Making a positive first impression with your company’s website

A great first impression extends to the internet as well

Making a strong first impression when people see you or your company for the first time is extremely important. It sets how people perceive you, so it’s critical that you make sure a first impression is the best it can be.

Common ways to make a strong first impression can include:

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• Wearing appropriate attire for the right occasion, such as a business-formal outfit at an important business meeting
• Ensuring that your physical appearance is clean when appearing to the public

However, creating a strong first impression isn’t just for real life; it’s important for your company’s website as well. In the inbound methodology, your company’s website and the content it delivers are key to success. This means both your website, the content you create, and other forms of owned media need to make a strong first impression.

Making a strong first impression with your company’s website

Your website is your company’s main presence online and is key for your online public relations. Review these points to make sure you create an impression that makes customers want to use your product or service.

• How fast is your site? Google reports that the longer your site takes to load, the higher the odds of a customer leaving. Even a three-second wait time can lead to a 32% increase in bounce rate.
• Does your site’s homepage clearly explain what your company does and why people should use your services or products?
• Does your website have an SSL certificate? A company website with “Not secured” in the URL bar won’t seem trustworthy.
• Is your website mobile friendly? Statcounter states that, as of October 2022, 59.5% of all global web traffic comes from mobile devices, so a website that looks great on mobile devices is important for success.
• Can someone with disabilities easily interact with your website?

When creating content for your company’s website, keep the following things in mind to strengthen the impression you make.

• Is your content answering the reader’s question?
• Is your content straightforward, or are you the reader’s time before reaching the actual answer?
• Is your content grammatically accurate? If not, it can delegitimize you as an authority and make you lose a potential customer. It is hard to sell yourself as an expert if you make basic spelling or grammar mistakes, after all.

A great first impression on your website is important

First impressions are critical – with no exception for your company’s website and its content. If your website has been in stasis for a while, it might be an appropriate time to review its layout and consider redesigning it to meet modern standards. With a great website, you and your company can make a strong first impression on customers, just like someone would if they saw you wearing an appropriate outfit to a meeting or industry convention.

Is your company not using inbound marketing for its PR? Check out our e-book on inbound marketing to see how and why it’s more effective than traditional PR.

Clients love Jacob’s speed. Jacob is an inbound marketing-certified webmaster. He earned an integrated communications degree from Florida State College at Jacksonville. Jacob joined Axia PR as an intern in August 2015 and earned his way into a critical role at our PR agency.