Web Substance Meets Style

Why are you on the web? Are you promoting a product? Promoting yourself? Promoting an opinion? Let’s face it—the web is all about promotion. The same rules that apply to first impressions when meeting people offline apply to first impressions when meeting people online. The way you are dressed matters. The tone of your voice and the firmness of your handshake matter. In fact, on the web, first impressions matter even more.

If someone’s first impression of you is less than stellar, you have time in their presence to change their mind. On the web, if a reader’s first impression of you is less than stellar, POOF! They are gone in the click of a mouse—probably to visit your competitor. The rule of the web:

“You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”

This means that, while “content it king,” how you present that content is just as important. Your layout and design act as your product’s first impression. Dress well, have something interesting to say, and firmly establish your presence. This will give reader’s a positive first impression, thus greatly improving the odds of them staying on your site/blog for more than a passing glance.

Let’s look at the science.

Studies have shown that readers will judge a website based on its aesthetic appeal in as little as 50 milliseconds. Not seconds.¹ Milliseconds. Now add what is known as the “halo effect,” and you’ll understand why good site design is important. What is the halo effect, exactly? E L Thorndikes defined the halo effect as:

The extension of an overall impression of a person (or one particular outstanding trait) to influence the total judgment of that person. The effect is to evaluate an individual high on many traits because of a belief that the individual is high on one trait. ²

Now let’s apply this to the internet.

The extension of an overall impression of a website (of which the outstanding trait is its design) to influence the total judgment of that website. The effect is to evaluate the quality of a website’s content as high because of a belief that the website is high on one outstanding trait—its design.

This brings us full circle.

On the internet, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

That’s why Web Substance Meets Style is important. We’re your “first impression resource” for the internet. With information, tips, resources, and advice to help you improve your web presence. Go ahead and get started by checking out the resources below.

And don’t forget to subscribe! Next up, we’re going to jump right in to What makes good design? Part I.

Resources

¹BBC News, First impressions count for web, 16 January 2006.

²E L Thorndike, “A Constant Error on Psychological Rating”, Journal of Applied Psychology, vol. IV (1920), 25-29.

Website Optimization, First Impressions Count in Website Design, 17 January 2006.

User Interface Engineering, Luke Wroblewski, Communicate Quick: First Impressions Through Visual Web Design, 01 October 2008.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS