One of my year-end tasks is stepping back from day-to-day posting and looking at website design. Who is my audience? How does my audience find my site? Where do most visitors first land? How can I ensure that a goodly chunk of those who drop in stay longer than 10 seconds and visit more than the landing page?
On this topic, iMedia Connection has an article by Joseph Carrabis on First Impression Analysis that concludes with these paragraphs:
There are many things that go into a First Impression Analysis. We consider what’s above the fold. We also consider how much is below the fold and whether or not what’s above the fold is a driver to make the visitor scroll. The fact that some pages only behave well in specific browsers is considered because this creates an impression that people using other browsers aren’t in the company’s market, and that flash or “oomph” are more important than conversions in those demographics.
The take-away from this exercise is that websites, like people, can make a good or not so good first impression, and that first impressions affect everything else that happens on a site. The bad news is that most site owners are unaware of First Impressionitis and how simply it can be solved.
This complements my desire to rethink my website with differing audiences in mind. For example, folks who are interested in digital photography may have no interest in cooking even though I combine the two. How do I design my website components so that all three audiences are attracted and retained?
Lots to ponder.
Do you find news here worth reading? Do you agree (or disagree) with my slant on that news? Buy me a cup of coffee! My recipe for a daily cup: 8 ounces of 2% milk, 2 shots of espresso, 4 shakes of ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons chocolate syrup, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and a topping of light whipped cream. Drop a tip in my jar — whatever amount you want, whatever amount you think I've earned.
Hello,
Thanks for referencing my IMediaConnection article in your blog. I’m flattered (and I little embarassed, I guess) at the amount of response and interest it’s gathered. Your question about designing components to attract all three audiences is a good one. I explain some of that in my IMediaConnection column, Mapping Personae to Outcomes, and will provide some more detail on my blog.
Thanks again. – Joseph