Does Your Website Make A Good "First Impression?"

What is the "first impression" people have when they land on your website?

• Do visitors know immediately that your business is a match for their need?  
• OR, do they have to guess if your site is right for them?

If you answered "yes" to the first option you are looking good.  If nothing else this one element can make or break you.  If visitors don't immediately see a match, very few will stick around to form any kind of impression.

First impressions are never so important as they are on your website.  AND believe it or not ... it's not how pretty your website looks that makes the first impression, but how well you connect to your visitor!

Websites that make good first impressions include:

1. An immediate clear, distinct and short welcome that lets visitors know they have found a match for their needs. Sometimes this can be done with a single sentence.  Sometimes you'll see bullet points that list several specifics.  In either case ... clear & distinct.  No thinking required.
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2. A welcome message that is easy to "see" .... does not requires "left to right" reading. The message is received via a single glance!  Cannot be missed!
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3. "Next steps"  that are  easy to see and access after landing on the website and connecting with the welcome message.  Not all will go to the same "next" destination,  so you must make choices visible for your visitors  that are, again, easy to be seen and opted for!  Have clear navigation choices.
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4. Self introductions, especially if you are a professional service.  Allowing your new visitors to get some idea of who you are... a photo, an audio,  and a video is ideal.  This is so important if you are in a business where personal chemistry matters, i.e. doctor, dentist, massage therapist,  etc. If you have this type of business, who "you" are is the elephant in the room until your prospective client can see & know a bit about you!   Show your visitors you understand that and you will make a good first impression. .
   
5. Clean and simple presentation of all content. Lots of white space is always good and makes it easy for visitors to see where you want them to first land and then easy for them to know their choices for their next landing spot. People like uncomplicated!! 
   
6. Up to date resources, i.e. have social media icons that go to live pages!  Have a blog and/or newsletter.  You don't have to have all the bells and whistles but do show that you are up to date what is going on in the technology industry.
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7. Current photos &  news items.  If you did a promo on the July 4th parade and your booth at the event on your home page and it is now, November, you are NOT making a good first impression.
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8. Content  that connects and speaks with your visitors!  Your website is a conversation with your visitors and they want to know you are talking to them about what they need.  They do not care about you talking about you.... hope you see the difference?
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9. An attractive color scheme is always a plus.  Same thing with the font face and size that you use. Make it easy on the eye(s). HOWEVER, as mentioned above .. this is secondary to all 1-8 items listed above. r.  

Remember, first impressions last. They form the base of trust for everything that happens afterwards.  In life AND on your website!! Give your website homepage a once over.  See what you discover.

Keep your business garden growing,
margie
www.todaysway.net