When choice is demotivating

June 22, 2009 | Internet Marketing

For 10 years, Columbia professor Sheena Iyengar has been studying choice. Lessons learned: If you ask your customers if they want extensive choice, they will say they do - but they really don’t. What's more, customers given too many choices are 10x less likely to buy.

Online stores often offer too many choices on their front page. Lists of dozens of new arrivals, top sellers, sale items, and categories.

Artists showcasing their art (music, essays, photos) often present a giant list of everything they’ve done.

But all of us could come to these conclusions:

- Only present 3 to 6 choices at a time. (No less than 3. No more than 6.)
- Only show your deep selection when people are searching for something specific.

Get the full story at Derek Sivers

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