Get It Together, People: Why Website First Impression Statistics Matter

Author: Kaitlyn Partington Category: Web Design Date: June 3, 2020

Picture this: It’s the year 2020, and the entire reputation of your brand rests on the shoulders of your website. Sound extreme? It shouldn’t, because it is 2020, and in the current marketing environment, your website is that important. According to a recent study conducted by Stanford University, 75% of consumers admit that they judge a business’s credibility based on their website design; and considering you only have between 0.2 and 2.6 seconds to make a first impression on your site, you’d better make it a good one. Your website’s first impression statistics are oh-so-important in relation to the overall wellbeing of your brand.

Importance of First Impressions

According to the Harvard Study of Communications, first impressions are made within seven seconds of meeting another person. But when it comes to visiting a website, as we noted above, first impressions are made within a fraction of that time. Why is this so important? Well, that same Harvard study also confirmed that, once a first impression has been established, it’s really difficult to change, setting in stone that old adage: “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”

So, in more cases than not, the way a person feels and thinks about your company is rooted in their brain within milliseconds of coming into contact with your brand – and it’s often permanent. Forever. How’s that for pressure?

first impression statistics

Not to belabor the point, but the impact of a bad website on a company’s reputation can be devastating: slow-loading websites lead to a $2.6 billion loss in revenue each year. The value of a good website, meanwhile, is infinite and evident in various first impression statistics.

Your website is representative of your brand’s entire personality, and it is often one of the first – if not the first – touchpoints between you and your customers, creating a whole extra layer of first impression dynamics. So, as you reflect on your current website or begin to build a new one, here are some first impression statistics to consider:

• It takes 2.6 seconds for eyes to settle on key areas of a web page
• First impressions are 94% design related
• 75% of website credibility comes from design
• A positive first impression increases overall satisfaction
• 39% of visitors will stop engaging with a website if an image takes too long to load
• 38% will stop engaging if the content or layout is unattractive
• 74% of users are more likely to return to a mobile-friendly website

In other words, consumers want to see organized, properly-functioning and well-designed websites that convey a sense of integrity and trust – and you have to convince them of those things quickly, within seconds. They associate the visual characteristics of your site with your brand as a whole, and if they don’t like what they see, they’ll find someone else who appears more worthy of their business.

So, what does your current website say about you? Hopefully all good things. But if not, drop us a line. We’d love to help you improve your own first impression statistics.