First Impressions Count, Optimised Title and Description

Find out more about creating the right impression with your website contact MediaCo.

Visit Malcolm Gladwell's website and learn more about blinking philosophies.

Content is King but the impression the king makes on you should make you want to stay and get to know him better.

Check out past issues of our newsletter from 2006.

Rapid cognition - decisions in a Blink

The book features experts from the world of art, sport and counselling who seem to suddenly know something in an instant (but can't explain how). It also discusses impressions formed of someone when you meet them for the first time.

There's also an interesting experiment that suggests employers should look around future employees' bedrooms before giving them a job. Apparently they could get a much better idea of a future employee from this than an interview!

Discussion centres on "thin-slicing". This involves taking snippets of experience and applying these instantly to presented information. Many hesitate to act on thin-sliced impulses as they prefer to collect more information. However, there are occasions when we do, and Internet behaviour echoes this.

Decisions in a blink
You scan a page of search results. Knowing what you are looking for, you make snap judgements on presented information and click to a page. If it's not what you're looking for, you go back to Google to try the next eye-catching site, until bang, you see a site that meets your approval.

Because the Internet presents you with an abundance of information, you are inclined to thin-slice the information (scan the page) and make choices on limited details.

Learn more about how people skim or scan web pages

Writing good titles and descriptions
You may lose your customers in a blink online so it's worth taking time to write descriptive, persuasive titles and descriptions that lure people to "click".

The first impressions of a website
Looks count but content captures visitors' attention. If your site is easy on the eyes, easy to read, easy to navigate and the design complements the content, you may well win over visitors in the blink of an eye.

Use our handy checklist for creating a vital first impression:

Introduce yourself - It's important not to stuff titles and descriptions with keyphrases. Making sure your title and description tags are readable will create a great first impression!
Summarise your seductiveness - Your home page could be the first page people see whether following a link from a search engine, another site or typing your address directly into the browser. Capture attention in the first few seconds.
Tease them into finding out more - You've captured their attention but you've run out of things to say. Instead, fill your pages with useful, interesting (optimised) content.
Ask them how you did - Allowing visitors to voice opinions is good as it massages their egos. Add a viral or interactive element to your site and create a buzz.

Send me your questions
Let me know what you think of this article. Or, if you have any online marketing questions on SEO, Email Marketing or SMS Marketing email me. I'll answer a selection next month.

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