Just how different should your products and services be? Conventional wisdom is that each of your online offerings should have real differences so that people can make a clear choice. But like many pieces of “conventional wisdom” this might just be assumption, rather than anything based on evidence.

Online you cannot move these days for services which give you”choice”. There is the free version, the bronze one, the silver service or the gold plated product. Each of the services or products is outlined in a table where you can easily compare the difference between them. Except comparing things is not as easy as it first seems.

When things are so different we find it hard to compare. New research shows that if the differences are only slight, we find it easier to make a choice. In other words, when things are similar we find it easier to choose between them,

So, when it comes to the typical three-column price table on the web, rather than showing vast differences, you should show similarities. When the “Premium” version is actually rather similar to the “Standard” service you will find your sales go UP because people find it easier to make a choice. If, however, you make the differences significant, people cannot make a decision as easily and hence you reduce your chances of making a sale.