The ConversionXL Institute conducted an eye-tracking study to uncover the most effective way to present a “recommended” pricing plan to potential customers. The goal was to determine how different pricing layouts and highlighting strategies influence customer decisions.
The study evaluated pricing plans with three tiers, ranging from $0 to $85 per month (“recommended”) to $166 per month. The researchers tested various ways to present and highlight the “recommended” plan to see which approach encouraged the highest number of people to select it.
Here’s what they discovered:
The Test Variants
The researchers experimented with four different arrangements of pricing plans:
- Least to Most Expensive (Unhighlighted):
In this setup, the pricing plans were ordered from cheapest to most expensive, with no special highlighting for the $85/month “recommended” plan.- Result: 16.92% of people selected the $85/month plan.
- Least to Most Expensive (With Highlight):
Here, the pricing plans were also ordered from cheapest to most expensive, but the $85/month “recommended” plan was highlighted to draw attention.- Result: 19.91% of people selected the $85/month plan.
- Most to Least Expensive (Unhighlighted):
In this variation, the pricing plans were listed in reverse order, starting with the most expensive and ending with the cheapest, without any highlighting.- Result: 23.04% of people selected the $85/month plan.
- Most to Least Expensive (With Highlight):
Finally, the pricing plans were listed from most expensive to least expensive, and the $85/month “recommended” plan was highlighted.- Result: 31.99% of people selected the $85/month plan.
The Winning Strategy
The results were clear: ordering pricing plans from most expensive to least expensive and highlighting the recommended plan significantly outperformed all other arrangements. This approach resulted in 31.99% of users choosing the $85/month plan, which is an 89% increase in conversions compared to the least-to-most-expensive unhighlighted layout.
Key Takeaways
- Pricing Order Matters:
Listing pricing plans from most expensive to least expensive sets a psychological anchor, making the mid-tier “recommended” plan appear more attractive by comparison. - Highlighting Works:
Drawing attention to the recommended plan with visual cues (e.g., bold text, color, or labels) helps guide customers toward making the desired choice. - Leverage Cognitive Bias:
This strategy works because it leverages the anchoring effect, a cognitive bias where people rely heavily on the first piece of information presented (in this case, the most expensive plan) to evaluate subsequent options.
How to Apply These Insights
If your pricing plans are currently listed from least expensive to most expensive without any highlighting, consider switching to the most expensive-to-least expensive order and clearly highlighting your recommended plan. This small adjustment can significantly influence customer behavior and increase conversions.
By understanding how pricing presentation affects decision-making, you can optimize your pricing page to align with customer psychology and maximize results.
Source: Speero