Within about 1/4 of a mile, there are two Coney Island restaurants by our house. One is always empty, one is always full. The one that is always full usually requires that you wait in line about 10 minutes before you get served. The line snakes outside onto the main street in rain, snow, and sunshine. Why is this Coney island full and the other one empty? Because everyone driving by sees the line, says to themselves “wow, that place must be good for people to WAIT in line OUTSIDE. And demand continues to grow. The restaurant has a perceived value because of what they see others doing to consume their food.

On the Internet, you wouldn’t exactly want people to be waiting ages for your page to load, but there are things you can do to create the same effect. Sell some of your products in limited quantities. Tell them what percentage of the product is left until you sell out. Put expiration dates on your coupon. Make offers available only to the first xx number of people who subscribe to your newsletter. Create a sense of urgency and value on your website so your customers feel that they are lucky to be able to do business with you.