First glance... A couple of years ago we published an account of a research study showing that first impressions are made in the first 1/20th of a second. (A blink of the eye takes about 15 times longer!)
Second glance... Then a few months ago, we described typical visitor time on web pages (30 seconds, regardless of amount of text), pointing out that only about 100-150 words will "register."
The magazine industry has had centuries to figure out what works. Think about the row after row of magazines you see at the store. Each magazine has a few things in common with the rest:
- First glance... an overall appearance that appeals to their target audience, to get them to take a closer look,
- Second glance... seldom more than 100-150 words, in 3-6 "teasers," to entice potential readers to open up the magazine, and,
- nothing else!
Your home page should follow the same approach
You need an overall look that immediately appeals to your ideal audience. Remember, that "appeal" is won or lost before any words have had time to even register in your visitors' minds.
You cannot convey more than the most basic message on the home page. The goal is to catch their attention on any of a very few key topics, so they will click (not scroll) to learn more.
