7 Psychological Copywriting Tricks

for Increasing E-commerce Conversion

Psychology helps us understand human behavior. Moreover, it helps us modify our actions and words to cause certain reactions in people. This is exactly why a psychological approach can improve your copywriting.

By using psychology-based tricks in writing copy, you’ll rely on more than just the assumption that your content is compelling. You’ll be relying on facts.

Do you want to write a more persuasive copy? Do you want to use psychology to turn more visitors into customers? Then, you should consider a psychological perspective while writing your copy.

The following tips will turn any writer into a conversion-driving copywriter. Let’s learn how you can apply psychology in your writing to craft more enticing and effective copy.

#1 Draw People In With Stories

Stories exist from the beginning of time. They are used for entertainment, recording historical events, and nowadays, to increase sales.

Medium has summarized a major finding on stories. They shared that “Stories help us feel a greater sense of connection to one another. They can increase our empathy and often help reinforce our highest ideals, such as compassion and kindness.”

The brain releases the “bonding” hormone oxytocin as people connect with the story’s characters. According to Paul Zak of Claremont Graduate University, “the amount of oxytocin released by the brain can even predict whether people will be willing to donate money to a cause associated with a story.”

Simply put, stories trigger an emotional reaction in people. Driven by their emotions, website visitors are more likely to make an impulse purchase. Moreover, considering that stories lead to building connections, consumers will “bond” with your brand. Consequently, they’ll be more likely to make repetitive purchases.

Many brands use storytelling to win over new customers. Let’s take the example of Duxiana. Their product page for the Jetson Match chair isn’t focusing on the features. Duxiana’s strategy for selling this luxury piece of furniture is writing a copy that tells the story of its history and significance.

#2 Rely on Novelty

Human beings are attracted to novelty. It has been proven that the brain releases dopamine when exposed to something new or unfamiliar.

Using the word “new” in your copy can instantly increase consumers’ excitement.

Your potential customers’ brains will light up with the mention of something new. As people thrive towards staying up to date and evolving, embracing an opportunity to buy the newest model (for example) will be a go-to choice.

Just consider the following copy by Sierra Designs. Their landing page welcomes website visitors with novelty, that is, a new product. The word “new” is in all caps and a bigger font so that it instantly grabs the attention of consumers.

#3 Use the Power of Numbers

Numbers build a sense of certainty and credibility in people. Featuring numbers in your copy will show that you base your claims on facts.

An eye-tracking study found that “People associate numbers with facts, and that’s why they can add substance and credibility to your writing. Moreover, numbers attract attention because they’re differently shaped from letters. This is why they stand out in social media streams, in inboxes, and on web pages.”

Therefore, numerals can do two things for you: first, they grab readers’ attention, and then, they add credibility to that information.

Just consider the following variations of a headline:

• How I Increased My Website Conversions
• How I Increased My Websites Conversion Rate by 200%

As you can notice, the second headline seems more promising as it precisely states the result. Numbers aren’t vague or suggestive. They give consumers precise information. Thus, you’ll be able to earn consumers’ trust and successfully lead them toward making a purchase.

Innocent Drinks have mastered the use of numbers in their copy. The following product description proves it.

#4 Evoke Urgency

Probably the most famous psychological principle in triggering a compulsive and emotional reaction is building a sense of urgency. You mustn’t underestimate this persuasion method.

If you manage to convince consumers that they can regret not making the purchase, they’ll be ready for conversion. You can apply urgency in copywriting by tempting consumers to make an instant purchase with a “now or never” type of offer.

There are numerous ways in which you can evoke urgency in your web copy. Here are some of the most popular techniques:

• Setting up a product page with “Last Chance” items
• Sending notification on size scarcity
• Sharing information on stock scarcity
• Giving consumers a discounted price for a limited amount of time
• Creating limited-edition collection

Here’s how Mod Cloth evokes urgency with their “limited time warehouse sale” and their “last chance” offer.

#5 Rely on the Wisdom of the Crowd

Have you heard of the wisdom of the crowd? It is an idea that people trust collective beliefs more than they rely on an individual’s opinion.

To learn more about the wisdom of the crowd, you can watch Karl Mattingly’s (the founder of SlowXChange) informative TEDTalk.

You can easily apply the wisdom of the crowd in your copywriting. How? With the help of social proof.

Encourage your customers to adhere to the collective opinion of your brand with social proof.

The wisdom of the crowd isn’t just a myth. Research has proved it. Social Media Today reported that 93% of customers claim that online reviews affect their purchasing decisions.

If you want to cater to potential customers’ psychological triggers, include testimonials and reviews on your e-commerce page.

For example, Blue Spot Furniture shares customers’ reviews, the number of reviews they’ve gotten, and their average review score on their webshop. They provide the website visitors all information they could ask for in terms of reviews. Customers can just go through these reviews and start shopping.

Of course, you can wait until consumers surface the reviews on your products from other websites. But why wait? Streamline the sales channel by providing them access to reviews on your website.

#6 Provide Your Customers with a Community

People’s innate desire is to belong to a group. Providing people with a community leads to trust and a greater sense of belonging.

A psychologist and the author of The Emotionally Sensitive Person, Karyn Hall, explained that “sense of belonging is a human need, just like the need for food and shelter.” Therefore, if you manage to awaken that sense of belonging by creating a community for your consumers, you’ll be able to affect their decisions more successfully.

The goal is to transform your brand from an e-commerce store to a loving community that cares about its shoppers. If your consumers feel like they belong to your group, they’ll become your loyal customers.

Build a sense of unity by:

• Making a loyalty club
• Giving repetitive buyers “special discount for most loyal customers”
• Creating exclusive content for your subscribers
• Using words such as “we,” “our family,” “together,” and similar in your copy

For example, Evy’s Tree Insider rewards program is engaging and easy to use. Customers get to collect points but they are also gifted with points on their birthday on other special occasions. With simple tactics such as this one, Evy’s Tree builds a strong community.

Writing compelling copy that exudes care will further lead consumers towards conversion.

Another way to show your customers that you are “all in this together” is to ask for their opinion. Show that you value your thoughts. That they are an equally important part of your company, or shall we say the group. You can do that by creating surveys on your website or social media that ask for customers’ input on their product preferences.

#7 Rearrange Your Copy’s Sentences

Scientific discoveries have elaborately shared information on primacy and recency effect. However, for the purpose of this post, let’s simplify what science says.

Due to the primacy and recency effect, it is important that you include the most relevant information at the beginning and the end of your copy. The middle of the copy is the least impactful.

The following image by CopyHackers illustrates this point nicely.

This doesn’t mean that the middle of your copy is irrelevant. It simply suggests that you should start the copy with the most compelling information and it with a bang.

For example, power words and sensory words can be used to grab people’s attention in the beginning and leave a lasting impression in the end. Strategically form these sentences for maximum impact.

If you manage to hook people and then build up excitement with the ending, your website visitors will be on the right path towards becoming customers.

Baby Tula’s “Our Story” page perfectly exemplifies how to lead in with the copy and how to end it. The copy starts with a compelling sentence of how it all begun and it ends with a simple statement of their mission.

Final Thoughts

Use psychology to craft copy that will drive both first-time and repeated purchases. Take a more psychological approach to writing and create your copy with your audience in mind.

If you use the above-mentioned tricks wisely, you can increase your conversion in no time. Psychology-based copywriting can be an ace in your sleeve. Start writing high-converting copy that your audience won’t be able to resist.