Managing first impressions

Question:  how can you manage the first impression?  Follow these simple guidelines and your website will be far more effective:

Managing first impressions. 

1. Place graphics and subheads so they draw the eye to where important information is located. 
2. Give the reader visual stepping stones: subheads guiding the eyes to points of relevance in descending order.
3. Use sidebars, quotes, or graphics to break up large chunks of text.
4. Keep in mind that your website needs to reflect what your customers want to learn—not what you want to say.
5. Link to something your visitors will find valuable.
6. Short paragraphs are easier to read, where long ones are tedious. 

In Conclusion.  How can you get an objective first impression of your own website?  You can’t because you are way too familiar with it.  The best you can do is get a consultant to visit the site and catalog true first impressions.  Of course, it helps if that consultant also understands the psychology behind what causes failures and successes in the first impression.

If you'd like a truly objective first impression, shoot me an email: 
michael@aboutpeople.com.