How to improve product conversion rate?

When we start promoting a product, we must first consider the conversion rate of the product. If the conversion rate of a product is poor, you will encounter many problems during the promotion process.

1. Introduction

Here is a function interface for audio live broadcast. Currently, new users leave the application without using any functions, resulting in a low function conversion rate. Therefore, the company leaders ask you to analyze the current product problems and optimize the functions to improve the function conversion rate. If you are the product manager, how would you consider improving the functions?

2. Analyze user behavior to understand the reasons for low function conversion rate

A low conversion rate means that users leave your app before using your features. This not only fails to truly verify the value of the features, but also makes it difficult to retain users. So why do users say no to a feature?

Let's recall some scenes from our daily lives. Have you ever stood in front of a glass door and tried to push it, only to find that it was an automatic door? Have you ever stood in front of a glass door and expected it to open automatically, but you had to press the door opening button next to it?

Why is it that even though it is a glass door, we cannot correctly sense whether to push it with hands, wait for it to open automatically, or press the door opening button next to it?

That's because we can't clearly perceive the function of "opening the glass door", and we don't know whether it has the function of "push" or "press" or "walk in and wait".

The glass door of our company is an automatic door, but you need to press the door opening button next to it to open it (to prevent other people from entering the company). At the beginning, I will stand in front of the door and wait for it to open.

But once I got feedback and knew how to open the door, I would press the door opening button before leaving every time. This was the process of "understanding the function"; at the same time, in the process of using this automatic door, I corrected my understanding of automatic doors - the company's automatic doors require pressing the door opening button before they can be opened.

Finally, every time I clicked the button, the automatic door opened. This is also the performance model behind “Use Function – Door”.

Therefore, we can conclude that user behavior involves three links: perceiving functions, understanding functions, and using functions. The first two links determine whether users will use the functions. Therefore, studying the principles of each link can optimize product functions in a targeted manner. The process of user behavior conversion is shown in the figure:

1. Step 1: Unable to perceive, resulting in user loss

Perception function refers to the process by which users can discover functions, and generally information is collected during the perception process through the characteristics of the functions. If users cannot perceive the function, they will not know that they have this ability at all, let alone make the judgment of "whether to use it". In this case, it is an empty state and users will be "passively" lost.

2. Step 2: Lack of understanding leads to user loss

Understanding a function refers to the stage in which users interpret the function after seeing it. Explain what the current function is and how to use it.

For example: when you see a WeChat red envelope, you know it is a red envelope, and you can receive it by clicking "Open". This is the process of understanding the function: understanding what the function is and how to use it through perceived information (functional elements: copywriting, design style, interaction rules).

If users cannot understand, it means that they do not know what the current function is and how to use it. Then users will not be able to define and use the function. If they do not understand, they will actively lose users due to misunderstanding.

3. Step 3: No demand and interest, leading to user loss

After the two stages of user perception and understanding of the function, if the user understands the function, he/she will enter the process of determining whether there is a need for the function. In this process, the user will determine whether the function is useful to him/her; if not, he/she will enter the interest judgment process.

Therefore, if the current functions are useless to users and fail to attract their interest, users will actively leave. However, if the current function has no demand from users but attracts their interest, the purpose of function conversion can also be achieved.

For example: It’s the same red envelope function. Even if the user understands the function and knows it’s a red envelope. In the demand judgment process, if the red envelope appears in a large group, users will also judge that the "red envelope" is useless, because the amount of the red envelope in an ordinary large group is too small to attract users to use it.

Then it will enter the interest judgment stage, and judge whether it meets the user's interests based on the notes or premise background of the current red envelope. For example, if the current red envelope is a lottery red envelope, the user who grabs it first can get a surprise gift for free, which attracts the user's interest and can also achieve the purpose of the user using the red envelope.

To summarize:

The generation of user behavior involves three links: perception, understanding, and use. The premise of using a function is the user's perception, understanding, interest, and demand for the function, which all have a hierarchical relationship.

Therefore, we can conclude that the reasons for the low user conversion rate are: the inability to perceive the function at the perception layer; the inability to correctly understand at the understanding layer; and the lack of demand and interest at the usage layer.

