AdvantEdge Workspaces Blog

Author: Isabelle Leichtman

Welcome to part two of our “How to Make your Website a Success” series! A recent study from the Missouri Institute of Science and Technology found that when viewing a website, it takes two-tenths of a second to form a first impression and about 2.6 seconds for someone to hone in on the area that has the most impact on their first impressions. The following results show which areas people dedicated the most time to viewing:

Logo

The participants spent 6.48 seconds centered on the main logo.  While it is of course important to focus on your content, having an appealing logo will affect whether or not the viewers have a positive or negative first impression of your company.  If there is no one on your team that specializes in creating images, hiring a professional would be a smart consideration.  There are many individuals and companies that make creative logos appropriate for your field.

Main navigation menu

The participants spent 6.44 seconds to the navigation menu.  This shows that you need to make sure the subcategories are clear and concise so that people know exactly where to go for the information they need.

Search box

Users spent more than 6 seconds looking at the search box.  Providing a search box is a great feature for your site because it allows people direct access to what they need.  Sometimes people need quick information and do not want to bother exploring the site’s links.  The search box also provides an alternative if someone simply cannot find what they are looking for with the subcategories provided.

Social sharing links such as Facebook or Twitter

Participants spent 5.95 seconds looking at these links.  This applies to companies that participate in other social media outlets and allows viewers to see that there are more resources for them to get more information.

Featured image

Participants spent 5.94 seconds focused on the main image for the page.  Photos and videos are natural attention getters and are good to include (if not on all pages) on the initial home page at least.

Text content

Participants spent 5.59 seconds focused here.  While this area allows you to fully explain your company and its product or service, it is not what viewers spend the most time on for the first impression.  Initially, most do not take the time to read everything word for word and simply glace at first.  This shows just how important other features on the page are to your overall success and impression as a company.

Bottom of the page

Participants spent 5.25 seconds focusing here.  This is the last part of the page but still important to make sure everything is presentable.  Many websites include contact information as well as a second navigation menu here.

These are just a few points of the many for the initial set up for your company site.  There are many outlets and tools that are available as references to fixing these problems, as well as professionals that are beneficial to hire.  If you’re thinking about creating a website or just want to upgrade your already existing one, then ultimately these are just a small sample of factors that make a large impact on the success of your website.

Further Reading