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Increased Class Sign-Ups by 37% Using Psychology
Why more choices for your users can actually demotivate them from converting.
The Product
Financial Peace University (FPU) is a course that helps people get out of debt, offered both in-person and online.
The Problem
The business highlighted two major concerns:
- Class registration rates were low.
- Attendance dropped off after the second module of the class.
The Research
We mapped out the user flow for joining a class:
- Search for FPU
- Click on "Find a Class For You"
- Choose "in-person" or "virtual"
- View class listings
- Choose a class and register
Our metrics showed the biggest drop-off happened at step 4, the listings page.
The Opportunities
From our daily interviews, we heard:
- "I want better filters."
- "I want to know more about the instructor."
- "I want to sort by time or distance."
This sounds like a need for more features, but the underlying issue is better explained by a psychological principle called Hick's Law:
The time it takes to make a decision increases with the number and complexity of choices.
Users weren't stuck because they lacked information. They were stuck because there was too much of it.
The Hypothesis
Simplify the listings page by reducing the number of options shown up front. Fewer choices will result in faster decisions.
The Solution
We tested one simple change:
Show only 3 "recommended classes" before the full listings page.
No real personalization. Just fewer options that are immediately visible.
The Results
We rolled out this change to 50% of users. Their behavior validated our theory with faster decision-making and higher booking rates.
37% increase in class registrations.
From idea to impact in less than 2 weeks.
"Big problems are rarely solved with commensurately big solutions. Instead, they are most often solved by a sequence of small solutions, sometimes over weeks, sometimes over decades."