Do you find yourself spending more than you had planned when shopping online, and end up beating yourself up a lot for it? Suppose you realized that the unplanned spending is no accident but a well-executed strategy by retailers to lure you and other customers using various tricks to make sure they spend more?
Still in doubt? Well, we will show you how shopping sites use dirty tactics designed to appeal to your deepest emotions and desires, with each tool or technique targeting a different aspect of your life. Here are the top 5 tricks that shopping sites use to make you buy more.
1. Sneaking
Sneaking involves concealing information to which, had the customer been presented with the information, they would not have agreed. There are times when you suddenly notice the cost of your shopping has gone up by $10 with no explanation. But on a closer look, you realize it’s the cost of handling your goods, shipping, or taxes. Since this information comes to your knowledge when you have already committed to buying the items and are already checking out, you just resign to your fate and pay up. That is exactly what the store wants you to do.
2. Urgency
Sellers often create a sense of urgency by showing you a timer counting down the minutes or seconds left before you miss out on a lifetime opportunity to purchase something. The timer is deliberately put there to nudge you to buy something that is only available for a limited period of time. Normally, these timers reset when you refresh the page. And you might be surprised to find the same items are still available weeks after the ultimatum lapsed.
3. Social proof
You have probably seen online stores displaying some recent purchases reading “Lily from Annapolis, Maryland just bought a Pro Blender “. Such messages are constantly flashed to make it look like people are buying stuff while you browse, tapping into both a sense of urgency and your fear of missing out.
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4. Obstruction
You sign up for a seemingly good offer but then when you want out, you realize it is almost impossible to cancel. Websites often hide the part informing you that you are subscribing to something that is easier to get in than getting out.
5. BOGO deals
These are commonly known as “buy one, get one free” sales. The store aims at enticing you to buy more than what you intended in order to get a free product. Unless you were intending to buy the second item, just know that you probably did not get a good deal at all but the marketers are happy that you swallowed their bait.
Now that you know the tricks that shopping sites use to make you buy more, you can make better decisions. What are some other tricks you’ve caught online shopping sites using to get you to increase your purchase?
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