Shop Builder is a powÂerÂful and easy-to-use tool for conÂductÂing research into shopÂping and conÂsumer behavÂiour. It’s a sophisÂtiÂcatÂed tool built for rigÂorÂous research.
In a nutÂshell, to your parÂticÂiÂpants Shop Builder looks like a normal online shop, but behind the scenes you wield a powÂerÂful research tool.
Here’s what Shop Builder looks like to your participants…
And here’s the back end research tools for you…
Built as part of the Gorilla ecosysÂtem, parÂticÂiÂpants can be given Shop Builder tasks alongÂside eleÂments from our Task and QuesÂtionÂnaire Builders. This means you can add a perÂsonÂalÂiÂty quesÂtionÂnaire or a priming task before or after the shopÂping task, allowÂing you to answer complex research questions.
Here we describe 4 easy experÂiÂments using the Shop Builder, to help you started.
1. ManipÂuÂlatÂing PsyÂchoÂlogÂiÂcal Distance
AccordÂing to psyÂcholÂoÂgy researchers at New York UniÂverÂsiÂty, reducÂing psyÂchoÂlogÂiÂcal disÂtance is an easy way to increase sales. An easy way to do this is to change product images, so that they comÂpelling convey the benefit of the product rather than the feaÂtures of the product. Let’s take a conÂcrete example, when you buy shampoo, are you buying the bottle or (the hope of) lusÂcious, lumiÂnous hair? If you’re like me it’s the latter! In essence, lower psyÂchoÂlogÂiÂcal disÂtance makes it easier for conÂsumers to imagine the conÂcrete benÂeÂfits of your product.
All great in theory, but how do you test and measure which product image will lead to the greatÂest conÂverÂsions? TypÂiÂcalÂly, online stores just show a picture of the product, but research by the deciÂsion behavÂiour experts at SKIM have shown that replacÂing product images with hero images, senÂsoÂrÂiÂal cues and product claims can increase sales by over 26%. WOW!
The next chalÂlenge is to work out which product claim will be the most comÂpelling? Which hero image? Which senÂsoÂrÂiÂal cue? That’s where Shop Builder comes in.
With Shop Builder, it’s easy for researchers interÂestÂed in product marÂketÂing to test difÂferÂent images, claims and senÂsoÂrÂiÂal cues and see which ones lead to greater purÂchasÂing intent.
2. Can you sucÂcessÂfulÂly prime purchases?
Priming is an interÂestÂing psyÂchoÂlogÂiÂcal concept — the idea that being exposed to a stimÂuÂlus will influÂence later responsÂes. Priming is being increasÂingÂly invesÂtiÂgatÂed in relaÂtion to conÂsumer behavÂiour with researchers interÂestÂed in whether priming a conÂsumer will influÂence their purÂchasÂing behavÂiours. The Shop Builder can be teamed up with the Task Builder to produce a great experiment to assess this!
Imagine showing parÂticÂiÂpants an advert designed to prime a certain brand of fizzy drink, then asking them to comÂplete a disÂtracÂtor task such as a Stroop test. ParÂticÂiÂpants could then be shown a shopÂping list feaÂturÂing the general term ‘fizzy drink’ before being told to purÂchase items from their list in a shopÂping task. ComÂparÂing the items in their shopÂping baskets with the primed prodÂucts would allow for an assessÂment of various priming techniques!
3. Deal or no deal?
Imagine that you have been shopÂping for a new teleÂviÂsion; you’ve narÂrowed your choices down and are conÂsidÂerÂing the price of your favourite. How do you know that you’ve got a good price? We often think about value in relÂaÂtive terms using a startÂing point as an ‘anchor’. SomeÂtimes the anchor is someÂthing we decide like our budget, often though it’s the seller telling us how much an item is worth.
You may be shocked when a teleÂviÂsion is priced at £1000, but if it was £5000 reduced to £1000 then that’s a bargain! Within Shop Builder you can add disÂcounts to prodÂucts, allowÂing you to see how parÂticÂiÂpants assess the quality or attracÂtiveÂness of a product dependÂing on the startÂing price point. This could be a great experiment to see whether parÂticÂiÂpants value a product more if it’s disÂcountÂed from a higher price rather than simply startÂing at the cheaper price.
4. How can we make the most of a shopÂping list?
Think about when you’re walking down the aisles of a superÂmarÂket. How do you rememÂber the items you need to buy? Do you think about generic items, or in terms of speÂcifÂic brands? This is a great little experiment to invesÂtiÂgate memory in applied real-life settings.
ParÂticÂiÂpants could be given one of two shopÂping lists — either a generic list (such as orange juice, ketchup, and tissues), or a branded list (Sunny D, Heinz ketchup, and Kleenex). They would then be taken to an online grocery shop in the Shop Builder and told to purÂchase as many things from the list as they remember.
Your next project
So there we go — four simple ideas to help you get started with Shop Builder! HopeÂfulÂly that’s given you some idea of what’s posÂsiÂble, and got your creÂative juices flowing.
As you’d expect, there are a whole host of manipÂuÂlaÂtions that are easy to use to test your hypotheÂses. You can upload your own product set, change brandÂing, apply taxes and subÂsiÂdies. Change labels and apply nudges. And many more features.
Ready to learn more?
- DisÂcovÂer the benÂeÂfits of Shop Builder
- Read the support mateÂrÂiÂal for a more in-depth exploÂration of the features
- Watch our CTO Nick Hodges give a walkÂthrough of buildÂing a simple Shop Builder task
- Dive into an introÂducÂtion to conÂsumer psyÂcholÂoÂgy and Shop Builder with ProÂfesÂsor Gareth Harvey
- See how ProÂfesÂsor Pasquale Rummo from NYU GrossÂman School of MedÂiÂcine uses Shop Builder to underÂstand nudges towards healthy food choices
- Or contact our sales team to discuss a subscription