With all the marketing tools available to businesses, it’s easy to overlook one essential factor: emotional connection. We all remember things that make us feel happy or secure, so it’s no surprise that emotions play a role in customer purchasing decisions. User validation using a user testing method provides valuable insights into customer emotions in the customer’s everyday environment. Emotional Engagement Affects Purchasing Decisions Data shows that emotional engagement drives a potential customer’s purchasing decisions. A Harvard Business Review report states that an emotion-based customer experience strategy improves financial outcomes for a business. For example, the report noted that the strategy resulted in a 15 percent increase in active customers and a more than 50 percent increase in store growth for a major clothing retailer. According to a study by the Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology at the University of Glasgow, people have four basic emotions: happy, sad, fear/surprise and disgust/anger. Customers will remember and recognize your brand based on the way it makes them feel. The key task is to discover the emotional motivators for your target audience, and then develop a marketing strategy with a focus on emotional connections. Emotional Motivators Researchers at the Harvard Business Review discovered that emotional motivators significantly affect customer behavior. Some of these motivators include: Stand out from the crowd Feel a sense of freedom Feel a sense of thrill Feel a sense of belonging Feel secure So how do you know what emotional motivators apply to your potential customers? First, you must find the type of customer emotions that apply to your audience and find a way to connect with those emotions. For example, a rideshare company fills the need to feel safe while riding in a car. The emotional motivator in this case would be security. To connect with this motivator, the company designs a safety-first app that includes video surveillance and a panic button. Research How Users Make Decisions There is no substitute for research when it comes to developing emotional connections with your brand. A variety of tools are available to help you discover emotional motivators for your audience. A/B testing — multiple versions of the same webpage are shown to different user groups to determine impact Content testing — tests the effectiveness of keywords, tone, images, call-to-actions and other content variables Message testing — analyzes the impact of various types of marketing messages User testing — analyzes user behavior, and identifies problems and possible improvements Analytics — collects, measures and analyzes website data such as page views and clickthrough rates Focus panel — measures users’ feelings and perceptions about a product or service User Testing in a Natural Environment Now imagine being able to test emotional connections in a user’s natural environment. Validating your audience is very important in a relaxed environment, the user answers questions to give insight into subconscious buying decisions. You can use any user testing platform to learn about the emotions and buying behaviors of your target audience. This is also very important to note that It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it: Writing copy that speaks volumes Content is king. Optimized web copy captures attention, engages users, tells your brand’s story, and crucially drives conversions. But before you hit publish, you must invest in testing your website text. Why? Because you are not your target audience. What resonates with you may not resonate with your customers. The only way to ensure your messaging hits the mark and your web copy speaks volumes is to secure real-life feedback. In this article, we’ll explore the elements of optimized web content before diving into the importance of testing your site’s text with real users. It’s more accessible than you might think. The core elements of optimized web copy Optimized copy attracts, engages, and inspires your website visitors. It shapes first impressions, showcases your values, and triggers action. It positions your brand as an industry and thought leader, building your credibility and trustworthiness. So what does excellent copy look like? It’s user-centric. Your customer is the hero, and your copy should demonstrate how you can resolve their pain points. It connects on an emotional level. Human beings tend to buy on emotion and justify with logic, so if your copy can tap into your readers’ feelings, you can boost your conversion rate. It’s scannable. Don’t bury your solution, expertise, or offer in a wall of text. Instead, put key points front and center, leveraging headings and graphics to draw attention to the information that matters most. Its voice is consistent. You don’t want a website that reads as if 10 different people wrote it (even if they did!). Keeping your brand’s voice consistent adds authenticity and authority. It features clear and compelling calls to action. If you want a reader to pick up the phone and call you, prompt them. If you want a visitor to check out your latest promotion, point them in the right direction. It minimizes friction and fosters a positive user experience. Your copy should meet your web visitor’s expectations by delivering the information they are looking for. The best way to test whether your copy masters the above vital elements? Get feedback from real-life users. Get feedback on web copy An expert copywriter can follow content creation best practices and facilitate what, in theory, should be an optimal user experience. However, the only way you can guarantee the effectiveness of your website copy is to test it. Analyzing website text and messaging via user feedback and data gives you and your team robust quantitative and qualitative insights about the efficacy of your content. A/B testing and analytics provide information about your visitor’s on-site behavior, and user testing sheds light on why an audience member felt compelled to click, learn more, add to basket, or exit your website. Don’t leave your web copy conversion rates to chance Don’t guess. Leverage audience validation method for quick and reliable content testing solution to  see exactly where your text can be refined to boost conversions.

The is an opinion piece based on the author’s POV and does not necessarily reflect the views of HackerNoon.

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The Role of Emotion in Purchasing Decisions and The Power of Persuasive Copywriting

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