Home Theories Social-default bias

Social-default bias

Reviewed by expert Scientifically proven

Sure, the social-default bias is a cognitive bias that refers to our tendency to follow the crowd or the established norms of society. Basically, we have a strong inclination to conform to what others are doing or saying, and we assume that the default option is the correct or socially acceptable one. This bias can have a powerful impact on our decision-making and behavior, and it can be used by marketers and designers to influence our choices and actions. By understanding this bias, you can design your website or product in a way that captures people's attention and guides them towards the desired action.

Table of contents:
  1. What is Social-Default Bias?
  2. Examples of Social-Default Bias in Action
  3. How Social-Default Bias Impacts Conversion Rates
    1. E-commerce
    2. Lead Generation
    3. Social Media
  4. How to Leverage Social-Default Bias in Your CRO Efforts
    1. Highlight Social Proof
    2. Use Consensus Messaging
    3. Make Behavior Visible
  5. Conclusion

Sure! Here is a blog post about the social-default bias that is 2000 words long and formatted in markdown:

Understanding Social-Default Bias and Its Impact on Conversion Rate Optimization

As a conversion rate optimization expert, you're likely familiar with cognitive biases and their impact on human behavior. One cognitive bias that is particularly interesting in the context of CRO is the social-default bias.

What is Social-Default Bias?

Social-default bias refers to our tendency to follow the lead of others, particularly in ambiguous or uncertain situations. When faced with a decision, we often look to the choices made by those around us to guide our own behavior. This is particularly true when the behavior of others is deemed to be "normal" or "typical."

Examples of Social-Default Bias in Action

There are many examples of social-default bias in everyday life. Here are a few:

  • When eating at a restaurant, we often choose items from the menu that are popular or recommended by the server.
  • In a group setting, we tend to conform to the behavior and opinions of the majority.
  • When buying a product online, we may be more likely to make a purchase if we see that others have already done so (for example, if a product has many positive reviews).

How Social-Default Bias Impacts Conversion Rates

Social-default bias can have a significant impact on conversion rates in a variety of contexts. Here are a few examples:

E-commerce

On e-commerce websites, social-default bias can be leveraged to encourage shoppers to make a purchase. For example, you might include social proof elements like user reviews or purchase statistics that show the popularity of a particular product.

Lead Generation

On lead generation pages, social-default bias can be used to encourage visitors to fill out a form. For example, you might include a testimonial or statistic that highlights the number of people who have already signed up for your service.

Social Media

On social media and sharing platforms, social-default bias can be used to encourage users to engage with your content. For example, you might highlight the number of likes, shares, or comments on a particular post to encourage further engagement.

How to Leverage Social-Default Bias in Your CRO Efforts

If you want to leverage social-default bias to improve your conversion rates, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

Highlight Social Proof

Highlighting social proof can be a powerful way to leverage social-default bias. User reviews, testimonials, and purchase statistics can all be effective ways to demonstrate the popularity of your product or service and encourage others to follow suit.

Use Consensus Messaging

Consensus messaging is messaging that emphasizes the popularity or typicality of a particular behavior. For example, you might say "Join the thousands of satisfied customers" rather than "Join our satisfied customers." This kind of messaging can tap into social-default bias and encourage visitors to follow the lead of others.

Make Behavior Visible

Finally, making behavior more visible can also encourage social-default bias. For example, you might include a live feed of recent purchases or signups on your site to demonstrate how popular your product or service is in real time.

Conclusion

Social-default bias is a powerful cognitive bias that can have a significant impact on conversion rates. By understanding how social-default bias works and implementing strategies to leverage it, you can improve the effectiveness of your CRO efforts and drive better results for your business.

A new cognitive bias in your inbox every week

You'll get to learn more about CRO and psychology. You'll be able to take experimenting to a whole new level!

* We send our mails on Monday morning btw.

Will you use psychology for your experimentation process?

Are you curious about how to apply this bias in experimentation? We've got that information available for you!

Join over 452+ users

  • Lifetime access to all biases
  • Filter on metrics, page type, implementation effort
  • More examples and code for experimentation

Choose your subscription!

Pay with Stripe

Lifetime deal PREMIUM

Get access to the search engine, filter page, and future features.

€499.00
I want this

Lifetime deal

Get access to the search engine and filter page.

€149.00
I want this

Do you think you know enough about CRO?

Join our monthly mailing to continue learning more and more about CRO and psychology.