When people experience an almost winning situation, they tend to keep playing
Description
When people are gambling they experience the Near-miss effect time and time again.
Scratch cards, slot machines, or even loot-boxes are designed the way to almost always give you hope for a winning streak. And eventually, let you win from time to time.
The near-miss effect activates the same reward systems in the brain as an actual win, that's why it's so addictive.
Research:
Nir Eyal argues that the near-miss effect causes addictive behavior within consumers online, especially in regards to social media. Every scroll in a news feed or check of the email can create the feeling of the desire for either an interesting post or message. When there is nothing there, instead of inhibiting the behavior, we consider it a “near miss” and hope the next scroll will yield results.
Application
Progress Bar and Gamification
Incorporate progress bars or gamification elements into your digital platforms, such as completing a survey, filling out a form, or progressing through checkout. If a user is close to completing the task but falls just short, provide encouraging messages or incentives to encourage them to continue and complete the action, leveraging the near-miss effect to motivate further engagement.
Abandoned Cart Recovery
Implement abandoned cart recovery strategies in e-commerce platforms. When a user adds items to their cart but doesn't complete the purchase, send follow-up emails or notifications reminding them about the items left behind. Include personalized messages or special offers, such as discounts or free shipping, to entice users to return and complete the purchase, leveraging the near-miss effect to encourage conversion.
