To answer that question, first you need to examine what the impression you want the website to make, and then determine whether your website is making that impression. What determines the impression people get?
What Impression Should You Try to Make?
Generally, this depends on your brand. A small business needs a different approach than a large business.
A large business might need to try to look extremely professional and not convey a lot of personality for fear of putting off visitors. On the other hand, a small business may be better off not leaving a totally politically correct impression that is so safe that it doesn’t give people any impression about who you are or what you stand for.
You should ask yourself what you want to be known for in your industry and ensure that your website conveys that unique positioning.
The First Impression Is Often All You Will Have
One mistake many website owners make is that they assume they have their reader’s attention and have time to carefully tell them what their business is about.
The reality is that you have only about two seconds to make an impression on your visitors, during which they try to determine how you might be able to help them, as well as the overall “vibe” of your website. Your visitors will then decide if they want to keep browsing or not. This browsing tendency makes it absolutely crucial that you carefully craft your first impression.
The most important things to look at here are those that are visible above the fold, meaning within the first screen without scrolling.
Usability
Your website should be easy to use, without visitors having to struggle to find navigation buttons. They must be able to easily find what they’re looking for without it being a difficult process. As it might be easy to think that you are doing great in this area, when you really are not, the only way to know is to actually observe how visitors are using your website.
Ask five friends or family members to browse the website while you are watching. See where they initially put their attention, then what they try to do and any difficulties they encounter. Ask them for suggestions. Your best redesign and improvement ideas often won’t come from you – they’ll come from your users.
The Impression
Ask yourself what kind of first impression you want to leave. Then figure out what kind of impression you’re actually leaving by asking and observing users interacting with your website. Use what you learn to redesign and tweak your website to better target the kind of impression you want to convey.
