Shoppers make plenty of decisions and evaluations before they decide whether or not to buy a product – even if they don’t realize it. There are many different factors about your brand, its website and its offerings that can influence those who are on the fence about making a purchase. Because of this, it’s important to know which elements can be manipulated to further improve the chances of making the sell. Which subconscious impacts on online sales are easily tweaked and can provide you with plenty of benefit? We’ll discuss a few of them below so that you can use these ideas to your advantage.

The Concept of “Free”

People love free stuff. Even when something truly isn’t free, the allure of it can be enough to convince somebody to make a purchase. The best brands know that free promotions can be a boon for business, convincing a variety of people who are otherwise on the fence to take the plunge. We’re not necessarily talking about giving the store away for free, but a great promotion advertising free shipping for a limited time or a BOGO offer can be a huge boost for online brands that are struggling to convince unsure shoppers. By pinging URLs via advertisements and social media that advertise these offerings, you can generate a near immediate impact on your bottom line.

Use Scarcity

One of the key psychological principles behind impulsive purchases is the belief that the item may not be available for much longer. If you can create a climate of scarcity – in the form of an ad campaign that makes note of a limited supply or time-frame – then you can often increase the number of people who will make the purchase. When items are in danger of being sold out, more people are willing to make the commitment, rather than bookmarking the product page and checking back later. By using the notion of scarcity to your advantage, you’ll be able to shake loose a few of those shoppers who are on the fence about buying your products.

Focus on Trustworthiness

In as many ways as possible, you want your shoppers to feel welcome and at home. You also want them to feel as if they can trust you. If you’re a newer business and/or this is their first time with you, this is especially important. A variety of trust-building elements can be included, such as reviews and testimonials for each product. Depending on your particular business or niche, you may be able to provide product-by-product testimonials or can have reviews of your overall service visible. Whatever the mould, building that trust is a key psychological component that drastically influences whether or not people will buy from you.

These subconscious impacts on spending decisions may not seem like big deals individually, but when combined, they can dramatically impact your sales. By focusing on trustworthiness, using the concept of scarcity and pinging URLs that promote free offers when possible, you can gently nudge a lean-no customer to a lean-yes, sealing the deal in many cases where you would have lost business otherwise.