Remember when you were a kid and your mom would tell you, “Don’t judge a book by its cover”? You would hear this phrase over and over again throughout your life. Now, not to pick on mom’s words of wisdom but she would also make the statement, “You only get to make a first impression once.”
Believe it or not, mom was molding some great business owners. The internet might not have been around when she told you this, but it resonates with businesses in so many ways. But I’m going to pick on the marketing aspect of business… one being website design.
Business owners of all sizes know they need a website and usually do what they can with what they have. Tell me this, would you show up to your first meeting with a raggedy suit, poorly styled hair and a beaten up back pack? I would think not, you would find the money somewhere to get what you need to show the part. After all this is your first impression, right?
Website Design
Same thing goes for website design. How many times have you searched for something online and you click on the website to only sit there and wait for it to load? I don’t know about you, but when I see the spinning circle of death, I move onto the next one. Yes, I judged the book by its load speed.
Now let’s say I find what I’m looking for, it loads at a decent speed for me to only find a mess! The information is vague, ‘contact us’ is difficult to locate, there is no real information about who they are, the website is right down ugly and worse yet, it doesn’t tell me if they are on social media. I mean, come on, it’s 2014, I want to stay in touch. #areyoukiddingme
Design a New Website
Here’s the best bad first impression, ugly book experience I have had overall. The site is NOT responsive. I don’t have time to make the font bigger, scroll around so I can read it and then right down your number so I can call you. Or here’s one better, they make a “mobile site” that is outdated and doesn’t have all the information. Just the information THEY think I need to know while on my mobile phone. That’s a negative ghost rider!
When it comes to business or life in general, we all judge a book a by its cover and we all judge based on that first impression. Don’t let your website be a terrible wing man! You want to get a date with that prospect! So leave your 2004 website design behind and come join me in 2014!
Don’t take a chance and hope that your future client will give you a second chance. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have time for that.
Photo source: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/life_and_entertainment/2012/03/26/sultry-subject-spells-success.html
