Place Low Numerals After Right-Facing Digits
Right-facing digits push your attention toward adjacent digits. If these digits are low, you round down.
Human bodies guide attention.
You instinctively look in whichever direction a body is facing (Langton, Watt, & Bruce, 2000).
A similar effect happens with digits (Coulter, 2007). Digits can face particular directions:
- Left: 2, 3, 4, 7, 9
- Center: 1, 8, 0
- Right: 5, 6
These orientations guide attention.
For example, rightward digits (e.g., 5, 6) push attention toward the right. In prices, these digits push attention toward the later digits — and customers are more likely to round up or down accordingly. Therefore, place small numerals after rightward digits so that customers round down to a lower price.
Conversely, leftward digits (e.g., 2, 3, 4, 7, 9) keep attention toward the left. In prices, these digits push attention away from the later digits. You can place large numerals at the ends of these prices because customers will ignore them.
- Coulter, K. S. (2007). The effects of digit-direction on eye movement bias and price- rounding behavior. Journal of Product & Brand Management.
- Langton, S. R., Watt, R. J., & Bruce, V. (2000). Do the eyes have it? Cues to the direction of social attention. Trends in cognitive sciences, 4(2), 50-59.