Polish is to Shoe, as Detail is to Website
(Page 1 of 5 )
What is the first reaction of visitors to your website? Will they be overwhelmed? Disgusted? Scared off? Or will your sleek, clean site encourage visitors to stick around for a while? First impressions matter, especially on the Internet, where a good impression can mean money in the bank. Read on to learn how to apply just the right polish to make visitors feel at home.
Introduction
Let’s say you're surfing websites for a particular LCD replacement screen on your cell phone because you dropped your cell phone on the ground and your screen broke. You’ve been searching for hours and you're afraid of Internet scams. So you have to search for a website that appears to be “non-scam-ish.” You come across a website which uses HTML Tables and Background Colors, including Lime Green, Yellow, and Bright Blue. You are thinking to yourself, “There is no way I’m buying something from this website, it seems WAY too unprofessional to be a company that is selling my LCD replacement screen.”
So what do you do? You go to the next website, of course, which happens to be a very nice looking website, loads quickly, features a nice graphic interface, appears to be well organized, and includes good details and clear navigation. Now you're thinking “Whoa, this company must be multi-millionaires, I trust them, where do I buy?!!”
This is just another example of why details are important. Would you rather wear a polished or a dull pair of shoes?
The Discussion and the Details…Oh, and Introduction Part 2
Most discussion in Internet chat rooms and tutorials tell you that you NEED good content to be successful. I strongly agree. However, they forget to tell you that your details must be extraordinary. When I say details, I’m talking about the way the website looks, the layout, the graphics, the colors, text formatting, and most importantly, the space occupied by your website. I’m going to take a moment to discuss these few details, which make or break first time visitors, because the surveys say that a visitor leaves within the first 7 seconds of their viewing. Within 7 seconds of viewing ANY website, the biggest effect on them is the details (the layout, graphics, colors, formatting, spacing, ect..) of the website.
I can’t single out any one detail which is the most important. As many successful team leaders say: “We are only as strong as our weakest link.” That saying, to me, means that if one detail on your website is left untouched, then your web site is only as professional as that one untouched detail. When I stereotype a Professional Website Designer, the characteristic that sticks out the most is perfectionism. Why? EVERYTHING must be perfect. Your website must show professionalism.
Next: Color, Color, Color, and Some More Color >>
More Web Authoring Articles
More By Michael Dick
