Web Design & Online Marketing That Works

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2. Your Website Fails The “Five Second Rule”

Did you know?

  • 5 seconds is about how long the average person will look at a website before deciding whether it’s useful to them or not.

One of the main rules of web design is speed: If a visitor doesn’t figure out your content, your product or what your website is about in about 5 seconds, then you’ve probably lost them.

Therefore, the 5 second rule states that you have about 5 seconds to get your visitors attention.

So, how do you test the 5 second rule on your website?

You can’t test it yourself because you already know everything you do. Try and find a friend, family member or acquaintance who doesn’t already know about your business. If possible, put them in front of your website for 5 seconds and then turn it off. Then ask them to describe what they understood from those 5 seconds of looking at your website.

If they were unable to describe what your website, product, or service is then you need to make some big improvements.

How to Fix This

My recommendation is that you have a strong hero section on your home page.

The hero section is the area that immediately shows up on the screen under your logo and menu. This portion of the page should ideally include information about four things:

– What you have to offer
– Why people should trust you
– The benefits of working with you
– What action they should take next

Ideally, it should also contain a captivating image that’s relevant to your offer, and not something that looks like a stereotypical stock photograph that people have likely seen on a dozen other websites.

Also, don’t use a rotating image banner in your hero section. Research has found that they typically harm conversions more than help.