Changing just one word on a website created a 29% uplift in activation rate on a UK life insurer’s portal, according to William Trump, founder and lead consultant at Unconventional Wisdom (pictured).
Speaking at Health & Protection’s IPMI Summit, Trump explained the insurer in question launched a portal which enabled customers to self serve, renew their policy, change details and switch to and buy products from the company.
But having launched the portal, the insurer was perplexed as to why so few customers were registering to use the portal and access their product.
“We send customers these emails, these letters,” Trump explained.
“So why are people not registering to this account?
“And I remember just walking through it with them, asking a few questions. Can we make the process a little bit easier? Because it feels like a bit of hassle, using all of these authorisation codes to get through it.
“And they said to me, we can’t make the process easier.
“The process is what it is.”
Changing perceptions
But Trump said he wondered if the process could be adapted to make customers perceive it as easier.
“Because if I write to you and I say, you can now go online, access your account, you just need to register here,” he continued.
“I don’t know about you, but when I hear the word register. To me that is a word that’s loaded with perceived effort.
“What do you register for? A car, a birth, to vote. It always involves long forms, backwards and forwards with mistakes. That what registering seems like to me.”
From registration to activation
Consequently, Trump suggested changing the word register to activate,
“I asked them, is it fair to say that these accounts have already been created and are effectively waiting there for the customer to activate them?” he continued.
“And they said, ‘Yes, that’s correct, that’s technically what’s happened. The accounts are created so we can say to customers, your account is available, you can see all of the details of your policy online, you need to activate it here’.
“And that’s what we did. We changed the word from register to activate and we achieved a 29% uplift in conversion rates.
“I’m not saying we converted everyone, but in terms of uplift it was quite significant.
“And that’s what’s I love about behavioural science. I think it’s the closest we get to magic in the world of insurance. The power of words to persuade. Because if we understand the barriers, we set about motivating people.”
