Satisficing
A decision-making strategy where people choose the first option that meets their minimum acceptable threshold, rather than evaluating all options for the optimal choice.
Satisficing (a portmanteau of "satisfy" and "suffice") was coined by Herbert Simon in 1956. It describes how people actually make most decisions: not by exhaustively comparing all options, but by picking the first one that's "good enough."
Why This Matters for CRO
If most users satisfice rather than optimize, then the order in which you present options matters enormously. The first option that clears the "good enough" bar wins — regardless of whether better options exist further down the page.
Implications for Page Design
- Put your best option first: Not last, not in the middle — first
- Front-load value in copy: Lead with the strongest benefit, not a buildup
- Reduce options to accelerate satisficing: Fewer options = faster "good enough" decision = higher conversion
- Make the recommended option obvious: Reduce the cognitive work of evaluating alternatives
Satisficing vs. Maximizing
Barry Schwartz found that "maximizers" (people who exhaustively compare options) report lower satisfaction with their choices than "satisficers" (people who pick the first good-enough option). Paradoxically, making the decision harder doesn't lead to better outcomes — it leads to regret.
Testing for Satisficing Behavior
If users consistently choose the first or most prominent option regardless of quality signals, your audience is satisficing. This means optimizing prominence (visual hierarchy, position) will outperform optimizing content quality alone.