10 fundamental cognitive biases that affect your customers decisions

Social proof bias — people prefer to do what other people from their group already do. Double-down on testimonials and detailed case studies to relate with your customers and build trust

Narrow framing effect — we draw different conclusions from the same information, depending on how that information is presented. Test different pitches and landing pages on different group of people

Confirmation bias — people tend to search for the information that confirms their point of view. By making your content resonate with your customer you will build deeper connection

Anchoring effect — we often make decisions based on the irrelevant reference point or anchor. The first price that you hear affects your decision (eg. you compare expensive car vs "normal" car). Works both on numbers and features as an anchor

Effort justification / Ikea effect — people value things more if they put their time into it. That’s why people like the Ikea furniture

Hick’s law — the time to make decision increases logarithmically when options number increases. Make it simple for your customer to make decisions in your marketing and inside your digital product

Zeigarnik effect — we remember unfinished tasks better than finished. Add cliffhangers to your storytelling so your audience eagerly waits for the resolution. Gamify your product to make your customer feel the progress and look forward to the next chapter

Sunk cost effect — people tend to continue doing things because they already invested time in it even though it might make little sense. Introduce consistency features to build a habit (like x-day streaks in learning apps)

Hawthorne effect — people change their behaviour if they know they are being observed. Keep it in mind when you doing interviews and surveys

Recency effect — it’s easier to remember things that come last. People remember the end and the beginning of a story while things in the middle got forgotten. Put the most important information in the beginning and the end of your content. Keep it short

What effects do you see most often in your marketing and customer behaviour?

What common biases would you add?