Help Me: Take this short survey so I can learn what you want in this blog

Thank you to everyone who is reading my blog. I've been monitoring the analytics and the readership is growing every day. It's exciting, and I appreciate everyone who stops by.

I'd like to get an idea from you about what it is you would like most to see at the blog, so I've put together a very short survey (it's like only 3 questions) and I would appreciate it if you would take a moment to fill it out. I'll share the responses I get in an upcoming blog if you are interested in what everyone said.

So here goes, my first ever survey at the What Makes Them Click? blog! And thanks in advance for taking the survey.


Click Here to take survey

100 Things You Should Know about People: #2 -- Line Length

Have you ever had to decide how wide a column of text you should use on a screen? Should you use a wide column with 100 characters per line? or a short column with 50 characters per line?

It turns out that the answer depends on whether you want people to read faster or whether you want them to like the page!

Research (see reference below) demonstrates that 100 characters per line is the optimal length for on-screen reading speed; but it's not what people prefer. People read faster with longer line lengths (100 characters per line), but they prefer a short or medium line length (45 to 72 characters per line). In the example above from the New York Times Reader, the line length averages 39 characters per line.

The research also shows that people can read one single wide column faster than multiple columns, but they prefer multiple columns (like the New York Times Reader above).

So if you ask people which they prefer they will say multiple columns with short line lengths. Interestingly, if you ask them which they read faster, they will insist it is also the multiple columns with short line lengths, even though the data shows otherwise.

It's a quandary: Do you give people what they prefer or go against their own preference and intuition, knowing that they will read faster if you use a longer line length and one column?

What would you do?

Dyson, M.C. (2004). "How Physical Text Layout Affects Reading from Screen." Behavior & Information Technology, 23(6), pp. 377-393.

100 Things You Should Know about People: #1-- Inattention Blindness

I've decided to start a series called 100 Things You Should Know about People. As in: 100 things you should know if you are going to design an effective and persuasive website, web application or software application. Or maybe just 100 things that everyone should know about humans!

The order that I'll present these 100 things is going to be pretty random. So the fact that this first one is first doesn't mean that's it's the most important.. just that it came to mind first.

I hope you enjoy this series. Make sure to let me know by posting comments.

So here's #1 -- Inattention Blindness

First let's start with a little test for you to take. Watch the video below:




This is an example of what is called "inattention blindness" or "change blindness". The idea is that people often miss large changes in their visual field. This has been shown in many experiments. Here is a description of an experiment that was recently conducted:



So what does this mean if you are designing a website or something on a computer screen? It means that you can't assume that just because something is on the screen means that people see it. This is especially true when you refresh a screen and make one change on it. People may not realize they are even looking at a different screen. Remember, just because something happens in the visual field doesn't mean that people are consciously aware of it.

Watch Out For Spending More Because of Habit

When I go to fill up on gas I always use the middle grade of gas... (this is the principle of contrast, by the way... when faced with choices of varying prices many people will pick the price that is one down from the most expensive... but that is a sidebar... it's not even what this blog post is about!). And the middle grade of gas is supposed to be in the middle, right?

I don't know if I'm getting paranoid these days or if this is a random occurence, or if some companies are actually trying to get me to spend more money, but here's what I've been noticing: Instead of having the middle price in the middle... the HIGHEST price is actually in the middle! By habit I put the nozzle in the tank and always push the middle button... And I am therefore, unwittingly, choosing the most expensive gas.

Here are some examples:

And as we all know, once a habit is formed, it's hard to break.

Anyone else been noticing this type of "switch" at gasoline pumps or in other ways?

Case Study: Applying Neuro Web Design to a web site for "Creative Wealth Building"

Nick Pfennigwerth took his old site:

and applied some of the principles in my book Neuro Web Design: What makes them click? Here is what Nick wrote to me:

"What I found most interesting and what I applied the most was activating the old brain. If you go to, www.creative-wealthbuilding.com/what-are-smart-goals.html , I used your methods for activating the old brain by telling a dangerous story with a picture of danger in the first couple of paragraphs. Then, I used other photos such as the beautiful woman holding money and the creative art of the human mind.

I also tried to activate the mid brain and new brain by making time sensitive offers and "limited time only". Under the picture of the man mountain climbing, you can see a yellow box with a "jump link" to the bottom of my page. My most wanted response for that page is for my reader to sign-up for my wealth builders club. So, I used your techniques of limited offers, exclusive, and instant."

The major changes I made:
New color format. I decided to use a blue format to create more of a trusting look and feel
Pictures. I use pictures that have some sex appeal, food, and danger.
I tell more stories. I use story-telling to create images and get people engaged.
I use limited time, exclusive, and time sensitive appeal.
I create solid and practical value.

After reading your book and implemented your ideas, I've received extremely positive reviews that I've helped others increase their lives and that my website is fun."

Here is one of his re-designed pages:

You can see Nick's site at: http://www.creative-wealthbuilding.com/what-are-smart-goals.html. 

Thanks Nick for sending me your case study!

If you have read the book and applied some of the principles, send me your case study with before and after pages links or screenshots and a list of the changes you made.

Case Study: The Psych Files applies Neuro Web Design

A few months ago I did an interview for Michael Britt's podcast called The Psych Files. Michael has a loyal following (there have been 10,000 downloads of this particular podcast). Michael was "taken" with my book and decided to apply some of the things he learned to make changes in his own website. 

Here's part of his original website:

Michael wrote me an email that said:

Changes based on the recommendations in your book:

1) Added in user feedback (chapter 2: social validation)

2) added in data (Chapter 2: Added data: number of views on YouTube, Google search result info)

3) Reciprocity (chapter 3: "The Psych Files podcast offers.....completely free audio and web resources.")

4) Emphasized scarcity (chapter 4: "The is the ONLY place on the web where you'll find this"...)

5) Drew on the idea of fear of loss (chapter 9: "Don't be worried about getting a low grade...")

6) Added in a success stories (chapter 10: "I went back to school after 15 years, and my daughter.....")

I also did these things:

1) Made it more clear what problem the user had that my product would solve (instead of emphasizing how great I thought the product was)

2) Created visuals that are a) amusing, b) reinforce what the product will do for the potential buyer.

3) Bolded the important words

4) Decreased the amount of text overall

And here's the "after" web page:

You can see the web site at: http://www.thepsychfiles.com/brain-mnemonics-for-sale/.


Thanks Michael for sending me your case study!

Chase Makes A Miracle Happen Part II

In my last post I talked about the chase blueprint site (http://www.chaseblueprint.com/#/home) and asked readers to write in with their ideas about why this website is so persuasive. Here's a summary of what you wrote in:

-- The use of the word You frequently (activiates old brain)

-- Using attractive people who are "like me" (principles of attractiveness and similarity)

-- Use of stories

-- Use of animation to grab attention

-- Use of trigger words such as "free"

Here's what I think Chase could be doing to be even more persuasive and engaging:

-- The stories are good, but with the use of stories there is a lot of use of "I" rather than "you". So Chase should consider interspersing the "I" with more "you".

-- Tell me how many people have signed up for blueprint. (Social Validation principle).

-- For even more social validation, have more people telling stories rather than just the one couple.

-- Using close-ups would be better at least some of the time, so that we can see the person's face more clearly and closely.

Thanks to everyone who wrote comments and sent in emails!