4 tips to improve product conversion rate

You may have heard that FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) is harmful to consumers, and there are even studies to prove it.

What would you get if you removed the “fear of missing out” from “fear of missing out” and applied this staple of marketing strategy to website and app design?

It’s possible, and this article will describe four ways you can use fear of missing out more carefully and ethically when designing digital experiences.

Consumers are motivated by needs and wants. Sometimes, just sometimes, they are driven by the fear of missing out. Yes, we can now add “Fear of Missing Out” to the list of levers that keep consumers coming to our websites and apps.

That being said, when we take a closer look at what FOMO actually means and the negative impact it can have on consumers, do we really want to encourage FOMO when designing user experiences? My answer is:

Yes, but you have to use FOMO responsibly.

Fear of missing out is a very effective marketing and sales strategy tool. However, as a web designer, you need to find ethical ways to appeal to your users’ fear of missing out. Today I’m going to show you some examples of doing just that.

A more ethical way to design with FOMO

FOMO stands for “fear of missing out,” and while it may look like a harmless acronym like YOLO (You Only Look Once) or LMAO (Laughing My Ass Off), it’s not a very cute way to express yourself.

The fear part of FOMO is very real.

A 2013 study titled “Motivational, Affective, and Behavioral Correlates of Fear of Missing Out” defined FOMO as:

FOMO is a pervasive phobia that manifests itself as the fear of missing out on some good experience that others have that you do not, and is therefore characterized by a desire to stay constantly connected to what others are doing.

One of the report’s conclusions was that “Fear of missing out is associated with lower need satisfaction, mood, and life satisfaction.”

It’s not just scientists who have noticed the negative effects of FOMO in marketing, social media or elsewhere. The Competition and Markets Authority has launched an investigation into hotel booking websites for using misleading marketing messages of urgency and deceptive discounts to increase sales.

Even without penalties from an authority, you still do need to consider how your website and mobile app keep your users happy. It might be good to create a little jealousy for your users, but once the general sentiment stirs up envy, disappointment, or stress, it’s time to reevaluate what you do and why.

Let’s look at some ways you can take advantage of this fundamental concept of missing out and remove the fear factor.

A quick note: All of the examples below are from mobile apps, however, you can also use these design principles on websites and PWAs (applets).

1. Gently remind visitors that remaining stock is limited

There’s nothing wrong with showing your users what’s available or when it’s available. It only becomes a problem if you express this sense of urgency or limitations that lead to stressful decision making.

This is something I talked about in my recent article, “How to Stop Analysis Paralysis with Web Design” (https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2019/11/stop-analysis-paralysis-design/).

Basically, when you put pressure on your visitors or consumers, it makes the decision-making process more difficult and can lead to regretful purchases or not making a purchase at all. In a previous article, we focused on the downsides of giving customers too many choices.

However, the same reactions (i.e., dissatisfaction and overwhelm) are likely to occur when you put pressure on them to make a choice right away.

So, instead of displaying a large timer counting down the time left for items in your cart, or a red banner that says “24-hour sale!”, use gentler reminders around your site or app.

Best Buy has a dedicated section on its product pages to show in-store and online stock availability:

Best Buy lets customers know when a product is out of stock both in stores and online. (Source: Best Buy)

If the product only has one color or capacity SKU, I recommend removing the online inventory number as well. If you can’t provide a date when the product will be available again, or put customers on a waitlist, don’t play them off with an “out of stock listing.”

That is, the product will have multiple attributes (SKUs), which can make the "sold out" information very valuable.

Paul Messinger, a business professor and researcher at the University of Alberta, commented on this phenomenon:

Sold-out products can create a sense of immediacy for customers; they feel that if one item is gone, the next one is likely to be too. Our research shows that people infer through an information connection that if a product is sold out, it must be good, and therefore expect similar items that are on sale to be good as well.

The benefit of displaying sold-out products is also that it reduces the number of choices the consumer has to make. Of course, some people might be unhappy that they can't get a silver iPhone, but as Messinger said, the limitation might encourage them to try another product.

One of my favorite examples of gently enticing consumers to use or buy is Hulu:

Hulu’s app has an entire section dedicated to content that’s “expiring soon.” (Source: Hulu)

There is an entire section in the app just to let users know what content is about to expire.

For those of you who watch online media like a madman (like me), you'll find it easy to forget about the shows and movies you've added to your list. When you also know that there are dozens of options on the list, it becomes clear how difficult it is to find the perfect thing to watch, especially when you use multiple streaming platforms.

So the "Expirations" tab is brilliant. Every time I see this interface I think, “This will be gone soon,” which is incredibly motivating. Plus, it makes the to-see list a lot shorter, helping me make a decision faster.

