Activate visitors to take action using design - #MondayMotivation 6

Activation is a psychology term and means, quite simply, the decision to initiate a new behaviour, such as clicking on a link on your site. Activation is one of the three critical components of motivation – the other two being persistence and confidence.

Activation in terms of successful website design translates into Action i.e. the visitor to your website does something, and if you have done your work properly it will be something that you want them to do.

Action is the net outcome of a good motivation process and so you need to build motivation throughout your website – at every stage and on every page. And, as covered in an earlier piece in this series, each page must be tuned to particular types of visitors so that the language and structure can best fit those individuals.

You want to create a desire for your solution/product/knowledge that is compelling and constructed in a way that the visitor feels that they want it now. Delay is costing them money – either by a change in price or by inference that everyone else is already enjoying the benefits and he or she is somehow left behind. This is not manipulation – they already want what you have or they would not be on the page after all – this is purely motivating them to act now!

Colours, styles, positioning of messages all play a huge part in this so you need to work with a partner that understands motivation and how to sell to people online.

Actions and outcomes, after all, are the only real measure you have that your website is working so you need to work hard to motivate your visitors to take that action.

What will you do this Monday morning to help your visitors take action on your website? Why not call me to talk through your ideas – advice is free!

Chic McSherry