Mataupu
In the midst of the holiday fever, it is easy to fall for the bait of marketers and advertisers who successfully use online stores every year. Web psychologist Liraz Margalit debunks the most popular ones and explains why they work.
New Year’s fever is a hot season for online stores. In anticipation of the holidays, we actively buy gifts both for others and for ourselves. Psychologist and specialist in the field of consumer behavior on the Internet Liraz Margalit shares the results of her own research, which helped her to identify a behavioral pattern typical of the Christmas season.
By the end of the year, we as consumers are more impulsive than the rest of the year, making purchase decisions more emotionally than rationally. In particular, we spend less time comparing prices and not delving into product information.
In online stores, conversion increases — the percentage of new visitors increases. If on average, according to Margalit’s calculations, we buy 1,2 items of goods per three visits to the site, then in the high season a typical consumer purchases 3,5 items per visit alone.
The psychology of impulsive shopping
According to Margalit and her colleagues, the reason for such a significant change in our shopping behavior lies in various marketing manipulations or «dark patterns» — such user interface designs that trick users into making decisions that are potentially harmful to their wallet and beneficial to the online store. . These well-designed manipulations directly influence the cognitive decision-making process, which can lead to impulsive, emotional purchases.
Here are some of the common tactics that Liraz Margalit identified while analyzing the data from a web psychology perspective.
1. Stimulation of groupthink
Widespread advertising campaigns and media hype are designed to create a “herd effect” that captures and captivates the consumer. This form of cognitive manipulation plays on two levels.
First, it is innate in us to belong to a group. Secondly, in cases of uncertainty, it allows us to learn from the experience of others, that is, in this case, if everyone else indulges in a shopping frenzy, the subconscious signals that they must have a good reason for it.
2. Undermining rational consciousness
Looking at consumer attention data, Liraz Margalit noticed that by the end of the year, people are paying far less attention to product details and information. On the other hand, their focus on featured elements, images, and catchy headlines is on the rise.
Consumers are usually looking for some sort of rationale to justify their purchasing decision. The herd effect, together with clever marketing, gives rise to the feeling that at the end of the year shopping should be reasonable and rational. And “if everyone thinks so, then it’s right.”
In this way, people automatically reinforce their belief that buying at the end of the season is cost-effective. This means that the more they buy, the more money they save.
3. Create buzz
A popular gimmick — limited-time offer «today only», «valid until December 15», «offer expires in 24 hours» — is used during the high season and encourages buyers to act quickly. The urgency creates a sense that in the current situation it is imperative to do something as soon as possible, while the natural tendency to delay the decision is rejected. Consumers feel they have to buy right here, now, today, this second.
4. Activating the fear of loss
Loss avoidance is a natural human desire that marketers have long and successfully used. In fact, we are being told that we are in danger of losing a great opportunity. When we know that something is about to run out, our desire to possess it increases. An example of this is Black Friday. This time constraint creates a sense of urgency in the minds of consumers, resulting in an instant purchase.
Retailers typically pique consumer interest by highlighting limited stocks of items that are only available for a short period of time. This enhances their perceived value — after all, rarity and value are closely intertwined. Fear of missing out neutralizes our ability to pause before buying and think about whether we need it and how the price matches the quality of the product.
When logic is silent, we are ruled by emotions. And so, more than ever, we rely on how a product makes us feel, rather than a cold cost-benefit analysis.
5. Creating a collective experience
Intense marketing efforts and advertising that fills the media space by the end of the year make us believe that we are participating in a collective experience, and therefore becoming full members of society. Shopping during the holiday season is a tradition, a ceremony: every year everyone prepares for shopping, allocates time and money for it, and discusses it with friends, colleagues and family.
The combination of these factors leads the consumer into the shopping trap. According to Liraz Margalit, e-commerce sites try to use similar principles throughout the year, but despite small bursts of consumer activity in other months, there is no factor stronger than the “finality” associated with the end of the old year and the beginning of the new one, coupled with the upcoming holidays.
About the expert: Liraz Margalit is a psychologist, a specialist in the field of consumer behavior on the Internet.