You’ve got less than 8 seconds.
Commanding consumer’s attention is a difficult task when you only have a few seconds to make an impression. According to recent research, the average adult’s attention span consists of eight seconds, but when it comes to internet browsing it’s even less! The following statistics are shocking and may require you to reconsider how and what you are posting online and on your webpage.
28% of words on an average webpage (593 words) are read.
4% of page views last more than 10 minutes.
17% of page views last less than 4 seconds.
The average length watched of an online video is 2.7 minutes.
Judging by these percentages, your first impression is crucial. If you want to attract new customers, it is important to realize that your impression is limited to mere seconds. The fate of your business website relies on what consumers take away in those few short moments. Not only are potential customers looking for the right products and services that meet their needs, but they also want to feel comfortable with the business they purchase from, especially if it is an online purchase.
Whether consumers realize it or not they are evaluating your site, checking for credibility, user-friendliness, ease of checkout and more. So how can you meet all this criteria in just a few short seconds? Grab attention with one of these simple tricks.
- Generate immediate credibility with a premium domain name. When searching online, customers will look at your domain name in order to determine the validity of your site. If your name includes unknown words, multiple hyphens, or is just incredibly long, consumers may look over your site, not even giving your web page a chance to speak for itself. By choosing a short, keyword-rich, easily identifiable and brandable name, you can create credibility and entice customers to give your website a chance.
- Keep content “short, sweet, and to the point.” Clearly consumers aren’t reading everything you are diligently trying to publish, so cut back on the length of your content. Not only are you making it easier on yourself, but you are allowing consumers to find the information they want. If they are only spending four seconds on your webpage, your home page should be enticing and informative. You should also take this into consideration if you write a blog. Putting the most important information in the first 100 words may hook potential buyers or current customers to continue reading.
- Create a site that is easy to navigate. Website efficiency is key when it comes to keeping people involved. If there are error messages, dead links, or even a difficult check out process, you will lose customers. Making sure that all navigation through your site runs smoothly will allow customers to complete transitions in a timely manner, before their attention span runs out.
So perhaps the hardest part isn’t grabbing a consumer’s attention, but rather keeping it. The best thing you can do for your website is prove to consumers you are worthy of their attention and also keep in mind you only have eight seconds to do so. Be conscious of the first few lines on your site, blog, or other materials and make sure you are making the right impression.
