A/B tests of simplified and complex versions of key pages.Attention patterns during the day in heat maps. The Competitive Advantage of Cognitive Empathy At the time your competitors are loading their websites with all the possible features, benefits, and options you can become unique by demonstrating cognitive empathy. Be mindful of the status and decision-making ability of your visitors and they will reward you with an increase in the level of engagement and conversion.The future of web copywriting is not just all about convincing words but it is also all about intelligent design in relation to the human brain and its functionality. Admitting and mitigating decision fatigue you are not only helping your copy be simplified; you are helping your customers have an all-around better experience with your brand.