Website users judge websites’ the same way they form opinions about people. Often within 7 seconds of meeting someone people have already formed judgements about that person – it is the same for your website online! It can only take 3 seconds for website users to form an opinion about your website, so it is essential that the first impression they have of your website is a positive one!
In a series of experiments by Princeton psychologists Janine Willis and Alexander Todorov, it is revealed that all it takes is a tenth of a second to form an impression of a stranger from their face, and that longer exposures don’t significantly alter those initial impressions. That is the same for your website – so what impressions do you want to be leaving?
How long does it take for website users to form an opinion?
Missouri University has conducted recent research on how long it takes a website user to form an opinion based on an eye-tracking study. It was found that it only takes a fraction of a second for visitors to make an opinion about the website. This study also revealed that it only takes about 2.6 seconds for the eyes to land on the most important and effective part of the website, and that is the logo of the company.
Typically, the website design is the element that dictates the person’s first impression. Other elements including video, images, page load speed and usability also influence their opinion.
Why does website design influence a first impression?
When visitors first land on your website, they judge not just your website but your company as well. If they don’t like the look of your website they typically exit at the home page. Visitors will look at your logo, main navigation menu, the website’s main image, home page content and the bottom of your page.
Some visual components, including compelling use of images, text legibility, and colour, play a vital role in creating a good impression of the website. These elements are responsible for a person’s positive or negative response. A well-designed site gives your business credibility and approves that your business can offer the service that people are looking for.
To influence your clients and generate inquiries, this credibility factor plays a vital role. Your site can create a positive first impression with a well-structured-visual appeal. In short, your website will gain the attention of the visitors, and the better the first impression, the longer visitors will stay on your page.
Things to consider to capture audiences when designing your website.
- If your website design is not appealing, then visitors will stop engaging with it.
- Customers search the web before making a purchase decision.
- A well-designed website always creates a positive impression.
- Consumers admit to making judgements on a company’s credibility based on the company’s website design.
Do not ignore modern trends of web-designing
As we know, people are visual creatures, and appealing designs have a vital impact on their minds. So, you need to focus on web design and its illustration, with the help of a 100% responsive layout.
Do not ignore the colours you select- these colours have their own language. Bright colours will create a sense of happiness and will capture the user’s attention. Whereas darker colours including grey and black create a corporate look with a focus on products and services. It is vital to select colours that match important business features such as the logo.
Don’t forget about your website’s security.
Another important aspect of first impressions is also the online security of your website. Users may not feel comfortable using your website if an SSL certificate is not present. From search engines, when users hover their mouse over the website URL they can see if it displays HTTPS or HTTP.
If your site doesn’t have a valid SSL certificate and shows HTTP rather than the newer and more secure HTTPS, anyone who tries to visit your website using the Google Chrome browser will see a red “Not Secure” warning in the URL address bar.
This tells your potential site visitors that your website does not have the extra layer of encryption that protects their personal data from being stolen or misused.
In a recent study, 64% of users said they would leave a site “instantly” if they saw a Not Secure warning. To avoid scaring away customers, and, more importantly, to make sure that any information your users enter on your site remains secure, always ensure you have a valid SSL certificate!
Don’t forget about website usability.
Successful businesses’ work very hard in designing a website that is clear, consistent and generates enquiries. A good website focuses on user experience – it will be easy to understand, have a clear structure and be easy to navigate with recognisable links. To design a website that creates leads you need to have visual elements creating a communication hierarchy, that will automatically take visitors from point A to point B – without the having to think themselves, you want to lead website users down the path you want them to take.
The human eye is a highly non-linear device, and web-users can instantly recognise edges, patterns and motions. The use of visual elements such as different font sizes, font in bold or italic, images and animations can help the visitors make their way into the content they are looking for without thinking. Every webpage should be self-explanatory with visual clues grabbing user’s attention and directing them to specific areas of the website.
Why website speed is important for positive first impressions.
What is the significance of website and speed optimisation?
For high Google rankings, website optimisation a vital ranking factor and a highly important conversion factor. This is the best way to increase traffic to the website – so, your website must have a fast loading page speed so users can navigate to your products and services, in a fast manner.
Your site visitors expect your website to be loaded and usable within 2 seconds, and Google found that 53% of mobile users will leave a page that takes more than 3 seconds to load. If your site takes too long to load, you’ll lose website traffic, get fewer sales, and see decreased customer satisfaction.
With a good conversion rate, you can increase website traffic and drive sales. It enables you to reach more of your market target. To have a simple and clean home page that loads with good speed. It must display relevant information with clearly stands out and user-friendly navigation.
