Uncertainty
Uncertainty is a situation when your customer has incomplete or missing information. A situation when their questions, concerns and fears aren’t answered, so there is hesitation to act.
Motivation
Ability
Prompt
Description:
Uncertainty is like the feeling where you'd rather stick with what you know than try something new, even if it might be better.
It's like when you're afraid of the unknown, even more than you're excited about the possibilities.
This makes you make choices where you cling to the familiar, even if sometimes it means missing out on opportunities for growth or change.
But what is most important, uncertainty stops people from taking any action! This is why we can't ignore this principle.
Principles
- Customer needs answers to all the questions before purchasing
- Before you start thinking of ways to motivate your users, understand their main uncertainties
- Address your users’ uncertainties at the right time
- Make sure your customers understand what you want them to do
How to apply?
- Address every uncertainty in copy to increase clarity
- Break down tasks into multiple steps to simplify processes
- Display progress bars and loaders for seamless user experience
- Show estimated times for tasks
- Use color changes to highlight new states
- Utilize trust symbols throughout the purchasing process, especially at checkout
- Simplify complex information by user-friendly visuals
- Display payment deadlines and details
- Always guide customers through the new experiences
- Communicate commitment (ex. card will be charged)
- Adopt simple fonts for ease of understanding
- Communicate what will happen after taking action
Examples:
Uber
Netflix
Duolingo
Google Maps
Uber
Netflix
Duolingo
Google Maps
Kayak
Fitbit
Dropbox
Amazon
Mint
AI GPT Prompt
About
Experiment with this prompt to get ideas on how to use Uncertainty for engagement and retention in your product.
Technique
Chain-Of-Thought
AI Type
LLM
Prompt
Given a [product type] with features such as [specific feature 1], [specific feature 2], and [specific feature 3] designed for [target audience], what are the most common uncertainties users might experience? Please suggest detailed strategies to address these uncertainties to improve user engagement and retention. Focus on strategies that leverage the product's unique features and consider the target audience's needs.