3. Ways to improve conversion rate

Since it is difficult to force user needs at the demand level, in this article's thinking on improving conversion rates, we can think about how to improve functional conversion rates from improving perception, strengthening understanding, and arousing interest. The specific discussion involves the following steps as shown in the figure:

1. Improve perception

In product design, product managers often need to define functions and function display information elements. Therefore, improving perception usually involves the selection of display information and the design of display style after the function is defined, that is, the process of improving the discoverability of functions.

First of all, regarding the selection of information to be displayed, we can abide by the principle of "information serves the function, and unnecessary information should be rejected", think about the purpose and goal of each information provided, and avoid redundant information.

Redundant information can also render the information invalid. Due to the excessive amount of information, users will not be able to perceive the most core information and will not know what core functions are currently available.

Second, regarding style design, we need to reasonably define the priority of functional information elements, and then layout and design the elements based on the priority, highlighting the core elements and weakening the supplementary information.

For example, in the common first-time use of an application, by comparing the login and registration button and the skip button on the login and registration page, we can analyze that the login and registration button is enhanced in perception by being placed in the center and filled with color; at the same time, the "skip" button is weakened in perception by using a gray font color, inducing users to complete the login operation as much as possible.

2. Strengthen your understanding

Regarding understanding, understanding comes from existing cognition and our mental models. We collect functional information in the process of perceiving functions and use mental models to process information in the process of understanding functions.

When we see an object, we seek relevant information in our minds to make associations and obtain a definition of the object. Just as when we see red we associate it with warnings and danger, this is our mental model of color.

Therefore, in the process of product design, utilizing the user's existing knowledge can enhance the user's understanding of the product and enable them to enter the stage of judging functional needs.

So what are mental models?

Let's take a look at the power switch in the picture below and think about how to turn the switch on and off. I guess your answer is that up is to turn on the switch and down is to turn off the switch. Why can we all agree that up is to turn on and down is to turn off?

——This is because we have a common understanding of the function of the switch.

There are clear and standardized design requirements for the design of electric switches, which are generally opened from top and closed from bottom. Because if the switch is old and falls off, it will also cause harm. If it is closed from top and opened from bottom, it is easy to cause accidents.

Therefore, a more difficult operation should be used to power on (turn on the switch), and an easier operation should be used to power off (turn off the switch). Our understanding of power switches is also based on the experience of daily life and is continuously strengthened through practice.

From this we know that mental models are an internal mechanism for processing the external world. They are the assumptions, images, and stories deeply rooted in our minds about ourselves, others, organizations, and every aspect of the world around us. It has three levels: perception level, cognitive level and rational level.

The perception layer in the mental model is a more basic concept than the functional perception layer mentioned above. The perception layer here refers to the process of converting physical signals into biological signals, such as converting wavelengths and vibrations into vision and hearing.

The cognitive layer transforms biological signals into thinking elements, establishes concepts through categorization, and maps concepts with text symbols. For example, I map the physical concept of 577~492 wavelengths into a certain feeling, and this feeling corresponds to the symbol "green".

Therefore, the cognitive layer is often emotional, based on experience and intuition, commonly known as the "fast system", while the rational layer is responsible for logical reasoning. It is rational, logical and critical, commonly known as the "slow system". This is the operating mechanism of our mental model.

Therefore, if we want to enhance understanding, we should use the existing mental model and the user's existing psychological cognition to reduce the cost of user understanding of the function and avoid user loss due to lack of understanding and inability to use.

In daily functional design, the most common thing is to design functions based on the user's perception of color, such as the button design of Mac and so on.

The reason why people have associations with colors and have related cognition is that in the process of human growth, they will give relevant meanings to different natural objects based on the colors of things around them. When the sun shines on our skin and the orange flames jump, we will feel warm.

We feel cool when standing by the blue sea, the blue sky and the snow-white mountains. Over time, experience forms a conditioned reflex, making vision the forerunner of touch.

When we see red, orange, and yellow, we feel warmth, and when we see blue and purple, we feel cold, thus forming an association of warm and cold colors.

For example, orange is associated with abundance and happiness due to the ripe and abundant fruits in nature, so it often represents positive, optimistic, cheerful and lively items; while red is associated with blood, red crosses, the exterior walls of palaces and temples, etc., making people think of exorcism, vitality, justice and other influences.

At the same time, people’s mental models usually have a conservative period, a novelty-seeking period, and a stable period. So when we need to use mental models to strengthen users’ understanding of functions, we must also consider the current product’s development stage in the user’s mind.