Of course, this is also useful for e-commerce sites. If you have a product that is out of stock, give them a dedicated section to look at, like a list of specials that aren’t actually discounted.

If your website has many offers, you can use a similar approach. Create an “Offers” or “Rewards” page and split out a separate tab to show users all offers that are about to expire.

1. Tips for discount information

When selling products online (whether it’s a subscription widget library or an e-commerce platform), don’t forget to ask users to register. Of course, this is a great option for users who want to conveniently save their account details so that they don't have to enter them every time they make a new purchase. Another reason to encourage users to register is:

This will allow users to notice the available offers.

Fear of missing out isn’t always about missing out on what others are doing, sometimes it’s just about missing out on a great deal. Offering an enticing offer (like “75% off everything in the store!”) is one way to do this, but again, you have to be aware that this only stirs up issues around the paradox of choice.

A softer, but still effective way to compel users to buy sooner rather than later is to show off their reward total or expiration date. Another more gentle but still effective approach is to display their bonus total or expiration date to encourage users to purchase early.

One of my favorite things about shopping with Gap as a customer is that whether in store, on the app, on the website, or in emails, I get reminders like:

Gap will remind logged-in users of available offers. (Source: Gap)

"Redeem Super Cash" is the first reminder after logging in. Even if I’m only in the app for browsing, this reward reminder (and the upcoming expiration reminder) almost always motivates me to buy something so I don’t lose my membership privileges.

Unlike sales banners that promote general offers, this approach is very effective because it attracts loyal customers, those who already have an account and a history of purchases.

And if you’re worried that such a large banner will take up too much space in your app or mobile site, think twice:

Gap uses a pulsating blue tip in the upper left corner to remind users of unused offers. (Source: Gap)

Gap will not continue to display the offer reminder.

See the icon with a circle in the upper left corner? The circle will dance. The idea is to remind customers before checkout that the offers might disappear if they don't use them.

Hotels.com uses an entire page to display rewards:

Hotels.com users can earn free hotel night rewards on the Rewards tab. (Source: Hotels.com)

This is similar to prompting people to log on to social media just to check what is going on and make sure they haven’t missed anything. This “Offers” column should also send a similar message: “Hmm…I wonder how close I am to a free night award?”

Although it's not visible here, Hotels.com has a policy regarding how long customers can stay before these earned nights are claimed. (It’s just below this area on the graph.) By gently reminding users of this rule, members can be encouraged to book more trips so they can enjoy the free nights.

1. Encourage sharing with friends and family

As with any marketing, one of the problems with integrating FOMO into your website is that it comes from you. Before you earn the trust of your visitors and users, how are they supposed to believe that a product labeled as a “best seller” is actually genuine? Social proof is supposed to help alleviate such concerns, but even this can be faked.

You know what I think is a more effective way to approach FOMO? Let your customers do it for you.

Here’s how Airbnb does it:

Airbnb rewards users for inviting friends. (Source: Airbnb)

The “Invite a Friend” feature encourages users to let their friends, family, and coworkers know how great their Airbnb experience is.

Hey, I just booked this awesome apartment in Montreal for Christmas. You must come and see it! Oh yeah, and you can also get $40 off your first pre-order!

Even the headline on the landing page encourages them to share their experience. Do this not just for the free travel points (although that’s a nice incentive, too):

Airbnb encourages users to share their love of travel by rewarding users and their referrals with travel points. (Source: Airbnb)

Imagine that friend who is busy with his business and desperately needs a vacation. They will have received an invitation from you, and it’s from someone they know and trust. Of course, their response will be, “I’d do that, too!” And with a discount code, people will have a strong incentive to go into the app and make a purchase.

You’ll find another great example of user-generated FOMO on the 23andMe website:

23andMe's homepage invites users to "Share Your Ancestry." (Source: 23andme)

For anyone who hasn't signed up for a genetic testing service, this is really cool. You submit a saliva sample, and they tell you your ancestral background (and how it affects your health). But it's not just "your maternal family is from Türkiye." It tells you where specifically in the world your ancestors came from.

Notice in the screenshot above where it says “Share Your Ancestors”? Here, users can find automatically generated social posts that are designed to be share-worthy (they look like Facebook and Instagram Story cards):

23andMe automatically generates social cards that users can share. (Source: 23andme)

This is the ancestry information analyzed for me by 23andMe. So, let’s say I want to make a joke on Twitter about how boringly anti-nomadic my ancestors were. I can modify the banner or share it directly. Guess what? This is free advertising for 23andMe, even if I choose not to put their logo at the bottom of the page.

