Great Options: How to create a no-brainer

I just read something in Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely that blows me away. The Economist offered 3 options on their website for subscriptions:

1. Economist.com subscription - $59 for online access
2. Print subscription - $125 for printed issues
3. Print & Web subscription - $125 for both print and online editions

Wait a minute. Logically, this makes no sense. From a potential subscribers point of view, it's a no-brainer to choose option #3. Which is precisely what the magazine wants you to do.

This is really good marketing. It seems as consumers, we don't really understand the value of something unless it's relative to something else. When you can see options in context, it's easier to make a decision.

"In the case of the Economist, the decision between the Internet-only and print-only options would take a bit of thinking. Thinking is difficult and sometimes unpleasant. So the Economist's marketers offered us a no-brainer: relative to the print-only option, the print and Internet options looks clearly superior."

How can you apply this to your content writing? Well, if you're writing to get people to take some sort of action, give them options. Then make one option vastly superior.

I immediately thought about how I can apply this tactic to my own newsletter services business. I don't offer print subscriptions anymore, but I do offer long and short versions of articles.

Here's what I'm thinking for subscriptions to Coaching Matters newsletter services:

1. 12 articles, condensed version (1000 words) - $450
2. 12 articles full version (2000 words)             - $600
3. 12 articles both long and short versions       - $600

You can get the short version, or the long version, or both at no extra cost. See how this works to put the value into context?

Comments

[Scott Sanders]

Have you actually done this, I would be curious to know how your conversion changed.

[Patsi Krakoff aka The Blog Squad]

Scott, yesterday I made some changes to my article subscriptions options. I talked it over with someone who suggested it might look a little like an obvious marketing ploy. So I added a page to explain the choices to help people decide.

I don't know if this will work. In the past I've had people ask about which option is best, so I put down what would help them to decide.

Take a look and tell me what you think:
http://www.contentforcoachesandconsultants.com/article-subscriptions/
I'm interested in your opinion.

[Lynn Jordan--Author's Tools Blog]

Patsi, I had always heard to give readers a single choice in a call to action.

However, your advice is great! Options with a no-brainer choice is genius.

[Scott Sanders]

I know that giving too many options to a potential customer can be disastrous because they find it difficult to make a choice. But, the way you have done it as a "no brainer" kind of makes the choice for them.

You could just as easily give two choices, Long & Long and Short but it will be interesting to see what kind of conversion you get from doing it this way. Track it for us, I'd be interested in the results.

I did notice something else, and while it does open in another window, you never want to take the potential customer away from their decision and to another page because they may not come back. You can get the same effect with a popup, maybe using Java Script or you can put the pricing in the new window as well so that they can buy from there without having to close out that window and going back to other. I have found that the more clicking that needs to be done from the time they make the decision to buy and the time they make the payment the lower your conversion will be.

P.S. There is some awesome info on your site, thank you!!

[Meryl K. Evans]

It's the same story -- doing people a favor, giving them an obvious choice, or a too obvious marketing ploy. Every person who sees these options will respond differently -- in one of three ways. All you can do is test and see what works best.