First Impressions

Have you ever paid for an experience after being given expectations and were let down? Ever had a great first impression that made you stick around for more?

My son recently went to a local day camp. The brochure listed it as “fun camp” and the description made it sound really cool. Plus I know it’s been around for many years, so I thought it must all be true, right?

When I dropped him off the first day I was informed I had to fill out the camp forms. Again. For the third time. I tried to stay positive, even after they forgot to give me the pertinent information regarding late pickup times due to field trips and I showed up at 3:15 to find out he wouldn’t be back until 5:00. Oh, and they lost all the T-shirts the kids brought in for a project.

It came as no surprise when my son asked me to not sign him up for this fun camp next year because it was anything but fun.

First Impressions

Managing customer expectations and matching them to the experience customers receive (or even exceeding them) make a lasting impression, just like a website leaves a first impression for visitors. Its sets up certain expectations, and not meeting those expectations will definitely leave an impression.

“They” say you have as little as 3 seconds for your visitors to decide they want to stay on your site or leave. Why not make your website reflect the amazing experience you offer, by not settling for a website that doesn’t really reflect the experience they will have by working with you?

I like to work with my clients, truly understanding what they can do for their clients so each website that’s created is truly reflective of what their customers can expect when working with them. We accomplish this through a conversation (or two) and/or a detailed questionnaire or workbook along with any follow-up questions for clarity. I know it isn’t always fun to do “homework” but this part of each project really helps us both get to the nitty-gritty of what should be on your website to give your visitors a good impression of the kind of service experience you provide.

Know, Like, Trust

When beginning any project that your client will ultimately see or show up anywhere your clients may be, you’ll want the same feeling, the same assurance of quality your customer can expect. When this is conveyed consistently through your image and word choices it builds the know, like and trust factor and helps your customers recognize you no matter where they come in contact with you. (Of course, not limited to your images and word choices, these are just examples.)

Take our experience with the summer camp that I described above. The first impression was great, leading us to believe my son’s experience was going to be really fun. It’s the perfect example of why you should have a great experience planned out for your clients before creating your website. (Remember the previous post about having a firm foundation?)

Of course, the opposite can always be true. Creating an amazing website may spur you on to receive feedback from working with customers that will only help you create an even better client experience for the next person you work with.

Take Action
Think about what you offer your clients and think about how you can translate that into your website. What are your images saying about working with you? Are your fonts frilly, but your actions and choice of words when working with clients not what everyone considers ‘frilly’? Take a good look at your site and see if you need to make any changes.

If you’ve yet to create an online home for your biz, think about the experience you want your clients to have and map it out  Then think about the images and words you can include on your website that will introduce your visitors to the experience they can expect to have working with you. (Tip, some of these words should be ones you would hear your clients say when they talk about needing your services.)