A wide choice makes us happier, but the more options, the more difficult it is to choose. Emily Friedlander in a column for Business Insider tells about the paradox of choice and why it is so painful for consumers.
“The paradox of choice”: why an endless assortment makes shopping difficult
Author: Elena Likhanova
According to Accenture researchover the past 3 months, 74% of shoppers added an item to their cart at least once in an online store, but never bought anything because they felt: “they are inundated with content, the choice puts too much pressure on them, and the amount of effort required to accept decision is too disappointing.” Among those who were unable to make a purchase, 79% were looking for clothing, 72% for air tickets, and 70% for snacks.
Swarthmore College psychology professor Barry Schwartz calls this the “paradox of choice”: while more choice may initially make us happier, the more options there are, the harder it is for us to choose the best one.
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Schwartz’s book, published in 2006, was inspired by research at a grocery store that included a jam tasting. When customers were offered 6 samples, the buyer was 10 times more likely to purchase a jar than when they were offered 24 samples.
In theory, online shopping should make it easier to find the products you need. But at the same time, it complicates the choice by several orders of magnitude: we already receive hundreds and thousands of options, and each is accompanied by so much information that it is simply impossible to continue the search.
In addition, experts say, everything that seems to help you choose a product – from descriptions to search engines and filters on marketplaces – can even complicate the process.
The Internet has changed not only the way we buy, but also the number of options a retailer can offer. Whereas department stores were once limited by space, they can now fill a warehouse with thousands of products and deliver them straight to the customer’s door. Therefore, larger stores with a wider range of products began to dominate the retail trade.
“Amazon is delivering what we think of as the American dream—to have all the choice in the world. But the choices can be paralyzing, says Jessica Marsh, a psychology professor at Lehigh University.
Part of the problem, she says, has to do with how our brains make choices. Usually, shopping starts with reducing the number of options and eliminating options that are too expensive or not suitable. We then look for a reason to choose one of the remaining options.
“When we try to make a decision, we look for the reasons behind it,” she explains.
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This helps explain why ratings and reviews are so popular: when we compare two similar products, we need to find information that will help break the tie. Sometimes an extra star in a rating or a rave review is enough. The problem occurs when there is too much information. And sometimes making a decision only becomes more difficult.
If choice fatigue leads to shoppers abandoning their shopping carts, it could hit retailers.
How can a business solve the problem?
- Simplify your choice: Make your site clearer, reduce friction at the point of payment, and minimize unnecessary information.
- Offer personalized search results.
- Reduce the number of options – even if it seems that more is better.
- Make the choice for the buyer. For example, by inviting him to take a questionnaire or test, after which he will receive a recommendation.
Source: rb.ru
