If I told you that the ratio of 1 to 1.618 could add to your bottom line you’d probably say I am crazy. Well you just may be wrong.

How you say?

Here’s how.

The number 1.618033988749895, which trails off to infinity, is called Phi (pronounced like “fly”) and is a very unusual number with very unique properties. This proportion can be derived from the golden ratio and is represented virtually everywhere in nature, often expressed in the form of a spiral.

Some quick examples can be seen in our DNA, in the cosmos, in plants, animals, fingerprints, faces, population growth rates, cellular division, etc.

So how does this help me? Whether you realize it or not, you are subconsciously attracted to objects which contain the golden ratio. How is this known? There is a wealth of research that suggests this. The golden ratio is found in the most revered art, architecture, music, poetry, and even people. In fact, several studies have shown that people naturally judge others as beautiful or not based on how closely their facial proportions resemble the golden ratio. Volumes have been written about it.

Search the web….you’ll be reading for days.

So if this subtle psychological appeal can be found in a simple proportion, can I apply this to the design of my marketing material to achieve better results? Why not! In fact some notable examples include cars, credit cards, and even iPods.

For all you designers and photographers out there, the golden ratio is considered a more complex version of the “rule of thirds”, which has been considered a benchmark for aesthetic beauty for ages. Despite this, very few are known to have intentionally incorporated the golden ratio marketing strategies in web campaigns, but what have you got to lose? Or perhaps better phrased, how much is there to gain? There are even some great programs to help you.

Here’s how it is derived:

Draw 2 lines so that the ratio of the length of the entire line ‘A’ to the length of larger line segment ‘B’ is the same as the ratio of the length of the larger line segment ‘B’ to the length of the smaller line segment ‘C’. This happens only at the point where ‘A’ is 1.618 times ‘B’ and ‘B’ is 1.618 times ‘C’.