We all know the importance of making a good first impression on first dates, during job interviews, and at sales presentations. Within seconds, other people make instantaneous judgments. A favorable first impression can make the difference between getting a second date, landing the job, or making the sale and missing out. The same is true of a website: Website visitors form a first impression within mere milliseconds of viewing it.

Assuming a user is impressed enough to not click the Back button, the first impression can lead to what’s known as the “halo effect.” Whether a first impression is favorable or unfavorable, visitors become biased by their first impressions.

For example, if a website visitor initially thinks the Web design is smart and sophisticated, subsequent judgments will be influenced by this first impression. Products and services may appear smarter and more sophisticated to the visitor. On the other hand, if a user forms a first impression of clutter, sloppiness or disorganization, these biases will affect the user’s overall experience. These same products and services may seem inadequate to this visitor or the company may lose credibility.

Because of the halo effect, Web designers must be aware of the importance of making a strong, favorable fi

Ever wonder what Web developers mean when they talk about usability? Though not nearly as glamorous as some aspects of Web design, usability is critically important. After all, it’s all about the user experience.

Usability addresses how the user interacts with a website and covers everything from how easy it is for a visitor to accomplish basic tasks (such as navigating the website or downloading a trial product) to the types of errors website visitors make and how satisfying the entire experience is.

For example, have you ever visited a website that’s impossible to navigate or difficult to read without using the browser’s zoom tool? While the graphics and Flash elements may be gorgeous, if you can’t use a website or comfortably read its text, the site fails the usability test – and you’ll likely abandon it.

Google introduced a new feature, and another game changer as far as SEO goes, last month: Google Plus Your World. When you enter a phrase into Google, Google Plus Your World goes much further than merely serving up results related to your keyword phrase; it looks at your larger social network for cues and delivers “personal” results.

For example, if you enter a phrase such as “Ford Mustang” into Google and people in your social network have shared articles about Ford Mustangs, posted pictures of their cars or shared news about their local Mustang car club’s latest fundraising drive, those results would appear as personal results. Meanwhile, they would also force general results further off the page.

Naturally, this is highly individualized as each individual has a unique network of social contacts. Google search results for the same exact phrase will vary dramatically from one user to the next.

With this change, social signals and search results are a new reality. If you’ve been hesitant to get social, it’s time to jump in. A few ideas to start: Build a Facebook fan page, start tweeting, write shareable blog posts and articles and encourage others to share. If you need help planning and executing a social strategy, you can count on the Webiotic team. Contact us today to learn more.

Anyone with a Google AdWords account, and even those without, can use the Google Keyword Tool to find keyword phrases for their websites. As you choose your keywords, are you making these three keyword mistakes?

1. Choosing phrases your target audience doesn’t use. This is an easy trap to fall into, especially if your company uses internal phrases and industry jargon that the general public doesn’t use. For example, a plastic surgeon might refer to a particular procedure as “abdominoplasty.” However, a search engine user seeking this type of surgery would be more likely to enter “tummy tuck.”
2. Choosing a popular keyword phrase without considering context. In your list of keyword phrases you might find variations that are extremely popular such as “cheap math tutor.” If you are indeed a cheap math tutor, then this could be a good choice. However, if your services are at the high end of the pay scale, targeting this keyword phrase may drive traffic to your tutoring website but will do little to drive sales.   
3. Ignoring keyword competition. Imagine this: a descriptive keyword phrase that describes your service perfectly and receives hundreds of thousands of searches a month. It’s perfect! Not so fast. You also need to consider the competition and how likely it is to rank for that particular phrase. For example, if you’re an independent insurance agent, how likely is it for you to outrank State Farm, Allstate, Progressive, and all the other major insurance carriers for the popular phrase “auto insurance quotes”?

These are but a few of the dozens of keyword mistakes that not only waste your time, but your money.