“You won’t get a second chance to make a good first impression.” This quote by Oscar Wilde is perfect to describe the influence of what concerns the priming effect of a website.
People arrive on your web pages and work their way to create an idea of the content. They scan the text, just as Jakob Nielsen suggested in the famous 1997 article in which he answered negatively this question: how do people read on the Web?
Users do not read but scan words to get a rough idea and invest a few seconds to decide. “Do I continue or not?” Taking care of the priming effect of the website becomes crucial at this point. That is why it is useful to delve into this step by starting with some definitions.
What is priming in psychology
The priming effect is that phenomenon studied in cognitive psychology that enables the human brain to recognize, accept and accommodate successive stimuli similar to those already addressed. Our reality is complex, articulated, and too tortuous to be dealt with in its entirety.
This is why our brains identify particularly convenient shortcuts. These are innate survival mechanisms, often even representing limitations such as biases: we anticipate thinking toward a particular person or situation based on preconceived ideas.
The priming effect works in this direction: exposure to an initial stimulus influences the response and interaction to a subsequent experience that, however, does not necessarily have a direct correlation. Let’s simplify?
If a person wears medical scrubs I will identify him as a qualified doctor without having seen his degree, if a day starts badly I will see every development of it in a negative light. Even if in reality positive episodes happen over the course of 24 hours.
Must-read: what is and what is the purpose of research intent
How many types of priming exist?
Priming is a cognitive effect according to which an event is expected by the individual if there is a relationship with the previous one. But to better explain the relationship of priming on the website, we must remember that this cognitive bias is not monolithic. There are different types of priming: the most important include perceptual and cognitive priming, which are based on perceptions and meanings, respectively.
Another model is the repetitive one: having performed an action, my brain will be inclined to repeat it without thinking too much about it. An example is the one expressed by Andrea Saletti in the book dedicated to Neuromarketing: putting the fork on the right side on a plate with a dessert will make everything more inviting.
Because – in principle – the potential buyer is used to picking up and using the cutlery with the right hand. Around these declinations and various semantic, associative and repetitive triggers.
The website priming effect
Now we know what the priming effect is. And those involved in web design, performance, UX and SEO must be able to merge these skills within a good all-encompassing strategy. That is, able to go beyond just search engine optimization or web aesthetics.
How much time people invest in above the fold according to Nielsen
Here we are talking about a slightly different subject: CRO. That is, conversion rate optimization. We need to make sure that every point on the website is optimized so that the portal is immediate, simple, and able to simplify use and navigation. As Steve Krug would say?
We need to create a website that frees people from thinking “how do you do this?” so as to increase the likelihood of getting past the most important point: above the fold. Again studies by Jakob Nielsen suggest to us that people invest a lot of time in this area of publishing:
“Users spent about 57% of their page-viewing time above the fold. 74% of the viewing time was spent in the first two screenfuls, up to 2160px.”
Users invest 57% of their page-viewing time in the above-the-fold section. We go up to 74% if we stay above 2000 pixels. The data changes if we consider mobile, as it is more fluid and device usage is different.
That is why it is important to optimize above the fold. Even applying the priming effect to the website.
How to optimize the above the fold
A performing above the fold needs to be fast and immediate, but most importantly away from any problems in terms of user experience. Especially now that Core Web Vitals factors come into play, which is not only about loading time but also about stability and responsiveness of elements.
Immediacy. That may be the buzzword. Anything that appears at the top of the website, the one that is shown immediately to the user, influences navigation. And subsequent visits.
Would you return to a site that takes more than 3 seconds to load?
But let’s continue to think in terms of the priming effect to make our website work better. Here are some solutions.
Use better words and messages
This is the starting point: the top of your website must be designed to give, in a short time, the information needed to make the user understand who you are, what you do, or what the objective benefits will be.
We need to create high-quality content that can guide people to think about something specific. To then take specific actions.
Words are recognized and decoded by the brain. This means that terms can alter the decisions and actions of people reading the content.
This is why it is important to write an effective headline to capture attention and include a USP – unique selling proposition – that will become the leitmotif of the business proposal.
I don’t have to scroll down the entire page to understand, I need to be immediately informed: the priming effect of the website is based on immediacy.
Make the most of the visual
Consistency of visuals, trust, continuity between what you are and the image you give as soon as people arrive on the website. The first element that should not be missing is the logo. It can be a pictogram with naming and payoff or a logotype with custom font: either way there is a need for consistency and continuity. Same goes for the colors chosen and the image used, which welcomes the user and can evoke a specific frame.
Check out this above-the-fold dedicated to mortgages from mojomortgages.com: there is linearity between the graphic style and what the company’s core values are-finding the best mortgage to buy a home easily-which comes across as a great solution for those attracted to an effective but streamlined, no-strings-attached service based on independent, no-broker comparison.
With respect to the visual, it is important to consider the influence of the Largest Contentful Paint. That is, the upload time of the heaviest element of the publicly visible screen. Having a photo, graphic, or video upload too slow can lead to problems with upload times.
Create consistency with colors and meanings
There is a psychological connection between meanings and colors. Blue is a synonym for tranquility, reliability, certainty. Solidity, that is. Not surprisingly, there is a certain linearity within the color choice. Examples?
Banks and insurance companies that have these values as a reference point propose corporate colors tending toward blue. While green is dedicated to well-being, to care for nature and the body. In its pastel declination it is perfect for medical aspects (along with light blue).
Now think about dentists: what do they look like? What is the above-the-fold of a dental office? The one that calms the user and accompanies him or her in the course of navigation by communicating serenity.