In March of this year, I attended Candidates Night for our town election. I arrived late, so I quickly scooted to a seat in the front row. Each candidate had to introduce him or herself, state why they were running, and what they brought to the office.
One of the candidates, up for re-election, wore slippers. Because I was in the front row, and he right in front of me, I stared at them in disbelief. They were a light tan / brown with fur around the inside edges and sheepskin on the footbed.
I kept looking at them, then began taking notes on the other candidates’ shoes, then their clothes.
(I get my love of note taking and observational skills from one of my favorite childhood books, “Harriet the Spy” by Louise Fitzhugh. I take a notebook to every event I attend. I retain a lot of info. 😀 )
Within five seconds, this candidate made a poor first impression on me. Obviously, he couldn’t be bothered to dress properly for Candidates Night — and judging from his attitude and posture, he didn’t think he needed to.
He ended up losing his re-election bid — by a very large margin.
I often equate this type of experience to how manufacturers make good — or not so good — first impressions with their websites. A manufacturing website communicates all sorts of messages, including attention to detail — which is huge.
So often I read a manufacturer’s quality statement but the website itself is rife with typos, poorly designed elements, and broken links that you immediately doubt if the manufacturer can deliver.
A poor website experience is the equivalent of wearing your furry slippers to Candidates Night. You end up losing without knowing why.