Perhaps one of the most important lessons in life you learned early on was when your mother told you that “first impressions matter” so be on your best behaviour. You have carried this with you throughout your life and have always striven to do such things as dressing appropriately for important meetings with new clients or keeping your office neat and well-organised.
Power players know how important that first impression is and there is even a science behind ‘why’ they matter as much as they do, according to Psychology Today. So, how does this translate to your website? How can you make a better first impression online? The following tips should get you started on the right foot, and isn’t that what a first impression really is? Putting the best foot forward? Let’s take a look.
1. Dress to Kill
Yes, it’s an overused cliché but one that is more important than you think! Here, we are not talking about the clothes you are wearing because you could obviously be in your pajamas and no one would be the wiser. It is a website, after all, and unless you have a live video feed from your office, what you are wearing doesn’t make a difference. Here, it is important to develop a visually attractive website that will immediately grab attention. A professional web development company will help you design a site that is perfect for your industry and this is why it’s better to let the ‘tailor’ dress you, your website that is! Make sure it fits.
2. Every Visitor Matters
Another way to make a great first impression is to let each, and every, visitor know that they are important to you. It is especially important when they’ve signed up for your newsletter or have signed up to download an informative e-book, which by the way also makes a great first impression! Once you have that all-important email address, follow up immediately with a thank you for signing up email. The Sendinblue website has several ideas for how this is done. Show your visitors that they are appreciated and that you will make every effort to keep the ‘relationship’ alive.
3. Work from a Position of Authority
Today’s customers are altogether disenchanted with the level of incompetence in almost every industry across the board. They are tired of ordering defective or inferior products and even more frustrated with the lack of customer service. In reference to that downloadable e-book mentioned above, it shows that you care about keeping them informed. It shows that you are giving them, free of charge, invaluable knowledge so that they are well informed prior to making a purchase. Once you establish yourself as an authority in your industry, they will immediately form an impression that you are to be trusted.
4. Build on the Trust Factor
After so many bad experiences with businesses, a consumer is less likely to trust the next company that comes along. It is imperative that you build on the trust factor, according to Fortune magazine, and you can do this in a number of ways on your website. A well-populated FAQ section helps as does that welcoming email and the e-book you’ve given freely. You may also wish to set up a chatbot so that they can communicate with a customer service rep to ask any questions they may have or simply get a feel for your company’s personality. Consumers today want to identify with companies they do business with, so make sure to work on developing a high level of trust.
5. Videos Attract
A growing number of consumers are more interested in watching a short video presentation than reading that e-book you’ve published. It is now being suggested that you offer at least one professionally shot video on your landing page. Whether it’s an introduction to your company or a brief presentation of products and services you offer, that video will make a remarkably good first impression because, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. How much more do you think moving pictures, videos, are worth?
6. Testimonials and Reviews
You will never know how important customer reviews and testimonials can prove to be. Since trust is such a huge concern in today’s market, one effective way to gain a customer’s trust is to show them a sample of satisfied customers you’ve worked with. Post those testimonials in a prominent location so that they are immediately visible. Talk to your web developer as to how they should be highlighted, but make sure to include them. What better first impression can you make than to show you are well-respected by those you have served in the past?
To borrow yet another old cliché, remember that people do judge a book by its cover and that is exactly what your website is – a cover. It’s the front of a business you are operating under that website and so you do want to make a good first impression. If there is any key takeaway here today it would be to never minimise the importance of making a good first impression. It’s the only one you’ll ever have, so make the most of it.
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