When these posts hit social media, the fear of missing out starts to rear its head for those who know the user or only follow them online. "Oh! I want one too! Where did you find it?"

By doing this kind of FOMO marketing on your website or app, you can stop relying on heavily discounted sales and other urgency-inducing tactics (which will cost you more in the long run). On the contrary, this will generate greater interest among users.

1. Use more real-life photos and designs

You’ve no doubt heard of some of the shady promotional tactics used to increase sales through influencers.

One of the most famous examples is the Fyre Festival, which caused a stir on social media thanks to a promotional video featuring Caribbean celebrities and supermodels. The people behind this failed festival don't care about the experience. They only focus on external image promotion. Consumers believed it, but when they actually got there, they found out it was a complete lie.

There are also some people who do not have much influence, but make money by developing members and downlines. But, as Jordan Bunker told The Guardian:

Instagram is not reality. People think I have a great life and it's all a gift from God. I actually live with my parents and work at a desk in my room, and don't really have my own workspace or office.

This is not the only deception. Influencers often make their lavish lifestyles look easily attainable. However, the reality is that many of them have to work hard every day to make a good living, hoping to take the perfect photo that will make consumers want to pay attention to them, or buy the products they are promoting.

Lucie Greene, an analyst specializing in consumer behavior, noted:

From the FOMO to compulsive and addictive consumption to feelings of isolation, we are becoming more aware of how social media use and influencer culture can impact mental health.

Of course, the messages that influencers send to their followers are inherently problematic. But images have similar problems. So when you design your website and integrate photos from client or stock photography sites, think about what message you are communicating.

For example, Sephora promotes its products through photos of the actual products. You may see one or two models at the top of the homepage. In most cases, though, the focus is on the product itself.

That is, cosmetics and other beauty products can be used to convey a specific image and lifestyle, one that consumers desperately desire. So, did Sephora miss an opportunity to create the “Sephora Lifestyle” by not using models for the shoot?

Sephora inspires the right FOMO through real photos of its users. (Source: Sephora)

Unlike many other retailers, Sephora doesn't share photos of its models living out their lives in faraway, exotic locales. You can actually see photos of its makeup and products in its "inspirational" community.

So instead of having customers struggle with a certain kind of life obsession, with the idea that they might unconsciously associate themselves with the red lipstick they think about picking up, it gives real customers the opportunity to paint a more realistic portrait of its products.

Unlike many other retailers, Sephora doesn’t share photos of models wearing its products while living it up in faraway exotic locales. The only time you actually see photos of its makeup and products is here, in its "Inspiration" community.

Therefore, instead of trying to get customers to associate the lipstick in their hands with a certain lifestyle, it is better to let real customers use the product to better dress up their image.

A wall of product photos on the Sephora Inspire page. (Source: Sephora)

As consumers tire of artificial photos, you’ll find it hard to make them feel like they’re missing out. But by giving customers a real sense of what the product can do (and this applies to any kind of product, physical or digital), you can start to see consumers respond to the feeling of missing out.

Before I wrap up this article, I want to point out that this doesn’t just apply to companies that sell common consumer products.

For example, Inner Circle is an exclusive dating app. In order to join the program, users must first be pre-screened and approved.

Now, you might think that a luxury brand like this might want to use influencer-like photos to show users what they are missing out on by not being a consumer of the brand. But in reality it won’t.

Inner Circle is a high-end dating app that doesn’t focus on the luxurious aspects of dating. (Source: Inner Circle)

In the first example of the app’s sign-up page, you can see that the focus is on finding a popular place to hang out and meet other people. The black and white filter does give it a more stylish feel, but there's nothing particularly standout about the people in the photo.

The same is true for this photo:

Inner Circle will present dates in positive and natural colors. (Source: Inner Circle)

This is how most people date: in the park. The people in the photos are not dressed up or wearing high-end luxury designer clothes.

These photos feel very real. They let users know that, eventually, they will also use this app to connect with people in their lives. There is no exclusive difference.

If a high-end brand like The Inner Circle can deliver this kind of message to users through photos, then any brand should be able to do the same and be successful. Whether it’s a photo of someone cooking with your product or a realistic picture of the inside of a dashboard on your SaaS, show it with authenticity.

If you want your prospects to feel like they’re missing out on something valuable, be genuine with them.

Conclusion

Sooner or later, deceptive FOMO tactics will bite you when customers start to realize they were misled by fake numbers, exaggerated scenarios or seemingly time-sensitive or exclusive offers.

Remember: websites and apps should not only attract and convert customers. They also need to help your customers retain their business and loyalty over the long term. By communicating a message of accountability, you can help them achieve this goal.

By Suzanne Scacca

Source: Overseas Design Reference