A study found that people form impressions of websites within just 1/20th of a second after viewing them briefly. Researchers showed volunteers websites for only 50 milliseconds and found the quick impressions matched opinions formed after longer viewing. This suggests first impressions have a lasting impact, as people tend to believe initial judgments and confirm them by continuing to use websites that made good first impressions. Companies should ensure their websites make favorable initial impressions, otherwise visitors may leave without discovering all the site has to offer.

1. BBC NEWS | Technology | First impressions count for web 4/23/10 4:31 PM
First impressions count for web
Internet users make up their minds about the quality of a website in the blink of an eye, a
study shows.
Researchers found that the brain makes decisions in just a 20th of a second of viewing a webpage.
They were surprised as they believed it would take at least 10 times longer to form an opinion.
The study, published in the journal Behaviour and Information Technology, also suggests that first
impressions have a lasting impact.
Speedy conclusions
The Canadian team showed volunteers glimpses of websites, lasting for only 50 milliseconds.
“ My colleagues believed it would be impossible to really see anything in
less than 500 milliseconds ”
Gitte Lindgaard, Carleton University
The volunteers then had to rate the websites in terms of their aesthetic appeal.
The researchers found that the speedily formed conclusions closely tallied with opinions of the websites
that had been made after much longer periods of examination.
Gitte Lindgaard of Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and lead researcher of the paper expressed
her surprise at the results.
"My colleagues believed it would be impossible to really see anything in less than 500 milliseconds," she
told the website of the Nature journal, which reported the research.
The judgements were being formed almost as quickly as the eye can take in information.
Lasting impressions
The researchers also believe that these quickly formed first impressions last because of what is known
to psychologists as the "halo effect".
If people believe a website looks good, then this positive quality will spread to other areas, such as the
website's content.
Since people like to be right, they will continue to use the website that made a good first impression, as
this will further confirm that their initial decision was a good one.
As websites increasingly jostle for business, Dr Lindgaard added that companies should take note.
"Unless the first impression is favourable, visitors will be out of your site before they even know that
you might be offering more than your competitors," she warned.
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2. BBC NEWS | Technology | First impressions count for web 4/23/10 4:31 PM
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/technology/4616700.stm
Published: 2006/01/16 13:17:49 GMT
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