Digital First Impressions. Does Your Website Need a Redesign?

We’ve all heard the phrase “you only get one chance to make a good first impression” and it’s as true today as it ever was. Except now your customers are making decisions about you and your business before they even get to meet or hear your sales pitch.

We are all hard-wired to make an initial first impression, from the basics of friend or foe, to spotting a potential mate. But for all the complexity of the human brain, our conscious minds can only process around 40 bits of information a second. Now that might sound like a lot, but the subconscious mind can handle 11 million bits per second and for that reason it’s the subconscious that does most of the heavy lifting when it comes to assessing and judging those all-important first impressions.

“Our conscious minds can process around 40 bits of information a second / the subconscious mind can handle 11 million bits per second”

I bet you’re thinking that surely your conscious mind will still have the final say in the matter, after all it is your mind. You’d be surprised!

Visual Cues v Written Information

It’s easier just to show you than explain it (see what I did there) but even telling your conscious mind in advance that the photo below depicts the SAME PERSON and that he is just dressed in two  different outfits won’t be enough. Your subconscious mind will still judge them differently based on visual appearance.  I’m not saying its fair, just that it happens. To everyone!

Visitors judge the quality of your business / service based on the information you provide on your website and how you present that information. These first impressions are made in less than 50 milliseconds, that’s faster than the blink of an eye.

Even though your conscious mind has already been told that these are just photographs of the same person, your subconscious mind will still insist that the one dressed as a medical professional is the more trustworthy of the two. Who would you want to remove your appendix if you had to pick between the two?

The shocking reality is that the same judgement is being made of your business every time a visitor lands on your website. Within 50 milliseconds, they have already started to formulate a basic visual impression of your company. If your website looks too different from what they expect to see (ie ugly or outdated or even too radical), visitors are unlikely to even start reading what you have to say and simply leave.

You’ll never know exactly how many customers shy away from your business because of your badly designed website. They won’t tell you, they will just go to your competition.

(I’m guessing that if you haven’t kept your website up to date, then its highly unlikely to be connected to Google Analytics)

• First impressions are 94% design-related. Good quality content does matter, it matters a lot to the overall success of your site. You can have the best content available but if it’s surrounded by poor design you’ll be turning away customers that are ready to buy. Studies of visitor behaviour have found that visual appeal and website navigation have the biggest influence on people’s first impressions of your brand.
• Positive first impressions lead to higher satisfaction. A visitors first impression of your website can have a priming effect on how future interactions with your business are perceived. In fact research also shows that positive priming can even boost customer satisfaction.  Obviously, when the shoes on the other foot and a negative first impression is generated there’s considerable knock-on effect which drags on through to user satisfaction.
• First impressions last. First impressions can last for years and they are very difficult to change, so its best to go out of your way to make a good one the first chance you get. So it’s true to say “you never get a second chance to make a first impression.”

The majority of consumers will view a company’s website online before making a purchase, even more so if your website is service related or is a Business to Business website. You should also keep in mind that most customers when looking for a local service will use a mobile device to search on google.

With so many screen sizes it is impossible to develop a website for each screen. This is why responsive designs are gaining popularity so quickly. Yes, your static website can be viewed on a mobile phone and you can zoom in and out to read content but it’s not as convenient for the end user. And as of 21st April search results on mobile devices will no longer display websites that are not mobile-friendly. Just another reason to redesign your website!

The Good News

The good news is that you can change how your website looks and you don’t have to start from the very beginning.  You can review your existing content and update it, you can identify any backlinks that point to your current website and make sure you factor those pages into your new design.  Web sites have changed a lot over the years and what was once good practice isn’t necessarily the case anymore.

Changing the visual appearance of your website is just the tip of the iceberg! If you’re going to do it, you might as well do it right! Stop driving away your customers and Activate Your Potential with a website re-design!  Hue Marketing deliver practical solutions to fit your business and your budget!

Website Redesign For BigMove Phuket

The number one reason that visitors indicated why they wouldn’t use a companies service after visiting their website was because it had an unprofessional “look and feel” that lacked credibility and did not “feel” trustworthy.

Understandably this affects businesses that use their website to sell products and services directly but it also affect businesses that use their website to highlight service options and their location, a great example of the latter would be restaurants or dentists. First Impressions Really Do Matter!

It’s an all too common problem especially for small and medium sized business, they started a website because everyone had one and just left it to stagnate. Old design, Poor Usability and even Outdated Content (text). You’d be amazed at how many websites promote specials from 3 years ago or even have the wrong contact information on them.

You’d be even more amazed to know just how many companies with outdated websites still regularly spend money on advertising. It’s just crazy.

Understanding that your website must be functional part of your business and not a separate entity is your first step. Your second step is to contact us!

Get in touch with Hue Marketing for a free review your current website. We’ll ask all the right questions to ensure we fully understand your business and the role your website will play as part of your business growth. We’ll find practical solutions that will work for your business that you can build on. We don’t just deliver websites, we see the bigger picture and then make sure you’re business is part of it.

Your website can be a powerful marketing tool when its used within a modern business strategy. Pound for pound you won’t find any medium that will offer better value or reach when its done right.

Click on the free website review button above or call us at +66 872 827 483 and talk with Stephen.