This post is sponsored by Superside
Welcome to Brainy Battles
A showdown where your fav brands compete to see who markets smarter
How it Works
1. We compare two marketing assets—like landing pages, ads, Twitter hooks, and more—and explain how each brand uses buyer psychology concepts to drive action
2. You vote for your favorite for a chance to win a prize
(This contest has ended – join our email list to find out about the next one)
The Battleground ⚔️
You have less than 5 seconds to impress buyers once they land on your website.
Worse—you have to do it within 600 pixels.
The Above-the-Fold section of your website (aka the ‘hero section’) is everything people see before they scroll any further down your page.
It’s the ultimate first impression.
If people don’t like what they see above-the-fold… say goodbye to potential customers.
Getting it right counts. With that in mind…
What brainy tactics do the world’s biggest brands use to keep people scrolling?
In today’s first ever issue of Brainy Battles, we’ll analyze: Above-the-Fold Sections
Meet Your Fighters 💪
When you hear the word eCommerce, two brands come to mind: Amazon and Shopify.
Both are multi-billion dollar businesses. And both rely on independent sellers to drive revenue.
As such, Shopify and Amazon compete against each other to attract merchants—and each company uses different buyer psychology techniques to get merchants to sign up.
Fighter #1: Amazon
Amazon is the ultimate online marketplace. Amazon gets 2.4 billion website visitors per year, positioning them as one of the best places for merchants to sell their products. But, even the top dogs have competition.
Let’s explore the brainy techniques Amazon uses on their seller page to convert more visitors into merchants.
Why It’s Brainy 🧠
Priming Effect
Amazon boxes have become iconic. The cardboard box, smiling logo, and tape are synonymous with the brand. Amazon primes website visitors to daydream about selling oodles of their products inside these trusted boxes.
Framing Effect
You know that Amazon sells A LOT of stuff. They’re the second largest business in the world (Walmart is 1st), so the fact that more than half of the products sold on Amazon come from independent sellers is clever framing for how big the opportunity is for sellers.
Bandwagon Effect
Amazon proudly claims that everyone—from new startups and Fortune 500 companies, to B2B and B2C, to brand owners and resellers—sell on Amazon. If sellers want to reach millions of potential buyers, they better jump on the bandwagon.
Today’s contest is generously sponsored by Superside 🙏
Imagine this… you need a video or ad design for your next campaign, and you need it done by yesterday. The problem? There’s nobody on your team to make it happen. And you don’t have time to vet and hire a good designer.
So how do you get quality creative assets as soon as possible?
Amazon, Shopify, and Salesforce solve this problem by using Superside.
Superside is a design subscription service that combines top designers with technology to deliver quality design at lightning speed.
What you get with Superside:
✅ Access to the top 1% of design talent
✅ A dedicated design team—including a project manager—to make sure you always get the highest quality work
✅ Super fast—imagine submitting a design request at 3 AM and getting it hours later
✅ No surprise bills
Fighter #2: Shopify
Shopify brought in $4.612 billion in 2021 from their online marketplace.
This means that even if Amazon pretends they don’t care…they’re watching Shopify’s every move. Shopify needs to bring the heat and show merchants why selling on Shopify is a smart move.
Their approach is both brainy and aggressive…
Why It’s Brainy 🧠
Foot-in-the-Door Technique
Shopify wants to get merchants through the door—even if it’s one toe at a time. A $1/month for 3-months offer makes merchants feel silly saying no. Shopify derisks their offer and makes it easier for merchants to make the quick choice to sign up using the foot-in-the-door technique.
Urgency
What’s better than a great offer that’s nearly impossible to say no to? Limiting how long it’s available. Shopify adds urgency to get buyers to make a decision ASAP. They don’t want merchants deciding to use Shopify in a few months. They want them to sign up today.
Free Bias
Buyers are naturally inclined towards free stuff. Remember the last time someone offered you a free t-shirt? We’re willing to bet you gladly accepted it! Shopify’s really building on their offer by adding urgency and a free 14-day trial. At this point, it seems nearly impossible to turn this down… because it’s literally free.
Who Nailed It? 🤔
Amazon and Shopify both use brainy techniques to convert more web visitors into new merchants.
Which brand did Why We Buy readers think had the smartest above-the-fold section?
It was a close race but Shopify came out on top getting 56% of the votes.
Pssssttt...
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The Short of It 💥
The above-the-fold section of your website is like the first handshake.
It can either leave a great impression or confuse people.
Shopify and Amazon both use brainy techniques in their above-the-fold sections and they’re always testing new designs. (I saw three different versions of Amazon’s landing page while working on this piece).
In the race to dominate eCommerce, speed is a must. And that’s where Amazon and Shopify have something else in common—when their marketing teams need a new landing page or ad designed, fast, they call Superside.
Book free a discovery call today to learn why the world’s fastest moving companies trust Superside for their design needs.
And feel free to steal these brainy tactics to improve your website and drive more sales.
Until next time, happy selling.
Pssssttt…
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