That’s right. You’ve got around 7 seconds to persuade someone to stay on your website.

Which means that first impressions count. They mean everything. So good design doesn’t just make your website look fantastic, it also gives it credibility.

To drill down, in those 7 seconds you’ll have to answer these three questions:

1. Am I in the right place?
2. Is this business reliable and trustworthy?
3. What do I do next?

Am I in the right place?

In some cases, you might want the visitor to realise that they are in the wrong place.

For example, I have a web design client that does, amongst other things, dance fit classes for seniors. Younger visitors will see a photo of senior ladies exercising and move on. Great. This means all the enquiries will be age-appropriate.

But for the visitors that are in the right place, tell them what they need to know about what your company does, visually and with a simple headline. And in sight – ie above “the fold”, without scrolling.

And keep it simple.

Is this business reliable and trustworthy?

You need to come across as competent. And good design can help you do that. 

Use your company brand colour scheme consistently and appropriately. 

Have an easy to follow layout that doesn’t confuse and uses a simple font that is easy to read. Most people are initially put off by huge paragraphs of text so keep it short and to the point.

What do I do next?

Think of what your website visitors would want to do after landing on your site. 

They might:

• Want to know more
• Want to get in touch
• Want to buy your product

 So help them get there with obvious links and buttons. Like the ones I’ve put on this page to help you get in touch 🙂