The best way to make people lose trust in your tool
Context: Imagine you came across a free tool. There’s a big search bar on their homepage where you can add a website. The above-the-fold section promises recommendations and tips after you enter your website. It lists all the things you’ll get.
It even mentions that you don’t have to enter your credit card info, and the analysis is 100% free. The offer sounds great, so you enter your website and hit enter.
Now here’s the catch: instead of showing you the report, it shows a pop-up.
Uh-oh, they want your email first. And if this is annoying, some tools ask you to sign up first.
And here’s the worst case: this tool asked me for my email, company name, employees, and 10 other questions. You should have taken a look at my face.
Why is this a problem, you ask?
Well, firstly, it feels like the user is getting tricked like a classic bait-and-switch example. The tool promised a free report without friction, but the friction is as strong as the morning coffee.
Those leads will be bad even if you get the email or sign up.
It’s a sunk cost fallacy because the user is in between. They have entered their website and shown interest, but now they’re contemplating what to do- whether to give their email or go back.
The worst offender, though? You put the email into the email subscriptions list, and now the user gets emails they never signed up for.
How do you deal with it then?
Set expectations and be clear upfront. Tell the user if they need to sign up, provide their email, or do something else before they can get the report.
Show the preview of the report, and then, to access the full report, you can ask for the email or the sign-up.
And trust me, I remember the websites that do this to me. And, however great their product is, I never go back to them. I mean, the first impression is everything, right?
Some takeaways for you:
- Audit the tool flow. Are there surprises that the user wasn’t expecting? If yes, then make sure you’re setting the right expectations.
- Add a line or two on the homepage above the fold section that sets the context. “Email required” or “Free account required” will do—test, test, and test.
