We have all at one moment been duped and fallen victim to impulse buying in a physical store or when shopping online. While marketing tactics aren’t illegal or unethical, they have recently gone to the next level, making buyers spend an extra dime on products and services.
Leveraging marketing psychology, sellers tweak their price tags or make seemingly ridiculous offers that get you in the door and shopping. Here are some common yet powerful marketing tricks sellers use to get you shopping.
Psychological Pricing with the “9”
Yes, we all know this old trick where products are priced at 99, 999, 9,999, etc. We know it is some kind of trick, but we still fall for it. The saying that “first impressions matter” comes into play when you stumble across one of these price tags.
You’ll probably pick the item on the shelf and add it to your cart, saying to yourself, “At least it’s not 1,000”, if it’s priced at 999.
The whole point of such a pricing technique is to lure you into buying something by tricking your brain into thinking it’s a deal; one less number to scare you off! It might not be the best, but you might buy it anyway.
Take All These for Just X Dollars
The “buy one, get one free” sale sign seems to have evolved into a more popular trick that wants you to leave the store with extra products and less money in your bank account or wallet. Think about a sale sign posted near a supermarket exit where the seller advertises 6 items for $6.
Upon seeing this while you are about to leave, you might be tempted to check these “1 product at $1”, scratch that, “6 products at $6,” and chances are you’ll buy them. You spent more money! They won!
Up to X% Off Sales
At one point, we have all gone online and seen some eye-catching deals. These exceptional offers are typically available during major sale events such as Black Friday, festive season promotions, and other noteworthy occasions.
One thing that usually gets people’s attention is buying something at half its price. However, there is more than meets the eye; usually, what you see is not what you get. A big, bold sign at the front of a store shouting “50% Off!” will motivate someone to enter and start shopping.
However, looking closely at the sign, you’ll notice the less visible words reading “up to,” which you probably won’t see from a distance. An up to 50% off simply means that the item’s discount may start at 1% off to 50%. You walk into the store; they win.
No Deposit Bonuses
Regarding marketing, online traders, betting companies, and online casinos haven’t been left out. Opening an online account for trading or betting has been easier than ever. Depositing a certain amount in your account to start using it is now a thing of the past.
Nowadays, your account is credited with a certain amount of money, usually as a welcome bonus once you sign up. You don’t even have to deposit your own money to be able to use the bonus given. The whole point of this marketing gimmick is to welcome and retain you in the long run once you start depositing and using your own money.
While some people will use up their bonus and leave, a lot more will be exposed to something they have never tried before and will subsequently spend their own money to get that gambling high going again.
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“This Fee or Product Is Not Expensive at All” Trick
Marketers and product promoters not only play around with numbers to trick you into buying something. Remember the number 9 trick? Nowadays, words do the magic too. Who knew that simple adjectives like small, just, and only would make a huge difference in sales?
Well, the marketers knew this all along, and that’s why they usually come up with sales signs such as “a small $10 fee”, “just $20”, and “only 15$,” just to mention a few. This marketing tactic, also called “price framing,” works wonders.
Many who aren’t alert have parted ways with their money at the stores after falling prey to the simple yet powerful and persuasive words.
Free Trial Offerings and Bundling
Who doesn’t love a little something for nothing? Freemium models, where you get a taste of the good stuff before dipping your toe in the paid pool, are all the rage in software and app vendors. A simple example of a freemium offering is the Driver Booster application which allows you to update some of your PC’s drivers for free.
However, you must subscribe to the premium version at a certain fee to update more drivers and utilize all its features. In the case of Driver Booster, the vendor can offer the whole package containing applications such as malware remover, system cleaner, and more at a discounted price.
This practice is known as price bundling. Companies know that people might be convinced to get the whole package at a discounted price rather than buying each package separately to save in the long run.
