It’s not easy to convince people to buy online. People expect free. If you’re just starting a business and wish to make money without fighting an uphill battle (you probably do), one of the things you can do is ease the barriers to purchase. You can do that by:

  • Selling a product purchased in moments of irrationality (eg. when planning a wedding).
  • Creating an irrational reaction through your product marketing (eg. Buy now and receive a free glowstick).

It’s not surprising to see that some of the most profitable online industries rely on events leading to irrational (or less rational) thinking (wedding planning, pornography, gambling, gift giving and drugs and medications).

A lot has been said about the role of emotions in purchase decisions. Competition not counted, if you had to choose an industry tomorrow, you’d be wise to pick one with elastic demand and (temporarily) irrational customers.