On the 2.2 days a year that I am not traveling, I live in Vermont. My nephrologist is in Seattle.
If I moved to whatever the furthest place in the world is from Seattle, my nephrologist would still be in Seattle. Meaning that I would travel from anywhere on the planet to see him. I went through over three dozen kidney doctors before I found him. I saw the top guys in the world and I settled on him. Why? Two reasons. (1) He’s unequivocally one of the most competent, knowledgeable, skilled doctors I have ever had and he fits; and (2) He consistently exceeds my expectations.
The “fit” part is important and often underestimated. If you don’t like your doctor, no matter how much any person or report tells you that they’re the Best/Top/Most Published/Most Honored/Least Sued Doctor, dump them and find someone else. Period.
The expectations part is a bit more complicated. The thing about expectations is that one person has to set them first. Both parties can have expectations but one person needs to be in charge and manage them. (Yes, I know, all the “it’s about the conversation” types think both people should have equal expectations. What-the-flip-ever. Some stuff sounds a lot better in theory than it actually works out in practice.)
When I first met, Dr. A., I was over an hour late for my appointment. (That was not intentional. I get lost in a paper bag.)
I cycloned into his office as I normally do and after exchanging a few pleasantries (the guy gives succinct new meaning) I said something to the effect of “look, I can’t commit to a man. There’s no way in Hell I am committing to a machine 3-4 times a week. You need to figure out how to solve my problems without a transplant or a dialysis machine.”
He looked at me quizzically and then nodded at his nurse. I recognized the nod as it’s one that I have seen often — it’s the “make sure to request a drug panel on her blood work lab sheet because this girl is obviously smoking crack” nod.
But guess what? He did it. EXACTLY what I asked him to. He did something that some of the most renowned doctors at the most prestigious hospitals in the world told me was outright impossible. Yes, it’s true. A guy who calls his pocket calendar his “BlueBerry” — yes, blue, not black, because it’s got a blue PAPER cover — solved problems that were supposedly unsolvable.
It’s the same thing with your web site. When a user comes to your site for the first time, you set their expectations. The first view of your site (literally — the first view — the first screen) tells them what they’re supposed to do there.
Is your site a library or is it a bookstore?
Are they supposed to buy or are they supposed to browse? (Remember, any time the user exchanges their personal data with you, it’s a transaction — there’s a market value to their info — so even if you’re trying to get a lead, you can still have a “buying” site.)
Is your search in the upper righthand corner or is there a perpetual cart or lead form there? (A perpetual cart is a cart that stays with you throughout the buying process. You can use them for leads too.) One tells you to buy. The other tells you to browse.
If you have a blog, is there a way to contact you for information about your services or do you bury that somewhere below the fold?
Do you have an action bar or just navigation? An action bar tells the user what things they are supposed to do on your site (sign up for your FREE newsletter, order from a catalog, check out the web specials/overstock/clearance items.) Navigation tells them where they can go, er, in a nice way. (The best, for any site, is a combination of the two.)
Do you have “click here now” buttons or do you just assume that users will know where/how to click? (Hint: they won’t.) Do you have a home link or do you believe that users know to click on your logo to get there? (Hint: they don’t.) Does the top view have just one huge visual and/or a bunch of text or are there are a lot of things to do or look at? (Hint: the latter works best.) Do you ask them to raise their hand (i.e., fill out a survey/poll, download a white paper, sign up for a webinar) or do you just hope they will? (Hint: if wishes were horses….)
You have one chance to make a first impression.
The first screen on your site often determines your outcomes. First screen. One chance. One first impression.
What kind of expectations are YOU setting for your user? What are you telling them to do?
Great Post Amy!
While this post is about a first impression for website visitors, your email program does this too. Everything you said here applies there as well. What’s email’s first impression – it’s the Welcome Message and it’s where email marketers should set their subscribers’ expectations. The Welcome is one of the most read emails you ever send so don’t waste that opportunity.
Keep up the great work on QLOG Amy!
Luke
You have one chance to make a first impression. In a broader sense than you intended, that’s sound advice for every aspect of your professional (and personal!) life. If you make an excellent first impression, people are generally willing to be more forgiving of gaffes down the road. But if you’re always digging out from under after a weak first encounter it’s virtually impossible to get back to even. What’s true of your website is applicable to all aspects of ur business as well. Make a good first impression. You can’t afford not to.
Thanks for another good post, Amy.
This is a great story. In the days when we did a lot of direct mail…we always went with our most wonderful package first…and then scaled back.
We want to make a great first impression too. As the package was working, we’d scale back on the paper weight, maybe lose the brochure and the live stamp.
You only get one chance to get in and win over Amy Africa too. Glad that doctor did whatever he needed to do for you.