Posted on July 9, 2012 by Stephan Wiedner

Does your profile or website pass the 10-second test? If someone hits your profile or website, do they easily understand what you’re about and what’s in it for them?

If not, you need to keep refining your message.

Why 10 seconds? If people need 11 seconds to understand what you’re all about, they’ll leave and find someone else.

Benchmark data across thousands and thousands of websites confirms that over half of your visitors will be gone within 10 seconds.

Run a 10-second test

It is really useful to do the test in person so you can see how people react to pages. For example, when they like what they see, they tend to settle in for a long read and move their head toward the screen.

1. Find a friend or colleague. Ideally the person you are asking is your ideal client but that’s not necessary (more later).

• Ask them if they have a couple minutes to spare.
• Prime them with a conversation that goes something like this:
• You: “Do you know anything about life coaching?”
• Regardless of what they say, you answer “Great. That’s perfect. I’d like you take a quick look at my website or online profile so I can collect some feedback. I’m testing the website, not you. So please feel free to be as open and honest with me as possible. Any questions?”
• Don’t tell them you’re doing a 10-second test. Make them think they’ll have more time to scan the page.

2. Show them Your Page. Watch how they interact with the page and where their eyes go. Notice their scrolling and eye-scanning behaviors.

3. Interrupt After 10 Seconds. Say “Do you mind if I interrupt you quickly. What are your impressions so far?”

4. Follow-up With More Questions. Like “who do I coach?” and “what are the benefits?”. If they aren’t sure, you have more work to do.

5. Keep it Going Past 10 Seconds. At this point in time, the 10-second test is over. But since you have their attention, you might as well ask them more questions. Feel free to get them to review more pages and ask more specific questions.

Comic illustration: The result you want from a 10-second test

 Who should you ask to run a 10-second test?

You should get feedback from anybody who is willing.

In a perfect world, you’d collect feedback from your ideal clients but when you have done a good job communicating your value proposition, even non-clients will quickly understand what you are all about and be able to tell their friends about you. You should aim to have your message memorable and shareable.

That said, I should caution you to not put too much stock into any one person’s feedback. When testing here at Noomii.com, we’ve discovered that getting feedback from 4 to 6 people is about right.

Less than 3 is not enough. More than 6 and you start to see the same patterns over and over again.

So yes, 60-seconds (6 people x 10 seconds each) of feedback is all you need to learn if you’ve got your messaging right. When you do, I’m confident your leads will triple!

The 10-second test coffee shop challenge! You up for it?

I’ve told hundreds of coaches like you to get feedback and I love it when you report back the findings. For example, check out how Todd Curzon uncovered website flaws he didn’t know he had.

So I’ve got a challenge for you. The next time you grab a coffee, bring your laptop and get feedback from 6 people and report back your findings. We can all learn from each other.

Ready? Go get feedback.