Though most of us refuse to admit, we are all draw to things that are beautiful. We are instinctively drawn towards someone who is dressed well, someone who has good features, a building that is built aesthetically, a gadget that looks and feels good to hold, a neighborhood that is pretty and flowers that is pretty and colorful. It is no wonder then that cognitive psychologists believe that humans are innately predisposed to falling victims to what they call “Attractiveness Bias”.
What Is Attractiveness Bias?
Attractiveness Bias can be defined as a cognitive bias that forces people to look at things that are aesthetically superior. Attractive objects, people and places automatically elicit attention amidst a sea of similar entities. What makes an object, a person or a place stand out is physical or outward attractiveness. Before people start fuming and getting offended, we must note that attractiveness only helps in drawing attention.
Attractiveness Bias Draws Attention but Does Not Sustain It
However, once attention is drawn, sustenance of that attention can happen only when there is personality, character and value behind the outward appearance. Thus, what looks good but has no value catches the attention of our eyes, but fails to sustain our attention. Though we are immediately drawn towards something attractive, if it is not useful or if it is not profound, we lose interest and move on. Attractiveness bias theory thus proves that a well designed product helps in drawing attention to the essence of the product.
Overcoming Attractiveness Bias on Websites
A badly designed product will not attract attention even when it is an excellent product from within. However, a product that is very well designed but serves no purpose will attract attention immediately, but will fail to sustain it. This fundamental attribute of attractiveness should teach web designers a valuable lesson.
Websites need to be attractive and aesthetic. No one can afford to design badly designed websites. No one likes unattractive and ugly websites. Websites need to be aesthetic, simple, and great to look at. Again, this is only the first step. The content should be great and valuable and that goes without saying. If the content is great and the website is not great to look at, it will fail to register a high number of traffic. Likewise, a well designed website that offers no value to users will immediately attract attention and traffic but this traffic will soon reduce because there is inherently no value at all to the website.
Ensuring Value, Character and Quality of Services and Products
What companies, individuals and businesses must understand is that their website speed to be very attractive to set themselves apart from the competition and to attract the attention of possible leads, clients, and readers. However, once the initial attention is drawn, quality content, great products and services become mandatory. A well designed website attracts traffic but great content, products and services sustain that traffic.
The lesson to be learned is to ensure that design aspects of a website are not ignored. Attractiveness bias will definitely come into play and people will certainly judge your website based on the way it looks, though it sounds harsh. The idea is to design your website excellently so that your inherent value is recognized. The value that you offer will be recognized when it is housed in a great looking website. This is a business principle and a psychological theory that we cannot afford to miss or ignore.
Overcome Attractiveness Bias, Offer Real Value to Consumers and Clients
Unless your website is attractive, you will not be able to grow your traffic exponentially. In order to be popular on the Internet, your website will have to overcome the Attractiveness Bias. The only solution is to ensure that your website is truly attractive, buy hiring web designers who are professional, artistic and technologically sound. Once an attractive website is built, it becomes your responsibility to build character, personality and fill the attractive veneer with valuable products, services and content. It becomes your responsibility to ensure that your website is not just another attractive face, but something that is truly valuable. After all, no one wants just a pretty face.
