First Impression Counts! The Halo Effect - Website Design

Big businesses spends millions of dollars each year on website design. Every detail from font, to picture placement is carefully scrutinized. That may sound a bit excessive, after all, who really cares if a picture is 1 inch or 1.3 inches from the edge of the page? Those tiny details may sound silly, but it turns out they could be the key to a good webpage. That is because web users form first impressions of a website in as little as 50 milliseconds. That is faster than a hummingbird can flap its wings.

In other words, before a person even knows what a page is about, they have already formed an initial impression that will color how they view the rest of the page. This is called the halo effect. To stop this from ruining a web page, businesses need to look for certain traits that appeal to web users. The most important of these are load time, professionalism and visual appeal.

Load time is simple, it is the amount of time it takes a page to load. If a website has too many graphics or images, it will load slower. This can be annoying and makes a bad first impression. Using smaller or faster loading files, graphics and images makes for a better page. It also makes a page look more professional.

If a website is stuffed with too many pictures or graphics, it can look cluttered. Most of the better websites are very organized and subscribe to a “less is more” style. Instead of  flooding a sight with visual clutter, use a well designed logo, a good company name and one or two professional motion graphics. Then add a navigation bar and its done. This makes a site look professional and reputable. It also gives a site great visual appeal.

When something is pleasant to look at it is visually appealing. When a website looks good, it makes a better first impression. By simply making a good looking site, businesses can draw people in.


With good load time, a professional site and visual appeal, any website can improve business without the million dollar investment. 








Written By: Brad Girtz - Mindshift Media Blogger
Blog Posting By: Tyler Griffin, Creative Director - Mindshift Media