It's been said that customers decide whether to remain on a website within 8 seconds. Rather than dissecting the validity of the claim, let's examine the implications of this statement on your business. Why debate seconds when we can explore the truth behind the statistic?

First impressions online are as important (if not more) than meeting someone personally. Like a personal meeting, your guest scans you and your appearance for visual clues. Can this person benefit me in some way? Do I think we will share interests? What does this person think of me? The questions can be endless.

Let's translate this personal meeting to your website and its guests.

Can this person benefit me in some way?

On entering your website, customers should see instantly what you have to offer them. As tempting as it may be to show a fancy graphic, display your mission statement, or talk about how long you've been in business, few customers are interested in this. On the web, there are thousands of other search results, so make sure you make a valuable impression.

Give customers a reason to stay or connect with  you. What do online customers value?

• Immediate and Free gifts
• Valuable information or products
• Sense of community

The easiest to implement and establish is providing your visitors with an immediate free gift. Offer your site visitors a discount (online or in your store) for joining your email list. This opens the value relationship focused on the visitor. Whether the person spends anything or not, by capturing the email address, you are now able to continue conversation with them until they are ready. Plus, having the email name on your file opens many more opportunities for monetization.

Check back for answers to the other questions.