How website visitors view a website they visit for the first time
When you understand your first time web visitor's online behaviour, everything about your homepage messaging gets easier.
The first thing to know: when someone lands on a website for the first time, they are not reading.
They are scanning, judging, and deciding.
Here’s what’s actually happening in their head - usually in under 10 seconds.
1. “Am I in the right place?”
This is a web visitors's very first filter.
They’re subconsciously asking: Is this for someone like me?
Does this relate to the problem I’m trying to solve?
Does this feel relevant?
And make no mistake. You only have seconds to make this connection. If they can’t answer those questions in 3-5 seconds, guess what?
They don’t try
harder.
They don’t scroll to “figure it out.” (actually LOLed when I wrote this!)
They just go back. As in, buh bye!
Clarity beats clever every time.
2. They Read the Big Stuff Only
On a first visit, most people:
Read the headline (there's a reason I'm always chirpin' about this.)
Glance at the sub-headline
Scan buttons (especially free offers)
Notice
images
Maybe read one short section
They ignore:
Paragraphs
Backstory
Detailed explanations
Features
How come, Gerry?
They’re not invested.
You haven’t
earned their attention...yet.
3. They Look for Friction
Your visitor is asking:
Is this going to waste my time?
Is this complicated?
Is this salesy?
Is this
trustworthy?
ANYTHING confusing, cluttered, or vague creates friction.
Friction = hesitation.
Hesitation =
exit.
(Your prospect is in full lizard brain mode)
4. They Make Emotional Judgments First
Before logic kicks in, they decide:
Does this feel professional?
Does this feel credible?
Do I trust this person?
Does this feel like someone who understands me?
Your website design supports this to a degree.
But CLARITY drives it!
If the message is fuzzy, no amount of design saves it. (Think poor salesperson in expensive tailored clothing.)
5. They Don’t Care About You (Yet)
This is important.
Which is why I constantly remind my clients of it.
On first visit, they don’t care:
- How long you’ve been in business
- Your certifications
- Your process
- Your
philosophy
They ONLY care about:
“What does this mean for me?”
Only after that is clear do they care about who you
are.
6. They’re Looking for a Next Step (Even If They Don’t Know It)
People feel more comfortable when they see...
... clear button
...a clear next step
... a clear path forward
If there’s no direction, they feel lost.
And lost visitors don’t convert.
So What Does This Mean Practically?
Glad you asked!
Your homepage needs to immediately
answer:
Who this is for
What problem you solve
What outcome they can expect
What to do next
In. That. Order.
Everything else is secondary.
