A Website's First Impressions Matter and They Need to Happen in Seconds

What if you had only a few seconds to impress someone new?

There would be pressure to look good and say the right things.

That’s the expectations on your Website’s homepage.

In less than five seconds, visitors want to know what you do, whether it serves them, and why it matters to them.

And the homepage needs to look good to enforce your pitch.

If your messaging fails the instant gratification test, you’re dead on arrival.

Game over.

For inspiration, let’s break down Adobe’s new podcast tool that removes background noise.

Why it works:
• The headline, (“Remove noise from voice recordings with speech enhancement”) is straightforward and clear. It’s instantly obvious what the tool does.
• The sub-head (“Speech enhancement makes voice recordings sound as if they were recorded in a professional studio”) shines the spotlight on the benefits.

The design is first-rate.
• You can easily listen to a “before and after” scenario. This shows the experience of using the tool, even if it is canned.
• The “drag and drop audio” box explains how to use the tool and how it functions.

This is a good example of a homepage that delivers.

The messaging is clear and concise, shows why the tool could matter, and focuses on the user.

What do you think? Any suggestions on how Adobe’s homepage could be improved?

More: If you want a free mini-assessment of your homepage, send me an email: mark@markevans.ca