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Well, it’s not like we didn’t know this before, but it sure is nice to get some validation. According to the good folks at nature.com, researchers in Canada have determined that initial, snap impressions users form of a web site have lasting effects on their experience with a site.

To quote a bit from the article (emphasis mine):

We all know that first impressions count, but this study shows that the brain can make flash judgements almost as fast as the eye can take in the information. The discovery came as a surprise to some experts. “My colleagues believed it would be impossible to really see anything in less than 500 milliseconds,” says Gitte Lindgaard of Carleton University in Ottawa, who has published the research in the journal Behaviour and Information Technology1. Instead they found that impressions were made in the first 50 milliseconds of viewing.

What we’re talking about is what psychologists call the “halo effect.” If we like our first impressions, we’ll hang around a web site (person, book, store, whatever) longer than we might otherwise to prove to ourselves that our first impressions were right. (I know, we are pretty screwed up as a species–a similar idea about reducing dissonance explains why, when we do something mean to someone, we actually feel dislike for them. All we’re trying to do is maintain some level of internal consistency.)

What do the researchers suggest?

1. Limit use of graphics–use them to grab attention, not as eye candy.
2. Give easy and quick access to information–your site is supposed to be an information asset, not the equivalent of a billboard or brochure. (If it is that, then call us and we can help you join the 21st century)
3. Follow conventions! The reason why I can probably drive your car is because it has a steering wheel, brake pedal, gas pedal, and gear shift, and all in pretty much the same places as in my car. Don’t make users float around looking for your logo (put it in the upper left corner like everyone else). Same goes for search widgets–they usually go on top and over to the right of the page.

Here is what CNN had to say on the topic:

In the study, researchers discovered that people could rate the visual appeal of sites after seeing them for just one-twentieth of a second. These judgments were not random, the researchers found — sites that were flashed up twice were given similar ratings both times.

They also matched the responses given by subjects who were shown the sites for longer.

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