Goal Gradient Effect
People speed up as they get closer to the finish.
What it is
Effort rises as the goal comes into view. Progress bars, loyalty stamps and step counters all exploit this, and the trick of starting people part-way along makes it stronger: a card with two stamps already on it gets completed faster than an empty one with fewer stamps to go.
The research
Café customers given a 12-stamp loyalty card with two stamps pre-filled completed it faster than those given a 10-stamp empty card, though both required ten purchases.
Kivetz, Urminsky and Zheng, 2006
How to use it
Start the bar above zero
An onboarding checklist with "account created" already ticked feels closer to done.
Show steps, not percentages
"Step 3 of 4" is more motivating than "75%". People count steps.
Accelerate the ending
Make the last step the easiest. Momentum should carry people over the line, not stall them at it.
Related
Sources that shaped this entry: growth.design.