Update: Read our latest article on impression testing from June 2016

The five-second test (clueapp, fivesecondtest) is a very simple method for capturing a user’s first impressions about the website.  We did a few experiments with this test on various websites (some ours, some not).  In our experiments, five seconds was really not much time to register a value proposition – it was just enough for the brain to register images and perhaps a headline or two.  It seems that if you want to know if the user gets the gist of the value proposition, he needs a bit more time.

Last week we rolled out a similar feature on TryMyUI.  When commissioning a use test, you can specify if you want to include an impression test.  If you check yes, then we precede the actual test with a short test, in which the user is shown the website for about 10 seconds (it’s rough because it may take the website a second or two to load), and then we ask them three basic questions:

• What is the website about?
• What services are offered and for whom?
• What is the feel of this site? (e.g. professional, fun, small-company, corporate?)

Basically, with the impression test you get a quick review of the user’s impressions of the landing page.  It doesn’t cost any more – try it out and give us your feedback. What would make this more useful?

More on TryMyUI’s impression test and other user testing features »