by: Riki Trafford
Prove It! The Power of Demonstration
My big dog isn't particular about what he eats. As result, he acquired the nickname "Canine Vacuum".
Is he going to turn his nose up at a hot dog if I already have a juicy steak set before him?
Not really. However, he will grab the steak bone first and take it where no one will bother him while he revels in its flavor.
Yes, even a hungry dog displays preference and exhibits choice.
Inside online marketing, this method is called demonstration and has a psychological influence that affects visitors. This method asks for involvement on the part of the visitor and moves the visitor to make a favorable decision.
Demonstration is a very powerful tool often found in live presentations and media such as television and promotional literature. Demonstration asks the audience member to move toward one direction or another rather than standing by passively. During this tactic, the audience's decision will be strengthened and your product or service will be seen in a more favorable light.
A website demonstration goes beyond making a point in writing. Online, you can go beyond listing pros and cons and move into demonstrations that show proof. For instance, in writing, you can tell why a dog chooses one food over another and online, you can ask the visitor to guess which food the dog will pick and then visually demonstrate the answer.
You don't need a flashy media player to use demonstration in your site. All that demonstration usually requires is two simple pictures, along with a question or statement that poses a dilemma or situation that the reader is asked to solve or to side with. When the visitor clicks on a picture, the he or she is engaged in the demonstration. For instance, a website that sells dog bones could ask the visitor to select which bone is best for your pup - a chicken bone or the website's product. If the visitor clicks on the chicken bone, the website can offer information about the dangers of giving dogs brittle bones instead of safe dog bones (i.e. the website's products). If the visitor clicks on the website's dog bone, then the website can talk about the benefits of the product and reinforce the visitor's decision. Either way, visitors feel informed and moved to purchase a safe dog bone.
Involvement is the main key behind demonstration. Even abstract services can be reinforced with demonstration. Once you find the drama or benefit of a service, you can demonstrate it in a concrete way. Many abstract services become concrete when you represent them with a "prop". A prop involves the senses - touching, feeling, experiencing, and tasting. For example, how would you prop the abstract service "accounting"? While many in the industry may understand the complex explanation of accounting, many visitors have a hard time grasping or comprehending how this works. A demonstration takes the concept and puts it in a perspective that's easier for the visitor to appreciate. Many visitors understand accounting has a lot to do with numbers and savings. So, upon showing the visitor two pictures, a plush second-home or working a second job, and asking the visitor to select how they expect spending their early retirement years, the visitor is asked to move in a desirable direction.
You don't have to reinvent the wheel or be a creative genius to incorporate demonstration into your website. Even though a visitor is more selective and smarter than my canine vacuum, the power of demonstration involves little more than making the visitor feel happy and not apprehensive about making a decision.