The 3 second rule

Categories UX

When someone looks at a web site for the first time they will give it 3 seconds to answer the following:

  1. What sort of place is this?
  2. What have you got? What should I do?
  3. What do I do next?

If they don’t get a satisfactory answer, they simply go back to Google and start again (Rule 2: Three assumptions you should make about web users)

To test a  site yourself:

A) On a smartphone

  1. Clear the cache
  2. Enter the URL
  3. Count three seconds
  4. Cover the screen and answer the above questions

B) On a desktop

  1. Clear the cache
  2. Resize the window to 800px high
  3. Enter the URL
  4. Count 3 seconds
  5. Minimise the screen and answer the above questions

 

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