For example: when the popular iPhone 4 smartphone was launched, the physical buttons were removed compared to the old keyboard phones. Taking into account the user acceptance and learning cost (cognitive comprehension ability), the early iPhone system application icons all used skeuomorphic icons. Users gradually transitioned from the conservative period of keyboard phones to the innovation period and began to come into contact with smartphones.

After smartphones have been on the market for a while, iPhone icons are designed to be flat, and users have transitioned from the novelty-seeking period to the stable period.

Therefore, in product design, we can design product functions based on the cognitive model of the current functions in the user's mind and the stage of function development.

Through the research and development stage, the content format and expression form are optimized, and the content is presented in a form that users can best understand, thereby enhancing user understanding. Select the most appropriate and understandable functions for the existing business by studying the mental model.

3. Arouse interest

After we determine the perceptual factors, product functions and morphological effects, the core of the final link is to arouse user interest. The interest dimension can be advanced in order from the surface to the inner layer.

Surface interests tend to be those generated by visual impulses, such as interest in color and interest in motion effects; while inner interests require analysis of users' interests, such as beauty, cute pets, food, etc., as well as public psychology analysis, using common public psychology to increase users' interest in functions.

For example: herd mentality, scarcity psychology, authority psychology, taking advantage of others, comparison psychology, etc. The common live streaming sales strategy of "limited to 1,000 pieces" takes advantage of the user's scarcity psychology.

Attract users by providing emotional design style, interesting interactions and exposing the value of user interests.

For example, by taking advantage of the psychology of obsessive-compulsive disorder, a red dot mark is provided in the upper right corner of unread messages, guiding users to remove the red dot while achieving the purpose of viewing the message function, as well as inducement button copywriting such as "Receive red envelope immediately".

But we need to note that after users use a function, the process begins with collecting feedback on the function and its use, which will affect whether users will correct or strengthen their understanding of the function.

How do you understand it?

When toothpaste was first invented, it did not provide a mint experience. Although it cleans teeth after brushing, users could not perceive whether it really worked because their perception of "cleaning" was that it would "bring a cool mint" experience. Therefore, toothpaste did not sell well at the beginning.

This is precisely because of the mismatch between the user's experience after using toothpaste (i.e. the performance model of toothpaste) and the user's expectation of the toothpaste's "cleaning ability". Because the toothpaste fails to meet user expectations, users are unable to perceive the "cleaning" attribute of the product.

Subsequently, mint was added to the toothpaste to meet users’ expectations for the cleaning function of toothpaste, so that the performance model of the toothpaste after use met the user’s mental model, and eventually the market was opened up to become people’s daily teeth cleaner.

The final design of the toothpaste not only ensures the usage function but also provides the expected functional effect, so that the functional performance model is consistent with the user's mental model, forming positive feedback and further improving the product usage rate.

4. How to improve when facing low product conversion rate

We combine the method we just analyzed and optimize the previous examples according to the three-step method of improving perception, strengthening understanding, and arousing interest.

1. Improve perception

In the current product, improving perception means introducing a play button and sound ripples to let users perceive the "play and listen" function and guide users to use it correctly.

2. Strengthen your understanding

The valid information currently read by the product includes: type, cover, nickname, title. You will find that these expression elements are also applicable to content product forms such as videos and articles, which means that you cannot accurately understand the product functions and services.

Therefore, we need to first clarify the type of product: audio live broadcast. Our core goal is: how to make users understand that the product is audio live broadcast.

At this time, the first thing introduced in the optimization plan was the card flow layout optimization. The homepage was designed to have a card effect of a small live broadcast room. At the same time, audio was played directly after entering the homepage, which simply and crudely reflected the atmosphere of the live broadcast room.

Reduce users' understanding and screening costs, allowing them to screen and listen at the same time. Make users more aware of the functions of the current product and make abstract behaviors concrete.

3. Arouse interest

To arouse interest, we usually use the user's psychology to mobilize emotions or interests, analyze the interests of different users, and the factors they focus on in the product: they may be interested in a "lively" live broadcast room; they may be interested in the "appearance" of the anchor, etc.

Based on this, we can add functions such as "number of listeners in the current live broadcast room", "anchor avatar" or "live broadcast room comments", and we can also add buttons with action calls to stimulate users.

The above is the full content of this article. I hope you will gain something from reading it.

Author: VegaJian

Source: VegaJian