☕ Happy Friday!
We’re not going to talk about the latest algorithm updates today. You’ve got orders to capture and revenue to grow.
Welcome to another edition of Acquire and Retain by Retainful. I’m Sanjai Kathirvel, and today we’re diving into something that’ll make you question every word on your product pages.
The setup: Two identical offers. Same product. Same discount. Same everything.
The only difference? How we framed the message.
The result? One version sold 67% more than the other.
The kicker? Most stores are using the losing frame without knowing it.
Ready to see how words can literally print money?
🧠 The Mind-Bending Test
Last week, we tested something in our own office. We showed 50+ people in our team (developers, marketers, support folks) two identical discount offers:
Version A: “Save $20 on orders over $100”
Version B: “Don’t lose your $20 discount on orders over $100”
Same offer. Same amount. Same people.
The results?
- Version A: 18 people said they’d use it
- Version B: 32 people said they’d use it
That’s almost double just by changing how we framed the exact same discount.
What happened? Welcome to the framing effect—the psychology trick that makes identical information feel completely different.
🎯 What Is the Framing Effect?
Simple explanation: How you present information changes how people react to it.
The psychology: Our brains don’t just process facts. They process how those facts are packaged.
Real example from our test:
- “Save $20” = You gain something
- “Don’t lose $20” = You avoid losing something
The twist? Our brains hate losing things more than we love gaining them. It’s called loss aversion, and it’s why “don’t lose” beats “save” every single time.
🔍 5 Framing Tricks That Boost Sales
1. Loss Frame vs Gain Frame
Instead of: “Free shipping on orders over $75”
Try: “Don’t pay shipping fees—spend $75+”
Why it works: “Don’t pay” feels like avoiding a penalty. “Free” feels like a bonus. Penalties motivate faster.
2. Urgency Framing
Instead of: “24 hours left”
Try: “Expires tomorrow at midnight”
Why it works: “Tomorrow at midnight” creates a specific moment of loss. “24 hours” feels like math.
3. Social Proof Numbers
Instead of: “90% of customers love this”
Try: “9 out of 10 customers love this”
Why it works: Your brain visualizes 9 actual people easier than processing a percentage.
4. Bundle Psychology
Instead of: “33% off when you buy 3”
Try: “Buy 2, get the 3rd free”
“Free” triggers reward feelings. “33% off” triggers math anxiety.
5. Scarcity Framing
Instead of: “Only 5 left in stock”
Try: “Almost sold out—5 remaining”
“Almost sold out” suggests popularity. “Only 5 left” suggests limited demand.
📊 What We’ve Learned
From our own testing and client feedback:
- Loss-framed headlines: Get more attention in our A/B tests
- Specific urgency: People respond better to exact times
- “Out of 10” social proof: Feels more trustworthy than percentages
- “Free” in bundles: Everyone loves the word “free”
- “Almost sold out”: Creates more urgency than “only X left”
The pattern? Frames that feel emotional always beat frames that feel mathematical.
🎪 The McDonald’s Million-Dollar Frame
Quick story: McDonald’s used to say “Our burgers are 75% lean beef.”
Customers thought: “25% fat? Gross.”
They reframed it: “Our burgers are 25% fat.”
Wait, that’s worse…
Actually, they said: “Our burgers are made with fresh, never frozen beef.”
The lesson? Sometimes the best frame avoids numbers entirely and focuses on what customers actually care about.
🛠 How to Frame Your Store Right Now
Step 1: Audit Your Current Frames
Look at your:
- Product page headlines
- Cart abandonment emails
- Checkout messages
- Sale announcements
Ask yourself: “Am I using gain language or loss language?”
Step 2: Test Loss Frames
Change this: “Get 20% off today”
To this: “Don’t miss your 20% savings”
Change this: “Free returns within 30 days”
To this: “No restocking fees—return within 30 days”
Step 3: Make It Specific
Vague: “Limited time offer”
Specific: “Ends Sunday at 11:59 PM”
Vague: “Most customers love this”
Specific: “8 out of 10 customers reorder within 30 days”
Step 4: Test Everything
The rule: Never assume. Always test.
Even small frame changes can create big revenue differences.
🧪 The Frame Test Challenge
Here’s your homework:
- Pick one page on your store (product page, checkout, email)
- Rewrite one headline using loss framing instead of gain framing
- Test it for one week
- Measure the difference
Example transformation:
- Before: “Save money with our bundle deals”
- After: “Don’t overpay—bundle and save”
Reply and tell me: What did you reframe and what happened? I’ll feature the best results in next week’s newsletter.
And that’s a wrap for this edition!
Thanks for geeking out about psychology with me today—hope you grabbed some frames to test in your own copy!
If this breakdown made you rethink even one headline, do me a solid and share it with that marketer friend who’s always asking “why did that work?” Let’s get them reading so they don’t miss next week’s pricing psychology deep dive.
Remember: It’s not what you say, it’s how you frame what you say.
Sanjai Kathirvel
Your revenue-obsessed friend from Retainful 🚀
P.S. – Hit reply and tell me the worst framing you’ve seen on a website lately. I might break it down in next week’s edition (and show how to fix it).
