A website works the same as a shopfront does for a retail store. And just like in the bricks & mortar world, it’s only natural to form a first impression upon wandering in. Whether that is a positive or a negative experience, is actually up to you.
Business owners and managers obviously want clients to be happy and content with their company and the image that you outwardly portray. The same is true for your prospects – indeed even more so, as their level of familiarity with your organisation will vary from ‘never heard of you’ to ‘oh yes, I’ve heard of them.’
Therefore, the credibility and trustworthiness of your website, and the value that it offers clients, prospects and others who interact, is critical. That’s because your site is a magnet for quick judgements – not limited to the actual website, it carries over to the way web visitors interpret and regard the company as a whole.
A poor site usually leaves a bad impression and can significantly tarnish a company’s reputation. Whereas a quality website with easy, intuitive navigation, valuable content, great imagery, fast page loads, and mobile device optimised, can improve your level of credibility considerably – for greater trust and engagement.
Ultimately, the choice is yours. This myth is starting to look very shaky indeed, as you are indeed judged by your website, whether site visitors know you or not. Check out our infographic which reinforces this fact.
Optimise your chances of creating a great online environment.
Website first impressions really do matter – and so does the way you are perceived by people who visit you regularly online. A website is the main point of interaction for all sorts of people, including those who want to check out a business by going online, before they contact you.
So, elements like ease of navigation, the quality of imagery, whether the text is easy to read, makes sense and offers value to the visitor, are all critical factors. As is responsive web design – for if a user has to pinch to zoom in and out on your site, there’s a good chance they will just leave instead. And if the site is not set-up for mobile devices, forget it.
Company managers and owners know the business better than anyone. Yet most businesses can benefit tremendously when professionals are called upon to handle a website’s vital first impression, quality of content and imagery and the inner workings ‘under the hood’ that can either make or break an online interaction. We’re confident you’ll agree that we’ve well and truly busted this myth. Web credibility is in your hands.
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Sources:
1. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/221516871_Trust_and_mistrust_of_online_health_sites
2. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/15-essential-web-design-statistics-every-business-owner
3. https://www.statista.com/topics/5261/internet-usage-in-australia/#topicOverview
4. https://www.socpub.com/articles/the-5-mobile-marketing-mistakes-infographic-14849
5. https://www.invisionapp.com/inside-design/statistics-on-user-experience + https://www.impactplus.com/blog/mobile-marketing-statistics
6. https://insideretail.com.au/e-commerce/one-in-three-online-visits-causes-frustration-and-revenue-loss-202302
7. https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/software/website-statistics
8. https://joelhouse.com.au/blog/seo-statistics
9. https://www.business2community.com/online-marketing/the-no-brainers-guide-to-call-to-actions-02127152
