How Can the Zeigarnik Effect Boost Mobile Engagement by 30%?

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With over 80% of website traffic now coming from mobile 📱, optimising customer experience is more important than ever. But are your carousels working to their full potential? 🤔 Studies show that the brain’s desire for completion, known as the “Zeigarnik effect,” can increase engagement by up to 30% 📈. Sauce’s latest mobile design settings leverage this by introducing fractional units, leaving the last item in the carousel partially visible 👀. This subtle cue encourages users to swipe, driving them to explore the next video or shoppable photo. Simple, scientifically backed, and highly effective. ✅

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The Science

Ever heard of the Zeigarnik effect? Probably not. It’s the brain’s obsession with finishing what it started. When something feels incomplete, our minds crave resolution. Studies show this urge can jack up engagement by 30%. Thirty. Percent. So why aren’t you using it?

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What Sauce is Doing About It

We’ve hacked the Zeigarnik effect into our mobile design settings at Sauce. The trick? Fractional units. You leave the last item in your carousel slightly cut off. It’s barely noticeable but forces the user to swipe. It’s like teasing someone with a glimpse of what’s next, and guess what—they go for it.

Find these settings in the mobile section of any gallery you build with Sauce. Simple, effective, and ready to drive engagement.

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Sauce’s mobile settings in your backoffice let you configure fractional increments for carousels, maximising their impact by tapping into the customer’s completion instinct as they navigate your site.

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Why It Works‍

People hate unfinished business. That cut-off image? It’s a loose end, and users will swipe to tie it up. More swipes, more interaction, more sales.

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Bottom Line‍

This isn’t just some gimmick—it’s science-backed, dead simple, and it works. If you’re not using the Zeigarnik effect in your mobile design, you’re leaving money on the table.

Small modifications to your website can result in major shifts in your ROAS, Sales Conversions, Average Order Value and customer buying habits. Are you sure you're making the most of Sauce's capabilities?

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...alll thanks to a little nudge from Bluma Zeigarnik.

Bluma Zeigarnik, a Soviet psychologist, made a major contribution to cognitive psychology by uncovering that people can’t stop obsessing over unfinished tasks—leading to the discovery of the Zeigarnik effect and a deeper understanding of how our brains are wired.