Hey there 👋 - It's Sidd.

And guess what? It's Monday! I hope your week is off to an awesome start.

This weekend, I delved into the fascinating world of psychological effects that influence our decision-making, and now I'm back at the keyboard, ready to share some gems with you.

Also, it’s one year since I started this newsletter and the first edition was sent on 7th July 2023. Thankyou for all the support you guys have shown to this newsletter.

Today, let's talk about the Center-Stage Effect, an intriguing concept that can significantly impact your marketing strategy.

New to Monday Marketer? Join us on this exciting journey for $0 🤝

Let's dive in and make this Monday count!

Reading Time = 5 minutes and 7 seconds

Understanding the Center-Stage Effect

In the early 1980s, Scandinavian psychologist Karl Halvor Teigen conducted a study where he asked people to pick a number between one and twelve for a cash prize.

The responses revealed an interesting pattern: the middle numbers were chosen over 76% of the time, with the number seven being a favorite. This suggests that our minds are naturally drawn to the middle.

Here’s what the responses looked like:

Fast forward to more than two decades later, researchers Ana Valenzuela and Priya Raghubir conducted extensive studies and confirmed this phenomenon.

They discovered that people tend to focus on and purchase items placed in the center of a display, whether it’s a shop window or a shelf.

They coined this phenomenon the Center-Stage Effect.

A central placement sends a subconscious signal to our minds that something is more important, causing us to stop and focus on that item more. This effect plays a vital role in conversion rate optimization. Let’s see how you can leverage it effectively.

Let’s see how.

Three ways you can leverage the Center-Stage Effect

1.Highlight the Most Important Product in the Center

If you’re listing multiple products, place the most important one in the center. This doesn’t necessarily mean it's the product you want to sell the most. If you have a decoy product, positioning it centrally can subtly guide customers towards a better, slightly more expensive option.

For example, on a product list, place the most popular or highest value items in the middle. Some brands go a step further by highlighting the central product, making it stand out with labels like “best value,” “best deal,” or “most popular.”

It's no coincidence that these options often have the best returns for the company. Highlighting a central product captures attention and drives decision-making.

2.Place Your Call-to-Action (CTA) in the Center of the Landing Page

A good landing page has a single, defined CTA. A great landing page places that CTA button in the center.

Take Wix, for instance. Their landing page features a crisp, confident copy almost in the middle, with a prominent CTA button right at the center. This strategic placement eliminates distractions and directs the user’s focus towards the desired action.

Other companies follow this pattern too. By placing the CTA in the middle, they ensure that it’s the focal point of the page, increasing the likelihood of conversion.

3.Avoid Placing Important Elements at the Edges

In marketing, being “edgy” often means being invisible. A 2006 study found that humans tend to neglect edges due to social and cultural norms. For instance:

• Students sit in corners to avoid the professor’s attention.

• Lower-ranking employees often sit at the sides in meetings.

• The least popular products are usually placed at the corners or bottom of shelves.

If you want to sell a product, avoid placing it at the edges of your ad or landing page. However, if there’s information you must include but prefer not to highlight—like disclaimers or potential downsides—placing them at the edges can be strategic.

Ways to implement it in your business or Industry

For Digital Businesses/Tech Startups:

• Centralized User Testimonials: Feature user testimonials and success stories prominently in the center of your homepage.

  Key Features in the Center: Highlight the most important and unique features of your software centrally on your landing pages.

For E-Commerce Brands:

• Middle Product Placement: Arrange your best-selling or highest-margin products in the center of your product lists.

• Centralized Promotions: Place your promotional offers and discounts in the middle of your homepage to capture attention.

For Service-based Industries (e.g., Consultancies, Agencies):

• Case Studies Front and Center: Showcase detailed case studies and success stories centrally on your service pages.

• Central Service Highlight: Emphasize your most sought-after services in the middle of your service list to draw focus.

So, what do you think of today’s newsletter?

I appreciate all your feedback and will help me make this newsletter even better. You can give feedback on this google form.

As always, I'm eager to hear your thoughts and experiences on this topic, so please share your feedback and join the conversation by reaching out to me on LinkedIn.

You can also check out the previous newsletter on the Mere Token Effect by clicking here.

See you next Monday.

Until next time,

Siddharth