Online persuasion techniques for your website

There are 4 components to persuasion that you can inject into your own online lead generation system. They are...

Consistency of action
Proof from one's peer group
Liking (friendship)
Short supply

Consistency of action

Ask a person to do something for you, and they or may not say 'yes'. Ask a person to do a thing they've already agreed to do, and there's a very good chance they'll do it.

In other words, we like to honour our commitments.

You can take advantage of this natural trait in your Internet marketing promotions. For example...

Jane wants to get people to sign her petition to promote healthy eating. Rather than ask for signatures immediately, she firsts asks these questions...

Do you feel good health is important?
Is good food is a key ingredient to good health?

Most people are going to answer 'yes' to questions like these. And anyone who does, is far more likely to say 'yes' when asked to sign Jane's petition.

Proof from authority

Human beings take short cuts whenever possible. One short cut is to take cues from authoritative sources. If a scientist says brand X is healthier than brand Y, we tend to believe it.

Even the industrial juggernaut that has become the alternative medicine industry will happily fall back on science, should properly conducted double-blind studies happen to support their product or service.

Proof from one's peer group

One's peer group is another short cut we're all prepared to take. If Joe and Gennie are good friends, and we like to think we're like them, we're much more likely to buy something they endorse.

The most obvious way to inject peer-group proof into your lead generation activity, is through testimonials. Another common method is celebrity endorsement.

Liking (friendship)

You're more likely to say 'yes' to something, when you like the person doing the asking. This is a big challenge for online lead generators, because it's not immediately obvious how you make friends via the web.

You can use online business networking sites such as LinkedIn to build relationships. Another method is provide help to others through Internet forums that specialise in your area of expertise.

When it comes to your website, the traditional methods such as building a newsletter subscriber list are pointless (in my opinion). Email is essentially useless as a marketing tool.

ASureImage has developed a new way to quickly establish trust, and have a person ready to talk to you about your product or service within minutes of arriving at your site. This new way of converting visitors into leads is exclusive to ASureImage, and very powerful.

Short supply

Want to buy something, but can't find it for love nor money? It's frustrating, isn't it?

When something is in short supply, we desire it more. This natural human tendency is very useful to lead generators. First, sell your prospect on the idea of owning the product. As soon as they indicate they want it, restrict its availability.

Yes, it's cruel. And yes, it works.