Dumb It Down! How To Get People To Buy On Your Website
By Lina Eroh
Maybe you're a tour operator who runs such an iconic brand that having the world's worst, ugliest, and most unusable website doesn't matter.
But if you're the 99.99999% of the other, then something you should be familiar with when it comes to your website is the rule of cognitive load.
It may sound theoretical, and it is, but it's also a proven way to make more sales on your website.
Still following?
One of the simplest articles I've found on how cognitive load works with design is Kathryn Whitenton's analysis and explanation.
The takeaway is as follows: The total cognitive load, or amount of mental processing power needed to use your site, affects how easily users find content and complete tasks.
In other words, the easier it is to complete a task, the more likely that that task will be completed.
Why?
You know how your computer seems to slow down when you have a bunch of windows open? Well our brains are the same way. They have a limited amount of processing power.
When the amount of information and choice in front of us overwhelms our ability to comfortably process it, we freeze.
Whitenton writes: "We may take longer to understand information, miss important details, or even get overwhelmed and abandon the task."
Does your website impose an unnecessary cognitive load on your user?
Here are three golden rules to minimize cognitive load and increase reservations for your tours:
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Avoid visual clutter. Some of the things your web designer thinks look "cool" can negatively affect your sales. Your website should be simple. Simple is beautiful. Five types of topography on a homepage are not.
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Follow the crowd. Is your website one-of-a-kind never-before-seen amazingness? Chances are, if you think it is, you're hurting yourself more than you're helping. Your customers have an ingrained idea of how websites should work. If you go against the grain, you confuse them and hurt your bottom line.
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Make it simple, stupid! Are you asking your customer to remember the differences between your half day tour and your all day tour? Do your prices only show up once, forcing people to click back and forth to actually figure out how much things cost? Here's the rule of thumb: all the essential information should be on the same page as the call to action.
Fun fact: The WanderLabs system was designed with all of these guidelines in mind.
So while the placement of the calendar and the booking button may look arbitrary, it's all backed by science. Which means you can rest easy while WanderLabs works for you!
Are you a tour operator looking for an innovative booking and reservation system? Sign up for WanderLabs now!
Keep wandering!
Lina