Your Web Site's First Impression Happens Only Once

We all know how important first impressions are whether for a job interview, sales presentation, marketing your business or just making a new friend. How can this apply to your web site as well?

For any of the above scenarios, what typically grabs your attention? Often it’s a professional appearance and the first words we speak. Your web site is no different.

People tend to surf the Web in much the same way they ‘channel surf’ when watching TV – quickly moving on if the site they open doesn’t immediately grab their attention. A recent survey found that we now have only 4 seconds to grab a visitor’s attention before they decide to stay or leave. Not much time to make a great first impression!

Your site must grab immediate attention for visitors to decide to stay, and then there must also be solid reasons for them to return, to bookmark your site and to tell their friends and colleagues about it.

Once the visitors decide to stick around and click on the various pages, they need to have their visit be worthwhile with helpful content, information, services and more. It’s so important to keep your content fresh and alive to keep them coming back!

When checking your own site, here are a few questions to consider:

• How quickly can you start to see ANYTHING on the page?
• What pops up first?
• How quickly can you begin to read any text?
• How quickly can you tell what the site is about?
• Does the site have a professional appearance?
• Does it present your business well?
• Is all of the content current?

While the ingredients of a good site can be as unique as any other site, the above are common threads that contribute to a successful web site. Review your site at least once a quarter, but doing this monthly is even better.

One tip to get honest overall opinions about your web site is to ask various people who haven’t seen it yet to take a look. The less they know about what to expect beforehand the better. If you get some great feedback, whether positive or negative, contact your web designer and have your site updated immediately. .

Make that first impression count! .

Janet and Phil Winter
Web Design Partners
770-664-0848
janwinter@mindspring.com
www.webdesignpartners.com

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