brain 10 facts about the
to help you create a better website

Is your website the hard-working
sales funnel you intended it to be? We reveal 10 facts about the human brain that could transform how you create your next website or design project. Is your website the hard-working sales funnel you intended it to be? We reveal 10 facts about the human brain that could transform how you create your next website or design project. Is your website the hard-working sales funnel you intended it to be?

Is your website the hard-working
sales funnel you intended it to be? We reveal 10 facts about the human brain that could transform how you create your next website or design project. Is your website the hard-working sales funnel you intended it to be? We reveal 10 facts about the human brain that could transform how you create your next website or design project. Is your website the hard-working sales funnel you intended it to be?

The human brain is built
in such a way that with just a few key psychological learnings you can predict user behaviour with enough accuracy to create a website that will help aid enquiries, subscriptions and sales.

1. OUR BRAIN HAS A
LEFT SIDE AND A RIGHT SIDE.

L 1. OUR BRAIN HAS
A LEFT SIDE AND A RIGHT SIDE.

L R 1. OUR BRAIN
HAS A LEFT SIDE AND A RIGHT SIDE.

L The analytical left side
of the brain learns most effectively through words and algorithms...

R ...while the right side
of the brain relies on visual cues and emotions.

H OW TO A P
P LY I T ? Use visual elements in the form of photographs, videos, diagrams and written descriptions to appeal to both sides of the brain.

2.
COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS.

Gathering and analysing data to
make a decision is tiring, so the brain only sees it as a worthwhile task if the benefit is worth the energy expenditure.

R E WA R D
Gathering and analysing data to make a decision is tiring, so the brain only sees it as a worthwhile task if the benefit is worth the energy expenditure.

H OW TO A P
P LY I T ? Make your user experience intuitive and avoid complex chunks of information, so you can keep brains engaged and keep users on your site.

3. WE DEPEND ON MENTAL
MODELS.

Just as we expect a
light to turn on when we push a switch downwards, we have come to expect websites to function in a certain way.

Just as we expect a
light to turn on when we push a switch downwards, we have come to expect websites to function in a certain way. The brain seeks out those common mental models.

i n t u i
t i o n Follow your own intuitive behaviour on other sites and never reinvent the wheel (or should we say ‘the scroll’). H OW TO A P P LY I T ?

4.
INSTINCTS RULE.

We are still ruled by
the most basic part of our brain – the basal ganglia – where quick, instinctive decisions are made and survival behaviours are controlled.

We are still ruled by
the most basic part of our brain – the basal ganglia – where quick, instinctive decisions are made and survival behaviours are controlled.

The ‘five second test’ helps
designers determine their website’s success by testing what users remember about a website or internal pages in just five seconds. H OW TO A P P LY I T ? http://fivesecondtest.com/

5.
EMOTIONS CREATE MEMORIES.

If an experience is extremely
positive or extremely negative it is more likely to be remembered by the user.

If an experience is extremely
positive or extremely negative it is more likely to be remembered by the user.

Use an uplifting video, include
some fun gamification elements or offer exceptional customer service to create a positive and memorable emotional experience. H OW TO A P P LY I T ?

6.
HICK’S LAW.
http://www.jedbrubaker.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Day7-HicksLaw.pdf

We all claim to want
more choice, but Hick’s Law proves that eventually the energy required to make a decision with multiple options is deemed unworthy of the pay-off.

Remove unnecessary or irrelevant options,
especially in the checkout and subscription areas of your website. H OW TO A P P LY I T ? Black Red Suede Canvas S LM

7. THERE ARE SIX KEY
PRINCIPLES OF SOCIAL INFLUENCE.

Businesses can use the six
key principles of social influence to steer website visitors in the right direction.

c o m m i
t m e n t (and consistency) ? s o c i a l p r o o f r e c i p r o c at i o n s c a r c i t y a u t h o r i t y l i k i n g

Offer website visitors something in
exchange for their email addresses to touch on reciprocation. Analyse social proof in the form of Facebook 'likes'. Demonstrate scarcity by showing when something is nearly sold out. H OW TO A P P LY I T ?

8. THE BRAIN WILL DISREGARD
UNNECESSARY INFORMATION.

Our brains are hardwired to
proactively ignore anything irrelevant to what we are seeking or need to know.

Our brains are hardwired to
proactively ignore anything irrelevant to what we are seeking or need to know.

Clearly label important elements on
your website and avoid clutter. H OW TO A P P LY I T ?

9.
FACIAL RECOGNITION.

Humans have evolved with a
subconscious ability to read facial expressions and designers can use this to set a particular mood and tone for users.

Humans have evolved with a
subconscious ability to read facial expressions and designers can use this to set a particular mood and tone for users.

Use authentic photographs (not stock
images) or videos of expressive individuals to set a mood and encourage an emotional response. H OW TO A P P LY I T ?

10.
GESTALT PRINCIPLES.

At a basic level, Gestalt
Principles refers to theories describing how people organise visual elements into groups or unified wholes when certain principles are applied.

When your first impression of
a website design is positive, it’s likely because Gestalt Principles are involved.

The Gestalt Principles are: similarity
when objects look similar. continuation when the eye is compelled to move from one object to another. proximity when items are placed together so they appear as a group. closure when an object is incomplete but enough shape is indicated so it makes sense. figure and ground a silhouette or shape is naturally perceived as a figure or object, while the surrounding area is perceived as ground or background. The Gestalt Principles are: similarity when objects look similar. continuation when the eye is compelled to move from one object to another. proximity when items are placed together so they appear as a group. closure when an object is incomplete but enough shape is indicated so it makes sense. figure and ground a silhouette or shape is naturally perceived as a figure or object, while the surrounding area is perceived as ground or background. H OW TO A P P LY I T ?

By paying attention to how
Gestalt Principles work together you can see how elements should be grouped together on a page and which elements should share similar characteristics. Review your website to test whether it makes sense as a whole or to see if you need to apply these principles to various elements so they work better together. H OW TO A P P LY I T ?

Contact your local Snap Centre
for more information on how we can help you create a website that appeals to the human brain.