The Paradox of Choice is an excellent book by Berry Schwartz , an American psychologist and professor of social theories, which demonstrates how the excessive availability of choice typical of modern society generates in us increasing expectations, more stress, anxiety and dissatisfaction.
Below I have summarized for you the most interesting theories from the text published by Harper (original title “ The paradox of choice – Why more is less ” ), some of which are also valid for Web Marketing :
paradox
1) Too much abundance consumes your time.
A common feature of wealthy societies is free access to any type of information anywhere and anytime, an advantage that has numerous side effects, including the opportunity to choose every minute of our lives. Man is not a rational being, so even if this enormous availability of choice may seem to make us happier, in reality it seems to consume more time and cause more stress. For this reason, the opportunity costs and the probability of making a mistake are greater, and the possibility of regretting how we conducted our choice is also greater.
Schwartz gives an example in the book: Store A sells only 6 types of chocolate; store B instead offers about 30 varieties of chocolate. According to some studies, people will be led to buy more in store A because too many options in store B create a high level of stress that slows down sales.
2) Perfectionist or Practical?
Schwartz in his theory divides people into 2 macro types: perfectionist or practical. The perfectionist always seeks the best anyway and everywhere. During the purchasing process , the perfectionist spends a lot of time evaluating all the opportunities trying to minimize the risks, probably remaining dissatisfied with the choice.
The practical person does not worry canada telegram phone number list the possibility that there is something better, he knows that always having the best is asking too much, he evaluates whether it is appropriate to re-discuss choices already made or make new choices. He limits the field to a maximum of 3 variants, giving himself a time within which he must make a decision. This approach generates less stress, less regret and greater satisfaction.
3) Help the user to choose and have no regrets .
If in your e-commerce you offer 3 variants of the same service all equally good and convenient, you will generate a conflict in the buyer. The user in this case could decide not to decide, consequently decreasing the conversion rate of the site, or he will feel a sense of regret for the decision chosen in view of other options.
Even social comparison, or the tendency to evaluate our well-being by comparing ourselves to individuals we consider similar to us, is a behavior to be avoided in favor of more satisfying results.
In a world where there is always someone who has more than us, too much social comparison can only generate extra regrets, stress, dissatisfaction, and the inability to enjoy what we have.
In short, don't look too much at the neighbor's grass, focus more on the color of the grass in your garden... and it will seem more beautiful as if by magic.
If you are interested in the topic and want to learn more I also recommend: The loss of happiness in market democracies by Lane, Robert E.
