The First Impression

[Dan Gorgone] Opinions about websites are often made within seconds. 0:00 When the page loads, users will subconsciously ask themselves very basic questions each time. 0:04 Is this where I want to be? Is this what I expected? 0:10 Does the site look trustworthy? Do I understand where things are? 0:14 And can I figure out where to go first for what I want? 0:18 Even visiting familiar sites can yield similar questions. 0:22 Is everything where it was yesterday? Does everything work the same? 0:26 Do I know where the new information can be found? 0:30 And do I understand why something is different? 0:33 [Guil Hernandez, CSS Teacher, Treehouse] I'd say the first impression is extremely important 0:36 because you only have a couple seconds to grab a user's attention, 0:39 and there's a lot of things we can use to do that 0:43 with proper layout of content, structuring the content properly 0:46 with affordances, callouts, proper navigation— 0:51 we don't want them to rely solely on the navigation to get around; 0:55 we have to provide them with other methods of doing that, especially on mobile apps. 0:59 So, laying out your content, I think is one of the most important things 1:03 because when a user lands on your site, they don't immediately want to read all of your content, right? 1:08 They're looking for reasons to leave the site, to be honest with you. 1:13 [Gorgone] An important part of providing a positive first impression, 1:17 is matching the user's expectations to the reality of what they find on the site. 1:21 Providing a clear site ID, such as the logo in an expected location on the site, 1:27 usually the top left corner, can set a new user's mind at ease 1:32 about what else they'll find. 1:36 Even large companies with world-wide recognition stick to this pattern, 1:39 placing their logo in the spot where users usually look.. 1:43 Deviating from the norm means taking a chance that users will become uneasy. 1:47 Many of these same questions are asked when apps are opened for the first time, 1:54 or for the first time each day. 1:58 Where's my new content? Do I have any notifications? 2:00 Has the app been updated? Am I starting from a home screen 2:03 or from somewhere within the app itself? 2:07 In either case, as users get acquainted with a site or app, 2:09 they'll begin to know where other aspects appear. 2:13 Elements like the main menu and navigation, 2:16 the use of color and different kinds of text, 2:19 and interactivity all factor into the user's next decision— 2:22 whether or not to continue using it. 2:26 By understanding what your users are looking for, 2:29 you can provide a positive first impression 2:32 and welcome them to your site or app 2:35 instead of encouraging them to leave. 2:37