Call it neuromarketing. Call it behavioral economics. Call it Jedi mind tricks. Whatever you call it: brain science and marketing go together. And anyone can learn how to do it. In this session, Andy will review the research and then show how to create web marketing that works with natural, human behavioral tendencies. Social proof: herds, halos and credibility Fear, Loss and calls-to-action How to write for busy minds Context, contrast and the power of "anchors" He'll reveal secrets of marketing masters with specific actions and outcomes based on brain science and behavioral marketing research. If there are humans in your target audience, this presentation is for you.

1. Andy Crestodina
@crestodina
orbitmedia.com/blog
Brain Science &
Web Marketing

2. Persuasion Research… Social influence
Research… Cognitive Bias Research…
Social Psychology… Brain Scan Studies…
MRI Research… Non-Rational,
Unconscious Decision Making…
Sociology… Eye-Tracking Studies…
Behavioral Economics… Behavioral
Science… Brain Science… Social
Neuroscience… Neuromarketing!

3. Which sign will keep
him on the path?

4. "The vast majority of past visitors have stayed on the
established paths and trails, helping to preserve the
natural state of the Sequoias and vegetation in this park."
"Many past visitors have gone off the established paths
and trails, changing the natural state of the Sequoias and
vegetation in this park."
"Please stay on the established paths and trails, in order to
protect the Sequoias and natural vegetation in this park.”
"Please don't go off the established paths and trails, in
order to protect the Sequoias and natural vegetation in
this park.”

5. "The vast majority of past visitors have stayed on the
established Others’ paths and behavior, trails, helping Positive
to preserve the
natural state of the Sequoias and vegetation in this park."
"Many past visitors have gone off the established paths
and trails, Others’ changing the behavior, natural state Negative
of the Sequoias and
vegetation in this park."
"Please stay on the established paths and trails, in order to
protect the Sequoias and natural vegetation in this park.”
Desired behavior, Positive
"Please don't go off the established paths and trails, in
order to protect the Sequoias and natural vegetation in
this park.”
Desired behavior, Negative

6. Which sign worked?
Source: Pat Winter, PhD,

7. SOCIAL PROOF

9. “When people are free to do
as they please, they usually
imitate each other.”
Eric Hoffer
Social Philosopher

10. Endorsement from Influencer

11. Trust from Awards and Memberships

12. source: Baymard Site Seal Trust Report

13. Testimonials = supportive evidence

14. Never make a testimonials page

15. Call to Action Conform

16. Signup Box Best Practices
1.Prominence
2.Promise
3.Proof!

17. Before…
After…

18. 1900% increase. Not bad!

19. Everybody’s doing it!

20. As seen in…

21. As seen in…

22. Social Media Widgets

23. Social Proof Can Backfire!

24. 10 Ways to Offer Proof
1. Testimonials
2. Endorsements
3. Social Media Shares
4. Social Media Widgets
5. Certifications
6. Number of happy customers
7. “Our most popular” Best-seller
8. Studies and Statistics
9. Press Mentions
10. Reviews

25. “When you say it, it’s marketing…
When they say it, it’s social proof.”

26. PRIMING

27. How to double sales…

28. source: Get closer to your customers by understanding how they make their choices

29. Priming & Anchoring

30. More is Less
Don’t give too many options on landing pages!
All varieties…
Top seller only…
+ 233% Conversion Rate
+ 40% Average Order Value
+ 366% Average Revenue / Click
source: Adlucent

31. Too Many Options
source: 5 Easy Tips to Improve Every Blog Design

32. LOSS AVERSION
& SCARCITY

36. pain of loss > pleasure of gain

39. Language of Scarcity and Loss
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40. 6 Ways to Leverage Loss/Safety
1. Rebates
2. Trial Periods
3. Free Samples
4. Early bird registration
5. Countdown Clocks
6. Limited Supply
Remind readers what they’ll
miss, risk or lose by not choosing you.

41. #FOMO

42. Contrast
source: Ted.com “Nancy Duarte: The secret structure of great talks”

43. WRITING TIPS

44. List Order: Serial Position Effect
Readers have higher attention and retention
for items at the beginning and end of lists

45. Word Choice: Short, Simple
Success rates after rewriting a health care site
for an 8th grade level readability…
source: NN Group, Lower-Literacy Users: Writing for a Broad Consumer Audience

46. Headlines: Emotions Get Shared
Content that evokes specific emotions
is more likely to be shared…
source: What makes online content go viral?

47. Format for Readers Scanners
source: 5 Easy Tips to Improve Every Blog Design

49. VISUAL TIPS

50. Use of Images
Are articles by
neuroscientists
more credible
when they include
images of fMRI
brain scans?
What if the image
is irrelevant?

51. Yes. Pictures = Persuasion
Source: Neuromarketing, Brain Image Bias

52. Colors, Trucks and Hegwig Von Restorff
Source: Techwys, Heatmaps for Improved Landing Page Conversion

55. Action Colors & Conversions

56. Eye Tracking Studies show…

57. …you look where they look!

62. Are you an optimist? Or
pessimist?

63. Baskerville…
“If a one kilometer asteroid had approached the
Earth on a collision course at any time in human
history before the early twenty-first century, it would
have killed at least a substantial proportion of all
humans.”
Comic Sans…
“If a one kilometer asteroid had approached the
Earth on a collision course at any time in human
history before the early twenty-first century, it
would have killed at least a substantial
proportion of all humans.”

64. Baskerville, the most credible font
Source: New York Times, Hear, All Ye People; Hearken, O Earth.

65. More Brains…
• List of Cognitive Biases (Wikipedia)
• Web Design Tips Based on Brain Science
• 15 behavioral marketing posts you shouldn’t miss
• Stanford Web Credibility Lab
• List of 81 Neuromarketing Books
Anything by…
• Robert Cialdini
• Gregory Ciotti
• Derek Halpern

67. Andy Crestodina
@crestodina
orbitmedia.com/blog
Thank you!