Don’t Let Your First Impression Be Your Last

Your clothes. Your handshake. Your opening line. Getting those right is essential when trying to make a good first impression.

It’s no different for businesses. In today’s tech-driven world,  making a great first impression means getting all of your customer-facing technology — from your website to your sales kiosk in your retail store — just right.

And you don’t have much time. According to researchers at the Missouri University of Science and Technology it takes less than two-tenths of a second for an online visitor to form a first opinion of your brand once they've come to your company's website, for example.

If you get it wrong — unappealing design, poor customer experience — you likely lose a potential customer forever.

That’s why putting your best foot forward from the start matters so much. The stakes are high.

Focus on the Customer Experience

To entice visitors to linger on your website or in your stores, you need to create an exceptional customer experience that delivers an equally amazing first impression. Technology can help, if you get it right.

Here’s what you need to pay attention to:

Brand Consistency

Whenever you’re reaching your audience, your message and visuals need to be in lock step with your brand’s personality. Is your brand fun? Edgy? Conservative? Making a good impression means making the right impression so be authentic. If you attempt to deliver a message that doesn’t align with who you are — or you deliver it in a way that doesn’t jibe with your audience — you’ll come across as insincere. And consumers are really good at sniffing that out. 

Audience

Speaking of consumers, you need to understand your audience from a demographic and psychographic standpoint. That’s a given. But, it’s not enough. Having a handle on how your audience will consume you message is equally important.

For instance, there’s a world of difference in audience perception when consuming a message at home, at a trade show or in a retail store. So understanding the environment in which your target will receive your message is critical. You also need to know how much time they have, whether their experience with your brand will be self-directed or guided by a sales rep, and whether they’re looking to execute a transaction or simply obtain information.

Story

Whether your brand story is long or short, simple or detailed, it needs to be carefully crafted to immediately engage your audience. What makes an impact? A bold statement. A solution to a problem they are looking to solve. An appeal designed to create an emotional response. Those are just a few ways you can create the type of first impression that will be inspirational and have them clamoring to learn more.

Technology

If you’re using tech to deliver a compelling customer experience — for instance, that touchscreen kiosk in your retail store — select it with care. It’s a mistake to choose tech simply because it looks cool or has the latest feature that is being hyped. It needs to support your strategic vision for your brand and fit your audience. Again, be genuine.

Using the right technology — tech that is in sync with your brand persona and relevant to your audience — can help you make the winning first impression you’re striving for. 

At ViewPoint, we help companies make an impactful first impression. Get in touch at info@viewpointtouch.com if you’d like to learn more.