Choice overload

Also called Analysis paralysis

Cut the options to what people need, and make the next step obvious.

Get the click or enquiry
Price and package

The idea

Too many options make people slower to decide, and more likely to decide nothing. In marketing, every extra package, button or link is another choice standing between the reader and a yes.

Why it works

In a well known study by Sheena Iyengar and Mark Lepper (2000), a display of 24 jams drew more shoppers than a display of 6, but 30 per cent of people who stopped at the small display bought a jar, against 3 per cent at the large one. Later reviews found the effect depends on the situation: it is strongest when options are hard to compare and people do not know what they want. Hick's law adds that decision time grows with the number of choices.

Research: Iyengar and Lepper 2000, Hick's law

Where to use it

Landing pages

Give each page one job and one call to action. Take out the menu, the social links and the second offer that pull people away from the button.

Ready when you're. Book your free quote below.

Pricing pages

Show three packages, not nine. If you sell more, group them, show the three that fit most enquiries, and put the rest behind a simple 'Not sure? Ask us' link.

Not sure which fits? Answer two questions and we'll point you to one.

Meta ads

One offer per ad. An ad that lists every service asks people to choose before they have even clicked, which makes scrolling on the easy option.

One job, one price, one button: book your end of lease clean.

End each email with one link to one next step. Three links to three offers split the clicks and slow the decision.

That's it for today. Reply 'yes' and I'll send you the times.

Sales calls

Don't read out every option. Ask two or three questions, then recommend the one that fits and say why. A clear recommendation removes the hardest part.

Based on what you told me, the standard plan fits. Here's why.

Steal these

Fill in the brackets and use them in your next post, ad or email.

Not sure which [package] fits? Answer [2] questions and we'll recommend one.
For [situation], we recommend [option]. Here's why.
One [offer]. One price. [Single call to action].
[Option A], [Option B] or [Option C]. Not sure? [One next step].
Skip the menu. Tell us [one detail] and we'll [next step].

Before and after

Before

Call us, email us, book online, or follow us for tips!

After

Book your free quote online. Pick a time that suits you.

The first gives four equal choices, so none of them stands out and the reader has to decide which to take. The second asks for one action and makes it easy to take.

Where it backfires

Cutting the options people actually need, or hiding prices to force a call. Fewer choices only help when the ones left are the right ones, and anyone who needs something else can still find it.

Pairs well with

The Von Restorff effectCut the page to one call to action, then make it the only thing in that colour so it can't be missed.

Common questions

Is the jam study still true?

Partly. Later reviews found choice overload depends on the situation. It's strongest when options are hard to compare and people are unsure what they want. When buyers know exactly what they want, like a size or a colour, more choice can help.

How many packages should I offer?

Start with three, and recommend one. Three is enough to compare without turning the choice into homework. If you sell more, group them, and let people ask about anything outside the three.

Want this working in your marketing?

Eighteen minutes with Jakob. He looks at your ads, pages and Google profile first, then tells you straight what to fix.

Get my free 18-min growth planPrefer no call? Get a free 5 minute video of your business