As of today, there are over one billion smartphone users in the world, and this number increases every single day. For entrepreneurs, innovators, and disrupters this means that there are tons of technologically capable people out there on the web that are searching for quick and effortless solutions to their problems. Studies have shown that if you don’t engage a user within just 500 milliseconds, they are likely to leave your page and never come back. That is what they call the blink test. In the blink of an eye you either lose or win over your visitor.
To go about retaining people within that short amount of time you should first know what gives a bad first impression. High visual complexity or low prototypical design are two major factors that can turn away a user in no time. Having a mix of a little bit of both in your website is favorable. The next thing to consider is the layout and overall design. Having a well designed custom layout for your website is the best way to go. Many benefits will come from hiring a web designer to customize your layout/website. Unique design, a more professional look, search-engine friendliness, and overall better quality are just to name a few.
Heatmapping and metrics should also be taken into account. Some heatmapping tools you can use are Google’s in-page analytics, Crazy Egg, Mouseflow, or Mixpanel. All of these tools will map out where the user’s mouse goes and how much time they spend in each section, and what gets the most clicks. This will help you figure out the best place to put links, images, and other information.
A few other important guidelines to follow are to keep the noise down, but still be able to stand out among all of the other millions of websites. Making sure that the overall effect of your page is positive, reassuring, and trustworthy is very important to keep in mind. With all of this you will be able to convert your website to maximum user retention and greater conversion rates. Innovise can help you with exactly that, and your website will be sure to survive the 5 second blink test!