Increase signups by blurring the product experience to leverage loss aversion
Overview
Business Outcome
Signup Conversion Rate
Increase the percentage of website visitors who create an account and become users.
Behavioral Outcome
Perceived Loss
Increase users' perception that they are leaving something valuable behind if they don't sign up.
The Behavioral Science
Loss Aversion
Loss aversion is the tendency for people to prefer avoiding losses more than acquiring equivalent gains. We feel the pain of losing something more intensely than the pleasure of gaining something of equal value.
By blurring out the product experience behind the signup screen, Groove creates a sense that the user already has access to the product and will lose it if they navigate away without creating an account. This leverages loss aversion to motivate users to complete the signup process.
How It Works
In the Groove signup screen, the actual product interface is visible but blurred out behind the "Create your account" dialog. This clever design makes it feel like the user is already "in" the product, but needs to sign up to get full access.
By making it seem like the user will lose access to the product if they don't sign up, Groove taps into loss aversion and the sunk cost fallacy. Users feel like they've already committed and have something to lose by not following through with account creation.
The blurred background also piques curiosity - users want to see what's behind the frosted glass effect, further incentivizing them to sign up so they can explore the full product experience.
How It Might Backfire
Frustration or Annoyance
Some users may find the blurred effect frustrating or annoying, feeling like they are being manipulated or teased with a product they can't immediately access. If overdone, this could lead to bounces rather than signups.
Lack of Information
If users can't get a clear sense of what the product actually does or offers because too much is obscured, they may be hesitant to sign up. The blurred effect needs to pique interest without completely obscuring key information.
How To Test
A/B Test
To test the effectiveness of this tactic, run an A/B test comparing the signup flow with the blurred product background against a version with a generic or brand-focused background. Compare signup conversion rates to see which performs better.