The First Three Seconds: How Users Are Lost by Zac Gery.
From the post:
In the time it takes to read this sentence, someone has viewed this post and moved on. They probably didn’t even read this sentence. Why did they leave? What were they looking for? Users searching on the internet have a short attention span. It is commonly referred to as the “3 Second Rule.” Although not specifically three seconds, the rule accentuates the limited time a website has to make a first impression. The goal of any website is to clarify, then build interest. Interest drives return visits and recommendations. As a user’s visit extends so does the chance for a return visit.
On the web, first impressions start with speed. From the moment users request a web page, they begin to evaluate. Displaying a modern website is a coordinated effort of content, css files, javascript files, images, and more. Too many requests or large files can increase a website’s load time. Tools such as Firebug, YSlow, Webkit’s Inspector, and Fiddler offer an excellent overview of load times. Browser caching can help with additional requests, but most websites are not afforded a second look. Investigate the number of files required for a web page. Sprites are a great way to reduce multiple image files and overall size. Compression tools can also help to reduce wasted space in javsacript and CSS files.
A little bit longer than Love or Hate in 50 Milliseconds but it still raises the bar over the thirty (30) second elevator speech.
Are you measuring user reactions to your interfaces in milliseconds?
Or do you ask your manager for their reaction?
Care to guess which test is most often used by successful products?
I first saw this at DZone.
[…] visits and recommendations. As a user’s visit extends so does the chance for a return visit. Link – Trackbacks Posted in User experience (UX) | Permalink. ← Has responsive design […]
Pingback by The First Three Seconds: How Users Are Lost « Another Word For It | UXWeb.info — September 22, 2012 @ 8:28 am