Its interface and product are incredible. No competitor has such a good product that meets the needs of yours so well People.

All the hard work will pay off with a Absurd conversion rate. The product is going to bomb!

So, just wait, because users will recognize the genius of your project, everything is under way.

Right?

Well, Not really.

In addition to developing an interesting product, using User-Centered Design, it is important to communicate and convince them that your product is the best choice.

In this sense, we have what we call persuasion, which is nothing more than the act of convincing and persuading someone.

Persuasion is essential in any area and UX Design is no different!

Continue reading the article and learn the 6 essential principles of persuasion for you to apply to your projects!

First principle of persuasion: scarcity

Is there a social phenomenon that makes people perceive more value in something limited, scarce, or that is exclusive for a specific time.

This is the principle of Shortage.

Scarcity is one of the most effective persuasion principles because it is based on the issue of aversion to loss.

According to research conducted by Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, people would rather stop losing R$100 than have the opportunity to win R$100.

That way, communicate the scarcity of something will increase the chances of conversion on the part of the user.

However, when we think about this principle of persuasion, we don't necessarily apply it only to the lack of products. But we can use communication to indicate scarcity of time, information, or some kind of limited exclusivity.

How to use the scarcity principle in your UX Design projects?

Basically, there are two moments in which the scarcity principle can be used in UX Design projects:

• when the user visits your site many times, or is there a long journey, without effectively converting the desired actions;
• When you need or want increase the perception of value of your product to the user.

In the two situations above, the scarcity principle will help you streamline And the swell the conversion rate of your users.

However, be aware. Scarcity is one of the most commonly used principles of persuasion today and this can cause people Be suspicious of that type of communication.

Therefore, Use the scarcity principle with caution and be honest. Don't say that a product is low in stock if it really isn't. Yours creditworthiness is much more important to create trusting connections with your user.

Reading Tip: What Is Emotional Design?

2nd principle of persuasion: reciprocity

A reciprocity it's an important issue within any relationship. That being the case, it couldn't be different in relationship between the user and the interface.

The principle of reciprocity emphasizes that people tend to respond to acts of kindness.

That way, imagine a situation: you enter a website looking for information about UX Design. And find a report about how the UX Design market is growing worldwide.

But when requesting the download of the report, the site asks for various information in advance, such as your e-mail and telephone number.

Pray, more than audacity, isn't it? You couldn't even be sure that that report was useful to you, and the site already asks for a lot of information in an invasive way.

Clearly, the first reaction is Abandon the site, or else, put False information in the request, just to have access to the blessed report.

But what if, instead of asking for information in advance, the site offers you a part of the report completely free of charge, without asking for any information? And I only asked for your data if you want to continue to see the report?

In this second option, the user will feel more willing to reciprocate the site's action providing some data, such as your email.

The logic ends up being unsophisticated: offer something of value to your user without asking for anything in return, at first. After that first contact, you will have already created a bridge of reliance and a sense of commitment to giving back, that is, the necessary reciprocity.

That way, the user will be more compelled to respond to any subsequent request.

Therefore, reciprocity is one of the principles of persuasion that will help bring more true engagement for your interface.

3rd principle of persuasion: social proof

Social proof is a psychological effect in which people are influenced by the behavior and/or opinion of others.

This principle of persuasion is based on the tendency that the user - and people in general - have to want to do”The Right Thing”. Thus, when faced with the opinions or behaviors of other people in the face of a situation, we tend to believe that they are correct and we feel inclined to do the same.

A beautiful example are the rows that are formed at Apple stores when a new iPhone is launched. The number of people is so large that the lines even leave the store and continue on the street!

Because of this user behavior, people tend to think that product - iPhone - is the best product in the world, even without any technical evaluation or comparison with other products. And finally, they sit down coveted to have this product in hand and end up queuing up to buy.

Social proof, then, It's an excellent tool for generating conversions. After all, those who are saying that the product is good are the other users.

Therefore, this behavior increases the security And the reliance to take any action whatsoever.

Reading Tip: The Importance of Psychology in UX Design

4th principle of persuasion: affinity

Affinity is one of the principles of persuasion that works with the degree of identity of the user with whom you are offering a product or service.

That is to say, people are more willing to trust and close deals with whom they identify, like, or have an affinity with.

In this sense, it is important that the user has a good realization about people, or even about the interface with which you're interacting. That way, he will be more inclined to be persuaded and to convert some pertinent action.

A practical example: you want to buy a car but you don't have enough money to buy a new car. Then, you start looking for used cars. At that time, a close friend of yours announces that he is selling his car.

The fact that you know the person, entrust In her and to have affinity, makes you more inclined to buy her car rather than some stranger. Of course, even then, you will evaluate the condition of the product. But at the same time, you are assured that your friend, most likely, will not put you in a bad deal.

What creates affinity in people?

Many studies in the field of psychology attempt to identify the reasons why people create affection for others.

In this way, some triggers can be identified and worked on:

• Similarity: we like people who They're like us, who talk like us, who dress like us, etc;
• Homeliness: we like people who already We know before and with which we have interacted other times. This is true for companies and brands as well;
• Cooperation: we like people who collaborate with us and who want to help us;
• Association: we like people who share Same values than ours.

Therefore, it is important that these aspects are considered in your UX Design projects. Below, more some examples of how to use affection in your interface:

Reading Tip: What Is Empathy and Why Is It Important in UX Design?

5th principle of persuasion: authority

To understand this principle of persuasion, let's imagine a hypothetical situation.

