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When visitors land on a website, the first thing they do is mentally evaluate in an instant whether they can trust the information on the site enough to continue.
Like all information, this is a matter of whether or not the source of the information can be trusted to overcome perceptions of risk and uncertainty. Trust or no trust happens during the visitor’s initial impressions or “first glance” at a website when visitor is still unfamiliar with the vendor.
Savvy website owners have two easy opportunities to look credible and boost visitor website trust at “first glance” to increase conversion rates:
1. Show that there is a real organization behind the website, as an honest trustworthy company. This is done most effectively with a credibility-based logo design representing the company.
The credible company logo is usually in the upper left hand corner of the website. Perception theory in communication persuasion suggests that people immediately want to know the source of the message which follows. Just like when we often look first for the name of the person on an envelop or post card.
Similarly, visitors to a website look at the company logo, or search for the company name if there is no logo, at “first glance.”
Then, simultaneously,
2. Show that there is a credible organization behind the website with an appropriately designed home page. A company website home page must be designed with the same appropriate credibility traits as in the company logo. T
his will also give consistency in credibility traits important to the company behind the website.
Logos and home pages are perceived almost simultaneously. Thus, the company credibility-based logo design and the home page design must have a consistency in credibility design “look.”
For example, the logo cannot have a contemporary design and the home page a dated design.
The bottom line is that the whole visitor perception, logo and home page, must communicate credibility to assure the visitor continues at this initial web experience — at “first glance.” These first impressions are key to trust building and continued visitor conversions toward being a customer.
Topics: Design
