Did You Know the Zeigarnik Effect Can Keep Visitors Hooked with Progress Bars?
- kmunn87
- Sep 17, 2025
- 3 min read
The Zeigarnik Effect is a fascinating psychological principle that explains why
unfinished tasks stick in our minds.
Unfinished tasks create a cognitive "burden" or mental ick that keeps them active in our memory, promoting a need to complete them and free up those mental resources.
You can utalise this psychological tendency in your website design by adding progress bars, checklists, and any “you’re almost there!” cues that keep visitors moving through forms or multi-step processes.
Whether your site is built on Wix or Squarespace, using the Zeigarnik Effect strategically can help people complete tasks like online training, sign up, or donate instead of bouncing halfway through.
WHY THE ZEIGARNIK EFFECT WORKS
Our brains naturally remember unfinished tasks better than completed ones. Russian psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik discovered that people feel a subtle tension when something is incomplete, which motivates them to finish it.
On websites, this tension can be harnessed to:
Encourage users to complete forms
Increase sign-ups and donations
Boost engagement with multi-step content
Progress bars, checklists, or even partially filled forms signal an unfinished task and trigger this effect, making users far more likely to stick around.
WHY WEBSITES WITHOUT PROGRESS CUES LOSE VISITORS
Forms or sign-up processes with no indication of progress feel like a black hole. Users have no idea how much effort is required, and our brains hate uncertainty. That uncertainty leads to frustration and ultimately, abandonment.
Research shows that even a simple progress indicator can increase completion rates by up to 20–30% (CXL Institute, 2021). That’s a huge difference for Wix and Squarespace websites where conversions really matter.
HOW TO USE THE ZEIGARNIK EFFECT ON YOUR WEBSITE
Step 1: Add Progress Bars or Checklists
Forms, quizzes, training and donation flows benefit most.
Show users how far they’ve come and what’s left to do.
Step 2: Break Tasks into Steps
Multi-step forms feel less overwhelming than one giant block.
Each completed step gives a small win, triggering positive reinforcement.
Step 3: Give Feedback at Each Stage
Checkmarks, colour changes, or percentage counters help users feel accomplished.
Make it clear what’s next, so the momentum keeps going.
QUICK TIPS FOR WIX AND SQUARESPACE WEBSITES
Keep It Visible: Place progress indicators at the top or side of forms.
Use Microcopy: “You’re 2/4 steps done!” is friendly and motivating.
Colour Matters: Contrasting colours for completed vs remaining steps draw attention.
Mobile-Friendly: Ensure progress bars work well on smaller screens.
YOUR ACTION PLAN
Look at any multi-step forms or processes on your website.
Ask yourself: Is there a clear progress indicator?
Add a progress bar or checklist if not.
Test with a friend and is if they motivated to complete it?
The difference between users abandoning your site and completing a task often comes down to how you show progress, not just the task itself.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Written by Katie Di Feliciantonio at Made by Katie, a Surrey-based Wix and Squarespace web design studio.
I work with charities and small businesses, offering tailored packages to suit your needs: Mini Websites for a fast, affordable online presence, Bespoke Website Builds for a fully custom website, and Page Makeovers to refresh and optimise your existing site.
REFERENCES
CXL Institute. (2021). The Zeigarnik Effect and Its Use in UX Design. https://cxl.com/blog/zeigarnik-effect-ux/
Nielsen Norman Group. (2020). How Users Read on the Web. https://www.nngroup.com/articles/how-users-read-on-the-web/
Sweller, J. (2011). Cognitive Load Theory. Psychology of Learning and Motivation.
