Optimising your site to increase traffic from search engines (ie Search Engine Optimisation), is only one part of the puzzle. The final part is converting those customers entering your site, into conversions (thereby increasing your Return on Investment or ROI). Thus first impressions of your site could be the difference between a completed sale or conversion and a visitor "bounce".
Internet users make up their mind in less than a second as to whether a site is applicable to their requirements or not according to a recent study published in the journal Behaviour and Information Technology. The study went on to say that these impressions had a lasting impact, and were not only applicable upon entry to the site.
The study, undertaken by a Canadian team, showed volunteers brief glimpses of various websites, lasting roughly 50 milliseconds, who then had to rate the site on their first impressions. The researches found that the impressions formed by the volunteers closely mirrored the impressions of those who had viewed the site over a longer period of time.
The researchers also concluded that these initial impressions last because of what is referred to as the "halo effect" by psychologists. The Halo effect effectively means that if people believe a website looks good, then this positive quality will spread to other areas, such as the website's content.
Dr Lindgaard (of Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and lead researcher of the study) added that companies should take note of the research, stating that:
"Unless the first impression is favourable, visitors will be out of your site before they even know that you might be offering more than your competitors,".
Whilst a well optimised site may bring in a substantial amount of traffic, ensuring that visitors stay on the site should also be taken into account. By looking at the main exit points on your website, you should be able to highlight potential problems with your website, and increase the probability of maximising both customers and ultimately revenue.
E-Gain New Media are experts in the field of Web Design and Online Marketing. If your site is not offering you the Return on Investment you are expecting, why not contact us to see if we can help you with our Website Traffic consultancy. « Back
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