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Opinions about websites are often made within seconds. An important part of providing a positive first impression is matching the user's expectations to the reality of what they find on the site.
[Dan Gorgone] Opinions about websites are often made within seconds.
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When the page loads, users will subconsciously ask themselves very basic questions each time.
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Is this where I want to be? Is this what I expected?
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Does the site look trustworthy? Do I understand where things are?
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And can I figure out where to go first for what I want?
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Even visiting familiar sites can yield similar questions.
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Is everything where it was yesterday? Does everything work the same?
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Do I know where the new information can be found?
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And do I understand why something is different?
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[Guil Hernandez, CSS Teacher, Treehouse] I'd say the first impression is extremely important
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because you only have a couple seconds to grab a user's attention,
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and there's a lot of things we can use to do that
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with proper layout of content, structuring the content properly
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with affordances, callouts, proper navigation—
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we don't want them to rely solely on the navigation to get around;
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we have to provide them with other methods of doing that, especially on mobile apps.
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So, laying out your content, I think is one of the most important things
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because when a user lands on your site, they don't immediately want to read all of your content, right?
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They're looking for reasons to leave the site, to be honest with you.
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[Gorgone] An important part of providing a positive first impression,
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is matching the user's expectations to the reality of what they find on the site.
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Providing a clear site ID, such as the logo in an expected location on the site,
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usually the top left corner, can set a new user's mind at ease
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about what else they'll find.
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Even large companies with world-wide recognition stick to this pattern,
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placing their logo in the spot where users usually look..
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Deviating from the norm means taking a chance that users will become uneasy.
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Many of these same questions are asked when apps are opened for the first time,
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or for the first time each day.
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Where's my new content? Do I have any notifications?
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Has the app been updated? Am I starting from a home screen
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or from somewhere within the app itself?
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In either case, as users get acquainted with a site or app,
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they'll begin to know where other aspects appear.
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Elements like the main menu and navigation,
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the use of color and different kinds of text,
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and interactivity all factor into the user's next decision—
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whether or not to continue using it.
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By understanding what your users are looking for,
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you can provide a positive first impression
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and welcome them to your site or app
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instead of encouraging them to leave.
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