brain

10 facts about the

website
to help you create a better
Is your website the hard-working
sales funnel
Is your website the hard-working sales funnel
you youintended
intended itit
to to
be? be?

We reveal 10 facts about the human brain that

could transform how you create your next website
or design project.
Is your website the hard-working
sales funnel
Is your website the hard-working sales funnel
you youintended
intended itit
to to
be? be?

We reveal 10 facts about the human brain that

could transform how you create your next website
or design project.
 The human brain is built in such a way that with just a
few key psychological learnings you can predict user
behaviour with enough accuracy to create a website
that will help aid enquiries, subscriptions and sales.
 1.
OUR BRAIN HAS A
LEFT SIDE AND A RIGHT SIDE.
 L

1.
OUR BRAIN HAS A
LEFT SIDE AND A RIGHT SIDE.
 L R

1.
OUR BRAIN HAS A
LEFT SIDE AND A RIGHT SIDE.
 L

The analytical left

side of the brain
learns most
effectively through
words and
algorithms...
 R

...while the right side

of the brain relies on
visual cues and
emotions.
H O W T O A P P LY I T ?

Use visual elements in the

form of photographs, videos,
diagrams and written
descriptions to appeal to
both sides of the brain.
 2.
COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS.
Gathering and analysing data to make a
decision is tiring, so the brain only sees
it as a worthwhile task if the benefit
is worth the energy expenditure.
 R E WA R D

Gathering and analysing data to make a

decision is tiring, so the brain only sees
it as a worthwhile task if the benefit
is worth the energy expenditure.
 H O W T O A P P LY I T ?

Make your user experience intuitive and avoid

complex chunks of information, so you can keep brains engaged
and keep users on your site.
 3.
WE DEPEND ON MENTAL MODELS.
 Just as we expect a light to turn on when we push a
switch downwards, we have come to expect websites to
function in a certain way.
 Just as we expect a light to turn on when we push a
switch downwards, we have come to expect websites to
function in a certain way.

The brain seeks out those common mental models.

H O W T O A P P LY I T ?

intuition

Follow your own

intuitive behaviour
on other sites and
never reinvent the
wheel (or should
we say the scroll).
 4.
INSTINCTS RULE.
We are still ruled by the most basic part of our
brain the basal ganglia where quick,
instinctive decisions are made and survival
behaviours are controlled.
We are still ruled by the most basic part of our
brain the basal ganglia where quick,
instinctive decisions are made and survival
behaviours are controlled.
 H O W T O A P P LY I T ?

The
five second test
helps designers
determine their
websites success by
testing what users
remember about a
website or internal
pages in just five
seconds.
http://fivesecondtest.com/
 5.
EMOTIONS CREATE MEMORIES.
 If an experience is
extremely positive or extremely negative
it is more likely to be remembered by the user.
 If an experience is
extremely positive or extremely negative
it is more likely to be remembered by the user.
 H O W T O A P P LY I T ?

Use an uplifting video, include some fun gamification elements

or offer exceptional customer service to create a positive and
memorable emotional experience.
 6.
HICKS LAW.

http://www.jedbrubaker.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Day7-HicksLaw.pdf
We all claim to want
more choice, but Hicks
Law proves that
eventually the energy
required to make a
decision with multiple
options is deemed
unworthy of the pay-off.
 H O W T O A P P LY I T ?

Remove unnecessary or irrelevant options,

especially in the checkout and subscription areas
of your website.

Black Red

Suede Canvas

S M L
 7.
THERE ARE SIX KEY PRINCIPLES
OF SOCIAL INFLUENCE.
Businesses can use the six key principles of social influence
to steer website visitors in the right direction.
r e c i p r o c at i o n authority commitment
(and consistency)

scarcity liking social proof

 H O W T O A P P LY I T ?

Offer website visitors something in exchange for their

email addresses to touch on reciprocation.

Analyse social proof in the form of Facebook 'likes'.

Demonstrate scarcity by showing when something is

nearly sold out.
 8.
THE BRAIN WILL DISREGARD
UNNECESSARY INFORMATION.
Our brains are hardwired to proactively ignore
anything irrelevant to what we are seeking or need to know.
Our brains are hardwired to proactively ignore
anything irrelevant to what we are seeking or need to know.
 H O W T O A P P LY I T ?

Clearly label important elements on your

website and avoid clutter.
 9.
FACIAL RECOGNITION.
Humans have evolved with a subconscious
ability to read facial expressions and
designers can use this to set a particular
mood and tone for users.
Humans have evolved with a subconscious
ability to read facial expressions and
designers can use this to set a particular
mood and tone for users.
 H O W T O A P P LY I T ?

Use authentic photographs (not stock images)

or videos of expressive individuals to set a
mood and encourage an emotional response.
 10.
GESTALT PRINCIPLES.
At a basic level, Gestalt Principles refers to theories describing
how people organise visual elements into groups or unified
wholes when certain principles are applied.
When your first impression of a website design is positive,
its likely because Gestalt Principles are involved.
H O W T O A P P LY I T ?

The Gestalt Principles are:

similarity when objects look similar.

continuation when the eye is compelled to

move from one object to another.

proximity when items are placed together so

they appear as a group.

closure when an object is incomplete but

enough shape is indicated so it makes sense.

figure and ground a silhouette or shape is

naturally perceived as a figure or object, while
the surrounding area is perceived as ground
or background.
 H O W T O A P P LY I T ?

By paying attention to how Gestalt Principles work together

you can see how elements should be grouped together on a
page and which elements should share similar characteristics.

Review your website to test whether it makes sense as a whole

or to see if you need to apply these principles to various
elements so they work better together.
Contact your local Snap Centre for more
information on how we can help you
create a website
that appeals to the human brain.