The Rebirth of the 30-Second Spot

If you had 30 seconds to say anything you wanted to a prospect, what would you say?

While you're thinking about it, keep in mind that they're using this time to selectively size you up. You're saying something about "value," and "features," and all they hear is "blah blah blah" as they decide whether that tie you're wearing is suitable for the occasion, and if it's for sale. 

30 Seconds and Your Home Page

This is sort of like the process one goes through when visiting a home page for the very first time. According to this interview with Jakob Nielsen, they stay there for about 30 seconds, and they don't want to listen to your elevator pitch -- or any other kind of pitch.

They want to know where they can find the answer to their question or the place they need to go in order to fulfill the purpose of their visit.

But first, you have to quickly assure them that they CAN find what they came here for and that your company DOES make the process of finding it fairly easy.

Give them something to scan

You have to understand that, in most cases, they are not interested in hanging on every word you say. They have a busy life, and if they can't find an answer to their question easily here (or if they aren't reasonably assured that they can find one here), they will reformulate their search in Google before they give you the time of day.

What is scanable?

• Headline - All <H> tags. (e.g., <H1>, <H2>, <H3>, etc.)  Says "This is what the content underneath here is about. I can also help you form i a mental model of the hierarchy of information.
• Form field - Says "Interact with me. There's something to do here." The context surrounding the form field or fields communicate its purpose.
• Button - Says, "Not only am I clickable, but I'm also almost sure to be universally important."
• Pictures - Pictures, icons and any visual aid can say a number of things. They're important because they can be used to establish a tone and personality of the site, provide an understanding of what the site is about, and they can give the eye a break when scanning or reading a page.
• Bullets - Say "Here's a high-level overview of what you can expect here, relative to the context surrounding the bullets."
• Boldface - Says "Here's something worth reading."

Also, don't dismiss the value of a good Web tagline at the top of every page on your site.

These are specific tactics that, when used properly, may aid in homepage usability. However, it's important to note that, as with anything, when used improperly, they can decrease homepage usability.

If you remember that the tactics you use cannot replace the user research and business priorities of the site, you should be okay. - Cam Beck

Apologies to Joseph Jaffe. :)

Comments

[Alan Wolk]

I think this is a great way to frame this idea Cam. It's something that people can wrap their heads around in a way that correlates directly to something that's in their realm of experience.

And I totally plan on stealing it;)

[Cam Beck]

Thanks, Alan. A version of this one's been sitting in my drafts folder since October. I'm glad that it made sense, in the end. :)