You're outside a restaurant, on the sidewalk, waiting for a friend to arrive. suddenly A police officer approaches you, points to a car across the street and says: “that car has passed the blue zone period, buy a new card to help you.”

Would you buy it?

Statistically speaking, would you be 92% willing to buyr.

But if the person who approached you wasn't a police officer, it was a civilian, would you be 42% willing to buy a new blue zone card.

In this way, we can understand that people are more influenced by figures who represent authority - such as doctors, politicians, police officers, lawyers, etc.

The issue involved is that the authorities pass on an image of wisdom and power, then, to cooperate with your wishes is often to cooperate with a favorable outcome.

Therefore, in your UX Design projects, it is advisable to think about some elements of authority that can increase the reliance from the user:

• Photos of authorities: use photos of people who demonstrate positions of authority - doctors, lawyers, police officers - and who are properly dressed as such;
• Symbols of authority: use symbols that demonstrate authority, such as the police badge for example;
• Logos of reputable organizations: logos such as the UN logo for example;
• Phrases and quotes: also use quotes and quotes from experts, celebrities, and other authorities.

Authority and ethics

The use of authority can cause people to Make decisions without contesting. Because of this, it is worth remembering that we must be Honest when using the principle of authority in UX Design projects.

The photos, the arguments, and the quotes were they really said or built by professionals and specialists in that area?

Is it interesting to use testimonials from a police officer to support your coffee e-commerce? Is it ethical and honest to use that authority to convert and sell more?

So always keep the following in mind question:

Will what I'm creating persuade the user of something that I wouldn't want to be persuaded myself?

6th principle of persuasion: commitment and consistency

Making a decision that proposes a change in our lives is relatively simple. Who has never done dozens of New Year's promises, at the beginning of the month or even Monday?

But tell me the truth, How many promises have we been able to keep?

To be more effective in achieving such promises and objectives, there is a concept among the principles of persuasion called Behavioral Consistency.

Behavioral Consistency is a heuristics of judgment in order to facilitate decision-making. As people are inclined to make a decision and to stick to it, for the ease.

For example: a person has a headache and decides to take a medicine. She does a quick search on the internet, goes to the pharmacy and makes the purchase. Take the medicine and after a few minutes your pain improves.

The next time she has a headache, she will make the same decision to buy the same medicine. It's easier than doing a new search.

Reading Tip: Nielsen Heuristics - 10 Tips for Improving the Usability of Your Interface

Pressure levels to maintain consistency and commitment

For certain decisions we make, we also feel pressure to Let's keep Committed to them.

To this end, we can classify these pressure levels into two types: Individual and the social.

Let's take another example: Promise to go to the gym.

If your decision to exercise was serious, you created an individual pressure level. Every week you'll be pressuring yourself to keep your commitment to your decision/promise.

But if you made that promise together with a friend, for example, for both of you to go to the gym, you created a level of social pressure. That is, you will be pressured to maintain your commitment to the decision because it involves social risks.

At the individual pressure level, if you don't comply with your decision, you will feel guilt. But at the level of social pressure, lack of commitment can create interpersonal risks, they will lose trust in your word and this can harm your picture.

How to use commitment and consistency in UX projects?

There are two characteristics that your interface must have, in a first interaction, for the user to commit to it:

• Low risk;
• Little effort.

O low risk is related to the trust that the user has in your interface. In a new interaction, the user does not want to take actions that create mistrust, such as asking, right off the bat, personal information for registration.

Additionally, the issue of Little effort is what will make the user perform the action. A The suggestion of interaction must be simple enough to persuade the user to do it.

In addition, it is important to use the feedback with the user. Show him the result of your engagement. That way, you can create consistency and commitment in your user's future actions.

Practical example

Exercise apps are good examples to demonstrate the persuasion principle of commitment and consistency.

The FitBit app, when launched, asks the user what their health objective is. The definition of this objective does not require any personal information or commitment — low risk and little effort.

Os Objectives act as a trigger for user engagement.

Throughout the use of the application, the user is able to see their physical evolution and the proximity to achieve their goal — feedback.

Additionally, the user can share their results and activities with other people. In this way, Does it enter the level of social pressure, increasing their commitment and consistency.

This principle of persuasion is a powerful motivational tool for user engagement.

Therefore, Remember to always design interfaces that compromise through simple user actions. This form proves to be the most effective for future conversions.

Reading Tip: Discover 9 Usability Errors and Learn How to Avoid Them

Why is persuasion important?

Persuasion, basically, is the action of sell someone making some kind of decision.

In the corporate world, it is very common for the sales area to use persuasion techniques to convince the customer to make the purchase of their products or services.

But in addition to the commercial area, persuasion is also important in other fields.

A Persuasion in UX is important because it is through it that we will be able to convince the user to take some action. Whether it's filling out a form, signing up for a newsletter, or making any type of desired conversion.

In a market where there is a lot of supply and several competitors, Having the best product for your user is not enough. You need to know how to communicate and convince them that your product is, in fact, the best solution for them.

Persuasion and ethics

It may be that there Confusion between persuasion and manipulation. But the two things are quite different.

Persuasion is one communication and sales strategy, which aims to convince the user to buy or use your product.

A Manipulation is a taxing action carried out in bad faith, with the objective of making the user take an action that will only favor one side of the negotiation and harm the other.

That way, it is necessary to understand the difference between these two concepts and act with honesty and transparency. A persuasion will facilitate the understanding and perception that your solution, in fact, is interesting for the user. But she really needs to bring him something good.

Nowhere should persuasion lead to manipulation and to any kind of harm or harm to the user.