You've got 3 seconds -- then they're gone!

3 seconds -- that's how long the average web surfer will spend before they decide to stay or leave.

You NEED to make a great first impression!

Your blog had better NOT be ugly. Heinous glaring colors, too much stuff all over the place, hard to read fonts, unexpected audio that starts playing, etc.
So, what's ugly? Can you tell? I can not!

I get a pro -- someone with a great eye, perhaps a graphics person, artist, etc. for an opinion.

I use John Raleigh of Raleigh Design, 978-465-9471. For a 20 minute consultation he charges $25. You can tell him I sent you. If you spent a lot of time and effort on your blog, as we all do, it's worth the price of a few coffees for a professional opinion!

Anyone notice my blog is looking kind of ugly lately?? I moved stuff around, and think, but am not sure (I'm no graphics pro), that I may have uglied it up!

I'll have John look tomorrow. He charges me more, as I pay in wine. $25 would usually be cheaper :)

Oh yeah, content matters too, matters a lot -- but you already know that, right?

Comments

[HP van Duuren]

Although I am not a Webdesigner, and only have a simple Blogger Template with a few eye catching pictures and banners etc. etc. I do think that - although somewhat primitive - I do have created a fairly attractive Blog. So I am curious how many seconds, minutes or hours your are inclined to visit my Blog. :) (Feel free to post comments on my Blog Posts, I do have some daily traffic.)

Regards,
HP

[Becky McCray]

Hey, you can pay in wine? :)

[Ted Demopoulos, Blogging for Business]

Hi HP,
I think you've got a nice clean design. I LIKE simple -- it works well!

Becky,
I'm actually paying John and co for layout and design of my "Secrets of Successful Blogging" booklet in Italian wine - Barolo and Brunello mainly. I'd rather drink actually :)

[michael snell]

I agree. The first impression must catch their eye and you need a banana at the top, as Seth Godin says. I meet more clients that have blogs that are, how can I say? a mess! To much clutter. You need a little flair or artistic sense to present your information, and photos if you choose, in a pleasing manner. If you need help from someone, ask! You want your readers to stay!

Michael Snell
http://www.businessbloggingtips.com
http://www.networldingbusinessblogging.com

[The Hairy Beast]

You keep them for three whole seconds?

Hits to The Beast's weblog depart so fast they lay cyber-skidmarks behind them.

Of course that may have something to do with his habit of titling every single one of his posts with the words: "Paris Hiton Naked!"

[Ted Demopoulos, Blogging for Business]

Hi Michael,
As usual, Seth puts it extremely well.

Hey Hairy One,
When someone visits and only looks at one page, it usually shows up as 0 seconds. They may have read that page, perhaps your main page, for 30 minutes, but there is no way to tell. The http protocol simply cannot convey that information -- it just knows the page was requested/downloaded, so it shows up as 0.